Page 14 of The Ex Next Door (Charming, Texas #8)

“Y ou okay, David?” Declan rushed to his side and squatted beside him.

Best not to overreact and give David a chance to show how badly he might be injured, if at all.

He sat up, blinking. “I almost caught it.”

“You missed the ball, kiddo.” Declan’s father stood behind him. “But to be fair, he threw a little low.”

“A little ?” Declan whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Matthew said, openly sobbing.

David stood. “I’m okay, Matt. Really. Look, see?”

David proceeded to wiggle his arms and legs in the air to demonstrate. It made Matt laugh out loud and he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“You got a heck of an arm, kid,” Declan’s father said, patting him on the back. “Fastball. Think about Little League when you finish here.”

And work on your aim, Declan thought but kept to himself. These were just kids having fun. Yes, it was fun to win but it was also fun to play. Even getting hurt could be fun. Every boy wanted battle scars.

“Is he okay?” This was from Amy, having now reached them after probably pole-vaulting over all the other moms.

Matthew’s mom was comforting him. The coach was now inspecting David and gave Amy a thumbs-up.

“He’s great! What a champ! He took that ball and even though it knocked him down, he got right back up again.”

Declan slid Amy a smile he’d bet she needed right now. “It happens to all of us.”

“Okay, let’s huddle, guys!” the coach said and gathered the kids in a circle. “Great effort!”

“It happens to us all,” Declan said.

“I don’t remember it happening to you,” Amy said from beside him.

“You didn’t know me when I started Little League. I had my battle scars,” Declan said.

“Amy! Sweetheart!” His father came up to them, and folded Amy into his arms. “So good to see you here.”

“Mr. Sheridan,” Amy said. “It’s been a long time.”

“It sure has. My wife wants you over for dinner sometime.” His father turned to Declan. “Can you bring her, son? Might as well. Two birds, one stone. How about Saturday. Does that work for everyone? Okay, good. I’ll tell your mother.”

With that he walked away, pulling out his phone, presumably to call Declan’s mother.

“Notice how he doesn’t wait for an answer. Pay no attention to him,” Declan said, crossing his arms and facing the kids. “Apparently my mother heard you live next door and would like to have you over for dinner. I’ll make up some excuse for you.”

“That’s okay. I wouldn’t mind seeing them again. It doesn’t mean we have to go together.”

“Trying to get rid of me?”

“They’re great people and I won’t lie. This is a great time for me to be around anyone who actually likes me. Rob’s parents blame me for our divorce.”

“No kidding?”

Amy nodded. “But I meant we don’t have to drive together. Actually, you can probably see them anytime. And Samantha wouldn’t like it anyway. So, you stay, and I’ll go.”

“You want to see my parents that badly?”

“I love your mother’s cooking.”

“Fine, you go, and I’ll watch the kids.” Declan wasn’t actually joking because he would watch her kids if she wanted him to. It was good practice.

“You want to babysit?”

“How hard can it be? Your kids are angels.”

“Thank you, but they have their moments. I might take you up on that because I’m going to have to start dating at some point.”

“Yeah?”

“Bianca tells me I may as well get out there. Rob already set up a dating profile.”

Yikes. To Declan, that meant maybe Rob had been thinking for a long time about moving on. He was ready. And also an idiot to think he could ever do better than Amy. Declan was still trying, more than ten years later.

“Dating apps aren’t the right place for everybody.”

“I guess I’ll set up a profile and at least try.”

Amy sighed, as though she was talking about how she had to go home and take care of her laundry.

A chore. Something necessary but unpleasant.

He didn’t want to discourage her because maybe everybody had to get that sort of thing out of their system after a divorce.

Finn certainly had even though he hadn’t required the services of an app.

His brother was one of the smartest people Declan knew.

But those apps were a much safer place for men than women.

As a bartender, he’d heard his share of war stories. Well, he’d worry about Amy later.

As the kids were excused, David walked toward them, grinning.

