Free A Hero's Reward by Amy Morrel Page B
Authors: Amy Morrel
what, if you're
worried about it I can take care of it for now and when you get the
insurance check on your house you can pay me back if you still feel
this way.”
“I'll need that money to rebuild
my house.”
“Then I can wait until you have
some money to spare. I'm not worried about it, I'd get them for you
as a gift if you'd be willing to accept it.”
“I told you Greg, I already owe
you more than could ever repay.”
“I think I've mentioned that you
don't need to repay me, didn't I? Honestly, I'm not floating in cash
but I live pretty frugally and have some tucked away for a rainy day.
Let me use some of it for you and your son.”
“Greg, you're a horrible man.
Trying to use my son to sway me to your proposal is just not fair.”
“Life isn't exactly fair either.
I'm willing to help. I want to help. I just don't want to push so
hard about it that you feel I'm insisting or trying to take your
choices away from you.”
Margaret stayed silent for a moment,
staring at Greg's face.
“Alright, but I'll pay you back
sooner or later.”
“Later would be better for me if
that's okay with you.”
“You horrible man!” this
time there was a note of humor in her words.
They wandered over to the woman's
section first. Groceries would go last since there would be some
refrigerated items. Margaret was browsing her way through clothing,
mainly looking at the clearance racks.
“You can get whatever clothes you
want, you don't have to purchase of the clearance racks. Most of
those are more summer type things and winter is coming on pretty
soon.”
“I don't want to spend more than
necessary.”
“Then you want to buy the proper
clothing for the upcoming season so you don't have to get more
clothes later on just to stay warm, don't you?”
“You're a beastly man Greg, using
logic against a poor defenseless woman like myself.”
“Was that a second joke in as
many days? We must be making progress.”
Margaret took a traditional
exasperated, scolding tone:
“Oh, you...”
Greg just grinned at her.
Margaret started to peruse the dresses
more appropriate for the season After noting that all her choices
were drab colors and at least mid-calf length Greg interrupted her
again:
“Margaret? Can I ask you
something without upsetting you?”
“Maybe, you've been being quite
pushy today already.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to ask you
who it is choosing your clothes? Is it your parents and your
ex-husband? Or is it you? It just seems that you're only looking at
the same clothes that they would have gotten for you and approved of.
I thought you said that you were tired of that. You can go with
whatever you like. Jeans, t-shirts, mini-skirts.... Although that
last might be a bit too big of a step for you currently. But what do you like the look of? You needn't base your choice on what
someone else would approve of, but only on what you would like.”
“Greg, I'd call you a horrible
man again but, you're right. I wasn't thinking for myself, I had just
dropped back into my old 'What clothes would be acceptable' mindset.
Thank you, I told you I wanted my freedom and here I am, trying to
keep myself in chains. Amazingly though, you're still here trying to
help me break those chains.”
Margaret looked at Greg and he saw her
eyes soften with emotion as she was speaking. Then she truly looked
at him, possibly for the first time. She took in his weathered face,
the barrel chest, fit lower torso, and the legs which gave him his
height. Then she looked back up to his face. She took in his
expression which showed both that he cared for her and that he was
worried that he might have offended her with his last statement.
“Thank you Greg. I seem to be
saying that an awful lot. I do mean it each time but I think that
this time I'm thanking you for a lot more than just pointing out
these self-made chains that you're helping me break. I think I'm
breaking through a lot more than just those that controlled my
clothing
worried about it I can take care of it for now and when you get the
insurance check on your house you can pay me back if you still feel
this way.”
“I'll need that money to rebuild
my house.”
“Then I can wait until you have
some money to spare. I'm not worried about it, I'd get them for you
as a gift if you'd be willing to accept it.”
“I told you Greg, I already owe
you more than could ever repay.”
“I think I've mentioned that you
don't need to repay me, didn't I? Honestly, I'm not floating in cash
but I live pretty frugally and have some tucked away for a rainy day.
Let me use some of it for you and your son.”
“Greg, you're a horrible man.
Trying to use my son to sway me to your proposal is just not fair.”
“Life isn't exactly fair either.
I'm willing to help. I want to help. I just don't want to push so
hard about it that you feel I'm insisting or trying to take your
choices away from you.”
Margaret stayed silent for a moment,
staring at Greg's face.
“Alright, but I'll pay you back
sooner or later.”
“Later would be better for me if
that's okay with you.”
“You horrible man!” this
time there was a note of humor in her words.
They wandered over to the woman's
section first. Groceries would go last since there would be some
refrigerated items. Margaret was browsing her way through clothing,
mainly looking at the clearance racks.
“You can get whatever clothes you
want, you don't have to purchase of the clearance racks. Most of
those are more summer type things and winter is coming on pretty
soon.”
“I don't want to spend more than
necessary.”
“Then you want to buy the proper
clothing for the upcoming season so you don't have to get more
clothes later on just to stay warm, don't you?”
“You're a beastly man Greg, using
logic against a poor defenseless woman like myself.”
“Was that a second joke in as
many days? We must be making progress.”
Margaret took a traditional
exasperated, scolding tone:
“Oh, you...”
Greg just grinned at her.
Margaret started to peruse the dresses
more appropriate for the season After noting that all her choices
were drab colors and at least mid-calf length Greg interrupted her
again:
“Margaret? Can I ask you
something without upsetting you?”
“Maybe, you've been being quite
pushy today already.”
“Sorry, I just wanted to ask you
who it is choosing your clothes? Is it your parents and your
ex-husband? Or is it you? It just seems that you're only looking at
the same clothes that they would have gotten for you and approved of.
I thought you said that you were tired of that. You can go with
whatever you like. Jeans, t-shirts, mini-skirts.... Although that
last might be a bit too big of a step for you currently. But what do you like the look of? You needn't base your choice on what
someone else would approve of, but only on what you would like.”
“Greg, I'd call you a horrible
man again but, you're right. I wasn't thinking for myself, I had just
dropped back into my old 'What clothes would be acceptable' mindset.
Thank you, I told you I wanted my freedom and here I am, trying to
keep myself in chains. Amazingly though, you're still here trying to
help me break those chains.”
Margaret looked at Greg and he saw her
eyes soften with emotion as she was speaking. Then she truly looked
at him, possibly for the first time. She took in his weathered face,
the barrel chest, fit lower torso, and the legs which gave him his
height. Then she looked back up to his face. She took in his
expression which showed both that he cared for her and that he was
worried that he might have offended her with his last statement.
“Thank you Greg. I seem to be
saying that an awful lot. I do mean it each time but I think that
this time I'm thanking you for a lot more than just pointing out
these self-made chains that you're helping me break. I think I'm
breaking through a lot more than just those that controlled my
clothing