Lie to Me (9 page)

“Fine.”  Hands on shapely hips, she leaned forward.  “There is no difference between you dating the town slut and me dating the town troublemaker.”

“What the - you’re
dating
Dawson?”  It was worse than he’d thought.

“No.  Yes!  What difference does it make?”  Frustrated, she blew a lock of blonde hair off her forehead.  “God, Ryder, you do my head in!”

“Me?  You get me twisted in knots!”

“Who you date isn’t my business, as you pointed out.  So the same goes for me - who I date isn’t your business!”

“Not if it means you could get hurt.”

“What if I think you could get hurt?”

“Babe.”  He couldn’t help but grin at the absurd statement.  “I’m experienced.  I know what I’m doing.”

“So do I.”

“Sure, you…” He stumbled to a halt as soon as her words sunk in.  “What?”  Experienced?  “Nah, you’re not experienced.”

Her cheeks went red.

Shit, what did that mean?  He studied her closely.  Did that mean she was embarrassed or guilty?  And if so, of what?  Dating?  Kissing another bloke?  Maybe going to bed with a bloke? 

Nah, not possible.  Nah, he’d have heard.
  He started to laugh, noted Dee’s bland expression and almost choked.  “Jesus.  Have you been
sleeping
with someone?”

Rather than blush even redder, her expression turned decidedly cool, pretty much like her voice.  “Not your business, remember?”

Nah, it wasn’t possible.  If a bloke in this town was dating her, then
- “Who is it?”

“You know, Ryder, we’ve been friends since we were babies.  That doesn’t give you the right to ask questions about my sex life.”

“Sex life?”

“Oh boy,” Scott said.

“If you don’t mind, I’m busy.”  Dee pushed right past Ryder.

His mind was still reeling with the thought of Dee in bed with a bloke.  How had that happened?  When had that happened?  And more importantly, who was it?  Ryder spun around on the spot.  “Oh hell!  Tell me you’re not shagging Jason Dawson!”

She just gave him a cool glance over her shoulder before turning her attention to the front. “Something you wanted, Kirk?”

His friends were leaning against the counter openly fascinated by the conversation.  Bastards were no doubt having a big laugh, but Ryder didn’t think there was anything remotely laughable about the situation.

He started after her, rounding the magazine stand as she slipped behind the counter.

“Just the local rag.”  Kirk flipped the newspaper down on the counter along with the money.

“No worries.”  She rang up the amount and gave him the change.

Just like that, cool as a freakin’ cucumber.

While Ryder was starting to see red.  “Look, Dee-” He stopped and cursed under his breath when the door opened, the old-fashioned bell above it ringing the entry.

Kirk and Scott moved to the side.  The two farmers who’d just entered looked from Ryder to Dee and came to a stop.  All four waited.

Goddamn, they were all enjoying themselves.  What was with people in this town?  Bunch of bloody gossipers.

Arms folded, Dee looked directly at Ryder.  Oh yeah, the little witch knew he wouldn’t have a go at her while people were watching.  Well, while anyone else other than Scott and Kirk were watching.  She was practically daring him.

Taking a deep breath, he ground out, “I’ll be back.”

“Famous last words.”

“Oh, babe, trust me, I
will
be back.”

A strange expression crossed her face briefly before she suddenly shrugged.  “Whatever.”

Oh boy, the indifferent way she said that was enough to spike his blood pressure.  Unfortunately there was nothing he could do about it with an audience, so he stalked out the door, glaring at the grinning farmers and ignoring his grinning friends.

Once outside, he sucked in a deep breath of fresh, early morning air and walked to the bench, propping his foot up against it while he stretched.

His mind was moving fast.  Damn it, she was probably right.  As usual, he’d acted without thought when it came to her.  How the hell did she manage to tie him up in knots?  The woman was an adult, could make her own decisions.  He hated her interfering in his love life, and she apparently hated him interfering in her love life.  Of which he’d not previously known.

