Commitment

Part 18

"Five thousand should cover it." He stated flatly sensing that the old reserved, firmly quiet Regan had re-emerged. She was back to being a closed book.

The shock of his request nearly had her stumbling. "Thousand." She was pegging items of laundry on automatic pilot now. On the inside she was quaking. He is talking about thousands. Thousands. Those words rattled around in her brain. "You want five thousand?" Where was she going to get five thousand dollars?

"Yes." He snapped.

"I see." She gulped.

"You want me to run this place for you. I need these basics." He confirmed her suspicions.

She could feel her heart start to race and her upper lip beaded with perspiration as she tried to fathom out how she could possibly find that kind of money. But clearly he needed it for the farm to work.

"I see. Right." She emptied the basket. So with a sinking feeling in her stomach she picked up the linen basket. At this rate, she should start taking in laundry, maybe offer an ironing service, might be one way to add to the coffers. "When do you need it by?" Regan hoped she'd have a fair amount of time to get the equipment he needed. With a bit of luck she'd have figured out a way to generate that cash.

"Last week." He replied drolly watching her carefully. She really was a miser.

"Oh." She mumbled, as the implications sunk in. Her automatic response was a simple question, "It can't wait?" Her next pay packet came in two weeks time. The locum pay went straight out each week to pay his wage. Her pay packet covered their food, the utility bills and rates. What was left over she used to make some of her loan repayments. She doubted the bank would consider a default on a payment. Where was she going to get five thousand dollars?

Gray wanted to shake her. She had bed linen on the line that was probably worth more than a thousand dollars, yet she begrudged spending it on the farm. "Yeah," He said insolently.

"Yes." She said, pleased to hear that.

"Course it can wait." Acerbity laced his words.

She missed the sarcasm in his statement and mockery in his eyes. "Great." There was obvious relief in her voice. She even nearly turned to smile at him.

"And your stock can wandered away because you did not maintain your fences."

She sighed and said with more confidence, "When we bought the dairy cows, which you insisted we buy, I assumed you had prepared the farm. The fences would keep the cows on the farm."

Gray was ready to bellow. How dare she, question his actions? "You are demonstrating your stupidity. You have no idea about running a farm. We bought dairy cows, to generate income immediately. The money was used for the milking shed and got the paddock close to the milking shed ready, because you did not maintain any of your fences. The money from selling the milk to the local boutique cheese and to the supermarkets paid for the initial equipment purchase. Your farm has extensive lands. It was a sheep farm before you ruined it. The paddocks can support sheep and they would generate decent profits in the medium term. But if we purchase sheep, your sheep can go walk about because the fences are down because you, Dr Calhoun, are a selfish, self-absorbed, miser who wouldn't fork out for a nail gun." With that he pivoted and strode away. He was sure if he stayed he would start yelling at her.

He was fed up with her attitude. The fact that she would not let him see the farm's book, but expected him to run her farm. And in particular, he hated the fact he had to go begging to her, for everything, including basic equipment. Her farm has potential. Heaps of potential, but she was a miser. She expected him to work, without the relevant equipment, with little stock and no additional help.

He had a plan for her farm. He would show her the plan, but he doubted she would care. For the first weeks he reconditioned the farm, got rid of the rubbish, repaired the buildings, mended antiquated equipment, remodelled what he could. Looked at the options, whether to stock with sheep first or cattle. Dairy cattle would bring in profits before the sheep and in any case both needed investment. So he had approached her for money to stock the farm with dairy cattle, and he restored the milk shed knowing just how many cows the milk shed could deal with. With decent stock, milking generated profits. He knew the last few weeks the cows were cash cows! And now he wanted to spend that money on sheep. To do that, he needed the paddocks to be secure. Despite the fact she had not found him additional workers, he had continued to renew her farm. But even with his skills, without the relevant equipment, like the nail gun, he cannot refurbish or even repair the fence.

Regan considered calling him back to explain her financial situation, but years of being brought up to be self reliant and calm kicked in. She walked slowly back toward the house. She would find the money. Or go have another talk with her bank manager. When she'd first taken on the farm she had set herself a time line. She was going to get the place working, but at her pace, when she could afford it and as she learnt the ropes. But the pace had escalated and developments were fast and furious because he was a good manager and was good at farming.