Page 18 of The Ex Next Door (Charming, Texas #8)

“Well, too bad for him, but great that you got the kids back early. I know you missed them.”

It was awfully insightful of Declan, and not even slightly judgmental that she, as a single woman, wanted to be with her kids instead of other adults.

“Yes, but I’m sorry about dinner. Tell your parents I appreciate the invite and maybe I’ll see them some other time.”

“Bring the kids. That’s not a problem.”

“Bring them? Really? You don’t think your parents would mind?”

“Are you kidding? My mom loves kids. She can hardly wait to have grandkids. She’s been bugging Finn and Michelle since they announced they were getting married.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to crash a dinner party intended for adults.”

“Clearly, you don’t remember my parents. Nothing fancy. It will probably be hot dogs and burgers.”

But Amy did remember his parents and they were the sweetest couple.

They always made her feel like part of their family and she’d certainly had many dinners with them.

Finn, with his current girlfriend, and her and Declan, together since they were young teenagers.

Oh, there she went again with the nostalgic memories.

She didn’t know whether these feelings of nostalgia were acceptable or whether she should at least make an effort to bury them deep.

Declan was trying to be nice and welcoming but she refused to get caught up in remembering too much about how they used to be as a couple.

It certainly wasn’t going to help to return to the setting where it all happened.

But as it turned out, Amy didn’t have to worry about any of that because Declan’s parents no longer lived in the same house where they’d raised their boys.

They’d downsized. She was grateful that she wouldn’t have to see the same nooks and crannies of the home where she and Declan spent hours making out and a lot of other stuff they probably shouldn’t have been doing as teenagers.

Declan spoke as he drove all four of them in his extended-cab truck.

“Mom and Dad bought a fixer-upper with a great view of the coast and my father has been working on the house since then. It’s like HGTV, but the old Tim Allen version.

Power tools, hamming it up, accidents, the whole bit.

Believe me, plenty of pension dollars and elbow grease have been going into the house.

I think my dad needed a project after retiring from the post office. ”

The house was set on a small hill on the outskirts of Charming, and Amy grew unreasonably nervous the closer they got.

These were old friends, simply people who might have at one time been her in-laws.

She would have much rather had them instead of Nancy and John, who’d never thought Amy good enough for their only son.

That’s the rea son she was nervous, perhaps.

Every time she’d been to her in-laws, something went wrong.

David tripped over something shiny and expensive that Nancy had left out, forgetting children were coming.

Or Naomi decided she didn’t want to try Moroccan food but there was literally nothing else she could eat. Not even peanut butter and jelly.

Still, maybe it was a little bit weird to be going to dinner with her ex-boyfriend.

It might be odder if she was still married or if she didn’t still feel this intense attraction to Declan.

But she was only human, and he really hadn’t changed from the person he used to be.

He’d simply grown into himself, a bit taller, broader, even more confident.

So, considering she’d still loved him when they broke up, and he was pretty much still the same person—except better—it made sense she was still attracted to him.

Though this would have been much easier if she could have had one of those “what was I thinking” moments about having once been so in love with him. Instead, every time she glanced over at him, she thought, Yeah, that makes sense .

“Hey, kiddos!” Mr. Sheridan opened the front door to a small beach cottage on a hill. “You’re just in time for dinner.”

David already knew Mr. Sheridan from the baseball game, but Declan introduced Naomi just before Mrs. Sheridan came up behind her husband.

“The prodigal son returns!” Mrs. Sheridan went on tiptoes to wrap her arms around Declan. “Finn and Michelle are already here, out on the deck enjoying the almost-sunset.”

“Dad sanded the deck himself last year,” Declan said to Amy.

“I made him hire some help,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “He already had arthroscopic knee surgery on one knee. We didn’t need problems with the other one!”

“It certainly helped moved the plans right along to get some assistance. My sons have been too busy to help,” Mr. Sheridan said.

“That’s right, pile on the old Irish guilt,” Declan said.

