Page 21 of Smart@ss Cyborg

Which, for some reason, are rather attractive to my eye.

Confused for more than one reason, I address my most pressing item. “Why did you let Paco loose from his stall?”

Her brows shoot up and her chin dips down, and her lashes slap up and down in a way that stirs something in me. Stymied, I place a hand on my lower stomach. I can’t define what the sensation is.

She speaks.“Ididn’t let Paco out.”

Frowning, drawing my hand off my lower section, my gaze slices around us, searching for bio-signatures of intruders. “Then who did?”

“Paco lethimselfout.”

My regard returns to her. “Say again?”

She shrugs and hikes her basket of eggs. “He can open latches. I’m guessing whoever had him before you is doing a jig now that he’s gone. He seems to be a little handful.”

I recall the rope and length of chain that secured Paco’s stall on that day that I bought him. And I feel…conned.

That’s the word in Western vids. Conned. Deceived. Taken advantage of.

Yonderin aren’t taken advantage of twice.

Becky isn’t suffering from the same revelation. “Do you eat breakfast? Or has your species evolved to the point they don’t need it?”

“We often break our fasts with a morning hunt.” I tilt my head. “Only a poor hunter learns to go without, I suppose.”

“Well, I did egg hunting this morning, so if you want food, your brand new wife you don’t even have to service is today’s provider.”

Her statement is delivered wryly but lightly—so lightly I point at her. I’m watching her skull contents. “That was humor.”

She blinks at me, startled. “It was kind of a joke. And a dig.”

“What’s a dig?” I ask.

She waves my question away. “Nothing. How do you want your eggs?”

“I don’t know,” I tell her. “How are they usually prepared?”

She gives me a speculative look. “Tell you what. I’ll make them three or four different ways today, and you can try them all out. See what you like.”

I nod. “That is appreciated. Thank you. What work should I do today?”

Her countenance dims. “Joel—” Her voice chokes for a moment. “Joel said he needed to get fencing up. He was looking to hire help for the job, because we’ve got over two thousand oxyokes.”

Oxyokes are a measure of land here. A great measure. I stop and gaze around us. “I’m stronger than the average human male. And as you noted earlier, my agility is superior.”

“You definitely have a way of coming off superior,” she mutters under her breath.

“Thank you,” I tell her, accepting the compliment.

She looks at me out of the corner of her eye, then shakes herself and focuses on the house, moving for it. “Okay. I’m going to get started on your eggs.”

“I’m going to perform my morning eliminations.” Which is more difficult on land than in the ocean, but I’ve adjusted admirably well.

She stops walking, her eyes showing white all around. “Why are you telling me this?”

I look to her, confused. “I assumed we were sharing our immediate goals for the day.”

After a lengthy stare, she starts for the house once more. Over her shoulder, she calls, “Breakfast will be ready in fifteen. Think that’ll be enough time for you to finish your ‘eliminations?’”

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