Page 33 of The Moment He Saw Her

“People care in this town, so remember that,” Ryder said.

He parked down the side of the cafe.

“That didn’t take long. Couldn’t we have walked?” she said as they got out.

“It’s the ass crack of the day and colder than?—”

“Right, got it,” Libby said quickly.

They entered. He disarmed the alarm, and then he set her to work. When Meadow breezed in, Libby had mastered the coffee machine after only a short lesson.

“Meadow, Libby has worked out the coffee machine, so feel free to boss her around now. I have a feeling she could be lazy if left unchecked,” Ryder said. He then pulled out his phone as it rang. When he looked at the caller ID, the surprise was that it had taken an hour for her to make contact.

“Ryder?”

“Hey, Mom.” He headed upstairs so he could have the conversation he knew was coming in private. “What’s up?”

“Who is Libby? Is she that girl Sawyer took to Circle Left?”

“She is.”

“And why is it she was in your house this morning, no doubt after being in your?—”

“Whoa, hold it right there. That did not happen, and I was only helping her out because her car broke down. There were no accommodations left in Lyntacky, and I found her sleeping in her car behind Bob’s garage. What did you want me to do with her?”

There was silence then for five seconds—surely a record for Robyn Duke.

“You could have brought her here,” she said, her tone warmer now.

He hadn’t thought of that but had an answer anyway. “I don’t know her that well, Mom. I really didn’t want to do that to you.”

“Right, because Dan was working the night shift and you’re always looking out for me. That’s sweet of you, darling.”

“You know me, the sweet Duke.”

“But—”

“Mom,” he said, sighing.

“I want to meet this woman who is now working for you and living in your house, Ryder.”

“I’m giving her a few days’ work until her car is back on the road, and she’s looking for other accommodations today. Don’t make this into a big deal, okay? You’re the sensible Duke, remember?”

“All right, sweetie, but you just call if you need me, and I can make up the bed if you want me to.”

“I know you will.” And no way was he letting Dan sleep in the same house as Libby Gulliver.

“She’s small with really good manners, Mom. I doubt Libby is a threat to me.”

“Even so. Now I have to run because I’m on school drop-off, and then I need to get to the library.”

“Bye, Mom. Love you.”

“Love you too, honey.”

He’d just pocketed his phone when he heard the deep voice below.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Ryder muttered, taking the stairs back down.

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