Page 88 of The Moment He Saw Her

“We have no time for this, Elizabeth. We’ve taken the day away from work to bring you home,” her father said.

Neither of them had hugged her or leaned in to kiss her cheek and ask her if she was all right, like Ryder would have. Being here in Lyntacky had made her realize how cold and unemotional her family life was.

“Now, Elizabeth, whatever this is, it stops today. Let’s go. The jet is waiting about an hour’s drive from here?—”

“How did you find me?” she asked, backing up a step as he reached for her. His eyes narrowed. Samuel just stood watching her, but she could tell her words had made him think. Also tall, he was a replica of his father, but unlike him, Samuel had a softer side, and he loved his sisters, for all he was his father’s shadow.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is Andrew said he’d forgive you,” her father said, sounding irritated. Thankfully, the cafe was empty, so they didn’t have an audience.

“I don’t want him to forgive me. It’s me who should forgive him,” she said as calmly as she could. Her siblings had never worked out that yelling around Phillip Caldwell just made him angrier.

“Don’t be foolish. You humiliated him, and he’s willing to overlook that.” Her father’s hand clamped around her wrist.

“Problem?”

No, no, no.

Asher Dans had arrived for Ally’s birthday party.

“This is no concern of yours,” her father said, not even looking at him, which was rude, but then when you were as rich as him, you thought you could get away with anything.

“Well, it is if it takes place in my town, and it’s upsetting Libby,” Asher Dans said, smiling. “I’m Chief Dans.”

“Phillip Caldwell and my son, Samuel,” her father said, gripping Libby’s hand tight in case she tried to flee.

The sound of footsteps behind her had Libby stiffening, and she turned to find Ryder approaching.

She’d wanted to be just Libby Gulliver away from her family and the people who knew her for a while longer, but it seemed like now the game was up.

“You might want to take your hands off my staff.” Ryder’s words came out a low growl.

“Staff,” her father scoffed. “My daughter doesn’t work here. She works for me.”

“And who might you be?”

“Phillip Caldwell,” he snapped.

“Father—”

“Shut up now, Libby, you’ve caused our family enough embarrassment,” her father said.

“Don’t speak to her like that. She’s your daughter. Show her some respect,” Ryder said, his eyes locked on her father.

The shock on her family’s faces would have made her laugh if she’d not been in a state of panic.

“Caldwell, not Gulliver,” Ryder said slowly. “Another lie.”

Chapter26

Libby wasn’t Libby Gulliver; she was Libby Caldwell.Ryder took a deep breath. He was sure she had her reasons, but he hated it when people he cared about lied to him.

When he’d come down the stairs and heard her father speaking to her like he was and seen his hand gripping her wrist too hard, his vision had tunneled. He’d thought seriously about just punching him, which would have been a hell of a first impression he’d never have come back from.

“And who are you?” Ryder asked the man standing slightly back from his uncle, Libby, and her father.

“I’m Samuel Caldwell, Libby’s brother.”

“How dare you tell me how I can speak to my daughter,” Phillip Caldwell said.

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