Once Upon A Christmas. Sarah Morgan

her car quickly, feeling tears prick her eyes.

      Well, if dating other men meant losing Jack as a friend, then so be it. She’d wasted enough time on him. He didn’t even notice her, for goodness’ sake!

      And if she’d needed confirmation that it was time to move on, she had it now.

      Jack banged his empty glass down on the bar and cursed under his breath.

      ‘Nice one, Jack,’ Oliver said mildly, clapping him on the shoulder and glancing towards the door. ‘I thought the three of us agreed that we weren’t going to bring up the thorny subject of Lizzie’s father.’

      Jack groaned and ran a hand over his face. ‘I know, I know.’ He let out a long breath. ‘It’s just that she knows nothing about men—’

      ‘She’s twenty-seven.’

      ‘So?’ Jack glared at Oliver. ‘And we know that she hasn’t been out with a man since Lizzie was conceived. That guy broke her heart! I don’t want her making the same mistake again. She’s obviously never got over him. What if she picks someone on the rebound?’

      Tom joined them. ‘I’m not sure you can rebound after seven years,’ he said mildly, and Jack’s mouth tightened.

      ‘So why does Lizzie never date, then?’

      Tom looked at him steadily. ‘I don’t know …’

      ‘Yes you do.’ Jack’s eyes narrowed as he studied his friend. ‘You think you know. I can tell.’

      Tom shook his head and drained his glass. ‘No. I don’t know.’ He studied his empty glass. ‘But I can guess.’

      Jack frowned. ‘So what’s your guess?’

      Tom gave a funny smile and looked at Oliver. ‘My guess is that she has a particular guy on her mind,’ he drawled casually, ‘and until she gets over him, she can’t move on.’

      ‘Precisely what I said,’ Jack said smugly. ‘She needs to get over Lizzie’s father.’

      And with that he grabbed his jacket and strode out of the pub after her.

      Oliver looked at Tom. ‘I always thought he was a bright guy. How did he ever come top in all those exams?’

      Tom gave a faint smile. ‘He’ll get there in the end.’

      ‘Unless Bry meets someone else.’

      ‘Bryony has been in love with Jack for twenty-two years,’ Tom said calmly, glancing at the barman and waggling his glass. ‘She’s never going to fall in love with anyone else.’

      ‘So what happens now?’

      Tom reached for his wallet. ‘I think we’re in for a very interesting few weeks. Happy birthday, bro. This one’s on me.’

      Damn.

      Jack strode out to the car park, cursing himself for being so tactless. He couldn’t believe he’d argued with Bryony. He never argued with Bryony. Or, at least, not seriously. Bryony was the nearest he had to family and their relationship was all banter and teasing and a great deal of confiding. Well, on his part at least. He told her everything about his relationships and she was always giving him little suggestions. And that was one of the things he loved about their friendship. Unlike the women he dated, Bryony never tried to change him or lecture him. She just accepted him as he was. He was more comfortable in her kitchen than any other place in the world. And now he’d upset her.

       What the hell had come over him?

      He looked round the car park, part of him hoping that she was still there, but of course she was long gone. He just hoped she wasn’t driving too quickly. The air was freezing and the roads would be icy.

      He gritted his teeth and swore under his breath. She’d been really upset by his comments and there was a very strong chance that he’d made her cry. Despite the fact that she rarely let him see it, he knew she was soft-hearted. He’d known her since she was five, for goodness’ sake, and he knew her better than anyone.

      Realising that he had a big apology to make, he ran a hand over his face and strolled to his car, pressing the remote control on his keyring.

      He could drive over to her cottage now, of course, but she’d still be mad with him and anyway her mother would be there so they wouldn’t be able to talk properly.

      No. The apology was best left until they could be alone.

      If he’d been dating her he would have sent her flowers, but he’d never sent Bryony flowers in his life, and if he did she’d think he’d gone mad.

      He slid into his sports car and dropped his head back against the seat.

      No doubt, now that word was out that she was going to start dating, flowers would be arriving for her thick and fast.

      He growled low in his throat, tension rising in him as he contemplated the impact that her announcement had made.

      Why had she chosen to tell the whole pub? Didn’t she know that all the guys lusted after her? That with her long silken blonde hair and her fabulous curvy body, she couldn’t walk across a room without stopping conversations? And he felt every bit as protective towards her as he knew her brothers did.

      And now some sleazy guy would come along and take advantage of her, and she was so trusting and inexperienced with men she wouldn’t even notice until it was too late.

      Jack reversed the car out of its space, crunching the gears viciously. Well, not while he was available to prevent it happening.

      She’d become pregnant in her second year at medical school and neither he nor her brothers had been around to sort the guy out. Damn it, she hadn’t even told them who he was. Just mumbled something about the whole thing being a mistake and refused to even discuss it even though Tom and Oliver had pumped her for hours.

      Well, there wasn’t going to be another mistake, Jack thought grimly, his strong hands tightening on the wheel. Because now there was Lizzie’s happiness to think of, too. No one was going to hurt either one of his girls.

      From now on, if any guy so much as looked at Bryony the wrong way, if there was even a scent of someone messing her around, he’d step in and floor them.

      Satisfied that he was back in control of the situation, he stopped trying to pulverise his precious car and slowed his pace.

      All he needed to do now was plan. He needed to know exactly whom she was dating so that he could issue a warning.

      Bryony let herself into the house and found her mother in the kitchen. ‘Is she asleep?’

      ‘Fast asleep.’ Her mother dried her hands on a towel. ‘You’re back early, darling. Is something wrong?’

      ‘No.’ Bryony unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and tossed it onto the chair. Her coat followed.

      ‘Bryony, I’m your mother. I can tell when something is wrong.’

      Bryony glared at her, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. ‘Jack Rothwell, that’s what’s wrong!’

      ‘Ah.’ Her mother gave a smile and turned to put the kettle on. ‘Tea?’

      ‘I suppose so.’ Bryony slumped into the nearest chair and sighed. ‘He is the most infuriating man.’

      ‘Is he?’

      ‘You know he is.’

      Her mother reached for the tea bags. ‘I know that you two have been very close for almost the whole of your lives,’ she said mildly. ‘I’m sure that whatever it is you’ve quarrelled about will go away.’

      ‘The man dates every woman on the planet,’ Bryony said, still outraged by his attitude, ‘but when I announce that I’m going to start going out with men, he’s suddenly disapproving. And he had the nerve