Page 3 of The Ex Next Door (Charming, Texas #8)

“I assume spaghetti for dinner will be fine?” Amy set the pot filled with water on the stove. “I promised the kids.”

“You know Lou. He’ll eat anything.” Moonbeam unwrapped another kitchen utensil and rolled up the newspaper into a ball. “I’m sorry, honey. I had no idea he lived next door.”

“It’s fine. I have bigger things to worry about than my high school sweetheart.”

Still, it had definitely been a shock. Of course, she’d noticed Declan around town, here and there, but not often.

They almost lived in two different worlds within their same small town.

He worked at the Salty Dog, for one, and she only rarely went into the restaurant.

Resoundingly single—color her not surprised—he dated an awful lot, according to Amy’s best friend, Bianca.

But Amy was far more likely to run into Finn, his older brother, who hung out more often at the boardwalk.

Especially after the divorce, she used to take the kids to the carnival-style side of the boardwalk on the weekend to cheer them up.

Finn and Declan looked so much alike they were practically twins.

Naomi and David didn’t look that much alike, and they were twins.

Both Sheridan brothers possessed those Irish golden-boy looks that made most women go gaga. Declan still had an athlete’s body, all long and muscular legs and wide shoulders.

“I’ll never forgive nor forget how he broke your heart,” her mother said.

“Um, he was seventeen. I think you’re forgetting someone else broke my heart far more recently.”

Broken her heart and destroyed their family. If there was anyone Amy wasn’t likely to forgive anytime, it was her ex-husband, for forcing her to break her children’s hearts. Their crestfallen faces had looked at her with such confusion.

Daddy and I won’t be living together anymore.

“But I remember how you used to adore Declan.” Mom unpacked the rice cooker and set it on the counter.

“You had such plans. A winter wedding so it wouldn’t interfere with his spring training schedule.

Such devotion. There’s something about first love, I guess.

I remember thinking he was so sweet. But then, bam! It was over.”

Amy cringed with humiliation at her teenage dreams. She’d been young.

What an idiot she’d been thinking she’d marry her first love.

Declan hadn’t led her on, either, or ever mentioned marriage.

She’d just run with it. Both of her parents, especially the father she worshipped, loved Declan, the star athlete.

“Yes, Mom, I know how invested you were in my marrying an MLB player. But that didn’t work out for Declan, either.”

“Oh, hardly. Your father loved him, but I never cared who you married so long as you were happy.” Mom reached to rub Amy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you haven’t been lucky in love. So far. But don’t forget—every flower has to grow through dirt.”

Her mother was forever quoting old and tired flower clichés to cheer Amy up.

Perhaps now her mother was trying to redirect her current depression with an older version.

Maybe she wanted to remind Amy that she’d survived Declan, and in fact went on to date Rob in college.

And the rest was history. At least she and Rob had wanted the same things fairly early in life: marriage and children. A home.

Now, her home was in pieces, which reflected her emotions and state of mind.

Their beds were not set up but were at least in the proper bedrooms. The couch stuck out like the last item at a garage sale.

The kitchen table stood in the corner where Declan had left it.

The twelve-person dining set she and Rob had owned would never fit here.

It now sat in a storage unit outside town hoping for better days.

Their furniture now inside, they had far less space but at least Naomi hadn’t said anything.

Then again, she was reading a book as per the usual.

When the water began to boil, Amy reached in the shopping bag for the box of pasta she’d bought earlier today.

She ignored the tears stinging her eyes and kept a razor focus on the task.

Much easier. No, she hadn’t been “lucky” in love.

But getting in touch with her feelings, at this point, was a useless exercise in self-flagellation.

She should have seen the signs of Rob’s boredom.

She should have lost twenty pounds of baby weight sooner.

Shopped for more lingerie. Fallen asleep before ten less often.

But she refused to take all the blame in the divorce. One day, Rob woke up and didn’t want to be married anymore. “Marriage,” as he’d said, “is more work than I imagined. Maybe it shouldn’t be this hard.”

When in doubt, change the subject. “Can you still watch the kids Monday while I go on that interview?”

“No problem.”

After ten years at home with no work history to speak of, it wasn’t going to be easy to find a full-time job.

