Commitment

Part 23

"Saturday?" Gray asked Caro and his eyes smiled at her. Life was taking a turn for the good. The kiss was not earth shattering, but it was a kiss. And for him it was a start back into the minefield of relationships. He'd always considered himself to have the skills needed to flirt, to charm, to engage. But recently he'd become more withdrawn, because his self-assurance was shattered like his body. But today, it showed his old persona was still there.

"Perfect." Caro murmured. That had been a hell of a kiss.

"Seven?"

"Seven out of ten? Really?" She pouted with a smile in her eyes.

"No." He chuckled. But did not give the kiss a rating. Instead he said, "I'll pick you up. Seven or later if it suits you?" He asked, wondering why he was sealing this date instead of running a mile. It wasn't that he didn't like dating. But he was a touch more of a recluse. His scars on his back were not exactly pretty, and that, had rendered him somewhat more self conscious when it came to dating. Which was odd, because if anyone asked him before that life changing day, whether looks mattered, he'd have laughed. He'd taken his appearance for granted. And had not realised his confidence was based on his appearance.

"Excellent. Seven is fine." With a jaunty confident wave she got into her car.

Gray stood in the driveway, hands in his pockets as he watched the car disappear down the driveway. Then he couldn't help but look across at the paddock, just in time to see Regan disappear around the corner. His eyes narrowed as he thought about her rudeness. It was so out of character. Loretta was right, and he knew it. Regan was usually friendly. Usually lightweight social conversation, overly chatty at times, unless it was about finances for the farm. Lost in his thoughts he turned and headed back to the house.

"So where has her ladyship gone?" Gray asked his grandfather. He wanted a word with her, partly because something just didn't add up, and partly because he just wanted to vent about her attitude!

Sam grimaced then he pinned his grandson with a warning look. "Why do you call her that?" He was still wondering about the missing hug. He should have given Regan a hug.

"Granddad, she thinks she's above us." Gray retorted. He knew he was being unfair.

"You're giving her a raw deal." Sam scowled because this was not normal for Gray's disposition: he was normally fair.

 Gray asked dryly, "Really? You think she's giving us a better one?"That was one of the reasons he had difficulty in understanding Regan.

"She's given us a roof. She feeds us." Sam reminded and banked his frustration with his grandson.

"Yeah, and you and I work our butts off for it!"

Sam shook his head. "You like working on this farm."

"True. But that doesn't mean she can take advantage."

Sam huffed, "Gray! She is not taking advantage...."

"We've pulled this farm up by its socks, while she swans in and out like lady of the manor." Gray retorted. She was getting her pound of flesh, what with him and his grandfather doing the donkey work on her farm, but she was also somewhat kind, given the way she had allowed them to live on the farm. "If it wasn't for us, she'd be sitting amongst ruins. She was running the farm into the ground. Sitting on her pile of gold, wittering it away on herself." That's what irritated Gray, she had the means to ensure her farm was successful, but instead of putting some effort and income into ensuring her farm ran smoothly and efficiently, she spent it on her. "She can't even be bothered to work on her farm!" Gray jammed his hands into his pockets.

Sam said softly, "She has a full time job. She can't be expected to be a doctor and manage a farm at the same time. She is a good doctor." Sam went in to bat for her.  Over the last couple of days he was wondering whether things were ok, financially in particular. She seemed to be working all the hours available, which suggested she might be cash strapped. He just hoped that she hadn't gone into debt by taking on the three of them. Only this morning, he was reviewing his approach: How to have a conversation about her financial situation.

Gray snorted. "Fine, I will take your word for that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "So where's she gone now?"

"Not sure." Sam replied quietly.

Gray sensed that his grandfather was not telling him everything. "I saw her leaving."

"You saw her?" He rubbed his chin.

"Caro and I saw her. I can't believe ladyship's behaviour. She made such a fuss about Caro's parking and yet she left her car parked on the verge. It is probably stuck in the mud now! She will no doubt expect me to retrieve her car!" Gray grumbled. " I want a word with her. She has no right to..."

Sam shook his head, and interrupted, "Gray!"

"Obviously she thinks we are her skives! She makes a mess, and we have to fix it." Gray mumbled beneath his breath and then said,  "We saw her. She was tramping happily through the paddock, as if she was having a wonderful stroll on a beach."  Which was not accurate at all. He remembered that she was trudging through mud, her shoulders were curved, her head down, her hands in her pockets. Not exactly a description of a stroll on a beach. 

"Really?" Gray's descriptions was the opposite of what Sam saw. Her body language mirrored her feelings: she was definitely not happy.

Gray narrowed his eyes when he realised that his grandfather's one word question had more significance. What was going on here? "Have you talked to her, Granddad?"

"Yes, kind of." Sam hedged and wondered whether this was the right time to have a conversation with his grandson about his attitude to Regan.

"She grumbled to you about me?" Gray scratched the back of his neck.

"Not exactly."

Gray huffed, "Granddad, you are stalling!"

"I listened." Sam said quietly. Reviewing his conversation with Regan in his mind, he wished he had given her a hug.

"And?" Gray rolled his eyes. Silence. Given Sam was lost in his thoughts, so Gray prompted, "Granddad! And?"

"And, you are wrong about her." Sam looked directly at Gray. "You are really wrong about her, Gray! Way wrong!"

"About what?" Gray huffed.

"Everything! But, in particular, your claim that she is taking advantage." Sam shook his head.

"She is!" Gray snapped.

Obviously Gray was not in the right frame to see reason, thought Sam, but he continued," She doesn't have that gene in her make-up. Any possible advantage-genes were replaced by philanthropic-genes!"

"Granddad, just because she gave us a roof, does not make her a philanthropic-genius." He grumbled. "She took advantage. Do you remember the state of this farm when we arrived?" Sam knew what Gray was getting at. 

"Yes. But I also remember our state when we arrived at the farm!"

Gray ignored that statement, "We, the three of us, you, Lore and me, worked here flat out! We, not her, reconditioned the place. Mended equipment, repaired buildings, restored the paddocks, modernised the farm! She could have helped. But she didn't. Lore, who hates farm work, did! You, despite your age and health issues, did. This woman took advantage of our situation!"