Page 90 of The Moment He Saw Her

“Elizabeth?”

“Libby is a nickname for Elizabeth, Sawyer,” Uncle Asher said. “I thought you were smart.”

“Rough night,” Sawyer added.

“Ryder, let me explain,” Libby said.

“Nothing to explain. You’re a rich girl who’d had enough of her life and ran here. You lied to me and everyone in this town who looked out for you, and more than once. I think that covers it. So, you and your daddy head out, and I’ll see you.”

Suddenly he didn’t want to look at her anymore. He felt raw, like someone had squeezed a lemon all over his cuts. He’d known she came from money, but not how much, and if he was honest, it wasn’t that because his family had buckets of it; it was the lying. The mistrust. He’d opened up to her and thought she’d done the same, but all the time she’d been holding back who she was.

“I need to get back to the party. Get your things and leave Lyntacky. Goodbye, Libby, I won’t be seeing you again.”

“Ryder,” Uncle Asher and Sawyer said at the same time. He ignored them and walked back up the stairs, knowing everyone was watching him.

“Hey, how’s the party going?” he said to Ally when he reached her. She wore a pink tiara, a huge smile, and a chocolate stain on her chin. He wiped it off.

“It’s the best party ever!” She hugged him, and he hugged her back and didn’t want to let her go but knew he had to. Holding that warm little body close, knowing that she loved him unconditionally, no-holds-barred, was easing some of the tightness in his chest.

“So have you eaten all the cake yet?” he asked when he released her.

“No, but Uncle Dan is trying.”

She ran off to her friends.

“Ryder?”

He looked at Zoe.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Something,” Brody said, joining his sister. “What’s going on, Ry? Your eyes have the squinty look they get when you’re pissed off or trying to hide something.”

“No, they don’t,” he protested, squinting.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Mom, everything is peachy. Great party, and Ally got some awesome gifts,” he said, desperate to change the subject.

“Ryder Asher Duke, you are lying to me,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

His mother got a certain look in her eyes when she meant business, and it was usually a signal that had her children running for the hills.

“Libby’s father and brother are here, and he’s the head of Caldwell Candies, and Ryder didn’t know that, and Libby’s been lying to him about her identity, among other things,” Sawyer said, arriving.

“I’m not discussing this at my niece’s birthday party or ever. So, all of you, back off,” Ryder said. He then walked around them and began clearing plates, knowing that they’d all be huddled together in seconds discussing exactly what had happened downstairs.

Has she gone?Had Libby left with her father, and Ryder would never see her again?

And that’s a good thing because she lied to you and is not your type.Lyntacky could also never be home for someone like her. The daughter of a billionaire.

Gathering up an armload of empty dishes, he headed back down the stairs, and there was no sign of the Caldwells, which he told himself was a relief.

“I sent them to the Rollaway,” Uncle Asher said from behind him. “They need to talk, Ryder, and here wasn’t the place.”

“Okay.”

---