Chapter 19
After they’d eaten banana pudding and ice cream, all the while discussing the Fletchers, with people explaining things to Libby as they went, Ryder said it was time to leave.
Libby had thanked his mother five times for allowing her to be part of their family dinner before he got her out of the house and into the car. She then sat silently while he backed out and headed into town. Ryder could feel her tension and that something wasn’t right besides the obvious of her life being a mess.
“Okay, Libby?”
“Of course, yes,” she said, looking out her window. “You have a nice family, Ryder.”
“They have their moments, but yeah, they’re the best.”
“All families have their moments, but the fact they are always there for each other is what matters.”
“Yours weren’t?”
She didn’t answer his question, but her shoulders rose to her ears.
“Is that a no-go subject too?”
“We’re not talking about my family, we’re talking about yours, which looks just about perfect from where I’m sitting.”
To him, those words sounded bitter.
“My dad died when I was young, leaving Mom alone to raise us all. My Uncle Asher came home to help and some of us resented him for stepping into Dad’s footsteps.”
“Ryder—”
“Not finished,” he said, digging back into the painful memories of his past. “Mom got sick and had a breakdown. Zoe developed pneumonia, and the hospital admitted her. They nearly expelled Sawyer for smoking drugs on elementary school grounds. Someone kidnapped Ally and Phoebe, and Sawyer’s ex nearly killed Birdie?—”
“Ryder, stop,” Libby said. “I didn’t say you hadn’t suffered or struggled, and wow, those last two things sound terrifying. Everyone has bad stuff happen, but you have a family that is close, and you’re always there for each other. Perhaps perfect was not the right word.”
He shot her a look, but her eyes were still on the window.
“You close with your siblings, Libby?”
“Close enough. You know how it is. You’re all different, and that just grows as you get older.” She said the words to the window.
“Sure, and we’re all different too, but we’re still close and always have been, even when my siblings lived away from Lyntacky,” Ryder said.
“How come you never left?”
It was a question he’d been asked many times, and one he’d never really known how to answer until a few years ago.
“I never had the courage to leave. I was the Duke who liked to be close to home, and nothing really tugged at me to change that. So I stayed and drifted until I found martial arts and then my love of cooking, baking, and chocolate making. The day I purchased the cafe, I knew that was something I’d always wanted.”
“You’re lucky you found it, then,” she said.
“It’s not a vocation, and maybe I’m just someone who’s never been driven to reach great heights, but this, what I am and do, is enough for me for now. Maybe one day I’ll want more.”
“I always thought I knew which direction I was going, but not anymore.” Her words sounded sad.
“Was it the direction you wanted to go in, though?” Ryder felt the need to ask.
Her head turned, and she stared at him, and he wondered if anyone had ever asked this woman what she really wanted in her life.
“I was happy,” Libby said, which told him nothing. “I will call Bob again tomorrow?—”
“Okay, so no more questions then,” he said. “Bob will tell you when your car is ready, Libby. I promise, and now I’m dropping you at home and going to curling practice in the hat my niece made me.”
She looked at his head and giggled. Sweet, he thought, and that smile looked good on her too.
“These games will be the death of me. My family wants to win the relay, but we hate training, and curling brings out the bloodlust in this town,” he said.
“I’m sorry I’m going to miss it,” she said, and Ryder thought she really meant that.
“Me too. Maybe another time. Now, I’m dropping you home and going to practice, because why not in freezing temps like this, right? Others get to practice inside, but not us. Tripp built an arena specially for the Lynpicks curling comp.”
“And you love this town because of their enthusiasm, no matter how much you protest,” she said.
“You won’t get that out of me with a crowbar,” he added. “See you in the morning,” he said as she climbed out with the Rollaway’s books. Raising a hand, he drove away.
He’d caught a few glimpses of longing on Libby’s face tonight while sitting in the family home he’d grown up in. Ryder knew what she’d seen because he felt it every time he stepped inside that house. Home.
The Dukes may appear to have it all together in Libby’s eyes, but that was far from the truth, and each of them had derailed at different times in their lives. But that house was always there and wrapped around him like a warm hug when he stepped through the door.
Pulling up outside the rink, he parked beside Red’s silver people mover, seeing as he and Dee had a herd of kids who usually each had a friend over that needed transporting somewhere. Ryder got out and headed to where a gaggle of people stood. To be more specific, the A and B curling teams for Lyntacky.
“About damn time you got here, Duke,” Red said.
“Some of us have shit to do,” Ryder said, slapping hands.
“Don’t BS me, Duke. It was family dinner night,” Red added.
“Where is your hat?” Phoebe demanded with her hands on her hips. “If I have to wear mine, so do you.”
Ryder pulled it out of his pocket and put it on. Laughter erupted around them.
“My niece made this. You lot better shut up, and just so you know, she’s making you all matching ones so we can wear them as a team uniform.”
“Well, fuck me,” Red said, no longer laughing and knowing damn well that if Ally gave him one, he’d have to wear it.
“Okay, enough jawing. Let’s get playing. It’s freezing out here,” Jett Hyland said. He wore a black balaclava and looked like he’d robbed someone on the way to practice.
“Sorry, bud, you need some hand warmers or a knee blanket?” Ryder heckled him.
“I’ll take the hand warmers,” Phoebe’s brother, Caleb, said.
The Lyntacky curling B team was comprised of Caleb, Dr. Hannah, LouJean, and, much to the Dukes’ disgust, Beau Keller. They were civil with each other in company, but when they weren’t, everything changed. It didn’t often get physical, but it had.
