Page 20 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“How did Cassie die?” Dan had liked Leah’s older sister. She’d been gentle and a stable influence on her fiery younger sister. It saddened him to think she’d died at such a young age. Leah must have been devastated, and now she was raising Cassie’s son.
Fuck, he’d messed up.
“Cancer, I think she told Zoe. It was quick,” JD added. “What’s the deal with you two? Because I’ve heard stories, and according to my girl, who is always right, let me tell you?—”
“You’re so whipped,” Dan muttered.
“She says you and Leah were good for each other, and then suddenly her dad was arrested and the Reynolds sisters left town. Sawyer said you won’t talk about what happened because Leah hurt you bad, and Brody says you’re shut up tighter than a jar of pickles in the Do-Si-Do because she was the one.”
“Fuck me.” Dan sighed before JD could continue listing the conversations he’d had with his entire family about when Leah left Lyntacky. “Sometimes, like now, I wish I were an only child and lived in a big city where not every second person carried your blood or some connection to you.”
“No, you don’t,” JD said. “Want coffee? I was just going down to see Ryder and Libby. You wanna tag along?”
“If I say no, will you leave me alone?” Dan asked.
“Unlikely. How’s the hand?”
“Good, and I’ll drink coffee with you because you have no friends.”
“True,” JD said. “You can drive.”
“Because it’s so far?” Dan said, looking down the street to where his brother’s cafe was.
“Just get in the car before Zoe sees us and wants to know why we’re out here and not in Petticoat visiting her. Then she’ll see your face and know something is off.”
“I’m not going in there,” Dan said.
“Because your old flame just walked into the shop, and something went down between you. Got that, just not what went down, but we’re going to eat and drink coffee, and I can sit and listen. Then give you relationship advice because I’m so good at it.”
“I hate loved-up people,” Dan muttered.
“Jealousy is an ugly trait,” JD said, folding his long legs into the passenger’s seat.
After throwing a last look at Petticoat, Dan did a U-turn and headed down the street. They reached the Swing Through Cafe minutes later.
Dan and JD entered to see Libby with her arms around Ryder. They exchanged a kiss, then she gave them a wave before she disappeared into the kitchens.
He liked that his family were happy, even if sometimes it gnawed at him that he wasn’t. Not that Dan wanted to settle down, but a woman in his life would be nice. Someone to cuddle up to and watch movies with. Someone who knew shit about you no one else did.Clearly, I’m getting old,Dan thought.
He stomped down the vision of Leah and how he used to love holding her. No good could come from thinking about her right now, especially after he’d just made things worse.
The scent of coffee and food hit Dan as he sniffed the air.
After a lot of deliberation and arguing between Ryder and Zoe, who was an interior designer, the décor of his brother’s cafe was welcoming, with walls that he knew would have a different name for the color but to him looked like cream. There was a feature wall of old bricks behind the counter.
“Go away. We don’t serve losers,” Ryder called to them from where he now was behind the coffee machine.
There were a few snickers from the table seated to the right. The walking club was all in for their monthly brunch. Most were in their seventies and fitter than him.
“Well now, this is nice. Welcome back, Deputy Dan,” Tripp Lyntacky, town mayor, said, waving his fork.
Dan raised a hand and walked to the counter before someone waved him closer to talk about something going on in town they wanted him to look at.
“So, no hello for me?” JD called to the group.
“Hello, JD,” they all sang back.
“Coffee, stat,” JD demanded when he reached the counter.
