Page 4 of An Irish Hope

“I’m fine,” Andy mumbled.

“Well, I’m not,” she sniped.

Andy turned to her, a pleading look in his eyes. “I really didn’t mean it. I don’t know what to say but I’m sor—”

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. I need to go.” She moved past, clutching her dress. Maybe she could pin it or—

“Well, well, well. Is that the woman you were telling me about?” Andy’s friend said.

Her steps slowed, and she turned, eyes narrowed. “What woman?”

The freckles dusting Andy’s face disappeared as his face darkened to red. “Nothing,” he mumbled.

Obviously not nothing. “Did you tell him about spying on me before?”

“I wasn’t spying,” he protested.

“Sure and you weren’t.” She huffed out a breath.

“I mean it. I was looking out the window at the view, then I saw—”

“A different view, right?” Andy’s friend chuckled, like he thought it was funny.

She narrowed her eyes. He was more handsome than most, and looked like he knew it too. She’d always despised men like that.

She crossed her arms, then realised that only made her bulge more than she ought, so she pretended to scratch the side of her neck in order to hide her décolletage. “You need to watch where you’re going, Andy. And you,” she stabbed a finger at his friend, “need to learn to shut up and mind your own business, Randy.”

His jaw sagged. Good.

“And you both need to treat women with respect.”

“I wasn’t trying to be disre—”

“I don’t have time for this. And I don’t want to see either of you again this weekend.” And she hurried away without a backward look.

* * *

Andy pressed his lips together as the dusty-bottomed bridesmaid hurried out of sight.

“Andy, my man, can I just say that is not the way to get a girl’s attention.” Grady sniggered.

“I didn’t want her attention.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, I can understand why you were distracted before. She’s a right feek.”

Yes, she was, with that face, and that hair, and curves in all the right places. Not that he trusted beautiful women anymore. “It was an accident, and just happened.”

Grady winked. “Sure it did.”

“It did,” he insisted. And he didn’t really understand her overreaction. It wasn’t like he’d meant to bump into her.

“Clearly you need some help on the women front.”

“Clearly that shouldn’t be from you, Randy,” he countered.