Page 4 of The Ex Next Door (Charming, Texas #8)

Why yes, he probably should. Or not. Truthfully, Amy was a bit out of touch with neighborly rules.

In her previous neighborhood, everyone minded their business.

The most neighborly thing she’d ever seen Rob do was roll up the recycling and garbage cans for their next-door neighbor once a week when he did their own.

When he wasn’t in town, Amy would do it because she figured they’d grown accustomed to the nicety.

It was no trouble. Declan was mowing his lawn, and just crossed over the boundary.

“He’s just being neighborly,” Amy explained.

“But this is our lawn,” David said. “Daddy should probably do it. Right?”

Rob wasn’t here, however. He lived in an apartment where he didn’t have to worry about such things. Amy imagined he wanted a bachelor pad where he could pretend at least for a few days a week that he wasn’t a family man.

Amy tipped David’s chin. “Honey, Daddy isn’t going to be mowing our lawn anymore. This is our place, remember?”

David frowned. “He doesn’t mind.”

“Probably not, but the thing is, I’m going to be mowing the lawn from now on.”

This got Naomi’s attention. “But you don’t know how to turn it on. Remember that time you tried, and Lou had to come over and turn it on for you?”

“That’s not the point. I learned how.”

One of the gifts Rob had given her, if you wanted to call it that, was becoming adjusted to being a single mom in slow and small bursts.

Of course, she didn’t know she was doing it at the time.

But he’d gone on his share of business trips, and she’d managed just fine without him. Now she’d do it permanently.

“I better go and thank him.” Amy set her coffee mug down on the kitchen counter and walked outside.

With his back turned to her, Declan didn’t see her and would be unable to hear her, so she waited. The seconds ticked by, and Declan shut the mower off and began to wheel it back toward his house.

“Declan!” Amy shouted.

No response.

Amy continued, a little louder, cupping her hands around her mouth to make it a loudspeaker. “Thank you for doing that but you really don’t have to. In the future, I’ll take care of the lawn.”

Still no response. Rude. She ran up to him and touched his shoulder.

“So, Declan! Hello? ”

He turned to her, removing the earbud. “Oh, hi. I was listening to a podcast.”

That at least explained the rudeness. “I wanted to thank you. For yesterday and for, just now, with the lawn. But you—”

“You’re welcome!” He grinned. “I really don’t mind. I was already going to do my lawn so I thought I’d give you a hand. You must be busy unpacking. It’s not that I don’t think you can do it, but I’m trying to help.”

He’d left her a bit speechless. She did have a lot of unpacking to do.

As soon as the kids left with Rob for the weekend, she was going to set up their rooms. She had plans to put up posters, new sheets, comforters and curtains and make them into rooms they’d be happy to sleep in.

Amy firmly believed an environment could increase happiness levels. Bright colors and flowers.

Declan’s phone buzzed and he put up a finger. “I’ll call her right back. That’s fine. I have a date with my girlfriend tonight and she’s probably wanting to confirm.”

“Your girlfriend?”

“Maybe it’s too soon to tell, actually. Two dates. We’re going out tonight for number three. I have high hopes, I guess.” He shrugged.

Declan? He had high hopes for a third date? Oh, right. Sex, probably, on the proverbial third date. But, she wouldn’t know about that. Her pattern was more like four months of dates, with both Declan and Rob. Two. She’d had two lovers in her entire life and married one of them.

Maybe two couldn’t be called a pattern.

Declan smiled at her. “You’re not the only one who wants a couple of kids running around.”

Amy’s jaw surely dropped. “Really? You want a couple of kids?”

“A least two, maybe three, if I’m lucky.”

Amy resisted lecturing him on being sure he wanted to be married, and stay married , especially after children.

It wasn’t any of her business, plus, Declan had waited so maybe he was ready.

A lot of people said she and Rob had been too young to have kids in their early twenties.

They were right about Rob, but not about Amy.

She was happy to be a young mother and only wished she hadn’t married a jerk.

“Well, I wish you luck.”

You’ll need it, she wanted to say. Okay, no , Amy.

You’re not going to do this. You’re not going to join the bitterly betrayed club of divorced single moms. Be nice.

Declan wanted to fall in love and get married.

It was a worthy goal. At least he wasn’t stuck in an eternal adolescence, or like Rob, feeling that he had to revisit the one robbed of him.

“Thanks!” He and his lawn mower turned to go, but then he stopped. “And if you ever need anything, I mean anything at all , please let me know. Walk right over.”

“Okay.”

She would. Amy wasn’t too proud to understand she might be in over her head.

Help would be welcome, even from the ex next door.