dangerous maniac.” She had a half smile on her face, not sure if
she was irritated at Miguel for antagonizing the big oaf once
again or not. “Do you want to tell me what happened between you
two? He refused. Said it was 'men's business' and I shouldn't
worry my 'pretty little head' about it.”
Miguel smirked and
speared the slab of roast with a fork. He was ravenous but he
wasn’t sure he could hold anything down.
Yeah he could.
Cutting up the meat,
he carefully did not look at the woman across from him. “While I
would not call him a man really, I must agree. It is nothing you
need worry your pretty head over, yes?”
She didn't say
anything to that, letting a raised eyebrow and the spark of
irritation in her eyes speak for her. After watching him eat for
a while longer, she got up and prepared a dish with a generous
slice of berry pie, topped with fresh whipped cream from their –
her - milk cows. She set the dessert down beside his plate along
with a tall glass of ice cold milk.
That done, she sat,
this time leaning back and propping her bad foot up on the chair
beside her. Her voice was as neutral as her expression while she
watched his face. “Are you going to destroy the capsule in the
barn like you did your ship?” She tapped a finger on the table.
“I figured that's what you were planning so I was going to hide
it from you. Then I decided I owe you for what you did for my
father, so... I didn't.” She did owe him, more than he would
ever know.
“I'll use the mule to
get it out and away from the barn so you don't destroy my
property. Then, after you take care of it, I'd like one last
favor from you. I could use your help to take Farley's
hovercraft over to the old saloon. It's abandoned but he likes
to go there to drink sometimes and everybody knows it. I'll show
you the way. People will think he's gone on another of his
two-day benders when they see it there and they won't be looking
for him for at least a few days. I hope that'll give your people
enough time to rescue you.” She looked down at her hands then
back at him. “I'll give you a ride after the saloon to wherever
you want to go. Does that sound alright?”
Miguel had stopped
eating, his fork dangling from a limp wrist. He swallowed but it
hurt going down. It seemed she was eager to have him away and he
couldn’t blame her for it. If he was discovered she would be in
serious, perhaps even fatal trouble. What she'd done was more
than enough and far more risk than he had a right to ask of her.
“Of course,” he said
instead, trying for a charming smile but not feeling it. He
wasn’t going to, but he found himself explaining all the same.
“I cannot leave behind anything that could be confiscated. If I
let it be taken, I might as well be along with it. I do not
expect you to understand, but it is the way of it. I appreciate
very much what you have done for me and I will try to repay you
when I am returned to my ship.”
As good as the pie
looked, he was no longer in the mood to eat and he set the fork
down and wiped his mouth self-consciously with a thumb, not
knowing what else he could say. He would help her as requested
and then they would part ways.
“Do you need help
cleaning up?” He hadn’t stood yet but his hands had moved to his
plate.
She felt sick to her
stomach, the little bit of food she had in her sitting like a
lead weight. What did she expect? That he'd object? That he'd
want to stay with her until his Federation friends came for him?
Why would he do that? She'd done nothing for him but complicate
things. He didn't owe her a thing and she didn't believe that
he'd give her a second's thought once he was back with his
people.
Hurt and hating that
she was, she stood before he could. “No. I'll clean up later.”
She balanced the plates and glass so she could carry them to the
counter. She
she was irritated at Miguel for antagonizing the big oaf once
again or not. “Do you want to tell me what happened between you
two? He refused. Said it was 'men's business' and I shouldn't
worry my 'pretty little head' about it.”
Miguel smirked and
speared the slab of roast with a fork. He was ravenous but he
wasn’t sure he could hold anything down.
Yeah he could.
Cutting up the meat,
he carefully did not look at the woman across from him. “While I
would not call him a man really, I must agree. It is nothing you
need worry your pretty head over, yes?”
She didn't say
anything to that, letting a raised eyebrow and the spark of
irritation in her eyes speak for her. After watching him eat for
a while longer, she got up and prepared a dish with a generous
slice of berry pie, topped with fresh whipped cream from their –
her - milk cows. She set the dessert down beside his plate along
with a tall glass of ice cold milk.
That done, she sat,
this time leaning back and propping her bad foot up on the chair
beside her. Her voice was as neutral as her expression while she
watched his face. “Are you going to destroy the capsule in the
barn like you did your ship?” She tapped a finger on the table.
“I figured that's what you were planning so I was going to hide
it from you. Then I decided I owe you for what you did for my
father, so... I didn't.” She did owe him, more than he would
ever know.
“I'll use the mule to
get it out and away from the barn so you don't destroy my
property. Then, after you take care of it, I'd like one last
favor from you. I could use your help to take Farley's
hovercraft over to the old saloon. It's abandoned but he likes
to go there to drink sometimes and everybody knows it. I'll show
you the way. People will think he's gone on another of his
two-day benders when they see it there and they won't be looking
for him for at least a few days. I hope that'll give your people
enough time to rescue you.” She looked down at her hands then
back at him. “I'll give you a ride after the saloon to wherever
you want to go. Does that sound alright?”
Miguel had stopped
eating, his fork dangling from a limp wrist. He swallowed but it
hurt going down. It seemed she was eager to have him away and he
couldn’t blame her for it. If he was discovered she would be in
serious, perhaps even fatal trouble. What she'd done was more
than enough and far more risk than he had a right to ask of her.
“Of course,” he said
instead, trying for a charming smile but not feeling it. He
wasn’t going to, but he found himself explaining all the same.
“I cannot leave behind anything that could be confiscated. If I
let it be taken, I might as well be along with it. I do not
expect you to understand, but it is the way of it. I appreciate
very much what you have done for me and I will try to repay you
when I am returned to my ship.”
As good as the pie
looked, he was no longer in the mood to eat and he set the fork
down and wiped his mouth self-consciously with a thumb, not
knowing what else he could say. He would help her as requested
and then they would part ways.
“Do you need help
cleaning up?” He hadn’t stood yet but his hands had moved to his
plate.
She felt sick to her
stomach, the little bit of food she had in her sitting like a
lead weight. What did she expect? That he'd object? That he'd
want to stay with her until his Federation friends came for him?
Why would he do that? She'd done nothing for him but complicate
things. He didn't owe her a thing and she didn't believe that
he'd give her a second's thought once he was back with his
people.
Hurt and hating that
she was, she stood before he could. “No. I'll clean up later.”
She balanced the plates and glass so she could carry them to the
counter. She
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