Page 86 of The Moment He Saw Her

Libby looked at the milk she was frothing. She could be in serious trouble if she stayed in Lyntacky too much longer.You already are,she added silently as he laughed at something his brother said.

“Hey, Libby, I heard you did Dee’s books.”

“Hi, Jett.” She greeted one-half of the Hyland brothers, who she knew were plumbers in Lyntacky and the surrounding areas.

“Any chance you could look at ours?” He hefted a box onto the counter. She wasn’t sure what was in the water in Lyntacky, but who carried their accounts around with them on the off chance an accountant, who was working in a cafe—which should send alarm bells, if she was honest—could look at them.

“You’re paying,” Ryder said, returning to the counter.

“As if we wouldn’t,” Jett said, offended.

“I know what this town is like. You’re a bunch of freeloaders,” Ryder added.

Jett’s smile was guilty.

“Okay, I’ll take a look.”

Ryder’s phone rang as Jett left. “It’s for you,” he said after answering it. “Bob wants to talk to you, but it seems like your phone’s not working.”

“It broke,” she said quickly.

“Right, so it didn’t shatter into tiny pieces when you deliberately threw it on the ground and then stomped on it?”

“Caleb has a big mouth.”

“I’m not sure why you should be surprised by that,” he said, smiling.

It was the slow, easy one that made her feel a bit fluttery inside.

You cannot afford to feel fluttery. What happened, happened. But you can’t do it again, because your life is a train wreck.

“Thanks.” She took the phone. “Hi, Bob.”

“Should have your car ready the day after the Lynpicks,” Bob said.

“Thank you so much, Bob. Do you have a cost estimate?” Libby held her breath while she waited. Yes, Delores had paid her well, and with the money she had from Ryder, she was doing okay, but if she had to pay a huge mechanic bill, and wanted some for a place to stay if she left here, she would probably use it all.

The figure Bob said had her gulping, but she assured him that she’d of course have the money.

“All good?” Ryder said, holding out his hand. “I’ll just take that before you get angry with it.”

“I won’t.”

“Why did you with yours?”

They stood across from each other with people at his back completely unaware of what they talked about.

“I get angry and throw things sometimes.” Libby saw the flash of disappointment in his eyes, and then it was gone, but he didn’t call her on her lie.

She hated lying to this man but didn’t know how to tell him the truth… not yet. Plus she liked that no one knew who she was here. No one wanted anything from her. She was anonymous in Lyntacky.

Klaus arrived then, and she spent time showing him how Ryder’s coffee machine worked.

“Oh, hell no.”

Libby looked up at Ryder’s words and saw he was looking at a man approaching the counter.

“You’re not welcome in here, Finny,” she heard Ryder snarl.

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