Page 14 of In this Moment

“Don’t sayit.”

“I’m sorry, Evie. I’m just trying to let you know where we stand. That being said, I don’t think he’ll get full custody. Not after eight years of being absent. But we should try to be ready for every eventuality. I think it might be different if you were married or in a serious relationship. Not different so much,” Russ continued. “But it would help you build your case for a solid family environment for Jonah. I know it doesn’t seem fair, but…”

He kept talking, but Evie stopped listening. Instead, she was looking out the window at Declan McCormick, who still stood outside. She couldn’t be sure he was there to see her, but he was still there chatting with passersby as he lingered at her doorstep.

He was a niceman.

He was handsome.

He seemed to likeher.

She likedhim.

The idea formulated so quickly she didn’t have time to think about whether it was a good one or not. She simply opened her mouth and said, “Would it matter if I was engaged?”

“Pardon?” Russ sputtered and almost choked over the word. “Engaged? As in, to be married?”

She nodded, her eyes not leaving Declan. “Yes. I don’t know why I didn’t think to tell you earlier, Russ. Maybe because it all happened so quickly, but I’m very recently engaged.”

The lie slipped out easily. Too easily.

“Oh. Well. How recently?”

“Earlier this morning, actually. He asked right before I called you. It’s all still quite hard to believe.”

“Well,” Russ said again. “I guess congratulations are in order. Can I ask, who is the lucky gentleman?”

Evie swallowed hard and smiled when at that exact moment he turned around and made eye contact through the window. “Declan McCormick.”

“Good morning,” Dec said when Evie finally opened the door to her shop. “I’m sorry if I interrupted something. I thought you were open atten.”

Evie waved away his apology and led the way into the shop. “I am,” she said. “I just needed to make a phone call so I thought I’d take a few minutes so I could have some privacy.”

He’d seen her on the phone. Sitting on the floor while she was on the phone. It was strange to say the least, but Declan was used to strange behavior from women. At least, his little sister Chelsea had some strange habits as well. But with Evie, he’d gotten a sense that maybe something was wrong. She hadn’t looked happy with whomever she was talking to on the phone.

Declan didn’t ask, because after all, it wasn’t any of his business. Besides, she was smiling now. Even if she did seem a little preoccupied.

“I’m glad you came by.” She leaned against the counter. “I’m really sorry I had to rush out of lunch yesterday. It was so nice of you and your mom to let us sit withyou.”

“It was our pleasure. We really enjoyed it,” he said. “But that’s actually why I came by.” He handed her the bag and the coffee. “This is foryou.”

“For me?” She took thebag.

“Well, you rushed out of there so quickly yesterday you didn’t get any dessert yourself.” He grinned as she opened the bag and saw the cinnamon bun. “I know it’s not from Scott’s Stop and I’m sure Scott has some great desserts, but how can you beat one of Suzy’s cinnamon buns, right?”

“Thank you.” She closed the bag and set it aside. “That will be a delicious reward later after getting some work done. It was really sweet ofyou.”

“It was nothing.”

But it wasn’t nothing, because seeing the smile on Evie’s face and knowing he’d been the one to put it there was everything. As much as he tried to tell himself to stay away from the woman, she had an irresistible pull that kept him coming back formore.

“It was really sweet.” She swallowed hard and he could see she was struggling with something. “In fact,” she said after a moment. “I was wondering if maybe you’d liketo…”

Dammit. If she was going to ask him out, he wasn’t sure he had the willpower to say no. He wanted more than anything to take her out on a proper date and maybe at the end of the evening he would have the chance to slide his hands through her hair, cup the back of her head and pull those sweet lips toward—no.

He couldn’t let that happen. He could not mess with a single mom. It wasn’t fair. Not to anyone.

“Evie. I really like you,” he said before she could continue her thought. “And I really like spending time with you, but I think you should know that I’m really not the relationship type and I’m afraid that going out with you would be the start of something that wouldn’t end in a way that would be very…” He couldn’t finish because as he spoke, her pretty face had crumpled and tears slid down her face. Her entire body shook but she didn’t make any effort to console herself.

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