"I'm not going to just give up. It's important to me - even if it isn't important to you."
He met her gaze. "It's like the goat dairy, isn't it? You're going to make it work if it kills you - and it almost did. You're the most stubborn person I've ever met."
"Maybe you should look in the mirror," she ground out as she turned away from him.
She turned back to the stove in time to see Felipa hesitating at the door. Carmen smiled and motioned to her.
"It's alright. Come on in. We won't come to blows."
Felipa walked into the kitchen and eyed Alex warily.
"Is this about the hay ride and barbeque? I planned on helping her, you know."
Alex stood. "I'm not sure we're even talking about the same thing." He walked over and poured the rest of his coffee in the sink, glancing at Carmen as he set the cup down.
"Hire some help or I will," he said quietly. He turned and strode into the living room. There he sat in his chair and picked up the morning paper, dismissing the womenfolk.
When Carmen glanced at Felipa, she rolled her eyes and turned her palms up in submission.
Now they were arguing in front of family as well as guests. Maybe she was being as difficult as he was. She didn't have to hire a man full time. In fact, it didn't even need to be a man. It would be nice to have a woman around to talk to. She might not have thought about that if Felipa hadn't come to visit. Felipa was so much help, and they thought alike - pretty much. Maybe it was their love of horses. But then, Alex loved horses too - until she killed his. Yes, she was being unreasonable under the circumstances. Alex probably figured that if she had a hired hand the accident wouldn't have happened. She owed him something for what she had taken away from him.
The guests arrived at the prescheduled time for the buggy ride. Alex didn't have to go to the clinic, but he wanted to complete some paperwork at home so he declined the buggy ride. It would be the first time they took a buggy ride that Ed wasn't pulling the buggy. Likely he was feeling emotional about it and using work as an excuse. It would have been a first anyway, because the buggy had been altered so two horses could pull it. Another first would be the fact that the children wouldn't be with them. They were at church camp with Katie today.