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“I saw that,” Blair teases.

I turn away from her. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe I should ask Key to play the prize this year, eh?”

I turn on my heel, narrowing my eyes. “What are you on about?”

“Ha!” She points at me as if she’s made some great discovery. “Didn’t like that, did you?”

“You’re a horrible, horrible friend,” I grouse.

She blows me a kiss, looking too smug for my tastes. “I’m an excellent friend. In fact, let me show you.” She cups her hand over her mouth, shouting before I have a chance to stop her. “Oi! Keyanna!”

I watch as Key turns our way, seeing Blair waving her over and immediately excusing herself from Rory and his task of setting out folding chairs to make her way toward us.

“Yeah?”

“Key, darling,” Blair coos. “Has Lachlan told you about the prize for the games?”

Key’s face scrunches. “No?”

“Och, well. I told you the story of how the pub got its name, aye? The maiden and the pech?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, you see, every year we have a maiden pose as the ‘prize,’ and the winner of the games wins a kiss from her.”

Key cocks her head. “That doesn’t seem very in line with the story.”

“Yeah, well.” Blair shrugs. “It gives the gents motivation to work hard, which gets ’em good and thirsty, which means more beer sales for me, aye?”

“I don’t think I’m going to like where this is going,” Key says.

I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at my friend. “She doesn’t need to be ogled for an entire day, Blair.”

“Nonsense,” Blair hums, reaching to pet Key’s hair as if she were a kitten she was trying to persuade to come home with her. “Key wants to help.” Blair gives Key her best pout, and I have to stifle a groan at her shady tactics. “Don’t you?”

“Oh, well…” Key gives her a wry smile. “I guess if it will help…”

“That’s the spirit!” Blair clasps her on the shoulder, winking at me in triumph. “Everyone will be thrilled to hear it.”

Rory calls her name then, and I continue to glare at her as she flounces away, not realizing I’m doing so until Key pokes me in the side.

“Stop making that face,” she says. “It’ll get stuck that way.”

“You didn’t have to agree to her shenanigans,” I tell her.

She shrugs. “What can it hurt? Doesn’t sound like I’ll have to do much.”

“You’ll have to kiss whichever lout wins the games!”

Her grin is Cheshire-like. “Are you jealous, Lachlan?”

“I…” My lips press together as I clear my throat. “No.”

Key’s fingers trail up my forearm, leaving goose bumps behind that I suspect have nothing to do with the chill in the air. “Maybe you should enter. Just to make sure no one else gets the chance.”

“Is that right?” I loom over her, feeling my lips twitch. “Remind me…” I reach to pluck at a stray curl, twirling it around my finger. “Whose bed were you in this morning?”