Page 4 of In this Moment

“It’s not your fault, Chels.”

“I know.” She shrugged. Chelsea did a good job pretending it didn’t bother her, but Dec could see it did. She’d finally been accepted by Ian and Mitch, but Dec knew the way Maureen looked at herhurt.

He crossed the room and gave her a quick hug. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll talk to Mom today. Just to see how she’s feeling about it alland—”

“You don’t have to dothat.”

“I know.” Declan smiled. “I want to. I want us all to be a family.”

Chelsea shook her head. “You’re sucha—”

“Don’t say it.” He held up a hand. “I’m not nearly as good as you all think Iam.”

She tossed her head back and laughed. “You know we’ll never believe that, Dec. You’re a good man. So damn good it hurts sometimes to look at you. But we love you for it. I’ve said it for years and I’ll say it again—you’re going to be the best husband oneday.”

He shook his head and looked away. He hated it when any of his siblings brought up how he’d be a great husband one day. He’d tell them all to drop it if he thought it would make a difference, but he knew it wouldn’t. They’d only dig in if they knew it was a sensitive spot forhim.

Instead, he shrugged it off and tried not to make it a bigdeal.

“I don’t know about that, Chels,” he said. “I’d have to convince someone to marry me first.”

Chelsea hopped off the counter and wiggled her eyebrows in his direction. “Oh, something tells me it wouldn’t be too terribly hard to convince a certain pretty boutique owner that you might be worthit.”

Evie.

Declan had a million things to say in response, but none of them made it from his brain to his mouth. Instead, he stood there with what was probably a stupid look on his face as Chelsea sauntered past him, blowing him a kiss before she disappeared from the room once again.

The idea of marriage or even a relationship was definitely a sensitive spot with him because it was never something he’d thought seriously about. He’d made his mind up early on that he was never going to be in a serious relationship, and marriage was completely out of the question. It had never bothered him before when his siblings teased him about being alone, or being too busy, or too picky or whatever else they thought was the reason he was still single. Not until recently.

Ever since coming back to Cedar Springs, their teasing had bothered him. But only because for the first time in his life, he might be allowing himself to think that he’d been wrong to hold love at arm’s length for so long. And that was all because of one particular boutique owner, just like Chelseasaid.

Evie.

Evie and her perfect sweet smile, her delicate fingers, and those pretty pink lips that were just begging for—no!

There was a reason he didn’t date. A goodone.

And not even Evie Rose could make him change hismind.

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