Okay, he was being a hypocrite, but Goddamn, she was his friend, she had not much experience in dating men…that he knew of, because apparently she had, and did, and sounded like she’d… He couldn’t even think the word. 

Oh crap.  Was she kidding him?  No, she’d seemed dead serious.  For some reason, that made him feel-

“You all right?” Kirk asked from behind him.

“Yeah.”  He swapped legs, stretched.

“Heard about Dee and Jason last night.”  Pause.  “Heard about you ringing Simon.”

“Did that bastard put it in the local rag or something?  Was it announced on the radio this morning?”

“Nope.  He called in to the station for a cuppa and told me.”

Annoyed, Ryder dropped his foot to the pavement and faced Kirk.  “He has a loose mouth.  Maybe I better fix it for him.”

Scott was standing beside Kirk, both of them watching him with varying degrees of interest.  Well, Scott watched him with interest, Kirk had his usual stoic, calm expression, so God knew what he was thinking.

“Look,” he felt compelled to explain, “I was worried about her.  I mean, Jesus, a Dawson?  She had to get a
Dawson
to walk her home?”

“Not her wisest decision,” Kirk agreed.

“Wise?  It was bloody stupid.  What on earth would possess the woman to do such a bloody idiotic thing?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Poor dumb bastard,” Scott muttered.

What the hell…?  “Who?  Jason?  Why are you feeling sorry for him?”

Kirk cast Scott an inscrutable look.

“Not him,” Scott replied.  “You.”

“What?”  Ryder was startled.  “You feel sorry for me?”

“No, I…”  Scott rolled his eyes.  “Forget I said anything.”

Knowing he was missing something but unable to fathom what, Ryder glared at his friend.  He’d known Scott since they were kids, hell, he, Dee and Scott had grown up together, which meant that he knew Scott wouldn’t say another word until he chose.  The fact that he was clamming up was not a good sign.

Kirk had a mouth like a steel trap, he wouldn’t comment unless he thought it warranted.  But he probably knew things…

Ryder glanced at the shop.  “So, either of you know who she’s dating?”

“You think she’s dating?” Scott asked incredulously.

“She said so.”

“Are we talking about the same conversation?”

Ryder cut his eyes to Kirk.  “Well?”

“Well what?”

“Who is it?”

“No idea.”

“Come on, if anyone knows anything in this town it has to be you.”

“Nope.”

“So you’re not telling.”

“I’m saying I have no idea who or if she’s dating.  Maybe you should stop jumping to conclusions.”

“So you don’t think she’s dating.”

“No idea.”

“What do you care, anyway?” Scott asked.  “You date, why shouldn’t she?”

Ryder rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles.  They were right.  “Just… You know… Dee’s a sweet girl, don’t want her messed up.”

“Dee?  Sweet?”  Scott’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yeah, sweet.  Okay, a little sour at times.  Sharp.  But she’s a nice girl, not some loose woman.”

“You don’t even know who she’s dating.”

“Look, forget about it.”  Ryder started jogging on the spot, warming up.  “If she’s dating, I’ll find out.”

“Why would you find out?” Kirk asked.  “Don’t you think Dee can take care of herself?”

“I’m thinking if she’s seeing someone in secret, then he might not be desirable.”

“You think he’s ugly?  Dee wouldn’t care.”

“I mean of character, numb nuts!”

“Maybe you should just mind your business,” Scott suggested.  “Let her get on with her life.”

“I’m not interfering.  I’m just watching out for her.”

“Like she watches out for you?”

“No.  I do it with finesse.”  He glared as Scott gave a bark of laughter and Kirk just grinned.  “Look, I’m not going to stand around here gossiping.  I’ve got to go to work.”

“Me, too.”  Scott saluted Kirk.  “Say g’day to Molly and the bump.”

“Will do.”  Swinging on  his heel, Kirk strode to his ute.

