Page 58 of The Ex Next Door
Amy stood outside and waved as Rob and the kids drove off, then she strolled over to Declan’s house.
The door was slightly ajar, and she let herself in since she could hear the TV blaring. Still, no Declan watching ESPN. Instead, the announcer spoke enthusiastically to no one who cared. Amy flipped the remote off and continued walking.
“Declan? Dec?”
She didn’t find him in the kitchen, or the back bedrooms. There was only one place left to look and she found him outside in his yard, halfway up a fence, trimming the branches of a cherry tree. It was such a domestic picture she had to adjust her eyes by blinking into the bright sunshine. She cupped a hand over her eyes to give her shade. Yep, that was Declan. If she didn’t know any better she’d wonder whether he was auditioning for the part of future husband. She used to beg Rob to take care of these gardening chores, especially after the time she’d fallen off a ladder and bruised her temple. Instead, he’d hired a gardener since he couldn’t be bothered.
Declan wore a backward baseball cap, a thread-bare Astros T-shirt tight enough to accentuate every muscle rippling and low-rise jeans. Each time he reached higher, the jeans stayed low around his hips and the tee went up, showcasing tanned, taut skin. She’d bet he didn’t have more than 10 percent fat on that body.
He turned when he heard the back door slapping shut and his big smile made her heart kick up.
“Hey.”
She walked to meet him halfway when he climbed off the ladder, dropping the clippers on the ground.
“Hey yourself. What if I told youmytree needed trimming?”
“I would say let me at it.” He grinned. “Are the kids gone?”
She went into his arms. “Yes, and I came over to see if I might get a clue about what we’re doing so I can dress accordingly.”
Declan pressed his chin to the top of her head. “If you dress for an afternoon on the water, you’ll be fine.”
“We’re going to the boardwalk?”
“Near the water, but that’s all I’m going to say.” He twirled her, and his gaze swept down her body. “Dayum you look good, Tinks.”
She was wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt, which she’d thrown on this morning after a quick shower. “Thank you, sir. So do you.”
“I still have some errands to run and some prep to do for tonight.”
“Sounds like you’re going through a lot of trouble. Don’t worry about impressing me. I haven’t been on a date in… Hmm, actually, I forgot.”
For a while, she and Rob had instituted a “date night,” but after he’d had to cancel several times because of work travel, it fell off the radar and never came back on again.
“It’s not too much trouble. You’re worth it.”
He kissed her, threading his fingers through hers. It was official. Declan made her feel not only wanted and desired but beautiful and…new.
Chapter Seventeen
Declan didn’t know when he’d ever been this excited about a date. Possibly never.
“How much longer?” Amy asked from next to him in the passenger seat. “I still think this is just plain silly.”
She wore a red bandanna tied around her eyes because he didn’t want her to have clue one where they were headed until they were seconds from embarking. Even if she thought this was silly, she’d been a good sport about it. At this point, she could probably already smell the marina. Thanks to Finn, Declan was able to get a chartered boat on the cheap. Practically free, particularly when they were using him as a guinea pig for their latest model. They’d been wanting to offer a dinner cruise on the bay for a while, which would involve multiple couples. But tonight, they were flying solo. Just him and Amy. Everything was ready for what he hoped would be a great night and a memorable first date.
Considering his actual first date with Amy, years ago, had been at McDonald’s, anything would be an improvement. This was already miles ahead of anything he could have pulled off at seventeen.
He maneuvered into the marina parking area closest to Nacho Boat Adventures. “Not yet. I’ll come around.”
“Good grief,” Amy said, reaching for him when he openedthe door. “I can smell the bay and I can hear the waves. What are we doing? Going fishing?”
“Not quite,” he said, holding her close and pulling her along.
When they reached the gangplank, he steadied her facing the catamaran. “Okay. Here we go. You can take it off now.”
“Oh.” She made a little sound in the back of her throat that sounded like a mix of surprise and pleasure. “We’re going on your brother’s boat?”
