"Well, I guess I can assume my property is safe. What about your family?"
"South west end of the city. I imagine they're safe if they were at home."
"Well, Miss Benson, where would you like to dine this evening? I was going to take you out to dinner to celebrate your new position as our Farm Inspector, but it looks like that will have to wait. By the way, you are good at your job and you will be an asset to the company. My apologies for the rough time I gave you the other day, but there were extenuating circumstances."
"Apologies accepted and I thank you. Getting this position means a great deal to me, Mr. McKinnon, and I won't let you or the company down. As to dinner, all is not lost."
Climbing out of the SUV, she went to the back and removed her `care' package, as she called it. Her Dad had presented it to her when she had bought the vehicle and she had carried it around ever since. There was an auto rug, a sleeping bag, and a box. She tossed the rug and sleeping bag into the second seat and carried the box back to the driver's seat with her.
"This is one advantage of being an only child and female. Fathers tend to worry more and be more protective."
Shutting off the car engine, she took out four cans of drinks - grape, V-8, apple and orange. Next was a large bottle of dried fruit and nuts, and lastly, another large bottle jammed with granola bars, still in their wrappers.
"Dinner is served, Mr. McKinnon. If there's any danger that we'll be here much beyond breakfast, we'll have to conserve this stuff, but at least we won't go hungry. Sorry I can't provide a hot meal."
"Believe me, Miss Benson, this looks like a royal feast. I'm not very good at going to bed hungry. By the way, can you drop the Mr. McKinnon and call me T. G.? Formality seems a bit ludicrous under the circumstances, don't you think?"
Glancing at him, she was surprised to see a genuine smile lighting his face. The change in him was quite remarkable, as though the storm had released him from some emotional prison.
"As you wish, T. G., although I've been thinking of you as McKinnon for three days now, so I may slip once in a while."
"Just McKinnon? No Mr.? How unprofessional, Miss Benson!"
Not only smiling, but almost actually flirting. Really, she thought, he's coming to life with a vengeance.