“Well, I’m not wearing one of those hats, especially if a Duke made it,” Beau called to him.
“And I’ll break your face if you don’t,” Ryder replied.
“And I’ll write you into my next book as the not very nice person you are,” Phoebe added. “Because no one is upsetting my kid.”
“What she said,” Caleb added.
“You’re a Stanway, so what the hell does this have to do with you?” Beau said.
“My sister is going to be a Duke, so I chose sides, and Ally is my niece,” Caleb said. He looked like he was wearing a fox on his head.
“What the fuck are you wearing, Caleb?” Red asked before Ryder could.
“It’s an ushanka,” Caleb said.
“Bless you,” Phoebe added.
“A Russian hunting hat,” Caleb said. “It’s very warm.”
“Well, that’s something, then, because it’s butt-ugly,” Beau added.
“Jealousy isn’t attractive on anyone,” Caleb said, doing up the earflaps.
“May improve your looks, Keller,” Ryder said.
“I hear you’ve still got your pretty house guest,” Beau said. “I’ll offer her a room, seeing as I have one spare and she wants to get out of your house, Duke.”
The rush of anger was so fast, it took clenching his hands into fists to stop him from grabbing Beau Keller and plowing one into his smirking face.
“You go on and do that, but it’s likely she’ll say no, seeing as she’s already heard you overpromise and underdeliver… if you know what I mean. I heard Meadow scared you off, anyway, with talk about your jock-itch cream.”
“Fuck you, Duke,” Beau snarled.
“Yeah, yeah, give it a rest. We need to practice here. The other teams are already in town and talking up a big game,” Red said, stepping in between Ryder and Beau.
“That feud needs to die,” Dr. Hannah added, moving to Ryder’s side so only he could hear her words. “Not healthy for anyone. You get that big brother of yours to work it out now, Ryder.”
“Well past that, Doc,” Ryder said, telling himself silently to calm down.
“Now, about that pretty lodger you have staying,” Dr. Hannah said. “I don’t have a spare bed at the moment, so you make sure you use protection. We don’t want any unwanted pregnancies.”
Ryder hadn’t blushed in years, but he felt it then, creeping into his cheeks.
“I’m an adult, Doc. You gave me that talk years ago. Plus Libby is just someone I’m helping out.”
“If you say so,” LouJean said, clearly listening in.
“I do.”
“Now, if you’re all done gossiping, focus,” Red said.
Curling was a sport that required balance, accuracy, and some fitness to play, which his team had. They’d had a competition in town to see who the best players were, and then Tripp decided to take the competition regional, because of course Lyntacks have to compete for everything.
“Where is Tripp?” Caleb said.
“Here! Sorry, I couldn’t find my shoes.”
The mayor of Lyntacky was the most enthusiastic person Ryder knew. He loved his town and his people and embraced most things head-on, like the square dancing he’d forced on an entire town. The surprise was that no one ever really rebelled.
“Not you too?” Ryder said, looking at the mayor’s headwear. He wore what appeared to be a skunk on his head.
“Can’t buy class, son,” Tripp said, all smiles. “How’s Libby working out in the cafe and as a houseguest? Do you think you’ve found your life partner, Ryder?”
“No one on the outside would understand the level of crazy in this town,” Caleb whispered. “It took Jonathan a while.”
“Amen,” Ryder muttered because he had nothing else. The more he protested about Libby, the more Lyntacks would double down and keep right on telling him they were an item, which they weren’t.
“Have you heard about Klaus and Lea?” Ryder asked.
“No,” Dr. Hannah said.
Ryder told them about the phone call he’d had with Klaus earlier, happy to move on from him and Libby.
“That scoundrel!” Tripp looked ready to spit nails. “I’m the mayor in this town, and that man needs a lesson from me about how to be a good community member.”
“That shit weasel Finny is not being served in my bar again,” Red said.
“Uncle Asher is looking into things to see what can be done. Did you all know that Finny was an FSIS inspector?” Ryder said. “Seems he got his buddies to pull some strings.”
“No one but me pulls strings in this town,” Tripp said.
“Okay, well, let’s see what Uncle Asher turns up before we haul Finny in and bring out the bright lights and instruments,” Ryder said.
“I’ll need two coffees tomorrow, Ryder. I always have my first one with Klaus and my second with you,” Tripp said.
“Damn it’s cold.” LouJean slapped her hands together. “Let’s get this done.”
Red was their skip because he was calm and concise with his instructions, which Ryder thought was because of plenty of practice with a volatile wife and kids.
They played five ends because it was late and cold, and the A team won, which pleased them but not Beau Keller, who bared his teeth at Ryder when he slid a stone in behind his to settle nicely in the button after some vigorous sweeping from Red and Tripp.
They talked, debated, and argued, but by the time they were done, all were feeling confident they were in good form.
“And now I need to get some sleep, as I’m on early shift tomorrow,” Beau said when they called it a night. “You better have those muffins with that crusty, sugary shit on the top tomorrow, Duke.”
“Do I have to keep serving you Kellers?” Ryder asked. “Go someplace else.”
Beau raised two middle fingers over his head as he left.
“I can’t work you guys out. You hate but tolerate each other. Kinda a love-hate,” Red said.
“More hate-hate but we live in this town and can’t avoid each other,” Ryder said. “See you round.”
After yawning all the way home, Ryder let himself in quietly. There was no noise from Libby’s room when he passed it. After a shower, he then fell on his bed and waited to fall into a deep sleep.
It didn’t come.