A seething escort

Shayn seethed as Simone walked primly beside him. She had the audacity to claim she'd intentionally looked pitiful! The snarky, conniving creature knew just how to style her hair to compliment her bone structure. 

And leaving those curls loose! She could just as easily have put them all up in a really tight bun to make her face look drawn and pale. But no, she had to come out looking like something from a dream. 

His family would never let them hear the end of this. It was a disaster. He and Kyler had joked more than once that they weren't fleeing civilization, only Mayra's attempts to pair them up with someone. 

Riley's knowing looks were almost as bad. His laughter was worse. 

Shayn had resisted in part because Kyler was older. It didn't seem fair to marry before he found somebody. If he found somebody. But now Collyn was married, so his restraint was for naught. Kyler would have to live his own life.

It was an odd thing, to feel so protective of his older brother, but after all, they were quite close in age, and had entered war together. Shayn had been alongside his brother every step of the recovery process, even when… 

He didn't want to think about that. He sneered, thinking about Olive. She'd been their schoolmate, sweet on Kyler since the moment the family had moved to Klain, but at the suggestion that he might not ever walk again she dropped him like a hot coal. 

It was cruel, and Shayn knew he didn't ever want a woman as two-faced as that. He knew there were betters; after all, his mother, sister, stepsister, sister-in-law… all were amazing, kind, and trustworthy to varying degrees. 

He still wouldn't trust Mayra to guard his dessert for him if he needed to leave it somewhere. 

Shayn tried to school his features into nonchalance. Perhaps he could act like it was commonplace to have a pretty woman with him. Then his family wouldn't think this one was anything special. Any strong reaction would likely provoke their well-meaning excitement, so a casual boredom in her presence had the best chance at efficacy. 

"How many people are in the family?" Simone asked as they walked. 

"A few," Shayn shrugged. It would take him a while to count the children and add them to the adults. He honestly wasn't a hundred percent sure anymore. 

"Is it not very large? How many people are coming to the party?" She pressed, a hint of nervousness at the edge of her voice. 

He pushed back a grin. Did crowds make her uncomfortable? 

"You already know me, and Finn, and Kyler." He hedged. 

"Kyler. I didn't catch his name, or yours, when…" She ducked her head, as if embarrassed. 

Shayn's eyes narrowed. He wouldn't let her provoke his sympathy just because he was taking her into a situation which she apparently found less than exciting. 

"Yes, that was terribly rude of all of us. My mother's going to be horrified when she hears the whole story." He shook his head. 

"I won't tell her," Simone looked wide-eyed and nervous. "I really wish I wasn't invading your family gathering like this." 

He resented her for it, though logically he conceded it wasn't her fault. What WAS her fault was her rudeness, her sharp tongue, and her general demeanor which she was now shifting for her convenience. 

"Kyler certainly will. And since you are invading, try your best not to make it unbearable." He snapped. 

For once, she ignored his tone instead of rising to it. "I've never been to one before. What is it like? What do I do?" 

Cleverly, she had let just a hint of panic creep into her voice. Obviously another effort to invoke some manner of protectiveness from him. 

"I imagine it's just like any other party or family gathering," He rolled his eyes. 

"That's what I meant," Her voice was quieter now, and he had to walk slightly closer to her to hear it adequately. "I've never been to one before." 

He tripped a little, remembering her statement at the inn about her mother dying a long time ago and her father sending her off to an apprenticeship when she was young. But still… never?

"You've been to parties." He said confidently. He wouldn't let her get away with exaggerating her lack of social awareness. 

"The other apprentices and I attend the winter festival together each year." She said uncertainly. "But that doesn't seem the same." 

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her, fully in the face. Was she lying? 

Her eyes, which had held a hint of vulnerability, quickly hardened. "Stop that." 

Shayn blinked at her. "Stop what?" 

"Looking down on me. For being poor. I'll be on my best behavior for the party. I'll stay away from you as much as I can and use my best manners. I won't humiliate you." Simone glared at him. 

"Oh no you won't. I know how women operate," He didn't actually, but he had his guesses. "If I let you out of my sight, Finn or Mayra or Ashley or my mother will corner you and pester you with questions until you give them some sort of hope that I won't end up an eternal bachelor." 

"So you'd rather I stick by your side like some clingy, lovestruck schoolgirl? I'd really rather not. We'll be spending enough time together for the foreseeable future. I don't think being around you during the evenings was in the job description." The skepticism in her voice made him rethink his plan. 

"Well fine. Stay away without looking like you're staying away. And don't say anything that might lead to gossip." He warned, walking again. 

"I'll do my very best to pretend I'm not falling all over myself pining for you," She rolled her eyes as the sarcasm dripped from her tongue. 

He would need to tell Kyler he'd changed his mind. Blondes weren't all they were made out to be. This one was insufferable. Maybe a brunette would be less caustic. 

"I know how difficult that will be and I appreciate your efforts. I hope you're a good actress," He matched her sarcasm with his own, and she looked like she wanted to strike him. 

Her blue eyes flashed at him, and he grinned that his verbal blow had landed. 

"I suppose it would put a damper on your welcome home party if you showed up with a black eye," She grumbled. 

"As if you could manage it," He laughed out loud at the threat coming from her lips. She was so dainty and pretty that the mental image of her inflicting violence on him was nothing short of hilarious. 

Her glare deepened, and he had to struggle to catch his breath. Riley's house came into view, and several guests heading in had turned to look at the source of the laughter echoing down the street. 

He snapped his mouth shut and glared at Simone, who had turned red at the attention of strangers. 

Great. Wonderful. They had just arrived together with him laughing and her blushing. 

"Fantastic." He muttered. 

"That was your fault, not mine." She shrugged. 

"Just… don't let it happen again." He refused to take the blame for the matter. She was obviously most at fault here. 

"Maybe if you don't laugh at me, we can avoid such awkwardness again. I hate being stared at." 

"Then maybe you should have dressed pitifully like I told you to," He criticized. She fixed him with a curious gaze, which he ignored, walking more quickly so that they didn't enter looking like a couple. 

Of course, it was too late for that. 

"Shayn!" Kyler called with a smile, and the younger trotted up to walk beside and enter with his brother instead. "I see you already met a blonde to bring." He said in a lower voice.

"Look again, Brother. Isn't she familiar?" Shayn muttered. 

Kyler leaned on his crutches and looked past his younger sibling to the lady that had walked up with him. "Oh. Oh!" 

Simone ducked her head as she drew closer. "Hello again. I didn't introduce myself before. Please forgive my rudeness. I'm Simone." 

She reached out her hand to greet Kyler, and he rested on one crutch to take her hand and bend over it like a gentleman. The showoff! 

"I'm Kyler. It's lovely to make your acquaintance, officially," He smiled widely with a cunning look at Shayn. 

"I do hope I didn't injure you with my clumsiness the other day. It was unforgivable." Simone flushed slightly at the attention. 

"Not at all! I'm far too sturdy to be hurt by such a slim, pretty lady." Kyler gestured for her to precede him into the home. 

Shayn glared as his brother continued exchanging polite, even friendly, borderline flirtatious, greetings with the insufferable woman. She was being positively charming! Demure! Kind! What a farce! 

Music floated from inside, doubtless Ashley's machinations. She never could resist the urge to throw a full blown fancy party, even on short notice. This would be quite an evening to get through.