The Gypsy Ribbon. Shannon MacLeod

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СКАЧАТЬ saw the look of appreciation on his face. He wasn’t kidding. “I like it,” she admitted as she got in, “It’s old, but it still runs pretty good.”

      “It’s great,” James repeated, easing into the passenger seat, “full of character. Reminds me of a car I had once. Mine wasn’t purple, though,” he laughed.

      On automatic pilot, she backed out of the parking space and threw the car in gear. Okay, time for an emergency meeting, her brain sent out to the rest of her body. James Kelly, internationally-known rock star and the gorgeous brother of my best friend’s fiance is sitting in my junky old car talking to me like he’s just an average, normal guy. This is not happening. Men like him don’t look at girls like me. Men like him want beautiful, tall and skinny, not plain, short and chunky. Her heart, however, elected to skip the meeting.

      To Beth’s surprise, they talked easily and non-stop all the way to the restaurant, and when they pulled into one of the last remaining parking spaces at the back of the lot, James jumped out and ran around the car to open the door for her. Offering her his hand to help her out, he gave her a bright smile. “Shall we, Miss Vargo?”

      Charmed, she grinned back and said, “Why certainly, Mr. Kelly.” She took his arm again and he patted her hand as they walked toward the front door of the restaurant.

      “Your dress is lovely,” James commented.

      “Thanks,” Beth blushed. “It’s not the sort of thing I normally wear, but it’s comfortable. That’s a nice suit,” she said, indicating his obviously expensive jacket.

      “Thanks yourself,” he smiled. “It’s not what I usually wear either, but Ma said–and I quote–‘If ye show up for yer brother’s weddin’ in leather pants, anything ripped or dangling from yer earlobes, ye’d best commend yer soul to God because yer ass will belong to me.’”

      She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the dire admonition repeated in the high feminine pitch. “Your mom really said that?”

      “She did,” James said somberly. “Terrified me too. As you can see, I’m observing the warnings and cleaned up all proper-like for the festivities.” Beth nodded and still managed to keep a straight face until he added under his breath, “I hope she don’t check my underwear, though.”

      About half of the wedding party had already arrived and the harried servers ran back and forth taking drink orders. James ordered a glass of wine for himself from a star struck waitress and turning to Beth asked, “And what is your pleasure, m’dear?”

      You naked in a great big champagne glass. “I’ll have the same, thank you,” Beth nodded.

      The bride and groom made their appearance, along with the rest of the wedding party, family and close friends, and everyone laughed, drank and mingled while they waited to take their seats at the long table. Beth moved from group to group chatting, never losing sight of the fact that not once did James leave her side, attentively gesturing for refills when her glass was empty and making small talk. He occasionally put a gentle hand to her lower back to guide her through the crowd almost possessively. Was he flirting with her? Not bloody likely…she snorted delicately.

      When they reached Ian and Lily, Beth overheard as Ian leaned next to James’s ear and whispered, “A private word, if you please.”

      “Ladies, if you would be so kind as to excuse us,” James bowed low to Beth and then to Lily, who giggled at his formality. Beth looked at Ian with a question in her eyes, feeling the strange undercurrents of something she just couldn’t quite put her finger on. Ian just smiled and nodded, then took hold of James by the upper arm and dragged him from the room.

      * * * *

      Once in the hallway near the restrooms, James wrenched his arm free from Ian’s iron grip and took a good look at his brother. “Here now, leave off. What’d I do?”

      “I just wanted to take a moment to explain this potentially life-threatening situation you’ve managed to get yourself into,” Ian said, his face carefully devoid of any emotion. “Beth is a lovely woman. She is Lily’s best friend, and they are very, very close. If you hurt Beth, it will hurt Lily. If you hurt Lily, it will hurt me, and if you hurt me, I will cheerfully drown you in the pond and apologize to Ma later when you’re not there for Christmas.”

      James felt the color drain from his face then flood back. “You’d drown me? Seriously?”

      Ian nodded, solemn as a judge. “I’ll let you call Ma first to tell her you love her. I couldn’t kill you knowing you hadn’t done that, but afterwards, yes…I will drown you and smile in the doing of it.”

      James suppressed a grin. “I consider myself duly warned.” Cocking his head sideways he remarked, “Jaysus, you’re still a right vicious bastard, aren’t you? All that pent-up male energy. Maybe you just need to get lai–” Ian growled and James threw his hands up in self defense just as Meg’s husband rounded the corner.

      “Leave the two of you alone for one minute and you’re gearing up to kill each other,” Dan Wilde laughed. “Some things never change, I reckon.” Shaking his head, he stepped around them and pushed open the restroom door.

      The loud squeak of the closing door muffled James’s calculatedly impassioned plea of “Not the face!” followed by a loud thump and a heated little pushy-shovey match that quickly dissolved into chuckles. ”You can’t think I mean to hurt the girl,” James snorted, suddenly unsure if Ian were teasing or not.

      “I wouldn’t think you’d mean to but it could still happen, all the same. Just putting you on notice, little brother–best mind yourself.” Ian’s face gave away nothing.

      The restroom door opened and Dan popped his head out. “Safe now, is it?”

      “Course it is, Danny boy,” James scoffed. “I took him down easy.” Together they all headed back toward the party, jostling each other boisterously as they walked down the hall.

      With a cheeky grin, James walked directly over to the ladies and proffering his arm to Beth said, “I believe they have us seated together. May I have the honor, milady?” He turned and gave Ian a raised eyebrow in open defiance. Ian said nothing, but reached into his jacket pocket. Pulling out his cell phone, he held it up for James to see then pointed to Moiré, deep in conversation with Camille. James winked and nodded in understanding then turned his full attention back to Beth, escorting her to her seat.

      * * * *

      Ian ducked his head and smiled, delighted that the seed of the forbidden fruit had been planted in such fertile ground. Lily didn’t miss that and taking his hand leaned over to look more closely at her husband to be. “You look inordinately pleased with yourself,” she whispered. “What are you up to?”

      “Nothing,” Ian replied vaguely, not meeting her gaze.

      Not buying that for a minute, Lily followed his line of vision to where James and Beth sat talking and smiling. She rose up on tiptoe to give him a conspiratorial kiss on the cheek. “Just let me know if you need any help,” she said, grinning.

       3

      The rehearsal dinner went by in a blur for Beth. As far as she knew the food was good, even if she didn’t have a clue what she ate. Whenever someone spoke to her she responded politely, but all of her senses were laser-sighted СКАЧАТЬ