Page 113 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
He studied it. “Now we’re talking.”
The creak of the front porch boards cut through the air.
Grill’s head whipped toward the sound. “Who’s that?”
Leah’s heart slammed against her ribs. Porch boards meant weight. People.
“Probably Benny. He likes to be on the front porch to see if anyone arrives,” she said quickly.
“You better hope you’re right, or I’m shooting whoever is outside,” he said, heading for the door. “Stay here and keep looking.”
She didn’t listen and edged into the hallway after he’d left. She followed him down the stairs silently, moving forward until she could see his back and the front door. Leah waited.
It burst inward.
Three large shapes filled the doorway with Dan in the lead, his dark eyes locked on Grill. Behind him came his brothers.
Grill’s hand rose to shoot Dan, and Leah ran. She leaped onto his back, her foot knocking the arm that held the gun.
“Get off, Leah!” Dan roared.
She did as he said, and in the next heartbeat, everything happened at once.
“You motherfucker!” Sawyer roared. “You broke my brother’s shoulder!”
Leah rolled and regained her feet in time to watch Sawyer fly through the air past Dan and hit Grill front on. They both went down, with the oldest Duke on top. He then slammed his fist into the biker’s face, and the man slumped, unconscious.
Leah stood rooted to the spot, her breath coming in quick bursts.
Then Dan was in front of her, scanning her face like he was memorizing every inch. “You okay?”
She nodded, then shook her head because the relief was almost too much.
“Look at me, baby.”
She did then and saw the fear. “I’m okay.”
His jaw flexed. “I’m not. That phone call took years off my life.”
“I’m glad I pushed the right button before I dropped it,” Leah whispered, and then she was in his arms, her face pressed into his neck.
“I love you,” he whispered into her ear.
She leaned into him, breathing in the faint scent of soap and leather, and let herself believe it.
Chapter 31
Zoe and JD had chosen to have their wedding at their house so all the animals could attend. Leah had thought Dan was teasing her when he’d said that. He wasn’t.
Now, standing by the pond in the late afternoon sun, she could see exactly what he meant. Family and friends filled the yard, some perched on hay bales draped with cream blankets, others standing in the shade of the big willow. Beyond the crowd, Velma the duck waddled along the pond’s edge as if she was on official security duty. Potato the donkey stood near the front, a ring of flowers woven into his shaggy forelock. Someone had even tied a pale ribbon to his tail.
It was perfect in that only-in-Lyntacky way.
Zoe and JD stood facing each other beneath a simple wooden arch twined with greenery and pale roses, the scent drifting toward the crowd when the breeze picked up. Zoe was stunning in a cream dress that fell to her knees, her hair pinned up with tiny flowers tucked among the dark curls. Beside her, one of her work friends, Lillith, was holding her bouquet.
JD had Sawyer at his side, looking every bit the relaxed groom in dark trousers and a cream button-down shirt rolled tohis forearms. He was grinning in that slow, certain way JD had—like nothing could shake him and marrying Zoe Duke was the easiest decision he’d ever made.
Leah’s chest felt tight. Loving Dan had made her emotional, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that because the smallest thing could make her cry these days.
