Loretta had left them earlier when Gray joined her and Caro, and Loretta used the excuse that she wanted to talk to her grandfather. She just wanted to relate the story. The fact that Regan and the new Gray had had swapped dispositions and the new Gray was flirting her boss, almost as if the old Gray was back! After telling her grandfather, Caro returned to the flirting-couple, hoping to continue to be a fly on the wall, only to find that Caro was on her way out. So Loretta accompanied Gray and they walked Caro to Caro's car which she had left at the gate.
Gray, Loretta and Caro were by Caro's car, when they spotted Regan walking purposefully toward the north-east paddock. Gray knew that Caro was heading home but no idea about Regan plans.
"Sorry about Regan. She's not usually like that." With a rueful smile Loretta told her boss. Gray snorted. "She isn't Gray." Loretta corrected her brother. "You know that. She is lovely. Very kind. Is good to us." Loretta admonished her brother. Loretta was still trying to work out why Regan had reacted in that way. It wasn't like her.
"Her ladyship thinks she owns everyone and everything on this farm." Gray retorted without any hesitation, his voice laced with rancour. "She just camouflages it with that stupid smiley face!" But even as he spoke he wondered why Regan had been so rude. That wasn't her normal character, despite what he was saying in public, he knew that wasn't Regan's usual attitude.
"Gray!" Loretta chastised, surprised by her brother's comments. "Regan is a happy person. Unlike my grumpy brother."
"Regan? Happy?" He snorted.
"Yes!" Loretta laughed. "You know that. And you know, you are cranky! You are really grumpy!"
"Gray? Cranky?" Caro smiled and batted her long lashes as she flirted with Gray.
"See any cranky characteristics in our tour?" He smiled at Caro.
"No. Just charming characteristics." Caro purred.
"Apparently you bring out the best in him!" Loretta laughed, but knew when to stop playing gooseberry. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. I will leave you with my reformed cranky brother. Good to see the grumpy brother has been replaced by a charming sibling! Night, Caro." And with that she walked away leaving Caro and Gray still smiling at each other.
"So, apparently I bring out the best in you." Caro's lips twitched as she leaned suggestively toward Gray, hoping he'd pick up the open invitation. "Are you a bad boy?"
"Depends on the circumstances and the company." Gray replied with a twinkle in his eye.
Caro moved forward. "What circumstances?" She swiped her tongue over her lips, and pouted, "And any particular company?"
His gaze moved from her lips to her eyes, "Maybe we could do dinner some time?" Gray asked softly. As the words escaped he wondered why he had asked. It had been a long time since he'd been out with anyone, and he knew that it was unlikely he would ever get back to that stage unless he started forgetting about his emotional and physical scars. But that had yet to happen.
Caro's smile widened. "That would be lovely." Then she reached up and gently brushed her lips against his, as it was obvious that he was not going to make the first move. Caro had learnt early on not to miss any opportunity. And Gray was one hell of an opportunity.
Regan turned just at that moment, as she needed the stile to clear the fence, and she saw the kiss. Regan stumbled and fell on the other side of the stile. Typical. Good job she did not have an umbrella as no doubt she would probably stab herself in her fall and she was lucky she only fell backward into a puddle! The sight of the kiss hurt more than the fall. Utter misery enveloped her. Tears started to stream. Blindly she picked herself up, ignored the mud on her jeans and the damp patch on her rear and she walked on and away. No doubt those grey clouds in the sky and her heart were going to return today.
"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!"