Page 32 of For Love of Liberty

Kitty blinked, confusion furrowing her brow. “But I thought you said you and Finn talked everything out last night. That you were looking forward to seeing him at the Poppys’ after the fireworks so you could serve him a piece of your famous chocolate fudge pie.”

“We did,” Liberty said with a tight smile. “And I most definitely am.” Her gaze was a knife point. Laced with a double dose of ipecac.

“All this talk about food is making me hungry,” Martha said, “so we should probably close up and go to the potluck.”

Liberty checked the watch pinned to her bodice. “Great balls of fire! I need to round up those performing in the talent show to give them final instructions.”

Kitty tapped Liberty’s arm. “Uh, don’t look now, Libs, but your handsome co-chair is headed this way.”

Liberty glanced over her shoulder, and sleet shot through her veins when she spied Finn breaking free from his crowd of admirers to amble her way. “Tell him I left for the potluck,” she hissed, pulse pumping as she darted around the booth to enter the back. Before he could make it to their side of the field, Liberty had the makeshift schoolroom doors bolted tight. Her breathing shallowed as she wedged herself deep in the corner.

“Congratulations, ladies, on the win,” she heard Finn say, “although I sure hated to lose that prize money.” He paused. “Where’s Libby?”

“Uh, she l-left for the p-potluck, I think,” Kitty lied, the wobble of her voice far from convincing.

“Are you sure?” Finn’s tone clearly conveyed his doubt, and Libby squeezed her eyes shut as he continued, barely able to breathe. “Because I could have sworn I saw her over here.”

“She w-was, Finn, but she didn’t want to be late for the potluck,” Martha volunteered in a weak tone.

Kitty’s voice rose several octaves. “But we’re on our way there now, so why don’t we walk over together?”

“Thanks, Kitty, but I’m on my way to help Milo shut down his booth, so I’ll see you ladies there, all right?”

“Sure,” Kitty and Martha said in unison, and Liberty allowed a slow release of air through her lips. The last thing she wanted was to speak with that womanizing skunk right now, and after dessert at the Poppys’ tonight, she planned to never talk to him again.

Waiting in silence for several moments to make sure the coast was clear, Libby tiptoed over to peek out the back door and expelled a silent sigh, satisfied that she was finally alone. Relieved, she slipped out to make her way to the potluck, where at least she could disappear into the crowd.

“Howdy, Libs.”

Liberty vaulted at least two inches in the air before she whirled to see Finn butted against the side of their booth, arms in a casual fold.

He delivered a lazy smile. “I thought we decided the potluck would be in the barn.”

“Blue blistering blazes, you scared me half to death!” she rasped, hand to her chest as she forced herself to breathe.

His smile faded as sobriety bled into his tone, gaze tender. “And you’re scaring me half to death too, darlin’, the way you’re avoiding me like you are.”

Her jaw hardened as she glared right back, not willing to give him a chance to soften her defenses. “I’ve been busy,” she said, spinning on her heel to take her leave.

Finn fell into step beside her, his long legs easily keeping up with her hurried pace. “Yeah, busy avoiding me, and I want to know why.”

She yanked her skirts up to quicken her stride, ignoring him and all the curious stares coming their way. “Why don’t you ask Jo Beth, you … you … wolf in sheep’s clothing!”

“Whoa!” He clamped a hand to her wrist to turn her around, latching firm palms to both of her arms. “Where in tarnation did that come from?”

“From the lips of a woman you’ve bamboozled for the last time, Finn McShane, so you can just pack up your sweet talk and peddle it to Jo Beth.”

“Now just hold on right there, woman, because we need to talk.”

She jerked free, eyes blazing like wildfire. “You mean ‘kiss,’ don’t you, Finn? Because that’s how you get your way with all the ladies, isn’t it, you two-timing Romeo?” Reloading with another ragged breath, she blasted him with everything she had, taking deadly aim. “Well, I’m done talking or whatever you want to call it. Because you are nothing but a low-down, no-good womanizing varmint, Finn McShame, just like your father, cheating and stealing from innocent women before you leave them high and dry.”

His face went so pale, she could see the black stubble on his jaw. Her heart lurched at the pain she saw in his eyes and knew she should stop. But all she could see was all the times he’d hurt her over the years and taken advantage whenever it suited his fancy. In the space of one ragged heartbeat, the fire in her belly whooshed out of control and she stepped in to bludgeon his chest with a finger. “My daddy said you were a fortune hunter from the get-go, but I didn’t believe him till now, playing one banker’s daughter against the other. I didn’t trust you growing up, Finn McShane, and I sure don’t trust you now. As far as I’m concerned, this is just another one of your pranks to hurt me all over again, and there’s nothing you can do or say that will change my mind.”

He blinked, the shock in his eyes darkening from hurt into anger. A tic flickered in his cheek as he slowly removed her finger, his manner deadly calm. “Then I guess I best be on my way,” he said quietly, leaving a hole in Liberty’s chest when he turned and walked away.

“You do that,” she shouted, not one bit concerned there were still people milling about. “You go on back to Jo Beth and her daddy’s money so you can ruin her life like you just ruined mine.”

She slapped at the tears webbing her lashes, wondering why she felt so darn guilty.