A week later after being signed off on sick leave, Regan wondered whether she should just bid him good day, and go to her car without picking up her lunch, and avoid him. Coward, her heart said, sensible, her head told her. Her pulse started racing when she noticed he was heading toward the house, not the shed, and now that he was in the kitchen, she was practically a mess. Amazing how her poise was destabilized by his presence. After that amazing evening, when he kissed her, twice, and said he would take up the offer in her eyes, when she was better. She was better now. He had not come to the farm yesterday, either to do the morning or the evening shift or even just popped over to see her. Sam had passed on a message, explaining why Gray was not there, and while Regan accepted it on face value, the more she thought about it, he obvious had changed his mind.
"Hey." He called as he opened the back door. "I heard you are working today." He knew she would go back to work as soon as possible.
"Yes."
Gray tipped his head and feigned some measure of contemplation, when he noticed she was avoiding his eyes. "I think you should stay at home!"
"What?"
" I do not want to find you in heap on the floor this evening." He said with a rueful smile.
"Then don't visit!" From the window she could see her car. Perhaps she could just leave, right now and avoid any arguments.
Noted her glance at her car. She was so transparent. Gray challenged with a smile, "Coward?" as he watched her.Regan knew she was pragmatic but being railroaded into staying at home as a consequence of his taunting smile, was not going to happen!
She sounded prim "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Meeting Bob."
"Oh" She frowned, "Anything else?" She ignored his presence. Which was a lie given her heart was hammering. She wasn't the drooling type. But seeing him, really rattled her heart. She huffed silently and she was relieved when she heard Bob's car. "Now, if there is nothing else, I have to make by sandwiches."
"What time do you finish your shift today?" He had hoped to be here yesterday, check on her, but there was a critical problem at his work, which needed his presence. Bob did the morning shift and Sam and Lore's boyfriend came for the evening shift. He knew Sam had passed his message to Regan, about the unforeseen problem at the farm, and Sam thought she had accepted the reason well, no tantrum in sight!
She tipped her head the barest inch, but it made her chin come up, and he could see she was not happy with his question? "None of your business."
He grinned, braced on the door jamb. He waited a beat and then added, with more than a hint of demand and quiet assurance, "Regan, either you tell me your shift time, or I phone your work and will suggest you stay at home now!"
"Fine. You do that." She opened the fridge, took out the cheese and margarine. She wasn't being difficult. She just wanted to make sure he understood, all the ground rules from the outset from this skirmish. "As I said, thank you for your help. I also explained to you, and my employers, that it was just a stomach upset." She place the carton on the table and went to the drawer to collect a knife. "And again, thank you for stocking up pantry. Just leave the receipts and I will reimburse you."
"I did not see this before?" He banked his smile.
"What?" Regan did her best not to snap the word out but her action spreading margarine on the bread showed her exasperation.
"Bolshie woman! Headstrong!" He shrugged as if he was considering various other adjectives, "Kind, a touch aloof, but had not registered the obstinate, reckless...
"Well, I guess it takes a perverse man to recognised that!" She grated and raggedly sliced the cheese revealing her frustration.
Gray simply opened his mobile number and phoned the medical centre. She ignored his action. His eyes narrowed in challenge as he looked straight at her and added with a deceptively mild tone to his voice. "Ah, hi Molly. Gray here. Yes. I am still at her farm." He listened. His eyes still on Regan. He found her interesting, on various levels. And annoying, at every level. She could have told him her shift timelines, but was uncooperative, and unreasonable!
Regan returned the cheese and margarine to the fridge, put the knife in the sink thought it best to leave it before she lost her temper! How dare him, phone her employers and talk about her?
Gray continued with his conversation with Molly, "I understand she is working today." He waited. He looked way too relaxed, as if having this conversation was nothing but normal, as if she was not around. She put her sandwiches and apple in a paper bag. Gray nodded as he got information. He learned that she was working from one this afternoon till eight tonight. "Thanks Molly, so one to eight." He could tell from the change in her eyes that she wasn't happy with the fact that he knew her shift time. He nodded. "Yes, obviously would be better if she had a few more days to recuperate." He saw Regan pursed her lips. "Let me know if you need me to pick her up! Yes, thanks. Yes. Yes. You too." He switched off his mobile.
"Great. I assume I can go?" Sarcasm laced her question. She left with her packed lunch and left the kitchen. Leaving Gray standing at the door. He looked at the ceiling and kept the expletives silent in his head. Bloody stubborn woman! Gray figured her colleagues would send her home if they didn't think she was ready to be at work.
