Page 29 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“She’s been creating again. We’re all sick of being her taste testers,” Ryder said.
A few seconds later, Dan said, “So over it.”
“Good. Here, take these for Hudson.” A container was thrust at Leah. “You’ll be doing us a favor, but you have to report on the flavor to my woman.”
“I don’t need them, but thank you,” Leah said, pushing them back at him.
“You don’t like chocolate?” Ryder asked, frowning.
“Who doesn’t like chocolate?” Leah said. “But I don’t need you giving me things.”
Ryder looked confused.
“It’s not charity, Leah. Take the damn chocolates,” Dan said from behind her in a growly tone.
She spun to face him again. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
He raised his hands, then turned and walked away. Ryder cleared his throat.
“I’ll take a caramel muffin, please, Ryder.”
“Sure thing, and I’ll charge you double if you want, so you can take the chocolates.”
She stood rigid at the counter, feeling all eyes on her. Another thing Leah hated that was residual from her childhood. People looking at her with pity, or disgust, or just looking at her. She’d countered it with a really bad attitude, but now that she was a grown-up, she couldn’t just walk over there and yell or punch someone. So, she’d ignore them.
“Where the hell is Dr. Hannah?” Ryder said, looking around his cafe. “The woman was here five minutes ago, ordered her coffee, and now she’s not.”
Leah made herself look around the room for the woman but didn’t see the doctor who had treated her for as long as she could remember for everything from a cold to her first contraceptive pills.
“Here,” he thrust the coffee at her. “You take this too. I’m not having my coffee going cold.”
“I can’t?—”
“It will go down the drain if you don’t, so, up to you.” He put it on the counter before her and then went to bag up her muffin.
Leah got out some money and paid for it.
He handed it over. He then picked up the container of chocolate and the coffee and held those out.
Leah could just refuse and walk out, but Hudson would love those chocolates, and she loved coffee. Was it charity? The thought had her back stiffening.
“Take them,” Ryder said.
“You’re not lying to me, are you, Ryder? Because I don’t need charity?—”
“I’m the good Duke, remember. I don’t lie,” he said, holding her gaze.
“True, you are,” she said in a louder voice, hoping his brother heard. “Thanks for this, I appreciate it.”
“Welcome.”
She walked to the door and outside without looking at Dan Duke again. Where he went from now on, she wouldn’t. That would make her life a whole lot easier.
It was as she reached her car that the music started.
Chapter 9
“Leah, I didn’t know you were back.”
