Page 23 of The Ex Next Door
When they’d split, Rob swore there was no one else. It was immature and childish, but she didn’t know whether Rob wasalready dating someone new. She and Declan weren’t dating, and never would be, but Rob didn’t have to know that.
“Your ex? Quite a blast from the past.”
Rob sounded unconcerned but what did she expect? He’d only be jealous if he still had any feelings left for her. She was silly to play these games with her ex-husband and resolved not to do this again. They were both going to have to move on and be adults about this.
“He’s been a good friend to me.”
“Well, I agree it can’t hurt to have him help coach David. He’s got to be good for something, right?” Rob chuckled, as if this was their private little joke. “But I’ll be doing most of the coaching, of course.”
“Of course.” Amy snorted that time. One good snort deserved another. “But naturally, Declan is a gifted athlete so it’s a great opportunity for David.”
“This is just for fun. We don’t needDeclan Sheridanto train our son for the majors.”
“He’s not.” Amy heard herself defending him. “All he wants is for David to have fun and learn to excel at a sport. That will give him confidence, which will spill over into everything else in his life.”
She bit back Declan’s other less-than-charitable comments about soccer or any other sport besides baseball.
In the end, Amy found waitressing not that different from mothering with the marked difference of being on her feet far longer. Also, her customers weren’t adorable and darling children she’d birthed but demanding adults who didn’t like waiting a second too long.
The restaurant was set up so that there was a bar area with some seating and a limited food menu, split from a full-service grill. She worked as a cocktail waitress for the bar sideof the restaurant, and on weekends, according to Debbie, they were slammed. Good for tips, not so good for her feet.
“Here we go.” Amy settled four drafts on a table.
“Finally!” one of them said. “I was about todieof thirst. Next time I’ll order something simpler than abeer.”
How sweet. He sounded like her nine-year-old son.
Amy smiled, thinking,You overgrown child. Go home to Mommy now.
If he ordered a sandwich, she might be tempted to cut it into triangles for him.
“Y’all just holler if you need me.” She took her tray and was headed back to the station when a couple of women flagged her down. “What can I get for you?”
“Diet soda for me,” a beautiful blonde said and then held out her hand. “I’m Samantha. You and I have a lot in common.”
“Really?” Amy smiled, taking her hand.
She could use some friends. These two women appeared to be out for a girls’ night. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been out with the girls. It was possibly for Bianca’s thirtieth birthday party in which Rob behaved as though he should receive a commendation for watching his own children the entire evening so Amy could join her friends for a few precious hours. But those types of girlfriend celebrations didn’t happen often anymore. She missed them.
“Declan told me he got you the job. I know you were his first girlfriend, and I’m his latest.” She smiled. “Well, and possibly his last.”
“If he shapes up,” the equally gorgeous woman across from Samantha said. “I’m not sure he deserves you.”
This must be the girlfriend Declan had mentioned who didn’t trust him like Amy always had. She wanted to help Declan the way he’d helped her.
“You are so lucky,” Amy said. “Declan is a great guy. He cares so much and he helps everyone. When I moved in next door, he carried in our heaviest boxes. He—”
“You livenext door?” Samantha said. “He didn’t mention that.”
“Yes, my children and I are renting the house. It’s…my mother found it…”
“What about your husband?”
“I’m divorced,” Amy said, bringing her tray up to her chest like a shield.
Samantha’s friend’s eyebrow quirked up and her mouth pursed. With that reaction, you would have thought Amy had said, “Declan has a really nice ass.” This had all gone sideways on her somewhere along the way. Maybe they thought of her as some wanton divorcee, plying single men to her house to help unclog sinks and maybe get a little action on the side.
Please.Her?She could barely spelldivorcee.
