Page 75 of Perfect

“You sound like you’re also experienced in the area of making mistakes,” I declared, I was intrigued by the sudden long face. “Let me guess, female-related perhaps?”

Ryan’s eyes darted back to mine from the empty bottle, suddenly on high alert and I wondered if I’d crossed a line. We hadjustmet after all. What if he’d had a girlfriend or even a wife that had died or something? Stupid runaway mouth of mine.

“Sorry, my mouth sometimes just blurts stuff out there,” I apologised, taking a nervous sip of my coke, watching him from over the rim of the glass again.

He rolled his shoulders as if trying to work out a knot and then sat forward in his chair. It was as if he was seeing me for the first time. I now had his full attention.

“You’re shrewd for a kid.”

I wasn’t annoyed that he called me a kid as he was a fair bit older me. I felt relieved that he hadn’t taken offence at my rude judgement.

“So, I’m right,” I put in softly, surprised that he’d admitted it. I delivered the words carefully, so as not to appear like a nosey cow.

“Well, if you ever want an ear, I’m a good listener.”

I twisted my head to see Nate and Tom were still at the bar and added. “At least that’s what I keep trying to convince everyone of around here. People from this village seem a bit on the closed-off side.”

“And I can imagine you witness that daily with your Connor. If I’m OK to call him that?”

My heart bumped against my ribcage at the mention of Connor’s name and how he’d labelled him as ‘your Connor’. Did he mean this due to the fact we were family, or did he also know something was going on between us? Maybe he was just really good at deflecting attention off himself.

“I suppose so,” I replied with a shy smile.

His knowing eyes watched my lips and I knew from that look that he had his suspicions, maybe Nate had talked about it? I purposefully diverted our chat back again.

“So, this female of yours…”

He smiled again and this time, his cheeks dimpled, it made him look boyish and younger than his years.

“Yes, but not really mine at the minute. It’s complicated.”

His use of those particular words, made me straighten in my seat. There it was again, that word, ‘complicated’ and my head started spinning like I’d just come off the waltzer. I’d heard that word spoken in the exact same way recently. I thought back to the club, racking my brains.

Ryan’s smile dropped, his face becoming a mask.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, also stiffening.

Shaking the thought away, I exhaled and shot him a friendly, reassuring look. “Nothing, sorry, déjà vu.”

I was just about to add to that, but Tom appeared with the drinks. What was it with timing in this place?

Ryan recovered himself quickly and gave me a veiled look, for my eyes only. I read this as him wanting to change the subject. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable talking about girl drama in front of his younger brother and the atmosphere between them wasn’t the friendliest.

I swallowed what I had been about to say and Ryan checked his watch, again looking like he had somewhere he needed to be.

“Sorry, the bar is really busy and the staff are slower than my driving,” Tom put in, juggling the glasses. At least he admitted he drove like a granny.

I thanked him for my drink. Ryan was in the process of literally necking the bottle of Bud he’d just been handed by Nathan.

“Jesus Ry, I thought we came here to talk, where’s the fire?” Nate put in, watching his brother’s throat with bulging eyes.

Ryan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It appeared both Lane boys could put it away.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Nate, as I have to go. It was good to finally meet you, Harlow. See you later, Tom.”

Nate lowered himself into his seat, staring as Ryan shrugged into his jacket. He must have been as broad as Connor and well-muscled too.

“By the way, Mum gave Ella the gardening job so she’ll probably be around at ours tomorrow,” Nathan said quietly.

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