Page 111 of The Moment He Saw Her

“Of course you are,” his mother scoffed. “Come along, we can’t talk here. You’ve made enough of an exhibition of yourself, Elizabeth. We may just be able to salvage things and have already spread the word you were having some kind of breakdown,” Dianne said.

She saw Samuel then. He was walking toward them clutching a to-go cup of coffee and wearing someone else’s clothes, because no way would they have ever been in his wardrobe. Red’s clothes, she thought, as they hung off him.

“Did you just say you told people Libby had a breakdown, and that’s why she walked out on her wedding?” Sawyer demanded. “When in fact the truth was that pathetic excuse of a man you call a son told her not to be in any photos that weren’t taken by the official photographer?”

“Who are you?” Dianne demanded. “And how dare you speak about my son like that!”

“Someone who doesn’t have to stand for your bullshit,” Sawyer said.

Dianne’s eyes narrowed, which was never a good sign for anyone. “I have no wish to speak with you. I’ve come to talk some sense into Elizabeth.”

“Yeah, well I have a few things to say,” Sawyer added. “Like how is it your weak-kneed excuse for a son is more worried about a scandal than why the woman he was going to spend his life with ran out of her wedding to him.”

Guilty color slid into Andrew’s cheeks at Sawyers words.

“Libby, do you want to go back with these people?” SJ asked her. She wore Libby’s old coat that she’d exchanged in the thrift store for a new one. She had to admit it looked far better on Sydney Jane’s figure than it had on hers.

Libby shook her head. “But I’ll handle this. Thank you,” she added. “You and Sawyer go on and see who won the relay.”

“I owe you, and I hate owing people, so I’m staying,” SJ said. “Hello, Samuel,” she then purred in a sultry voice.

“You don’t owe me anything, SJ,” Libby added, trying to imagine her brother dancing with this woman. She was so far away from his type, she could be an alien.

“Samuel?” Dianne Lucas said. “What happened to you?” She stepped back a few paces, as if Libby’s brother’s odd clothing choices could be catching.

“Let’s find somewhere to talk,” Libby said. They were drawing attention from plenty of people because if there was one thing Lyntacks loved, it was gossip. “Thank you,” she said to Sawyer and SJ, “but I’ve got this now.”

She walked away and knew Andrew and his mom would follow.

“Libby—”

“I’m not going back yet, Samuel, so if you’re going to side with the Lucases, then don’t,” she said as her brother moved to her side.

“You’re my sister. I’ll side with you even if I don’t agree with you.”

“That’s a first,” she muttered, walking until they’d left the people behind and had reached the side of Ryder’s cafe, which offered them some privacy.

“It’s freezing,” Dianne Lucas protested when Libby stopped.

“That’s okay, you won’t be here long and will be back on your private plane heading home soon,” Libby said.

“You look a disgrace, Elizabeth,” the woman said, ignoring her words. “It’s time to come home and stop this little tantrum you’ve been throwing.”

“I’m not coming back to Piedmont now, if ever,” Libby said before she ran out of courage. “I don’t want to marry you, Andrew, and that business in the church only confirmed what I’d begun to believe but wasn’t brave enough to acknowledge,” Libby added.

“I should punch you for that,” Samuel said, glaring at Andrew.

The shock on her ex-fiancé’s face mirrored her own. Her brother had never stood up for her like that before.

“Don’t speak like a heathen, Sameul, and of course Libby is coming home with us,” Dianne snapped.

“If Libby says no, she means no, so there will be no future wedding or union of the Caldwells and Lucases,” Samuel said.

His beanie was covering his eyebrows and pulled low over his ears, and she could honestly say she had never seen her brother look a little mean, but he was that right then.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It is what your father and I both want,” Dianne said dismissively. “You’ve had your little rebellion, Elizabeth, now enough is enough. You have embarrassed your father, but that will be forgiven in a few months once you and Andrew are married.”

“I know this is a hard thing to grasp, Dianne,” Libby said, finally plucking up the courage to speak to her ex–future mother-in-law like she’d always wanted to. “But this is not about you and my father. So leave Lyntacky now, and I’m being honest when I say this, I hope I never have to see you again.”

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