| They were arguing again and Moire was losing her patience. The day had started out on a good note and had deteriorated over chicken salad and ice tea. She had spent the morning at the hospital giving a preliminary report of the donations that would be received as a result of the races two days prior. After that she spent some time in the pediatrics ward. The children were always happy to see her and she delighted in the hours she spent with them. It was well after one when she returned home. Lunch had been set on the back verandah and Colin had already begun to eat. Moire kissed his cheek and joined him. Their conversation began pleasant enough but one small observation from her father set Moire off. �Not this again,� she put down her fork and glared at her father. �I know you were with him on the 4th,� Colin persisted as he continued to eat his lunch. �So what, we watched a race together and I got to see his disappointment as Dragon�s Mist took the win from him.� She pushed her plate away. Colin grinned happy to hear that his plan had worked. Little by little he would sap his enthusiasm and confidence until he would buckle under. �Don�t gloat, daddy. It�s cruel what you are doing.� He wiped his mouth with his napkin and looked at his daughter. This really bothered her as he noticed the flush to her cheeks and her body stiffen. �You never seemed to mind before,� he posed to her. �I wasn�t here then. But I am now and I won�t be a party to your scheming,� she went to get up but Colin took hold of her arm. �Listen princess, I need your help. I need someone who can get close without being obvious.� She raised her eyebrows at him. �He likes you.� �How do you know?� �Just what I have noticed on the 4th and what I�ve heard.� �Heard?� She threw her napkin on the table and stood up. �Got someone spying on me too, daddy?� He didn�t respond. �I don�t believe you. What do you want me to do?� She waited. Colin got up and took hold of her shoulders. �Nothing in particular, just use whatever means to gain his confidence.� He brushed her cheek. �What?� She saw that look of total control on his face. �You don�t mean�you can�t�� He shrugged at her hints. �You want me to sleep with him?� �If that�s what it takes.� She pushed him away. �I don�t believe this, my own father. Is this all I am to you, a vehicle to be used for your gain?� �It wouldn�t be that unpleasant, would it? I mean you do find him attractive, don�t you?� He said the words calmly making his case. �That�s not the point, daddy and you know it.� Her eyes began to fill. She didn�t know him anymore. �I�m your daughter, for God�s sakes.� She threw up her hands in disgust and marched off. Moire got in her car and took off. Sleep with him, just like that. As she drove down the rode she could seen the scenario in her head, �Oh Brian, I�ll let you use my body in exchange for information my father can use to bring you down.� She pulled off onto the shoulder and cried. How could she love him and hate him at the same time. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ There were only a few posts left to repair. Brian wiped his brow and picked up the piece of lumber and moved onto the next section. Tomorrow morning the invisible fence would be installed and he wanted to get these repairs done before they started. It irritated Brian to know that it had come to taking security measures to keep his stock safe. In front of the media and the gentry Colin spouted platitude after platitude about working to foster good relations amongst the other breeders and farm owners. And two days before he had done just that. After winning the seventh race he had everyone practically eating out of his hand as he poured on the charm. Brian didn�t hang around long enough to listen. He was fed up with his two-faced behavior. So here he was investing money in a security system that shouldn�t be necessary but at this point he didn�t know what else he could do. He was not going down without a fight. He put the post into the hole and filled in the dirt around it. He proceeded with the next post and then filled in the space with cross rails. He moved slowly and diligently being sure that the rails were secure and the posts imbedded into the earth. He was so intent on the task before him that he didn�t hear the car pull up. They said he was here working on the fences. Moire wasn�t sure what prompted her to wind up at the Littrell farm. And then she realized that she had to tell him the truth. He had to know about her father�s scheming and plotting to bring him and the other farms down and under his control. She slowed down as she saw him working on the split rails between the thick posts. She couldn�t deny that he set her off. Her pulse began to race and her palms sweat. There had been quite a few men in her life but no one like Brian. She had dated them all, the jocks, the quiet ones, the scholars, the rock star and a fair share of silver spoon heirs, but none of them seemed to hold her interest. Brian was different. He worked hard, yet he cared too. He devoted many hours to charity. He had graduated from college yet seemed to like the hard life, working his farm along side his help. He intrigued her. He obviously didn�t have money to spare, hence the loan from the bank, but he continually paid his staff and was able to meet all his expenses. He had integrity and was willing to stand up for the little guy. And Moire was drawn to him. She slowed the car down and saw him look up. Her heart caught in her throat. Taking a deep breath she turned the car off and got out. As he stood to get another post, he saw the car out of the corner of his eye. Moire emerged in a pair of soft blue shorts and a halter-top. Again she had managed to show up looking like a runway model and he was sweaty and dirty. He wiped his brow with his arm and watched as she slowly made her way towards him. �Hi,� she said quietly. �Hi,� Brian extended his hand but pulled it back realizing it was too grimy. He wiped it on his jeans and just looked at her. �What brings you out here?