Regan watched the interaction between Caro and Gray and Regan's scream inched closer to voicing it. She pinched her lips and stifled her scream. She wanted to rub her temple to ward off the headache that was bubbling away now. A day that was awful was topped by watching Gray and Caro flirting.
"Just a little bit wet!" The young woman said with a merry little giggle and her eyes smiled at Gray. "But it was worth it." She looked up coyly and again smiled up at Gray who was a good foot taller than her.
"Yes. I agree." Gray said. Fool, fool, fool, the word rattled around Regan's brain.
Caro tipped her head to the side and continued to flirt with Gray, "Thanks for showing me around, Gray. This is a fabulous place. You have done an amazing job here. Obviously it takes a lot of your time. So thank you for taking the time to show me around."
"My pleasure. Can always find time for you!" Gray smiled. Regan nearly exploded. "Sorry we had to cut short our tour, Caro. Just thought it was best that we made that dash to avoid another downpour."
"Dash? You carried me! To avoid me running through the mud! Which is really gallant of you! Thank you." Caro giggled. "I will have to think of a way to thank you."
Mud? Gray carried Caro? That explains why Caro was not drenched like her and why her shoes were pristine despite the weather outside. And the giggly-blonde is looking for a way to thank him. Regan's headache headed toward a migraine.
"Look forward to that." Gray said quietly.
"We were really lucky." Caro said. And Regan worked hard not to shout at them. "Lucky we missed the next squall." Caro nodded, looked at the window, where huge raindrops hit the pane. "Obviously God has plans for us, we avoided being drenched." Caro said, returned her gaze to Gray and ran her hands over her hips. "You kept me intact and dry!" Gray tracked her hands.
"My pleasure!" Regan heard Gray flirt and wondered if being branded with red-hot pokers felt any worse than she did at that moment. "Lots more to see, next time. You must admit the inside of our barn is impressive!"
Regan nearly growled. Our barn? Our? She was about to say something when the young blonde spoke.
"Great. Can't wait."
His eyes twinkled as he said with relish, "Obviously my invitation is open ended, given the awful weather at the moment. More outside to see too! But perhaps we can have more time inside too."
The woman laughed. "I will hold you to that promise." Her smile grew. "Your farm is wonderful. And the barn tour was brilliant," She giggled, "and the guide was perfect!" She gestured toward the outside but kept her eyes on him. She smiled. A secret smile that said more than the words.
"Yes. Perfect." Gray smiled and his eyes flicked to her lips and then back to her eyes. Regan watching this interplay was ready to tear the blonde woman apart! Have they forgotten they have an audience: me and his sister. Regan muttered beneath her breath. What is the matter with the world today? The world has gone crazy: a normal grumpy man is demonstrating charm, a woman in stilettos is carried, avoids mud and the rain and emerged like a catwalk model.
"I'm impressed." Caro told Gray as she looked up at him through her lashes. "Actually, very impressed!" She said meaningfully. He acknowledged her comment with his eyes, well aware that they were being watched.
The whole thing irritated Regan. Beyond irritation. Closer to fury. The man standing in front of her had never shown her this side of his nature. Now charming and flirting! He seemed to have lost that truculent, grumpy demeanour and had developed magnetism and charisma. Why did she warrant surliness and this woman warrant friendship? Stupid question she told herself and then spoke without thinking.
"Could you move your car!" Regan demanded rudely, when the two people by the doorway seemed to only notice each other and appeared to be totally oblivious to their audience. Loretta blinked. Gray narrowed his eyes. Caro looked surprised. Regan wished she had kept her thoughts to herself. Or at least soften her tone. Instead her instruction was barked! No placidity. No humour. No warmth. It came out as a demand. An insolent order.
Loretta who had been smiling with happiness oozing out from her pores as she watched her brother flirt, frowned as she looked across at Regan. She was really puzzled by Regan's unexpected outburst. Surely she would be happy to see Gray happy. Would recognised that Gray was in a good mood. And the fact he and Caro were happily flirting. All good. This is how Loretta remembered her brother before that violent episode that robbed him of his self-assurance. The last few moments showed that the 'old' Gray was still there. Loretta couldn't wait to tell her grandfather about this. She was sure he would be happy, like her. Just a shame that Regan burst Gray and Caro's happiness balloon.
Both Gray and the young blonde woman looked at Regan with obvious astonishment at the rudeness of that statement. Then Gray really narrowed his eyes, while the blonde kept hers wide in surprise.
His eyes tracked over Regan, acknowledged the fact she was soaked to the skin while he or Caro were dry. Probably because they had the sense to stay in the barn until the rain stopped. And they had found a lot to talk about while they waited for the storm to pass.
Regan wanted to retrieve her thoughtless words. It was definitely an ill-mannered request. She knew she'd reacted out of jealousy. That coupled with the fact she'd had a lousy day. She had spent the last half hour trying not to cry. Not over Gray, but over the loss of one of her patients. A young child, she'd been unable to resuscitate at the scene of an accident. A child she knew. From birth. A family she knew. She drove back to the farm, and wished for a hug. A simple hug. From anyone.
Just someone to hold her while she cried for that young life. But instead she'd come home to find that the man she knew she was falling in love with, despite his grumpy demeanour, was interested in another woman. Caro was practically a stranger. And Regan realised Gray was definitely not interested in Regan, despite his unexpected kiss.
It was a mistake. That kiss was a mistake.
Proof of that was standing directly in front of her. A small blonde woman, who clearly had more to offer than Regan. So without a hug, and with her dreams going up in smoke Regan had taken the other option, someone to vent on, for the injustice of that life lost and the love lost.
Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong people.
But she knew, she should have drawn on her years of experience and found somewhere private to be emotional.
She repeated her request, albeit phrased with a bit more courtesy. "Please, could you move your car."
Gray scowled. His gaze became flinty and it remained trained on Regan.
Regan squirmed. Gray kept his eyes on Regan as he said softly, "Caro, please go through. I won't be a second." Caro beamed at him, could see that he intended to have words with Regan. Gray said with a smile, "Lore, would you mind entertaining Caro. I just want a word with Regan."
Loretta immediately said, "Yes, of course. This way Caro! It is awful outside. Can I make you a coffee?"
Regan missed Caro's response. Gray waited for Caro to leave the hallway and watched as Caro entered the lounge.
When the two other women had entered the room, he pulled the door shut and then he turned to Regan.
But he was not expecting her to walk away. Holding her skirt away from her legs, she moved towards the corridor leading to her bedroom. The smile vanished from his lips, his eyes were once again flinty and when he started talking his voice was icy. "Stop! You and I need to talk."
"Perhaps in a moment."
"Now." He glared at her back.
"Not now." Regan said over her shoulder, "Unlike some, I was soaked. I need a shower." She added, "Someone should move that car." Regan replied mutinously not wanting to talk. She knew that things were just compounding. If he'd offered her a hug now that would be different. Chance would be a fine thing. Even less of a possibility now that the wonderful Caro was on the scene.
"Now." He repeated icily and placed a hand on her shoulder. It was then that Regan realised that he had followed her.
Regan glared, and turned around and stalked off toward the kitchen. She did not want him to see her bedroom. It needed renovation. Old linen, albeit quality linen. Tatty furniture. Rugs that were practically threadbare, but they were good at masking the draughts and provided warmth.
Gray couldn't believe that she would walk away again! He followed her, and was pleased to see that Caro and Loretta were not in the kitchen. Obviously Caro did not want coffee or tea. He stepped into the room and he closed the door with a significant snap.