Feeling unusually irritable, Ryder blanked his mind of all troubling thoughts of Dee and her unknown suitor and started jogging back the way they’d come, going faster as he warmed up.  Scott kept pace easily, not saying a word.  By the time they’d come to the turn onto his street, they were both sweating from the run.

Scott gave him a wave and kept going.

Turning into his street, Ryder slowed down, allowing thoughts to start flowing again.

Okay, the blokes were right.  He was overreacting.  He wasn’t Dee’s father, he wasn’t her brother. She had every right to date, if she hadn’t seen fit to let everyone know then - wait a minute.  He scowled as he slowed to a walk.  Did Del know?  No, there was something fishy going on, that was for sure.  If Dee was seeing someone she’d have told her friends, introduced the bloke, which meant that she was trying to hide the affair.  Which meant that no one would approve of who she dated.

So who the hell was she dating?  And what was so bad that she didn’t want anyone to know?  Was it Jason Dawson?  It looked possible.

Damn it, now he was worried.

Going up the veranda steps, he coughed, grimacing at the slight soreness in his throat.  Great, now to top it all off he was getting a cold.

~*~

The clock had just gone twelve when Del came barrelling in with Molly and Ash on her heels.

“Right,” Del barked, “what’s this about you and Jason?”

That hadn’t taken long to get out.  “He walked me home, end of story.”

“That’s not an end to a story,” Molly replied, one hand on her swelling belly.  “There’s more to it than that.  Spill.”

Dee led the way to the kitchenette.  “Nothing to spill.”

“How about the fact that Ryder came out looking for you and found you and Dawson in a hot clinch?”

“Jesus.  As if.”  Shaking her head at the gossip, Dee crossed to the little ‘fridge and drew out the plate of salad she’d brought down earlier.

Molly and Del sat down, placing their lunches on the table while Ash plugged in the little kettle before taking the fourth chair.

“So why’d he walk you home?” Ash asked.  “Are you two-”

“We’re not anything.”  Dee pointed a fork at her.  “So don’t even start that shit.”

“Hey, I’m just saying what everyone is saying.”

“Everyone as in whom?”

“Everyone as in who was at the pub last night and saw Ryder charging out the door as soon as he saw you and Jason sharing a bench.”

“Cripes.”  Shaking her head, Dee peeled the plastic wrap off the plate and stabbed the ham with the fork.

“Not to mention you two butting heads this morning,” Molly added.

“Me and Jason?”

“No, you and Ryder, as you very well know.”

“Kirk been telling tales?”

“Amongst others.”

“Oh for…”

“So spill the beans,” Del ordered.  “What happened and why?  And don’t forget the mystery man you’re shagging.”  She paused in unwrapping her Vegemite roll.  “Which, I have to say, I’m royally pissed that you didn’t tell me.”

“Are you kidding me?  Why would I tell anyone that I’m having deviant sex with Bigfoot?”

“That is seriously disturbing,” Molly said.

“He’s been my mystery lover for the last six years.  Every night he climbs up to my window, comes in and - you know what they say about a man’s feet and the size of his wanger?”

“That is also seriously wrong,” Ash said.

Del looked at her.  “Scott’s isn’t big?”

“That’s not what I meant.”  Ash’s cheeks reddened.  “His is just fine.”

“I hear it’s really fine,” Dee leered.  “All the girls used to say so.”

“They don’t say so now because he’s taken.”

“His wanger is all yours.”

“If you put it like that, yes.”

“Glad we got that cleared up.”

Del rapped her knuckles on the little table.  “Back to the situation at hand, ladies.”

“There is no situation,” Dee stated.

“There is according to the grapevine.  Spill.”

Rolling her eyes, she took a mouthful of salad, chewed and swallowed.  “Look-”

Del’s finger was centimetres from Dee’s nose.  “I’m not forgetting that you lied to me about Simon.  He didn’t take you home, Jason did.  Now why was that?”