Page 66 of The Moment He Saw Her

Her head turned, and she stared at him, and he wondered if anyone had ever asked this woman what she really wanted in her life.

“I was happy,” Libby said, which told him nothing. “I will call Bob again tomorrow?—”

“Okay, so no more questions then,” he said. “Bob will tell you when your car is ready, Libby. I promise, and now I’m dropping you at home and going to curling practice in the hat my niece made me.”

She looked at his head and giggled. Sweet, he thought, and that smile looked good on her too.

“These games will be the death of me. My family wants to win the relay, but we hate training, and curling brings out the bloodlust in this town,” he said.

“I’m sorry I’m going to miss it,” she said, and Ryder thought she really meant that.

“Me too. Maybe another time. Now, I’m dropping you home and going to practice, because why not in freezing temps like this, right? Others get to practice inside, but not us. Tripp built an arena specially for the Lynpicks curling comp.”

“And you love this town because of their enthusiasm, no matter how much you protest,” she said.

“You won’t get that out of me with a crowbar,” he added. “See you in the morning,” he said as she climbed out with the Rollaway’s books. Raising a hand, he drove away.

He’d caught a few glimpses of longing on Libby’s face tonight while sitting in the family home he’d grown up in. Ryder knew what she’d seen because he felt it every time he stepped inside that house.Home.

The Dukes may appear to have it all together in Libby’s eyes, but that was far from the truth, and each of them had derailed at different times in their lives. But that house was always there and wrapped around him like a warm hug when he stepped through the door.

Pulling up outside the rink, he parked beside Red’s silver people mover, seeing as he and Dee had a herd of kids who usually each had a friend over that needed transporting somewhere. Ryder got out and headed to where a gaggle of people stood. To be more specific, the A and B curling teams for Lyntacky.

“About damn time you got here, Duke,” Red said.

“Some of us have shit to do,” Ryder said, slapping hands.

“Don’t BS me, Duke. It was family dinner night,” Red added.

“Where is your hat?” Phoebe demanded with her hands on her hips. “If I have to wear mine, so do you.”

Ryder pulled it out of his pocket and put it on. Laughter erupted around them.

“My niece made this. You lot better shut up, and just so you know, she’s making you all matching ones so we can wear them as a team uniform.”

“Well, fuck me,” Red said, no longer laughing and knowing damn well that if Ally gave him one, he’d have to wear it.

“Okay, enough jawing. Let’s get playing. It’s freezing out here,” Jett Hyland said. He wore a black balaclava and looked like he’d robbed someone on the way to practice.

“Sorry, bud, you need some hand warmers or a knee blanket?” Ryder heckled him.

“I’ll take the hand warmers,” Phoebe’s brother, Caleb, said.

The Lyntacky curling B team was comprised of Caleb, Dr. Hannah, LouJean, and, much to the Dukes’ disgust, Beau Keller. They were civil with each other in company, but when they weren’t, everything changed. It didn’t often get physical, but it had.

“Well, I’m not wearing one of those hats, especially if a Duke made it,” Beau called to him.

“And I’ll break your face if you don’t,” Ryder replied.

“And I’ll write you into my next book as the not very nice person you are,” Phoebe added. “Because no one is upsetting my kid.”

“What she said,” Caleb added.

“You’re a Stanway, so what the hell does this have to do with you?” Beau said.

“My sister is going to be a Duke, so I chose sides, and Ally is my niece,” Caleb said. He looked like he was wearing a fox on his head.

“What the fuck are you wearing, Caleb?” Red asked before Ryder could.

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