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sound curv ed her lips in an instinctive response. His dark ened hair was beginning to dry, returning to the dirty-blond it usually was.
    It was impossible to be serious around Matt . His aura of fun and freedom made him a perfect accomplice in crime. Rarely and for a very short time , she would allow herself to wish that some of it would rub off on Ry an . Afterwards , she would feel guilty and convince herself it was nothing more than a lapse of judgment.
    Ry is absolutely perfect the way he is , she assured herself, her cheeks burning with shame. Ryan was warm, smart , and responsible, and the list of his positive attributes went on and on.
    ‘So what exactly happened to send you into the moor in this weather?’ Matt asked. He watched her cautiously, his blue eyes veiled and impossible to read. She was used to reading him and his expressions like an open book , having known him for so many years and having watched him through the drama of his life. She found his uncharacteristically unyielding features unsettling .
    Ever since Matt had finished high school and decided to study in Edinburgh and then in the S tates, something had changed, though Megan couldn’t really put her finger on it. The first time she ’d seen him after a few months of his absence, she’d been completely unprepared for his transformation . The lanky boy she remembered had returned changed, an air of independence and self-assurance replacing his teenage angst. And for some reason, she’d considered the disappearance of the young Matt a massive loss, though Ry an and the rest of the family seemed very happy to see him a bit less wild and unpredictable.
    ‘We had an argument , ’ Megan said , her voice low and husky. ‘ Ry asked me to not be upset while he spends some tim e with Helena di Monti . ’
    Matt burst out laughing, his eyes merry.
    ‘ What?’ she snapped . How he could laugh about something so serious was beyond her understanding. But maybe a man who change s his girlfriends as often he change s socks has a different perspective on what is appropriate and what isn’t.
    ‘Sorry, Meg .’ He was serious again, only the quivering around his firm, masculine mouth betraying his amusement . ‘ It’s just that I was imagining poor Ry with her. Have you ever met Helena?’
    ‘I don’t think so.’ She shook her head . Her voice was bitter when she continued . ‘ But th e n again , I don’t know too many of your family’s friends, do I? ’
    ‘ Meg , Helena isn’t someone you should be worried about.’ Sipping his drink, he smiled at her , and Megan’s anger melt ed under the assault of his charm . ‘ She is rather serious and extremely opinionated. Ry will be suffering through every second of his sentence, I’m sure of it . He couldn’t stand her when we were kids and her family came over for a visit, and I don’t think too much has changed since. She bossed us around and bragged about her other friends non-stop . Mom had to bribe us with a promise to take us to the zoo to get us to cooperate .’
    Matt shrugged . H is face smooth ed again, but Megan’s noticed the fleeting sadness that crossed over his expressive features. She knew that Matt missed his mom, Elisa . Ever since she had divorced her husband and remarried a co-star from her latest historical movie, she had become persona non grata in the Harper house. She visited rarely and stayed only for short periods . Her lifestyle didn’t really allow her to care for them properly, she explained to anyone who would listen . T he movies, on-site filming , and trips abroad made it practically impossible to fulfill her duties as a mother. The children needed stability and a place to put their roots. A place like the Harper s ’ house, welcoming them with open arms , offered a stable home forever. Plus, staying at their paternal home offered other perks, such as money, contacts , and social acceptance, which she had lost after splitting up with Rupert .
    ‘I am just sick