� He picked up another post and moved down to the marker in the ground. �A couple of things actually,� her heart was still beating quickly and Moire took a deep breath to steady her nerves. �One was to bring you this,� she held out an envelope. Brian glanced over his shoulder as he started to wedge the post in the ground. �What is it?� �Certificate of Appreciation for participating in the July 4th event.� She went to hand it to him. He was on his knees filling dirt in around the post. �Why don�t you just drop it off at the house. Leave it at the front door and I�ll get it when I�m finished here.� He stood up and taking the mallet beat the post into the ground and then smoothed the dirt around the base. Moire watched as his muscles rippled across his back as he swung the mallet. Patches of sweat could be seen on his shirt and when done he picked up the hem and wiped his face revealing his lean torso. He didn�t miss a beat and continued with the next post. Moire hung back and watched totally taken in by his smooth even movements. He glanced up at one point and smiled at her. �You said there were a couple of things. What is the other one?� He reached for the cross sections and Moire stepped up and helped him lift them off the ground. He nodded his thanks and grabbing his hammer and the bucket of nails began to set the rails in place. He secured one side and then moved to the other. Moire handed him some nails and he eyed her curiously. �I know you didn�t come here to help me with this fence. What is on your mind?� �My father.� Brian stopped and stood up. �Your father. And what about your father?� He went to get more lumber when she blocked his way. �Just that you need to watch your back. He�s determined to win and squeeze you and the other small owners out.� He brushed past her and picked up another post and leaned against it. �I know all this. So why are you telling me again?� �I just don�t want to see you get hurt. That�s all.� She took his hammer and the nails and walked with him to the next section. �Really?� She handed him the mallet. �Yes really. I don�t like what he is doing. And I�ve told him so.� Without realizing it they began to work together. Moire handing him lumber and nails and his hammer or mallet when needed. "And since when don�t you abide by what daddy wants?" Moire caught the sarcasm in his tone as he stood up and wiped his forehead yet again. "I�ve always been a handful. My college years were a constant struggle." He gave her a sidelong glance. "Is that so?" She nodded. "However you don�t seem to mind the perks of being his daughter." He looked at the little red sports car parked a few feet away. "It was a graduation present." She countered. He was now making her feel guilty for having nice things. "So what did you and your father fight over while you were in college?" He was curious. "I wanted to be a teacher, but daddy had other plans." "So you can do what daddy wants." He smirked and went back to finishing up the last section of fence. He looked all over for his hammer only to have Moire hand it to him. "Thanks." "Look, I didn�t say that there aren�t occasions when I�ll agree to what he wants, but not this. It�s wrong and my grandfather, if he were alive, would agree." "So now the would be teacher spends countless hours volunteering at the hospital to satisfy her need to work with children and warns her father�s adversaries of his desire for total dominance of this part of the county. I must say you are very noble." He was making fun of her and suddenly she wasn�t so sure she should have come by. She dropped the nails in the bucket and started towards her car. Brian ran after her. "Wait," he took her arm leaving a smudge on her smooth skin. "I�m sorry. I was out of line." She looked at him and he could see the hint of tears. Beads of perspiration dotted her upper lip and there was a soft sheen to the skin between her breasts. He was tempted to kiss her then. She looked so vulnerable and it probably wouldn�t take much to get her to surrender to him. But the thought quickly passed. It would be a big mistake and he knew it. "I just find it hard to believe that you would come here willingly to warn me. You do understand?" Moire lowered her head and nodded. "Accept my apology?" He wiped his hand on his jeans and held it out to her. She looked from his face to his hand and back again. She took his hand and shook on it, but when she went to remove her hand he continued to hold it. "I better be going," Moire finally pulled free of his grasp. Brian wanting to make amends stopped her. "Look, I�m done here and I did offer to show you around when you were here the last time. Give me a few minutes to wash up and change and I�ll saddle a couple of easy riders and take you on a tour." She understood his wariness of her and although Moire knew that being here was compromising herself with her father, she really didn�t want to leave. �I�d like that.� They each went to their respective vehicles and drove back towards the house. He might regret this later, but right now Brian wanted to spend more time with her. I guess you could say he was hoping she might slip and give him some inside information about her father but it wasn�t the primary reason. She was the first woman in a long time to actually make him want to see her again. She could prove to be a handful, but that was a challenge Brian was willing to take. |