The three large rooms downstairs were filled with beautiful skylights bringing in natural light. There were large bay windows, wood floors that gleamed and a kitchen large enough for an island that housed modern cabinets in a dark cherry wood.

“The place looks wonderful,” Amy said, as she followed the Sheridans to the deck.

There stood Finn with his arm slung low around Michelle’s waist. They both turned and Finn bent down to talk to the kids’ eye level, something she’d seen Declan do many times. Michelle beamed, too, as she smiled at Naomi.

“Hello! I’m Naomi Holloway.” She stuck out her hand to shake.

“I’m David Holloway. It’s very nice to meet you.” David nodded and also stuck out his hand.

“Well, hello, Naomi and David Holloway. Glad you could make it,” Michelle said. “Check out this incoming sunset!”

Beautiful bursts of yellow, red and dark blue framed the coastal skyline.

Amy turned to Michelle, speaking in a hushed tone. “I never had a chance to tell you, but thanks for referring Rob and me to mediation.”

They were one of Michelle’s first clients last year when she opened her own family-practice law firm.

Thanks to her counsel, Amy and Rob saved money and grief by going to mediation, where they both made concessions.

Michelle had advised mediation first for couples who had children and that all judges would require it, as they should.

At least partly because Michelle found the perfect mediator, a kind middle- aged woman who reminded both of them of their mother, Amy and Rob were able to solve everything amicably.

“And how are you doing?” Michelle briefly touched Amy’s shoulder, and there was a world of concern reflected in her eyes.

Probably because Amy had been a walking disaster when she’d arrived at the La Croix Family Law Firm to hire Michelle.

Later, Amy would learn Michelle had decided divorces would only be a small part of her practice, but she’d taken one look at Amy and ushered her inside.

It wasn’t until she’d arrived home and looked in a mirror for the first time in days that Amy noticed her smudged mascara, red-rimmed eyes, her hair partially in a ponytail and partially hanging loose and unkempt.

In addition to that, she had been wearing sandals that didn’t match.

She’d let the separation from Rob come close to ruining her because she hadn’t seen it coming.

“Much better, thanks.”

“You look happy.” Michelle smiled and then her eyes found the children. “And the kids are doing okay?”

Amy followed Michelle’s gaze to where David and Naomi were watching Mr. Sheridan flip the burgers wearing an apron that said, “My Grill, My Rules.”

“I’m lucky. They’re the best kids in the world.”

“I agree. You had one of the best divorces I’ve ever seen, and they’re the proof. Just because two people decide they don’t want to be married anymore doesn’t mean they can’t successfully co-parent.”

“That’s the goal.”

To know that she and Rob weren’t ruining the kids meant everything to Amy. It came down to the fact that if they were okay, she was okay. Always.

Of course, it hadn’t been her decision, but over the last few months she’d started to realize their marriage had turned into a habit.

They’d been in trouble for a while and Amy just hadn’t seen it.

By the time she had, and wanted to save the marriage for her family, it was too late. She’d never make that mistake again.

Amy briefly glanced over at Declan and Finn, their backs to her, both so golden and beautiful in the fading light of the sunrays.

“Oh, wow,” Michelle sighed, also looking in the same direction. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”

Of course, Michelle was referring to Finn.

“Yes, definitely.”

Michelle laughed. “Actually, I meant Finn .”

“Oh yeah, so did I,” Amy lied, biting her lower lip to keep from smiling.

“Right.” Michelle smirked. “Sure you did.”

Amy was saved by dinner, which turned out to be hamburgers and hot dogs as predicted.

The trimmings were a delicious ambrosia-style salad with chunks of pineapple and cherries, homemade French fries and sweet white corn on the cob.

The kids ate surprisingly well for being picky eaters, and David asked for a second hot dog.

“Ah, a growing boy!” Mrs. Sheridan said. “Honey, give him two.”

There was plenty of talk of Finn and Michelle’s upcoming wedding and Naomi tentatively inquired about flower girl status.

Amy pressed them on the story of Finn’s proposal, which apparently took place at the Salty Dog in the take-out lane.

