Page 18 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
She’d been gone from Lyntacky for seven years now, and that kid looked around that age.
His body suddenly filled with ice.Surely not?He and Leah had been sleeping together just before she left. That couldn’t be his kid… could it?
Chapter 6
Leah came out of the school ten minutes later and walked to her car.Was that kid hers?The thought hit him hard, and it wouldn’t let go.
Is that my kid?
He knew the question would spin in his mind on repeat until he got answers, so when she pulled out of her parking spot, he followed. Would she have come back to Lyntacky if she’d had his child?
Dan followed her car as she rolled onto the main street and through the heart of Lyntacky, the small town he’d spent his whole life in after growing up here with his siblings. This place had watched the Dukes go from troublemakers to respectable citizens… most of the time.
Some of the older residents had watched him change from a reckless kid into a responsible cop. And being a cop here meant knowing when something felt off. Whether it was a big deal or a tiny shift in the usual rhythm.
He knew every shop, every owner, and exactly what they stocked. Sometimes, he knew more about the locals than he cared to.
He loved this place. His job. Everything important to him was here.
His eyes stayed on Leah’s car. She drove slowly, the way you did in a town where everyone knew you and no one hesitated to call the station if you ticked them off.
Who was that little boy’s father? Was he actually hers? And why the hell hadn’t anyone in his family mentioned she had come back to Lyntacky with a kid? Even a head cold was broadcast around all the Dukes, followed by a delivery of chicken soup.
Leah slowed, and he did the same, watching as she parked across the road from Petticoat Homeware, his sister Zoe’s store. Dan parked a few spaces behind her and watched as Leah stepped out. She locked her car, like someone who’d spent too long in the city. No one in Lyntacky was brave enough to steal cars. Well, not from within the town limits where everyone knew everyone.
He got out and walked toward her. Hearing his footsteps, Leah turned, and their eyes met. Dan saw a flicker of emotion flashing in the green depths. Guilt, maybe? Anger? Or was he just projecting?
“Hey, Leah, nice to see you again.”
The look in her eyes told him it wasn’t nice at all, but she was too polite to say otherwise. The old Leah would have. She never held back.
“Dan” was all she said.
“How are you settling in?” he asked. The smudges under her eyes told him she was still adjusting. Leah was pale, too, but Dan told himself that was not his problem. “Need anything?”
“No.”
“I just saw you at the school.” He paused. “Who’s the kid?”
Her eyes narrowed. “He’s mine.”
“How old? Looks around seven to me. About the same amount of years you’ve been gone. After you left Lyntacky without a word or forwarding address.” He hadn’t meant the words to sound bitter, but they had, which told him that while he thought he’d got over her leaving, clearly, he hadn’t.
She frowned.
“Who is his father?” Dan asked, deciding it was best to just ask the question.
Fire lit her eyes. “You think Hudson is yours? That I’d have a kid and not tell you about it?”
The words were hard, but Dan didn’t care. He needed to know if that boy was his or not.
“I don’t know, Leah. Would you?” Dan sounded calm when inside he was far from it. That was a learned skill from his time in the force.Never show what you’re feeling.
“He’s not yours,” she hissed. “And you never knew me at all if you think I’d do something like that.” She spat the words at him.
“Yeah, well, I guess we all jump to conclusions sometimes. Don’t we?” Now his words were hard.
Her eyes moved an inch to the left, breaking the contact. Dan wondered if the last seven years had given her time to think about what happened between them. What she’d accused him of, and if she’d come to the realization he’d just been doing his job.
