hated being called Pamela Anne,” he reminded her.
“No, Bob, I didn’t hate being called Pamela Anne. I just hated the way you said it. You made my name sound like something you owned and not someone you loved.” She sighed as she folded her arms about her body. “Why are you here?” she softly asked.
“Clarissa told me about the handyman you have working around here. In fact, she never shut up about the guy.” He rolled his eyes. “She seems to think he’s a gigolo, looking for a meal ticket. I immediately became suspicious and decided to come up here and check him out.”
“You came all this way to check out a worker?” Pamela cracked a grin. “That’s a first. You could have saved yourself the drive because he’s not here, Bob.”
He focused his intense eyes on her. “You can’t just let any bum off the street in here, Pamela. You’re a woman living alone and you’re vulnerable in this godforsaken place. You need to use your head.”
“This is beginning to sound like the conversation we had right after we got married. You pestered me to quit my job as an EMT because you thought it wasn’t safe.”
“It wasn’t safe!” he shouted and then turned away. He stared down the gravel drive for a few moments, and when he turned back, his pale green eyes appeared to be once again in control. “You were a woman working on the streets of New Orleans with drug dealers and pimps.”
“I knew what I was dealing with better than you, Bob.” She paused and took a deep calming breath. He had always known how to push her buttons. “You need to stop worrying about me. I’m not your concern anymore,” she coolly added.
“Pamela, you know I can’t just turn off my emotions like that. I still care for you and worry about you out here all alone with only a few stray dogs to protect you. You need to think about getting an alarm system and perhaps taking a few self-defense classes, just in case. You’re a long way from the nearest police station and you need to be a little more selective in your choice of workers.”
“I’m not your wife anymore, Bob. Please don’t lecture me. And the guy was sent by the probation office to do some community service. You’re the one who told me to call them and get some free help out here because you were concerned I was doing too much by myself.”
He blew a breath out through his clenched teeth. “Yeah, I know that. But the way Clarissa described him made me think I should come and check him out.”
Pamela shook her head as a realization came over her. “You came out here looking for a fight, didn’t you?”
“No, and that happened a long time ago,” he angrily replied. “Why do you persist in bringing up one minor altercation that happened over ten years ago?!”
“There was more than one minor altercation, Bob.” She gave him a stern reproach with her eyes. “Why this sudden urge to check out my workers? You never showed an interest in anyone who volunteered out here before. Why is Daniel any different from the fifty other people I have had on the site?” She paused and nodded. “Is it because Clarissa found this one so charming? Is that what’s got you worried?”
Bob frowned at her. “You know me better than that. And this isn’t about Clarissa, it’s about you.”
“Yes, I do know you, Bob. Your jealous tirades were the talk of the town when we were married.”
“Jesus! Why are you being so hostile about this?” He placed his hands on his hips. “I came up here to make sure you’re all right, and all I get is shit for it.”
Pamela took another deep calming breath. She couldn’t let him get to her, she reminded herself. “I’m sorry. But there is nothing to worry about as far as Daniel is concerned.”
“Then just think about it. Call me when you’re ready and I will run a background check on the guy. What harm could come of it?”
Pamela said nothing. She nodded and kept the fake smile on her face.
“Oh, the other reason I
“No, Bob, I didn’t hate being called Pamela Anne. I just hated the way you said it. You made my name sound like something you owned and not someone you loved.” She sighed as she folded her arms about her body. “Why are you here?” she softly asked.
“Clarissa told me about the handyman you have working around here. In fact, she never shut up about the guy.” He rolled his eyes. “She seems to think he’s a gigolo, looking for a meal ticket. I immediately became suspicious and decided to come up here and check him out.”
“You came all this way to check out a worker?” Pamela cracked a grin. “That’s a first. You could have saved yourself the drive because he’s not here, Bob.”
He focused his intense eyes on her. “You can’t just let any bum off the street in here, Pamela. You’re a woman living alone and you’re vulnerable in this godforsaken place. You need to use your head.”
“This is beginning to sound like the conversation we had right after we got married. You pestered me to quit my job as an EMT because you thought it wasn’t safe.”
“It wasn’t safe!” he shouted and then turned away. He stared down the gravel drive for a few moments, and when he turned back, his pale green eyes appeared to be once again in control. “You were a woman working on the streets of New Orleans with drug dealers and pimps.”
“I knew what I was dealing with better than you, Bob.” She paused and took a deep calming breath. He had always known how to push her buttons. “You need to stop worrying about me. I’m not your concern anymore,” she coolly added.
“Pamela, you know I can’t just turn off my emotions like that. I still care for you and worry about you out here all alone with only a few stray dogs to protect you. You need to think about getting an alarm system and perhaps taking a few self-defense classes, just in case. You’re a long way from the nearest police station and you need to be a little more selective in your choice of workers.”
“I’m not your wife anymore, Bob. Please don’t lecture me. And the guy was sent by the probation office to do some community service. You’re the one who told me to call them and get some free help out here because you were concerned I was doing too much by myself.”
He blew a breath out through his clenched teeth. “Yeah, I know that. But the way Clarissa described him made me think I should come and check him out.”
Pamela shook her head as a realization came over her. “You came out here looking for a fight, didn’t you?”
“No, and that happened a long time ago,” he angrily replied. “Why do you persist in bringing up one minor altercation that happened over ten years ago?!”
“There was more than one minor altercation, Bob.” She gave him a stern reproach with her eyes. “Why this sudden urge to check out my workers? You never showed an interest in anyone who volunteered out here before. Why is Daniel any different from the fifty other people I have had on the site?” She paused and nodded. “Is it because Clarissa found this one so charming? Is that what’s got you worried?”
Bob frowned at her. “You know me better than that. And this isn’t about Clarissa, it’s about you.”
“Yes, I do know you, Bob. Your jealous tirades were the talk of the town when we were married.”
“Jesus! Why are you being so hostile about this?” He placed his hands on his hips. “I came up here to make sure you’re all right, and all I get is shit for it.”
Pamela took another deep calming breath. She couldn’t let him get to her, she reminded herself. “I’m sorry. But there is nothing to worry about as far as Daniel is concerned.”
“Then just think about it. Call me when you’re ready and I will run a background check on the guy. What harm could come of it?”
Pamela said nothing. She nodded and kept the fake smile on her face.
“Oh, the other reason I
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