Page 33 of You, As You Are

That was it? Just her name?

It didn’t matter, he’d already said enough tonight.

Maisie knew it wasn’t fair to be so stung – men didn’t owe her their attraction or attention – but those nettles that she’d fallen into should’ve hurt more than his comment did. It wasn’t her fault that experience had made her tender when it came to being moreinterestedin someone than she let on. She was so silly to think she could’ve had a chance with a man like Iain. What had she shown of herself for him to be interested in? All she’d done so far was display how inept she was at pretty much everything he’d seen her do.

She didn’t even smile as she said his name in return. “Iain.”

His friends’ eyes ping-ponged back and forth between them, Vera oblivious to what she’d missed.

It was there on Iain’s face as their gazes collided, how he tried to decipher if she’d been near enough to hear what he’d said. Maisie wasn’t going to make a deal of it here. She should be mature enough to tuck her tail with grace and not make a deal out of it at all.

“Moo Moo? Meet Aron and Cai.” Vera had the tattooed, blonde one by the cheek. “I taught them when they were little lambs in primary school.”

To them, Maisie did smile. “Hi, I’m Maisie. Vera’s granddaughter.”

“We know who you are, love, don’t worry,” the one with the deep complexion said with that up-to-no-good smile she’d seen from five feet away. “I’m Cai. This one’s Aron.”

“Nice to meet you both.”

Iain still stood between them, his chin turned down but his eyes burrowing into the side of Maisie’s head like a pup who knew he’d done wrong.

“Are you joining in on the quiz?” she asked his friends.

“We weren’t planning on—” Iain started.

“Yes,” Aron cut him off. “We are.”

“You should join us at our table.” Vera waved for them to stand up. “There’s plenty of space.”

It didn’t take much convincing. Cai and Aron unfurled from their chairs and confirmed Maisie’s suspicion that they played rugby alongside Iain (who she didn’t look at once). They looked her up and down with appreciation and she let them, giving as good as she got. She was single, after all. Unattached. And these two looked like they could be a good time.

They each wrapped an arm around Vera’s shoulders, heads dipped in conversation, and parted the crowd like local celebrities.

Maisie went to follow, but a hand slipped around her wrist, and she looked down to find it belonged to Iain. Calloused skin so deliciously scratching her own sent shivers scattering across her arms.

Rationally, she shouldn’t feel anything pleasant at all.

“Are you okay?” he asked, the low tone of his voice something she’d only heard once before.

“I’m fine,” she said, making a point to look him in the eye. “Excited for the quiz. It should beinteresting.”

* Saint Dwynwen’s Day

CHAPTER TEN

IAIN

Anyone would’ve thoughtthat at thirty-five he’d know when to keep his mouth shut, but the ability had wandered off without giving Iain notice two nights ago. Now there was every chance that he’d have to face Maisie this morning after sticking his foot in it so ungracefully.

How would he explain what she’d overheard?

He wouldn’t want to put an idea in her head that she was undesirable – that was far from the truth. Aron was right; she was right up his street for the kind of woman he was attracted to: lively, bold, the prettiest smile. But he’d needed to get his friends off of his back, which is why he’d said what he’d said.

I am not interested in Maisie Moss.

The more Iain thought about it, the less he believed it, but he wasn’t going to go there. Maisie deserved more than he could give her, and he’d screwed up his own chances of her being interested in him that way – not that he’d assumed she would be anyway – by being an A-class prick.

He hadn’t had the chance during the quiz to clear the air, so maybe he could do it here, at this café, where the hiking group were meeting thanks to the rain pelting down in a blanket over Wales this morning.

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