Commitment

Part 86

"You need help!" He informed her in mockingly supercilious tones as he lost his patience. "You have just come off a one week sick leave, done a shift, where you no doubt had to deal with various grim problems, sapping your emotional energy, sapping your physical energy, and sapping any residue energy!" His tone was gentle, as he said softly "Resulting in utterly exhaustion." But his next words were enough to have her spitting tacks again. "Come back this evening, to do the milking is bloody stupid!

"Stupid?" She huffed.

"Yes! Bloody stupid! " He grated.

"You..."

"You might be stubborn but you not an idiot, Regan. So stop pretending you are! You will end up back in bed." He said in weariness. "What I don't understand is your mood tonight! He pushed bravely. "Stop being unreasonable, Regan."

She snapped, "Unreasonable?" Her irritation was clear in the word. Her hands planted firmly on her hips, her eyes flashed hostile messages and her tone conveyed her resentment loud and clear.

"Yes. Bloody unreasonable." He stated bluntly.

She snapped. "Fine! If I came to your home and did your job, that would be ok?"

"Yes, if I was ill! I would accept any help."

"Rubbish!" She snapped. "You apparently were a poor patient!"

He ignored that red herring and continued, "If you had the skill," his words were measured, "so yes, I would thank you for your help and leave you to do it." He was pleased to see his experience, of dealing with Loretta, were finally paying off!

Regan reminded her brain to try and keep this serene, no more diva retorts. And she knew she was being a diva. She could remain calm she learnt that as a child. She folded her arms defensively and looked away. Keep calm she commanded herself. She mumbled. "This is a waste of my time!"

"I disagree!" He wondered why getting information out of her was harder than finding a worker who could work for a pittance. In a glum tone he asked, "So what is going on here, exactly, Regan?" He knew she was better but was not expecting her mood.

"Nothing, apart from the fact you are wasting my time!" She murmured.

He remonstrated in a grouchy voice, "You aren't going to tell me why you are being difficult, about me helping you!" He was mulling over the fact that she hadn't told him anything and while he pinned her to the spot, he reviewed the last forty-eight hours. He shook his head, "I am not leaving until you tell me what is going on here." He looked at her more closely trying to work out the reasons for this mood.

"Fine. Stay here!" She turned away from him.

In his mind he acknowledged grimly that he was going to have to change his tack. "Have you paid Bob?" He yelled at her back.

"What?" She spun around.

"Have you paid him?" He folded his arms.

She stopped and waited for him to come closer. "He has only done a week." She frowned.

"Exactly. Have you paid him?"

"I thought he would be paid monthly, like you!" Her tone and her warning failed. Gray came closer.

He asked in a peremptory manner, but kept his tone flat. "Did you discuss that with him?"

"No. You engaged him." He was probably going to restart that argument about not having finances. She banked her uneasy.

He quirked a brow. "So, let me see, your argument is that I need permission to be here but don't need your permission to engage Bob, on a farm belongs to you."

A sense of unease descended. "Fine. My fault." She mulled the question for a moment. And she really didn't want to argue with him. But she also knew, if you appeared confident, people thought you were confident. So, she made sure she looked confident, composed and cool. Remember, stay level-headed and in control. But on the inside she was nervous and unhappy. So eventually she prevaricated, shrugging her shoulders, seeing from his reaction and his statement. "I will pay him tomorrow." She would have to stop at the cash machine tonight, and hoped she could withdrawal cash for the full amount.

"And hopefully, by that time, you will have lost this new sulky disposition!" He looked up and into her eyes and his voice reflected the unease he saw in his eyes. "Do you have the money? A cash flow problem?"

"Yes. I can pay him. And no, I don't have a cash flow problem." She quirked a brow at him. "Anything else?"

Gray simply ignored the challenge in her eyes, instead he continued, "Not exactly." They'd said absolutely nothing for seconds as Regan glared at him, while he remained still. A few seconds later he said, "I am not leaving here until you explain your mood this evening."