He was there when she returned to the farm to do the evening milking. She saw his car parked at the fence, and noted that some of the cows were in the back paddock. Muttered to herself, she marched to the shed and saw him releasing the last of the herd via the exit at the back.
Her voice might be cool, but her eyes were sparking with a healthy dose of temper. Festering unrequited love was not a good idea. Throughout the day she kept reviewing their two kisses. Trying to put her feelings into perspective. The fact he had initiated those kisses and he said he would take her up on her offer. But did not show up yesterday. Her brain reminded her, he had not promised to return yesterday.
Yesterday, last evening would be the last shift for him because her sick leave would be over. She would handle the evening shift until Bob was able to do both. That is why she was back at the farm, ready to do the evening shift and she was definitely not expecting him. So there was no reason for him to be here. But she was expecting him yesterday, and when he didn't materialise her mood plummeted yesterday and did not get any better today.
She started her shift at one not two, so give her a hour to do the evening milking. "What are you doing here?" She marched over to fence and reached the exit to the shed to see him preparing to clean the shed. She was determined not to let her temper get the better of her. Or the fact she was still cross about the fact he did not come over yesterday and the fact it had an impact on her attitude at work. In any case, her brain reminded her, she owes him.
His eyebrows rose skyward, "Hey. You are back early." He glanced at his watch.
"What are you doing here?" She repeated.
He reached for the hose, unwinded the hose and dragged the hose behind him, "I had time. So thought I could handle this shift." He knew he missed seeing her yesterday and their conversation earlier today had not gone to plan, thought doing this shift might put him in her good books.
"I know you did the evening milking 2 days ago." She emphasise the number, the first sign of her temper starting to show in her voice. "You know my sick leave is over." Lifting her chin pugnaciously, she said, "Do you do remember this is my farm!" She knew she sounded like a petulant toddler.
"Yes. I know this is your farm." He kept his eyes trained on Regan. Why was she so cross?
"Good." She questioned succinctly. Right at this moment, he was so infuriating. "Remember you have another job?"
"Yes." He reached for the switch. "You might want to move away, unless you want to get drenched." Gray found himself studying Regan. Obviously she was battled with her temper. Clearly she was itching to give him a piece of her mind.
She looked at him with what she considered to be hauteur. "I suggest you go back to your job and leave me to handle my farm." She was easy to read at the moment, intentionally so.
They looked speculatively at each other for a long time. But his response was a non-committal, "Hmm." He shrugged with a self-satisfaction smile on his lips, a smile she now found annoying. He was watching her and waiting for her to respond to his "hmm." Regan wanted to grind her teeth. When she said nothing, Gray said bluntly, "Move." He sounded almost affable. "You know the drill." He flicked Regan a challenging look, almost waiting for her to contest that statement. "So you know you are about to be drenched, unless you move away right now."
In her coolest tone and with the kind of disdain that came from the need to control her temper, she announced with sarcasm, "Wonderful. Thanks for the warning." Her voice gave away the fact that she was furious. She took steps away, out of the reach of the spray.
Why was she so cross, Gray wondered. Then he blinked, perhaps she finally came to the conclusion that she regretted the kisses he had stolen two days ago. He hesitated before he switched on the switch, turned the tap on and began to wash the stalls and drains. Over the last week he had mulled and he was sure he had not misunderstood the offer in her eyes. But something has changed in the last twenty four hours. He looked over his shoulder, still directing the hose at the first stall, "Go get something to eat..."
She held up her hand, "I have not finished." Squared her shoulders. "This is my farm." Calm and elegant, was Gray's impression of her standing in the shed. And not for the first time, his heart did a little jig in acceptance. She said mechanically, her eyes on him, "If I want you to do something here, I will ask." Her smile widened but there was no warmth in the smile as she tacked on, "Is that understood?" She glanced at her watch. She had under forty minutes left in her break. She walked over to switch and the tap and turned off the tap.
He quietly strung a sentence of obscenities together as the water stopped but he smiled charmingly. "Obviously, delighted to be of assistance." Take it easy. Not a chance as he banked his frustration. He said with a miserable hint of a smile in his eyes, "Most normal people would accept help under this current situation."
Her heart was thumping loudly against her chest as she demanded, "Current situation?" She remained beside the tap. "I was ill last week. Not today!"