Chapter 9
“Leah, I didn’t know you were back.”
Dan heard the words as he and everyone else inside the Swing Through Cafe came outside.
Leah was placing the coffee and food on the roof of her car, but when she turned, it was to smile at the older man now talking to her.
A genuine smile that lit her face and removed all traces of the wariness he’d seen there.
“Hi, Judge. I’ve been back a few days now.”
“I’ve been out of town, and no one told me,” Judge Sykes said.
Dan made himself look away as she hugged the older man because he wanted to hug her.
The urge had come over him so fast, he hadn’t been able to stop it.
Leah Reynolds was a wound he thought he’d closed.
But it was open again, and all that emotion she’d once created inside him was still there, bubbling beneath the surface.
But you’re an adult now, so keep it together.
“I should put in a claim for all the money lost in ruined baking,” Ryder muttered, joining Dan in a circle along with Jade Heckler and the Barones from the pizza place. “Every time we have to dance, I have something in the oven.”
When this particular music started playing in the town of Lyntacky, you dropped everything and danced.
Shelly Lyntacky had been dedicated to square dancing, and by all accounts, she’d excelled at it.
She’d spent so much time practicing for all the competitions she’d entered, her family set up speakers around town that would play music so she could dance to it through the streets.
After her untimely death, the residents were forced to do the same in her memory when her uncle, Mayor Tripp Lyntacky, decided to play the same music from the speakers placed strategically all over town.
“It’s not my favorite activity either,” Dan muttered, looking at Leah, who was across from him in the next group, and talking to Owen Sykes, retired judge, and longtime Lyntack.
He’d been a friend of her father’s, which had surprised most people, as Chuck Reynolds couldn’t lie straight in bed, he was so crooked.
But he, the judge, and a few others had enjoyed cribbage, and this had brought the odd assortment of people together every Thursday night until Dan had arrested Leah’s father.
“She’s not the same Leah who left,” Ryder said as his girlfriend, Libby, came running out of the cafe. She wedged herself between the Duke brothers.
“You smell sweet,” Ryder said, kissing her cheek.
“She is a chocolatier, so I think the reason for that would be obvious,” Dan said, feeling annoyed for no reason.
“You pissed off at anything in particular, little bro?” Ryder asked, taking his girl’s hand.
Libby Gulliver was the latest addition to the Duke family and the love of his brother’s life.
“I’m good.”
The music started, and Ryder and Libby moved, weaving through them.
Dan’s eyes went back to Leah. He’d always been drawn to her, even when he didn’t want to be.
She’d been full of life. Loud, fierce, and everyone’s champion.
When the day came that they finally gave in to the sparks between them, it had been intense and right.
She’d fit him like no woman before her. So much so, it had shocked him, and then it had fallen apart spectacularly, and she’d left Lyntacky.
He ran his eyes over her as she moved. That body he’d mapped every inch of with his hands and mouth. Shut it down. That was never happening again.
The music kicked up another notch.
“Tripp’s messing with the volume controls again,” someone called.
All around Lyntacky, everyone would be outside dancing. Even the kids in school had to do it. It was tradition, and the only one that could land you in jail if you didn’t observe it. He knew this, as he’d been forced to put a few people in there who had rebelled, including Sawyer.
An odd custom, but one he actually respected even though it annoyed the shit out of him constantly.
It was a chance for everyone in town to speak to someone.
If you had a problem, it could be worked through while you danced.
If you were lonely, you had company briefly.
Recipes were exchanged, arguments settled or reignited.
For all he bitched about it, he liked it.
Looking at the next group of dancers, he could see the Hyland brothers in work boots and Bart in his running shoes. Dancing like this was a leveler. Everyone was briefly the same as they stepped out of their lives for a few minutes.
“I never got that,” Ryder said to Dan.
“What?”
“How a respected retired judge could be friends with that lowlife Chuck Reynolds.”
Dan’s eyes went back to Leah. She was smiling at something the judge said.
Not one of those wide smiles that made her entire face come alive.
This was just her lips moving. He wondered what her life had been like for the past seven years.
How she was coping raising her nephew and with Cassie’s death.
“Not sure they were friends, bud, but they did play cribbage together. Mom and Phoebe’s dad played too.”
“Right, I forgot about that.”
“Deputy Dan, what’s being done about the trash dumped by tourists?”
“What trash, LouJean?” he said to the woman wearing a matching orange outfit who was part of the walking group.
“Yesterday I picked up a bag of it blowing down the main street,” she said.
“That much of it, wow,” Dan said with his eyes on Leah. As if sensing him, she turned, and their eyes locked. She turned away.
“This is no laughing matter, young man,” LouJean said to him, an officer of the law who she’d known since Dan was born.
“I’ll see about getting some more trash cans, LouJean. We did have that wind yesterday, so maybe it was worse because of that.”
She smiled at him and then patted his cheek. “You’re such a good boy.”
His brother snorted, and Dan elbowed him hard in the ribs.
“Looking good, Leah.”
Dan watched Beau Keller cut in and take Leah’s hand in his. The man was public enemy number one to all Dukes, especially Sawyer.
“Hey, Beau,” Leah said, giving him a smile.
“I bet you missed this?”
“He’s making a move on your girl. You need to stop that,” Ryder growled in his ear.
“She’s not my girl, and they’re just dancing. I’m law enforcement in this town. I can’t go around punching people.” No matter how much I want to.
“Okay, sure,” Ryder said. “If you say so.”
Dan only just bit back the need to say something. No one could get a rise out of him like a sibling.
As the dance progressed, people took the opportunity like they always did to throw their issues at him, big and small, and he dealt with them as best he could.
