Page 23 of The Ex Next Door (Charming, Texas #8)

Amy took a seat on the brown leather couch in Declan’s living room, tucking a leg under her.

His home was decidedly masculine with touches of leather and dark muted colors.

It desperately required a splash of color somewhere and she determined she’d buy him a colorful plant next time she was at the garden center.

Declan brought her an iced tea and set it on the coffee table. “Do you want to watch something?”

Then he did something shocking. He offered her the TV remote control.

“You’re going to let me choose?” She grabbed the remote. “Oh my God, thank you. This is such an extreme honor and I’m truly indebted to you. First, I would like to thank the Academy, and all who supported me—”

Declan swiped it back out of her hand. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, smart-ass, I’m taking back my power.”

Amy pounced on Declan, reaching for the remote as he moved it higher and out of her reach.

“You had your chance for romantic comedies. Now we move to the sports lineup.”

“No, please! Not ESPN. Anything but that!”

She did something a bit underhanded and copped a feel. Just a little stroke of his behind with her hand, but it shocked him enough to lose his focus and loosen his grip. Grabbing it back, she tucked the remote behind her and lay on it.

She crossed her arms. “Say goodbye to your power viewing. It’s mine now.”

Declan crawled on top of her, keeping his weight off. “I think I somehow knew that the moment you moved in next door.”

Oh. How incredibly sweet.

Then he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, and that… Well, that was even sweeter.

His kisses trailed down the column of her neck, teasing behind her ear, before he met her lips again and again.

If she didn’t stop this train, they were headed to the station, and yet it wasn’t time.

There was no prerequisite timeline now for her, just the knowledge she wasn’t quite ready for this step. But she would be soon. Very soon.

“Declan,” she managed to say when they broke the kiss. “I…you… You never said why you quit teaching. And I always meant to ask.”

She bit down on her lower lip because the look on his face was almost laughable as he switched gears.

He cooled himself down, realizing without words they weren’t boarding that train to paradise, and he was okay with that.

The remote long forgotten, he rolled onto the sofa on his back and tucked her into his arms. She lay there, her head on his shoulder, her hand settled over his abs.

“I’m sure you heard I was working in Houston at one of the inner-city public high schools. They hired me on, thought it might look good for their sports department to have my name attached to it. I coached the varsity team.”

“But it didn’t work out?”

“Their boosters were mostly focused on their football team, which was fine, you know? It’s kind of typical at the high school level.

I taught biology and calculus. Anyway, it was the old classic ‘football star who can’t pass his midterm’ dichotomy.

I was pressured to pass him in my calculus class, but the kid didn’t even belong there.

He hadn’t grasped basic algebra concepts.

He was there because another teacher had passed him along. I wouldn’t do it. Refused.”

“Good for you.”

“I didn’t mind the thinly disguised hatred among much of the staff when their team started a losing streak after their best player got benched. I had my supporters, quiet though they stayed, and I’ve been raised to work well under pressure.”

“But…?”

“But things got a bit dicey.”

“Yeah? What happened?”

Declan let out a long breath. “The kid’s father didn’t take it well. He became louder than all the rest of the voices when he brought a gun to school.”

Amy shot up into a sitting position. “ What? Why didn’t I hear about this? When did this happen?”

Declan tucked an arm behind the crook of his neck. “It was just a blip on the evening news a couple of years ago. Thankfully it was resolved without incident. Well, much incident. Let’s put it this way. No one was injured.”

He wasn’t kidding her. This had changed everything for Declan.

He didn’t shake easily, but putting guns around children and teachers would be the one thing to do it.

She’d heard rumors of teachers who’d either quit or retired early due to gun violence but…

Declan. Her Declan, whom she’d pictured all these years, when she allowed herself to think about him, living the high life of a professional athlete, attending parties and functions, with plenty of women and plenty of dating.

She heard he’d retired early with an injury but she hadn’t pictured this .

“Oh, Declan.” She lowered herself back to him, curling into him, cradling him tight.

He would have blamed himself.

“It’s okay.” He tightened his arms around her.

“The father was arrested and worked out a plea deal of some sort. Anger management. The family moved out of the area, which was probably the best thing for the kid, too. He wasn’t going to easily live that ordeal down.

Being benched somehow was now the least of his problems. Anyway, after that, I needed a break from teaching. ”

For the first time, Amy wondered how many teachers were serving cocktails or hawking their wares because they felt safer there than they did in a classroom.

“No one can blame you for stepping away.”

“Well, no one but my father. He can’t accept that I’m going to let this one event color the rest of my life.”

“Are you?”

“I learned a lot about myself through the process and I’m not sure I’m cut out for teaching the upper grades.”

“You’d do really well with grade-school kids. David and Naomi adore you.”

“It’s a thought.”

“It would be funny if we both wound up teaching at the same school.”

“Got to say, I wouldn’t mind seeing you every day in the teachers’ lounge.”

“I’d always have your back, and I wouldn’t be quiet about it, either.”

He chuckled and rolled to a sitting position, getting up and offering his hand. “I know.”

“It’s getting late.” She stood, adjusting her tousled hair and straightening her rumpled clothes.

“I’ll walk you next door.”

They held hands, and when they crossed into her side of the lawn, Declan pulled her close for another deep kiss.

It went on for days, forcing her to reconsider going home.

She was out of breath when they broke apart.

Funny, she would have thought she’d have more questions for Declan, such as “Where is this going? Do we have a future? Are we exclusive?” But Declan had always made her feel so secure and safe.

He’d made himself clear without any words.

This time, she had the answers for something he needed to know before they went any further.

“You were honest with me since the first day we moved in. I know what you want and what you’re looking for.

But I just ended a marriage not long ago, and I can’t promise you anything.

I’m just rediscovering who I am. I have kids, and an ex I’ll have to co-parent with for the next ten years.

Pretty sure I’m going to have my ex’s partner involved soon.

I don’t know what’s happening or where I’m going.

But I have a plan. You’ll just have to be patient if you want to be with me.

” She sighed, closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his chest. “But as far as I’m concerned, I want to see where this goes. Where we go this time around.”

“Tinks, I’ll take whatever you have to give and do it with a smile on my face.”

He wouldn’t be the only one smiling. It was all she needed to know.