He glanced at her sharply and regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments.
"Does friendship mean so little to you that you can toss it aside so easily?"
She stared at him. "Mary and I aren't fighting."
He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again, shaking his head. He squatted and took some of the freshly dug soil in his hand, crushing the lumps and letting the dust run through his fingers.
If he wanted to see Mary, why did he have to drag her along? Of course, after the other night... She slapped her gloves together to remove some of the mud.
"You don't have to feel obligated to take me everywhere you go. If you want to visit Mary, why don't you go see her?" She turned and headed for the house without waiting for an answer. Her eyes were filling with tears and she didn't want him to see. She jerked the kitchen door open, not realizing he was close until she heard his voice behind her.
"If you're not fighting, why don't you go see her?" He dodged the screen door as it narrowly missed his forehead. "Are you angry with me again?"
"No." She reached for the doorknob and he grabbed her arm.
"I've said something to upset you." It was a statement, not a question.
Her eyes were probably bloodshot and tears were beginning to blur her vision. She averted her face. "I told you. I'm not angry." She tried to sound convincing, but her voice faltered.
"Then why are you crying?" His hand still held her arm captive.
"I'm not crying."
"Then look at me." She could feel his intent gaze on her.
"I don't feel good." She reached for the door with the other hand. "If you want to go into town for pizza, please don't feel obligated to invite me. I'm your housekeeper, remember? I work for you. I'm your employee." She pushed the door open and hurried to the sink. "Would you like some coffee or something?"
He stared at her with a perplexed expression and finally shook his head. "I'm going to go wash up. We'll talk when you cool off and get yourself together."
He strode off into the other room.
She stared after him. Maybe she was reacting emotionally. The best thing to do was to calmly tell him she would rather not go. That would leave him free to go alone. But she didn't want him to go. Nor did she want him to see Mary.
When he returned to the kitchen, she was still staring absently into the refrigerator. She glanced up as he walked across the floor and poured a cup of coffee. He met her gaze.