Page 30 of The Ex Next Door
“You want to see my parents that badly?”
“I love your mother’s cooking.”
“Fine, you go, and I’ll watch the kids.” Declan wasn’t actually joking because he would watch her kids if she wanted him to. It was good practice.
“You want to babysit?”
“How hard can it be? Your kids are angels.”
“Thank you, but they have their moments. I might take you up on that because I’m going to have to start dating at some point.”
“Yeah?”
“Bianca tells me I may as well get out there. Rob already set up a dating profile.”
Yikes. To Declan, that meant maybe Rob had been thinking for a long time about moving on. He was ready. And also an idiot to think he could ever do better than Amy. Declan was still trying, more than ten years later.
“Dating apps aren’t the right place for everybody.”
“I guess I’ll set up a profile and at least try.”
Amy sighed, as though she was talking about how she had to go home and take care of her laundry. A chore. Something necessary but unpleasant. He didn’t want to discourage her because maybe everybody had to get that sort of thing out of their system after a divorce. Finn certainly had even though he hadn’t required the services of an app. His brother was one of the smartest people Declan knew. But those apps were a much safer place for men than women. Asa bartender, he’d heard his share of war stories. Well, he’d worry about Amy later.
As the kids were excused, David walked toward them, grinning.
“Did you have fun?” Amy asked, tipping his chin.
“The coach said I’m a badass,” David said, puffing up with pride.
“Hey, I want to teach you something about that glove. Can I see it?”
When David handed over his glove, Declan laid it out and punched it a couple of times in some key areas. The best way to break in a glove was with repeated use, but this one felt like it had just come off the conveyor belt. He should take it home and season it with some oil or conditioner.
“The trick is this glove is going to have to form to the shape of your hand. Play catch with it a lot in your spare time. Hit it a few times and knead it when you’re sitting down watching TV. It’s going to be your best friend, this glove.”
Declan handed it back to David.
“Thanks, Dec.” He took the glove back and hit it a few times with his fist. “I’m going to practice with my dad this week.”
He exchanged a look with Amy.
“Rob has the kids for a whole week a couple of times this summer. This is one of the weeks.”
Ah, no wonder she was filling out profiles and accepting dinner dates to his parents’ home on a Saturday night. Amy Holloway was lonely. The thought pinched his chest far sharper than he wanted it to. He didn’t want to care about his ex-girlfriend being alone. That wasn’t part of this. She was pretty and attractive, sure, but he was already dating someone. Plus, she wouldn’t want a round two with him even if she liked his family.
Declan drove home, pushing away intrusive thoughts of Amy filling out dating profiles and meeting married men on the make, or worse. He had to protect her from that, but how, and was this even his responsibility? No, it was not, but he still felt protective over her. She was far too easy of a mark for the wrong man. Amy had always believed the best of people, though he considered both he and Rob had proved her wrong more than once.
Declan noticed the sedan parked in front of his house and recognized it as Samantha’s immediately. Perfect. He needed this now, a diversion from Amy, and how she’d been wearing a hot pink dress today that accentuated her hourglass figure. There had always been something special about Amy. It was that single almost undecipherable element that once made her the first thought on his mind in the morning and the last in the evening. It happened the first time he ever laid eyes on her. But he couldn’t let her infiltrate his thoughts and life again just because she was right next door, in his line of sight, messing with his head.
No, Declan. We’re not doing this again. No more FOMO.He was going to stick with a relationship and try. A real effort. Just like in the old days with Amy when somehow, they made it work for a while even when the odds were against them.
Samantha was by his side before he got out of the driver’s seat.
“Hey there.”
He accepted her hug and a quick kiss, hating the way intrusive thoughts of Amy clawed at him almost instantly. It was only because he’d just seen her, wearing a short dress, and now here was Samantha also wearing a dress. There was nothing wrong with Samantha and he only wished she had a little more confidence in herself. Then again, maybe shesensed his thoughts were running to Amy. He quickly gave himself a mental slap.
“I thought we could hang out a while.” She held up a six-pack of beer. “I brought refreshments.”