“Did you have fun?” Amy asked, tipping his chin.

“The coach said I’m a badass,” David said, puffing up with pride.

“Hey, I want to teach you something about that glove. Can I see it?”

When David handed over his glove, Declan laid it out and punched it a couple of times in some key areas. The best way to break in a glove was with repeated use, but this one felt like it had just come off the conveyor belt. He should take it home and season it with some oil or conditioner.

“The trick is this glove is going to have to form to the shape of your hand. Play catch with it a lot in your spare time. Hit it a few times and knead it when you’re sitting down watching TV. It’s going to be your best friend, this glove.”

Declan handed it back to David.

“Thanks, Dec.” He took the glove back and hit it a few times with his fist. “I’m going to practice with my dad this week.”

He exchanged a look with Amy.

“Rob has the kids for a whole week a couple of times this summer. This is one of the weeks.”

Ah, no wonder she was filling out profiles and accepting dinner dates to his parents’ home on a Saturday night.

Amy Holloway was lonely. The thought pinched his chest far sharper than he wanted it to.

He didn’t want to care about his ex-girlfriend being alone.

That wasn’t part of this. She was pretty and attractive, sure, but he was already dating someone.

Plus, she wouldn’t want a round two with him even if she liked his family.

Declan drove home, pushing away intrusive thoughts of Amy filling out dating profiles and meeting married men on the make, or worse.

He had to protect her from that, but how, and was this even his responsibility?

No, it was not, but he still felt protective over her.

She was far too easy of a mark for the wrong man.

Amy had always believed the best of people, though he considered both he and Rob had proved her wrong more than once.

Declan noticed the sedan parked in front of his house and recognized it as Samantha’s immediately.

Perfect. He needed this now, a diversion from Amy, and how she’d been wearing a hot pink dress today that accentuated her hourglass figure.

There had always been something special about Amy.

It was that single almost undecipherable element that once made her the first thought on his mind in the morning and the last in the evening.

It happened the first time he ever laid eyes on her.

But he couldn’t let her infiltrate his thoughts and life again just because she was right next door, in his line of sight, messing with his head.

No, Declan. We’re not doing this again. No more FOMO. He was going to stick with a relationship and try. A real effort. Just like in the old days with Amy when somehow, they made it work for a while even when the odds were against them.

Samantha was by his side before he got out of the driver’s seat.

“Hey there.”

He accepted her hug and a quick kiss, hating the way intrusive thoughts of Amy clawed at him almost instantly.

It was only because he’d just seen her, wearing a short dress, and now here was Samantha also wearing a dress.

There was nothing wrong with Samantha and he only wished she had a little more confidence in herself.

Then again, maybe she sensed his thoughts were running to Amy. He quickly gave himself a mental slap.

“I thought we could hang out a while.” She held up a six-pack of beer. “I brought refreshments.”

Sure, what better gift to bring a bartender than beer.

It came with almost no thought behind it, he’d guess.

Declan held back his snarky remark because she meant well.

It wasn’t her fault that he had Amy on his mind.

Her sweet and gentle smile as she’d watched David play.

The way she’d hugged his dad, as if little to no time had passed.

And realizing she was lonely.

“You sure had to rush out when we were talking earlier,” Samantha said, following him in when he unlocked the front door.

“Sorry about that. I promised David I’d be there and since I encouraged him to play baseball, I figured I should honor that.”

“Oh, I thought it was a work thing?” She set the six-pack on the table.

“No, I told Amy I’d meet her there. She had to bring David from his father’s place. It was a good practice, I’d say, overall. But David is going to need some coaching. He has to build up his confidence.”

He thought about how that ball had hit him, and how that kind of thing could make a kid feel.

Weak. Scared. Yet David took it in stride, just like Amy would have.

He just got right back up again. That’s just the kind of attitude that made champs.

David was that type of kid, too, raised by a mother who believed in him.