It was the site and one-year anniversary of their first date, and Michelle had arrived to stand in line and pick up their orders when Finn suddenly appeared behind her.

“I was so surprised to see him there I almost got mad. Like, you made me come and get dinner when you were already here? Why didn’t you get it?”

“She almost ruined it,” Declan joked.

But then, surrounded by family and friends seated beforehand, Finn dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him.

“After that, I forgave him.”

The two kissed sweetly and Declan threw a French fry. “Get a room.”

After dinner, cleanup was a family affair and didn’t take long with everyone helping.

Then Mr. Sheridan wanted to show David what an old and well-worn glove would look like after a season of playing, and they disappeared into the garage with Declan and Finn following.

Mrs. Sheridan led them to the patio, where they all settled into Adirondack chairs.

“Mommy, is it okay if I read my book now?” Naomi asked.

She brought one along for every occasion, and Amy pulled it out of her purse for her now. At the moment, she was a huge fan of the old Nancy Drew mysteries.

“She asks for permission to read ?” Mrs. Sheridan asked. “Where did you get this child? Etsy?”

Amy laughed. “If I let her, she’d read all day, but I want her to play outside, too, and be social.”

“I have to find out how it ends,” Naomi said, opening to her page.

“I’m the same way.” Mrs. Sheridan patted Naomi’s lap.

Michelle’s phone buzzed and she gave it a quick glance. “Does anyone mind if I take this? It’s work. One of my adoptions hit a snag and my parents are freaking out. I’ll just be a minute.”

“Go, honey.” Mrs. Sheridan waved her away. “Take care of business.”

“Don’t tell Finn,” she said with a wink and walked into the house, the phone already to her ear.

Mrs. Sheridan must have seen the puzzled look on Amy’s face because she answered the question on her mind: What was that all about?

“It’s kind of like you and Naomi. Reading is a good thing but you want her to have a balanced life.

That’s kind of what Finn wants for Michelle, and so does she.

But can I tell you how proud I am to have a future daughter-in-law who can kick butt?

It’s such a good time for women right now.

And as long as we all keep having each other’s backs, it will continue. ”

“Michelle is wonderful at what she does,” Amy said. “I have firsthand knowledge.”

“And how is that all going for you?”

She meant the divorce. Everyone knew about her divorce. She wondered when people would stop asking her, but comparatively, though it had been about a year, it was still new. A year to work through all that.

Amy took a quick look in Naomi’s direction, and saw her deeply immersed.

“We’re finally in a good place. It was tough for a while, for all of us.”

“You must have been blindsided.”

“Yes. But… I should have seen it coming.”

“Hindsight has one hundred percent accuracy. You probably didn’t have the time, as a busy parent, to sit down and evaluate your relationship.”

“I should have made time.”

Mrs. Sheridan nodded in agreement. “Would you take him back now, if he changed his mind?”

Even Mom hadn’t asked Amy that question.

Maybe she didn’t want to hear the answer because at one time it would have been yes.

People made mistakes and as long as he hadn’t cheated on her, Amy could have forgiven Rob and insisted on counseling to repair their marriage.

But now… Now she saw so many roads ahead of her, so many choices and possibilities for an alternate future, and they all excited her in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

She could be a teacher and still be a full-time parent.

She could fall in love again and it didn’t mean that she’d never loved Rob.

He would always be the father of her children and they’d be forever connected.

But she understood now that she was no longer in love with him.

She probably hadn’t been for a while. Even so, she would have stayed, because leaving was too scary.

“No. I can say that for sure. For the first time, I’m really excited about my future again.”

Almost as if he’d heard, one possible future in the form of a blond, muscular, solidly built male appeared behind the screen of the glass sliders.

“It won’t surprise anyone that Dad took David in the back to throw the ball around. Everything okay here?”

Their gazes met, and she allowed herself to fall into those wonderful and warm green eyes that always had a wicked smile in them.

Declan, the man who’d headlined her teenage life, was part of her present.

She could ignore that, or do what her heart wanted, and accept it for the gift it appeared to be.

“Everything is fine.”