Commitment

Part 13

"To leave the farm." He accused suddenly, as his sister's recent actions started to make sense. Loretta had only just mentioned wanting to work in fashion.

"Yes, I did." Regan had no intention of pretending that she wasn't supporting his sister. Loretta hated working on the farm, but she'd done it for weeks now. And Regan knew what it was like when you had to live to another person's rules, following their wish lists and pursuing their dreams. She wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"What?" Gray all but yelled. "You can't be a dictator!"

"I am not."

"You had no right to tell her what to do!" He turned and stalked toward Regan. And again was not surprised to see that she stood her ground. She didn't back off. She didn't even blink when he came to a stop a mere foot away.

"She wants to work at a shop in town not at this farm!" She straightened her spine, "So, yes, I did tell her to speak to you."

"You want her to be as alone as you! No friends. No family. No nothing." He glared and then tossed at her, "Pathetic. A lonely old shrew."

Regan bit down on her lower lip as she kept her words to herself. A few seconds later she took a shallow breath and said softly, "I am not a lonely, old, shrew. I live with you and your family. I am younger that you." She squared her shoulders.

He folded his arms and cocked his head as he said, "And?"

"And what?" She blinked.

"No comeback. You didn't challenge all of my adjectives. You missed one. You are a shrew?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I am not a bad-tempered or an aggressively woman. But I am an assertive woman." And, really, at this rate, this man was going to hear exactly what she thought about his opinions. But then she addressed her temper and remembered that the man was just doing what he thought was best, for his sister. Albeit misplaced assumptions.

He nearly laughed. She sounded proud about her stance. His eyes sparkled with humour, "So you don't mind being labelled, a shrew?"

"Does it matter?" Regan huffed. She continued. "Your sister has the right to live her life." She had to work hard to keep her features serene especially after seeing the sparks in his eyes. 

Again not a tantrum in sight. Gray, for some reason he found her stance interesting. The fact Regan stood up for his sister, but was not doing anything to change his mind about herself. No correction attempted. No demand for an apology. Most women would have taken his words to heart and either flown at him in a rage or cried or insisted on an apology for insulting them. She did none of the above. She simply ignored his words.

"Let her make her own decisions."

He glared, "Right, like you."

"She needs to do what's best for her." Regan told him quietly, her eyes did nothing to hide the understanding. She knew he was worried about his sister.

"And you know what is best for her?" Gray scowled at her. "You barely know us. Just a few weeks. And you think you know what is best for her?"

She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and said, albeit, inaudibly, because she lowered her head, "I know you are worried about her."

"Exactly."

She lifted her eyes and met his glare. "Just give her a chance, to live her dreams."

"It's ok for you to say that." He jabbed a pointed finger at her shoulder and she smacked his hand off. It was the first outward sign of the fact she was not happy with what he had said. The first give away that beneath that mask she was far from pleased.

"What does that mean?" She frowned, as his words registered. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked, for knowing what had gone on so far, she was bound to be disappointed by his assessment of her.

"You give advice because it makes no difference to you." He snapped.

"What?"

"She's no-one to you. Not your responsibility. Not a relative. Not a real friend. She is no-one to you!"

"That is not fair."

He continued. " If she crashes and burns..."

Regan decided that now was a good a time as ever to start on her stand-up-for-herself regime.

"I resent that." Regan told him with narrowed eyes and obvious umbrage. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and told him with straightforward bluntness, "If she crashes and burns, you can help her. I can help her too. But if you don't give her a chance you will smother her." She looked him in the eye and demanded, "Is that what you want? Really?" She jammed her hands on her hips, tipped her chin up and out-stared him. Regan had spent much of her life doing what was expected of her, following her parents goals and wishes. And it was only in recent time that she had started to do things for herself, regardless of the cost financially, and more recently, emotionally.

Gray was somewhat surprised by the fact that Regan was pushing him and even more surprised by the fact that her mask had slipped. "She can work here." He muttered as he turned away. He wanted his sister safe, and being here was safe. He hadn't been able to protect his grandmother, but he could make sure he protected his sister. With Loretta on the farm, he could be there within seconds, if need be. She was safe.

"Doing what?" Regan demanded quietly, grabbed his arm and then marched to stand in his way as she accused, "She's going mad doing farm stuff. She works here because she loves you." She planted her feet firmly on the ground and jammed both hands against his chest to stop him from moving. With her eyes firing with passion and frustration she said, "This farm is not her passion. It's yours. You love working the land. She doesn't."

His eyebrows snapped together, he really was not happy about the implication in her statement. Not one little bit. "Like you know that?" He challenged and tossed her grip aside. Ok, so her assessment was a touch too close to the bone. Everyone knew he loved working on the farm, he had an affinity for the task. A born leader, a natural.