But she’d been lucky to score an interview at an auto car dealership in Houston who wanted someone to work as an entry-level clerk in the accounting department.

There would be a commute, but if Amy wanted to be free on the weekends, an office job would be ideal.

She could probably find seasonal work at the boardwalk in town, but Amy hoped to do better than serve soft-serve ice cream or work the carnival rides with teenagers.

A few minutes later, Lou waltzed in, David behind him. “Look who I found outside kicking a ball around! He’s right at home already.”

“Mom, I don’t want to play on the soccer team anymore,” David said with a whine. “I’m not any good at it.”

“Who says, little man?” Lou ruffled David’s hair. “I thought you looked pretty fly out there. Fly means good , by the way. That’s what the kids are saying now.”

Wonderful. Amy would have to deal with that issue later.

David had missed a goal at last week’s game and been crabby ever since then.

But he hadn’t mentioned quitting. She couldn’t let him quit just because he’d lost a single goal.

Sports for kids David’s age were about having fun, teamwork and building leadership skills. It was not about winning .

They all ate dinner together, both Lou and David taking two helpings.

Afterward, Amy asked Lou to help set up her bed.

This was something she had refused to ask “he of the brawny arms” after he’d hauled in her mattress, and that of the kids.

Amy could do it herself, but she wasn’t extremely familiar with the tools required.

Lou had come prepared to put things together.

“Hey, guys, why don’t we just cuddle up in my bed tonight? You know, like we used to do when Daddy would go on business trips? That way Lou and Grandma can go home. It’s getting late.”

“Daddy said I’m too big to do that,” David said.

Amy was pretty sure another slice of her heart went with those few words.

“I’ll sleep with you, Mama.” Naomi took her hand, as always reading the room with the expertise of a fifty-year-old psychologist.

The despair on her face must have been easy to read, because then David said, “I’ll just sleep on the floor next to you.”

“That’s right, little man.” Lou fist-bumped him. “You’re the man of the house. You can protect your mama and sister.”

Noooo, Amy wanted to scream, though she knew Lou meant well. David was not the man of the house . He’s a child and I don’t expect him to protect me. She would protect her son. But David grinned and seemed to like the idea, so Amy let it go for now.

“I don’t need protecting,” Naomi said, pushing her glasses up her nose.

And just like that, Amy felt a stitch slip over her bruised heart.

That’s my girl.

Amy was doing okay. She was raising a strong and independent daughter and God willing would raise a loyal and good man.

* * *

The next morning, the lawn mowers woke Amy up.

In some ways, this neighborhood was like her old one.

Saturday seemed to be the national weekly mowing day.

Except in her old neighborhood, most people had a service.

Rob did it himself those first years, a proud homeowner, but later decided he was too busy for it.

That’s when Amy took it up, not willing to pay for something so simple.

Naomi and David were already up, waiting for Rob.

It was his turn to have them this weekend, and to say David was excited would be an understatement.

He had his backpack packed, and the soccer ball nearby.

Bowls of colored milk were on the table, evidence of their breakfast. Usually, she made pancakes on Saturdays, but she didn’t know where she’d packed the mix or the skillet.

Dressed and ready for the day, Amy headed to the coffee machine. She’d made sure to set up essentials last night before bed.

“Morning.”

“What time is Daddy coming?” Naomi was still adding things to her stuffed backpack. Mostly books.

“I’ll check with him but it’s going to be the usual time, I’m sure.” She glanced at her Fitbit watch. “In an hour or so.”

“We’re going to work on my soccer moves today,” David said, thankfully forgetting his crabby mood of yesterday. “Next time I’m going to make that goal.”

“As long as you have fun doing it.”

When Amy glanced out the window, she saw Declan, rolling the mower across his lawn with ease.

He wore a baseball cap, old, frayed jeans and a tight-fitting T-shirt so worn she could practically see through it.

She was simply enjoying the view of barely concealed six-pack abs when the lawn mower turned and crossed the shared lawn. Yep, he was mowing her lawn.

“Mom, the neighbor is mowing our lawn,” David announced helpfully.

“I see that.”

“Can he do that?” David scrunched up his nose.

“What do you mean?”

“Shouldn’t he ask first?”