Page 76 of Hearts on Ice
Meghan poured a glass of wine and pushed it in front of him as Evan clapped him on the shoulder.
The kids came barreling in then. “Uncle Declan!”
He had the foresight to push his wine glass away from the edge of the counter as he crouched to embrace his niece and nephew, holding on maybe a little longer than usual so he could compose himself enough to smile at them.
“Surprised?”
“Yes! This is the best!” Tristan said, really loud, right in Declan’s face.
“Is Colby here?” Nicole asked.
Declan shook his head. “You just get me today.”
“Come play with us.” Tristan tugged his hand.
Declan stood. As much as he loved his family, he didn’t have the heart to play with them just yet. He really wanted to talk to his brother.
“I will, in a bit. I think your dad and I are going to go pick up dinner.”
“Can we come with you?” Nicole asked, giving a little hop as she held onto his other hand.
“Nah, not enough room in the truck We’ll be back soon.” He sent his brother a meaningful look over the top of their heads, and Evan nodded, setting down the glass and picking up the menu.
Meghan made a sound of frustration. “Or you could order and have it delivered.”
The brothers looked at each other and Evan’s shoulders lowered a bit as he picked up his phone and the menu. “What does everyone want?”
While they waited for the food to be delivered, Declan took the kids out to kick around the soccer ball in the backyard, though the night was pretty cool. Evan had illuminated the yard enough that they could play even though the sun had gone down. Declan felt bad he hadn’t lived up to his promise to attend one of Tristan’s games, so maybe this would make up for that.
He hated the clench of longing he felt when he looked at the deck and remembered sitting there with Colby just a few days ago. As stressful as that confrontation between her and his mother had been, she’d been in his arms.
“Uncle Deck!” Nicole cried, just before the rubber ball smacked him in the face.
“Time to eat,” Meghan called from the door, and Declan was the first in the door, picking up his abandoned glass of wine on the way to the table.
As he’d done the night he came to talk to Evan about the contract, he played a game with the kids and read them a story before they went to bed, before finishing his conversation with Meghan and Evan at the kitchen table.
“I kind of feel like I’m a lot of drama for you guys,” he said as he refilled his glass with what looked like a new bottle of wine.
“I’m sorry if we make you feel that way,” Meghan said, leaning forward to refill her own glass. “We really are worried about you.”
“Yeah, I know. Why didn’t I just stick with the contract?” He motioned with his glass. “Or beter yet, chase her off when she first arrived?”
“Is that really what you would have preferred?” Meghan asked, and both brothers turned to her. “What? You were happy, Declan. Are you going to deny that?”
He swirled the wine in his glass on the table, staring into the whirlpool he created. “Thought I was. Thought she was.”
“And she said, what, about her manager showing up?”
“She asked me to let her explain.”
“And you did, right?”
He looked up at his sister-in-law. She knew he hadn’t.
She leaned her elbows on the table to face him. “Okay, I know I’m probably the last person you thought you’d hear this from, but she’s changed, Deck. She’s not the same woman she was then. She’s matured, gotten more serious. She’s thinking more solidly about a future for two, not just her own wants.”
Meghan was right—he never expected to hear that from her. “Why do you say that?”
