I don't know about you, but personally I had had my best ideas for my stories in the most unthinkable moments. For example I wrote this chapter (at least most of it) on a bus, going to an appointment somewhere...

Chapter 2

Nick didn't talk to Alex as long as he stayed at Killarney. Alex couldn't understand why he was so angry with him, mainly because he was not Claire's friend. He was only planning to kiss her, not to kill her!!

Alex have kissed a lot of girls, and no one complained about it. He simply thought that this time it would be the same. He had never kissed a mate before, but Claire was his first female mate.

While Nick was at Killarney there was no way he could stay alone with Claire, in the meantime he wondered what "tactic" he could use to impress her. He'd already tried his usual when they've met at first, but it didn't worked out. Claire was different from any other girl he had ever met. His cocky approach clearly couldn't work with her.

But… what kind of boy Claire liked? He didn't know at all. They've never talked about this.

Where could he start?

After thinking for a long time, he decided to let the moment talk. There was no hurry, the bet was not a short-term one. First of all Claire had to let him in, they had to become closer.

The fist time Alex saw Claire alone after the bet was on Wednesday. He was fixing a fence at the border between Killarney and Drovers. The sunset light painted the land of red. Alex already knew Claire enjoyed sunset rides and he hoped to meet her. He saw her on a hill nearby. She saw him waving and reached the border.

"Alex" She simply said, touching her hat with a hand. "Late work. I guess your father is taking you under pressure"

"Nah, I'm taking it easy. Nothing waits me home tonight."

"Neither your dinner?" She knew one of Alex's main worries was food. Food for him vas never enough.

"Mum and Dad had an important dinner with very important people from some very important place -bla bla bla-, important my ass, but tonight I'm supposed to dine alone in the kitchen and stay out of their business for a while." The way Alex was talking and teasing his parents was very funny, and Claire couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Look Claire, I guarantee that have a meal all alone in my kitchen isn't funny at all!" She tried to stop her laughing.

"I can offer you to share our poor meal at Drovers, my Lord" she tease him with a funny bow. "Meg usually cooks for an army. But only 'cause you look sooo miserable."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the poor next-door guy whose parents left all alone in the house. You could comfort me McLeod"

"Dream on Ryan" and they both started to laugh.

"Can we go now?"

"I'll come in a minute. I only had to… fix… this" he said handling pincers.

"No worries. If you're okay I can wait for you. You don't know Drovers very well yet, I don't need you to wander across my land."

Dinner was very good and Alex enjoyed the company. Jack and Claire discussed everything and Alex started comparing his family with the McLeods. His mother cared about good manner and proper topics. His father was often scary. No jokes, no noise, no fun at all.

After cleaning the kitchen, Claire found Alex out of the house. He was seated on a step, lost in his thoughts.

"Are you ok?" asked him

"Yeah, yeah. Just thoughts."

"What kind of thoughts?" She sat down besides him. He didn't answer. "You're allowed to tell me it's not my business, but at least say something! It's not kind at all to sit there alone in someone else's home." She at least succeeded in making him smile.

"I was thinking about families. Mine and yours are so different…"

"Jack and I are barely a family. If only Tess was here…"

"Tess?!? Who's Tess?" She shook her head and avoided his glance.

"Never mind. Time to go home?"

Alex didn't want to leave, but he realized the topic was uncomfortable for both of them. He made a mental note to ask her about Tess, sooner or later.

He slowly stood up, entered the kitchen and took his hat. Claire was standing against the wall, watching his movements.

"Yup. I'm going. Thank you for… everything" She nodded and hold her hand. He stared at her for a moment, then shook the hand she held out.

"You're welcome. This is what mates do I guess" He shook his head and turned away.

She stared at him while he was leaving, thinking that maybe to live in a well-off and apparently ideal family like the Ryan one was not so wonderful as it seems.

At Drovers, with Claire and his father, maybe for the first time after his brother's accident, Alex felt welcome and accepted somewhere no matter what. He noticed that this made him feel a bit strange.

He thought about that dinner for a long time, and he completely forgot the bet.

Will Alex remember the bet? And what will he do about it? Only one way to know...