“Been using the creek at the back of your property for a bit of fishing, Leah. I hope that’s all right,” the judge said to her. “I thought I’d keep an eye on the place.”
She gave the older man another smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you, Judge, and no problem at all about the fishing. You fish there anytime you feel like it.”
“That’s kind of you, Leah,” Beau said. He then gave Dan a smug look.
“It’s like he never grew up,” Ryder said.
“Right, because we sure did. Nothing annoys us anymore, right? We don’t go out of our way to irritate people.”
“Got me there,” Ryder muttered. “So, you all good, Dan?”
“Peachy.”
“Speaking of peaches,” June Matilda said, now holding Ryder’s hand. “I made that cobbler last night, so tell your mom, Deputy Dan. She’ll want to talk to me about the recipe. It’s best served with custard to my way of thinking, and Bart agrees.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her,” Dan said, well-used to conversations like this. He’d been listening to them since he was old enough to dance.
“Now you’re back, you can play on the team again, Leah,” Jett Hyland called out. “We need a good first base.”
“Haven’t played in a while,” she called back.
“You don’t lose that kind of skill,” he answered.
“Let’s hope she says no. We don’t need them having her on their side again. She’s good,” Ryder said.
“She’s on our side, idiot,” Dan said.
“We’re good,” JD protested.
“She’s better, and I’d forgotten she switched teams when you and her—”
“She will have lost her edge by now,” Dan added, cutting his brother off.
As if she heard him, Leah shot him a dark look.
“I thought we weren’t being small-minded dickheads?” Ryder said, elbowing Dan in the ribs.
“I had good teachers. It’s hard to move on from that,” Dan replied.
He carried on dancing, and then when it was done, he said a general goodbye and got in his car without glancing Leah’s way again.
Dan kept driving until he reached the residential area of Lyntacky.
Only then did he pull into the driveway of one.
Not huge, but tidy for all that the guy who owned it could be a pig.
Dan got out and walked around the side to the rear, to a small detached building, and knocked.
“I just had coffee with you. Why the fuck are you here?” Jay demanded.
“If this is how you do business, you suck at it,” Dan said, wandering in.
Jay had his finger in a lot of pies and was vague about what he actually did. But while in Lyntacky, he dabbled in real estate and helped people make solid financial decisions, or that’s what he told Dan. Mostly, he just hid in this building and only came out when people made him.
Compact and lined with filing cabinets and shelves, the place had a desk, two chairs, a coffee machine, and a small fridge.
“I hope you clean up before people arrive.”
“Of course. I even brush my hair,” Jay said, dropping back into his chair. He then watched Dan wander around his office.
Like his brothers, this man knew him better than most.
“What’s on your mind, Dan?” Jay asked, rocking back in his chair. “Because you know I’m coming to family dinner, so you being here has to be something you don’t want the rest of your nosy family to know about.”
He took the seat opposite his friend. “I want to do something with my money, starting with purchasing a property.”
“What brought this on? I thought you enjoyed living with your mom.”
“I do, but I want it for a rental investment. You and Sawyer are always telling me it’s time I grew up.”
“I’ve been at you to do that for years but didn’t think you’d actually get there,” Jay mused. “So I need to ask, is this because Leah is back in town?”
“What?” Dan scowled. “Why would she play a part in me wanting to buy a house?”
“That entire business between you two was messy—not that I know exactly what went down. But she was important to you back then, and I’m thinking her coming home has you unsettled enough to make a step toward buying property.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You're reaching, Jay. I don’t make decisions about my life based around a woman who is nothing to me anymore.”
“If you say so.”
“I know so.”
“Your oldest brother is all over investing too.”
“I know, and I will talk to him about that, but I’ve decided I want a house first, and you’re the only one I know who sells property.”
“There’s Mrs. Regal.”
Dan shuddered. “No, thank you. She’d spend the entire viewing trying to get me to take off my shirt.”
“There is that,” Jay agreed smiling. “Let me see what I have. You got a deposit?”
He gave his friend a hard look.
“Right, right, you’ve been saving for years because your mom charges you peanuts to live with her,” Jay said.
“Why are you my friend?”
“Because, like your brothers, I insult you. Compliments make you weak, and seeing as you’re in charge of my protection, I need to keep you on edge.”
“Idiot.”
Jay showed him what was on offer, and once they’d settled on two possible properties, his friend brushed his hair and pulled on clothes that weren’t creased.
“Why am I driving if you’re the one making money off anything I buy?” Dan asked as they drove to the first house he was viewing. Jay directed him to park not far from the Circle Left boarding house, bar, and restaurant. “And what the hell are we doing here?”
He got out and turned a full circle.
“Not many know this is here, but I do, so let’s go,” Jay said. “It’s just come on the market, actually.”
“What has? I see the old warehouses that the Slatters use to store their outdoor adventure stuff,” Dan said.
“Will you just shut up and walk.”
They followed a driveway down that someone had cut into the side of the bank. Around the front of the first old building, Dan saw that someone had been busy.
Red brick and a gabled roof. The joinery had a fresh coat of white, and the windows replaced. The roof looked new too.
Jay pulled out some keys and opened the new red front door. Dan followed him inside, and then just stood.
“The Slatters bought all three about five years ago. They’re keeping one for storage for now, but the other two, they’re doing up. This one is finished.”
The space was big. Kitchen, dining, and living all in one. The front part was open and rose to high ceilings, and in the back, black industrial stairs went up to a mezzanine floor.
“Explore,” Jay said, waving his hand at Dan.
“Maybe do your job and show me around?”
Jay sighed. They then walked over every inch of the place. It was as they walked back out the front door that Dan said he’d buy it.