Page 50 of The Moment He Saw Her

“I’m dropping all of you if you don’t stop. And you know I’ll do it!”

“Sweet. Job done, then. Nothing like annoying a brother-in-law to get you ready for a drink. Let’s go to the Rollaway,” JD said. Ryder glared. They smiled, and he gave up. Being pissed off only gave people more ammunition. The best way to deal with this shit with Libby going forward was to ignore it. Easier said than done, seeing as the woman turned him inside out, even if she wasn’t his type.

“See you at the Rollaway,” JD said like he hadn’t just spent the last ten minutes roasting Ryder.

When he was alone, he took a few deep breaths. He’d spent a lot of his life annoying his brothers but apparently wasn’t keen on anyone annoying him when it came to a woman, which you would think he’d have figured out by now.

Libby Gulliver was messing with his head. Pulling out his phone, he called Meadow.

“Everything go okay with lockup?”

“Yes, all good, thanks. Libby is out looking for a place to stay, Ryder.”

“Again?” He sighed. It was cold, she’d just worked a full day, and there wasn’t anywhere for her to look because he’d have known about it.

“Did you upset Libby, Ryder?” Meadow asked. “Because she mentioned she didn’t want to inconvenience you any further.”

“No, Meadow, I didn’t upset her.”

“Do you have a girlfriend I don’t know about, because Libby?—”

“No, Meadow,” he cut her off. The people in this town got their teeth into an idea, and it grew from there even though there usually was very little factual evidence to back it up.

“She’s a nice girl. They don’t drop into your lap every day. Besides, it was lucky I was walking up the main street when I was because Beau Keller was making a move on Libby.”

The anger was quick. Ryder stomped it back down. She was not his girl.

“I asked him if he needed more jock-itch cream, and it scared him off for now, Ryder, but I can’t promise to always be there. I also told Libby that Dukes and Kellers don’t get on.”

“Libby is free to talk to whoever she wants, Meadow,” Ryder said, thinking that he’d like to have a private word with Beau Keller, and it wouldn’t be fit for his mother’s ears.

Libby was vulnerable and hurting and didn’t need Keller hitting on her. Plus she was under Ryder’s protection for however long she was in Lyntacky.

Meadow muttered something about foolish men and hung up. He then called the number Libby had given him, but she didn’t answer.

Did she go back to my place?

Ryder made himself drive to the Rollaway instead of what he wanted to do, which was check where Libby was. Parking, he got out and headed inside. She would be at his house by now; he was sure of it.

“Hey, Uncle Asher,” he said as he reached the bar and took the stool to his right.

“Nephew, I’ve been hearing stories about you and your girl,” he said. “How about you tell me your version so I can sift through for the truth when I’m talking to people?”

“This town is fucking exhausting,” Ryder said. “God’s truth, Uncle Asher, I barely know the woman, and suddenly everyone wants to marry me to her. You met her. Does she look like my type?”

His uncle laughed.

“Small towns, bud, you know that. Now tell me everything about this Libby Gulliver because I only met her briefly, and while she makes an excellent coffee, I haven’t done a check on her yet, but you just say the word.”

Ryder snorted. “She doesn’t strike me as a career criminal.”

“They never do,” Uncle Asher said.

“Your girl was in here before looking for accommodations. Fox told her he had an RV she could stay in,” Dee said coming to take his order.

“You’re not serious? That thing leaks and has mold all through it,” Ryder said. He was angry again, and before he’d taken a single mouthful of beer.

“Totally. I told her to go see Dr. Hannah because sometimes she has a room. Directed her to the hall where you were doing your thing.”

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