The Bridal Bet. Trish Wylie

he blew onto his fingernails before polishing them on his T-shirt ‘…it wouldn’t be me making the noise.’

      Molly erupted into convulsive laughter. ‘You complete great arrogant lump!’

      They laughed together for a moment before watching the crowd again in companionable silence. Ryan thought about the conversation. ‘So if you met someone, and the situation was reversed, would I cramp your style?’

      ‘Make love with someone while you were in the same house?’ She blushed a fiery red and laughed again. ‘No way, José.’

      ‘You make too much noise, right?’ The question did things to his imagination that it had absolutely no right doing.

      She hid her face in the blanket while he watched her shoulders shake with laughter. Her voice was muffled when she eventually spoke, forcing him to lean towards her to hear her words. ‘I don’t think I could concentrate on what I was doing if I thought you could hear anything.’

      Jealousy, like a bad cramp, gripped his chest hard, shocking him with its intensity. Thinking of Molly in that way had always been off limits. Now their conversation had opened a doorway he hadn’t intended looking through, and he didn’t much care for his reaction.

      Clearing his throat, he sprang to his feet and peeled off his T-shirt. ‘Just as well Molly, ’cos whoever he was I think I’d probably be forced to deck him.’ He frowned as he looked towards the water. ‘I’m going for another swim. See you in a while.’

      Molly’s head shot upwards at his sharp announcement. But she only focused her vision in time to see him walk briskly to the end of the nearest pier before diving smoothly into the cool water. Where had that outburst come from? She knew he could be protective, but even so…

      Their relationship was changing. She sighed as she realised the simple fact of it. It hadn’t been the same since she’d come home. She’d begun to realise that when she had noticed Ryan staring at her so often of late. It was as if he’d never really looked at her before, or as if he’d noticed something that he hadn’t seen before. She wondered what it was?

      And these last few days they had walked onto very new ground; she supposed it was only natural they’d need time to adjust. Time to find and test the new boundaries. But they cared about each other in ways in which she, certainly, had never cared about anyone else. Ryan was her most special of friends, and no matter what adjustments they made she knew they wouldn’t—couldn’t—affect that attachment. They just couldn’t.

      ‘Someone as lovely as you shouldn’t frown like that.’

      Turning onto her back, she looked up into Nick Scallon’s smiling face. Dressed in a pristine white T-shirt and khaki shorts, he resembled a model from the pages of a summer catalogue.

      ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’ She smiled. ‘It’s nice to see you again. How are you?’

      ‘I’m just grand.’ His blue eyes moved down over her body and her long legs before returning to her face. ‘You should wear a swimsuit all the time, Molly. Wow.’

      She sat upright, unconsciously drawing her knees up as she glanced towards the lough.

      ‘He’s still in the water.’

      ‘Who is?’ She blinked at him.

      Nick smiled. ‘Your friend the Park Ranger.’

      She glanced back towards the water. ‘Oh, you mean Ryan. Yeah, he likes the water. We had swim races here every summer as kids.’

      He crouched beside her, taking a deep breath. ‘There’s a lot of history between you two.’

      She looked at his face, surprised to find him so close. ‘We’ve known each other a long time. Yeah, we’re close.’

      A quick glance over his head caused her to smile at the look of disapproval on Mrs Collins’ face. ‘In fact I think you’ll find your sitting here is setting quite a few tongues wagging.’

      He didn’t look too worried. ‘Your Ryan is well liked in this community. How can I possibly compete with that?’

      ‘From what I hear, a guy like you doesn’t let a little matter of competition get in his way.’ The words were out before she could stop them. But the minute she spoke Nick’s chin dropped, and Molly regretted the innuendo.

      ‘I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I’ve always considered a person innocent until proven guilty. I guess I shouldn’t treat you any differently.’

      ‘Molly—’ He reached out, touching her arm with one long finger, then running the palm of his hand towards her shoulder as he held her gaze with his. ‘I—’

      ‘I believe you’re occupying my space!’

      CHAPTER THREE

      THEIR heads snapped upwards in unison as Ryan’s shadow fell over them. For a moment Molly didn’t recognise him any more quickly than she had recognised the tone of his voice. His face was dark—threatening, almost—and for a split second she was shocked. It was a side to him she didn’t see very often. Her conscious mind had never identified him as an alpha male.

      ‘Ryan—sorry. I didn’t see you there.’ Nick quickly removed his hand from Molly’s arm and stood up. ‘I was just saying how great Molly looks in a swimsuit.’

      Ryan stepped closer to Nick, water running off his body in long silvery rivulets. He ran his hand across his face to remove some of the water and then lowered his voice. ‘So I saw, Scallon. The next time you decide to compliment her with your hands you’ll have me to deal with—do you understand?’

      Molly jumped to her feet and stood between them, facing Ryan. ‘Have you gone nuts? Apologise to Nick this minute.’

      Nick smiled smoothly, his eyes warming for Molly. ‘It’s okay, Molly, I understand.’ His eyes swept back towards Ryan. ‘Ryan obviously feels the need to stake his claim. I get the message.’

      Ryan nodded tersely. ‘Just make sure you do.’

      Molly gaped at the two men. ‘Oh, you two can’t be for real.’

      Ignoring Nick for a moment, Ryan frowned at Molly. ‘This guy was touching you. Are you telling me that’s okay with you? Because it sure as hell isn’t okay with me!’

      Without hesitating she grabbed his hand and tugged him away from Nick, towards the trees at the back of the shoreline. ‘We need to talk, now.’

      By the time they reached the trees Ryan was smiling at her. ‘Wow, you can drag me into the trees any time, Moll. Did you see the looks we got?’

      ‘What the hell were you doing out there?’

      She was mad—really, really mad. He could tell. Her green eyes sparked angrily and her face was flushed. He thought she looked amazing.

      ‘We’re supposed to be a couple, right? Well, I’m not going to stand by while some other man runs his hands all over my girlfriend, now, am I?’

      Molly shook her head. ‘Even as my boyfriend, or for that matter as my lover, you wouldn’t go around acting like Neanderthal man without my going crazy about it. Don’t you know that?’ She glared at him. ‘What the heck kind of woman have you been dating over the years?’

      He actually had the grace to look apologetic. ‘I’m sorry. I just—well, I guess I didn’t like it much. As a friend or as a boyfriend.’

      Realising she still held his hand, he squeezed her fingers. ‘I guess we’ve both got some learning to do if we’re going to pull this off.’

      Calmer, she looked up into his eyes and smiled wryly. ‘They’re all standing out there watching these trees, aren’t they?’

      ‘Yup.’

      ‘So what’ll we do? Wait for a