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and tired of being the third wheel, that’s all,’ Meg an explained, her eyes stormy. ‘ How do you think it feels to know that Ry is there, chatting up some girl under the approving eyes of your family, Matt ? Do you have any idea how humiliating that feels?’
    ‘It must suck big time,’ he agreed, nodding and taking another sip of his drink. ‘ Ry is only doing it as a favor to G randpa, you know? He doesn’t want to disappoint the old man, Meg an, nothing more. They will leave soon, the whole stuck - up family, and things will be better. ’
    Matt is the only perso n who call s Henry Harper ‘ G randpa , ’ she thought with morbid amusement . E ven Ry an referred to the old man with a respectful and stiff ‘ grandfather. ’ Matt had no qualms about being the exception, cheerfully referring to his formidab le and intimidating grandparent with endear ing nicknames that were disagreeable to the rest of the household. Matt obviously couldn’t care less that everyone else disapproved. Ry an ’s attempts to rein him in a bit had failed miserably.
    ‘I’m terrified of your grandfather, Matt , ’ she admitted, her voice trembling slightly . ‘ He seems so… distant and critical . I t gives me the goose bumps just to think of being around him, I swear. I guess spending my whole life in this town , where every building has something to do with your family , hasn’t helped , either . ’
    ‘But that’s exactly the point . ’ Matt lean ed closer, the faint fragrance of his aftershave reaching her sensitive nostrils. She recognized it as a gift from his father , who had given an identical bottle to Ry an . Rupert Harper had no clue what kind s of presents would be suitable for young men, and his rather expensive and old - fashioned choices usually missed the mark by a mile. Last Christmas was apparently no exception.
    ‘ Gramps isn’t scary at al l , trust me . He just has this way of coming across as such, Meg an. Actually , he can be a lot of fun when you get to know him. I mean, he does some crazy things for sure, but underneath it all , there is a big softie.’
    She would have to take his word for it . Meg an bit her tongue to stop herself from responding . She could tell that Matt really adored his grandfather, just as much as Ry an did. However, Ry an went about it differently; he was never one to wear his heart on the sleeve, but his affection was apparent in the way his eyes softened when he mentioned the old man.
    ‘I’m sure Ry told you so himself,’ Matt continued, a smile playing around his mouth. ‘ We are both very lucky to have him, even though , at times , I could positively strangle the old man with my bare hands.’
    Leave it to Matt to make such a statement . Megan tried very hard to remain serious. Ry an had told her about several instances when his brother had scandalized a soiree with his starkly honest remarks, leaving the rest of the guests frantic to find an other topic to cover the awkward silence that followed. Matt didn’t really care what people thought of his honesty , though . H is handsome face was always indifferent to the looks thrown his way.
    ‘ Well , we disagreed on that matchmaking project, though,’ she admitted, the lump in her throat rising once again. It was easy to forget her m isery with Matt around, but it was there, lurking just under the surface and ready to break through at any given moment. ‘I… I told him what I thought of being on the proverbial backburner all the time.’
    ‘He’ll come around . ’ Matt seemed unfazed, keeping his face reassuring. ‘ He usually does. Sometimes it takes a bit of time for things to settle into the right slots in his head , if you get what I mean. I would bet my bottom dollar that he will mull it over and ask you to forgive him by tomorrow.’
    ‘I hope you’re right . ’ S he sighed, momentarily forgetting he was there as she spoke softly, mostly to herself. ‘I just hope it’s not one of those times when the