Page 61 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
She tried to push him away again, but Dan was stronger, and soon he had her in his arms. “You can hate me after, but right now, you need this.”
“I need to hate you,” she said, but the words had no strength.
“No, you don’t,” he said, holding her.
She stopped fighting and slumped against him, crying again.
When Zoe cried, this was what she wanted. Just to be enveloped in a hug by someone who loved her…. Not that he loved Leah, but still, she had no one else to do this, and that thought made him both sad and angry.
“The first time I met Cassie was the week I started school. I was playing at lunch break,” Dan said. “Carson Peters stuck out his foot when I ran past and tripped me. I fell hard. Luckily for him, none of my siblings were close, or he’d have had the hiding of his life. But Cassie was there. Without saying a word, she helped me to my feet and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. She kneeled down and tied it gently around my bloodied knee, then straightened and turned a fierce glare on Carson.
“‘Bullies never grow up to have friends,’ she said, and I’ve always remembered those words.”
Leah’s sobs had eased to sniffs now as she listened to him, her cheek resting on his chest.
“I thanked her when I returned the handkerchief washed the next day, and she just gave me that smile of hers. The one that said what her words didn’t.”
“I loved her so mush… too mush,” Leah whispered, her words stumbling. The unevenness in her voice told Dan she’d had a few drinks at Girl’s Night before slipping out here.
“Is this the first time you’ve cried for her?” he asked, running a gentle hand down her curls. He loved the feel of them against his fingers, the faint scent of her wrapping around him. Holding Leah had always made sense. It still did.
She lifted her head, and for a long breathless stretch, they just looked at each other. Then Dan lowered his mouth to hers, brushing her lips with a soft kiss before easing back and letting her go.
“Go inside, Leah,” he said quietly. “Drink some water. Your ride will be here soon.”
Her chin tipped up at his words, defiance sparking even through the devastation in her eyes. The look made his chest burn.
She didn’t say a word. Just turned and walked back into the Rollaway, leaving Dan alone, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do about the youngest Reynold sister now.
Chapter 17
Dan walked into the bar and was hit on all sides by noise and the color pink. It was everywhere.
“Last shots of the night!” Red roared from on top of the bar, where he had his large feet planted between glasses. “Then you all are going home. It will take me days to get this pink glitter out of my hair.”
The women all cheered and whistled at him.
“Take it off!” Dan’s mother yelled. She then placed her fingers in her mouth and whistled loud enough to make everyone wince.
Dan walked to where she stood. “Hey, Mom, your Uber’s here.”
More cheers went up as JD, and Phoebe’s brother, Caleb, arrived through the front door. They were here to drive more of the women home.
“Here’s my baby,” Robyn Duke said, pinching his cheek. “Isn’t he handsome in uniform, June?”
“So cute,” Bart’s sister said. Her eyes were crossed.
“It’s Raining Men” started playing, and everyone cheered louder. His mother grabbed one hand and June his other, and then Dan was on the dance floor, surrounded by women.
If you didn’t time your arrival just right and entered the Rollaway too soon when on taxi duty, you ended up paying the price, which he was.
Hands patted his ass, and he noted JD and Caleb had been dragged in as well. Fox was doing shots at the bar with Betsy. Bart was starting a conga line.
“You’re a saint for handling this, man,” he said to Bradford, who was dancing with Phoebe, Libby, and Cill.
They were trying to stuff money down his jeans, but he was just taking it out and handing it back to the women. “I get lots of tips,” the man said, smiling.
Dan danced and kept his eyes on the doorway, watching for Leah’s return. When she walked in, her eyes went to him and then away.