Within a few minutes, Declan became aware that he was talking about baseball more than he should. Samantha had a glazed look in her eyes.

“Sorry. I’m talking too much baseball.”

“Wait. David is Amy’s son?” Samantha’s eyes tightened and narrowed.

“I thought I mentioned that. She moved in next door, a single mom. Two kids, David and Naomi.”

“You neglected to mention you’re coaching her son!”

“I’m not coaching him, just giving him a little advice here and there. He hated soccer so I suggested he try baseball.”

“Which sounds an awful lot like coaching, Declan . So, you’re basically going to be spending time with your ex-girlfriend, your first love, who lives next door and also works with you? Have I got that right? Am I missing anything?”

“Hang on there. You’re overreacting.” The minute the words came out of his mouth, he wished he had the superhero power to stop them.

“I’m what ?”

“Not overreacting, sorry, I didn’t mean that, but I’m not dating Amy. We’re friends. What do I have to do to convince you?”

She crossed her arms and jutted her hip. “Remember when we both first swiped right and we had that first incredible date?”

“Yeah.”

“We both said we wanted the same things. To settle down, invest time and energy into a relationship and make it work long term. We said we’d explore this spark between us because we both want something permanent.”

“I remember. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing here. Exploring this idea.”

And so far, he felt that this place that promised so much initially was barren.

“We both have. You know what? In every relationship, there are deal breakers, like cheating and unhealthy arguments.”

“I’m with you so far.”

“And in addition to that, I believe in every relationship each couple should be allowed to make at least one unreasonable demand of each other. Even if it doesn’t make any sense.

Only one demand like this is allowed in the course of an entire relationship.

It shows a commitment to each other and making it work.

This, of course, shouldn’t be anything unhealthy or which would intervene with our careers. ”

“Give me an example.”

She shrugged. “Well, let’s just say there’s a certain guy that relentlessly flirts with me at the ice cream shop in town. Maybe your one unreasonable ask is that I never go in there without you.”

“And where’s the trust?”

She frowned. “Like I said, it’s just a one-off. It has nothing to do with trust. It’s our one unreasonable request.”

Declan did not like where this was going. “Have you ever done this before?”

“Yes, and it works well. It’s a confidence booster. It shows when someone is feeling insecure that the partner will do anything to ease that feeling.”

“I’m guessing you already have your demand.”

She motioned between them. “If this is going to work between us, you need to stop talking to Amy.”

Declan was too stunned to speak for a moment.

“I work with her. Of course I can’t stop talking to her!”

“You’re right. That does have to do with your career. I guess there’s no other solution but to say I’m going to ask that you not help David. The two of you are going to be thrown together too much. I don’t like it. This is something I’m asking you to do to reassure me that you want to be with me.”

Declan was doubting he did want to be with Samantha with every passing minute.

“This is really how you want to use your unreasonable demand? Your one chance and this is it? I can’t help Amy’s kid ?”

“It has nothing to do with him. I’m sure he’s a good kid, but you and Amy have history. I’m sorry, but he will probably do fine without you.”

“This is completely unreasonable.”

“Which is the point.”

“No.”

“No, it’s not the point ?”

“No, I’m not going to do what you’ve asked. The idea is crazy anyway. If you have to make that kind of demand, something is already wrong.”

“Exactly. You’re not all in, Declan. Admit it.”

She was right, of course, but at this point he couldn’t be blamed for wanting out.

“It shouldn’t be this hard.” He shook his head.

Maybe he should give up on finding a relationship for now.

Focus on his goals, like his father kept hammering away at him to do.

Though bartending was a good fit for him, he acknowledged it wasn’t a career.

He couldn’t raise a family on his salary.

Once, he’d had lofty goals. The major leagues.

The World Series. Maybe his father was right and he’d quit too soon.

But probably not. Declan’s gift was knowing when it was time to go.

When he’d given everything he had in him.

“Samantha, I’m sorry, but this isn’t going to work.”