Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
DECLAN
By Wednesday, I’ve got movers scheduled, a cleaner lined up to get the condo ready in Chicago, and I’ve started packing. I’m still not thrilled over this outcome, but it makes the most sense.
What I haven’t done is tell Susie.
The sooner I tell her, the better, but at the same time, telling her the day before we leave would leave less room for … I don’t even know.
A fight? Fewer tears?
I’m her dad and should know the answer here, but my daughter loves to surprise me every chance she gets, and some days, I have no idea what I’m doing.
I park my truck outside Luca’s house and get out.
Susie is with Max and Ruby for the next couple of hours while I enjoy boys' night.
The last one of the summer for me.
I knew this plan would suck for Susie, but to be honest, being back in Lovers has meant more to me than I thought. I wasn’t a popular kid growing up, and I did have friends, but none of them treated me the way Ashers do.
The way the people of Lovers do.
The only positive is that I’ll be closer to work and can give it more attention to get this deal over and done with.
Of course, it leaves me more room to easily fall into old habits I don’t want, too.
I sure as hell hope the next few months go fast, and I don’t just mean that for Susie.
The front door opens before I reach it.
“Tell me you changed your mind,” Luca says.
“I wish, man.”
I pass him and head to the living room. Everyone is already here.
Miles, Hudson, Dutton, and Linc, who is Sadie’s brother and Hudson’s best friend.
And all of them are looking at me.
“Oh-kay. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Hudson sighs. “We just think it sucks that you’re leaving.”
“I’ll be back,” I offer, but it doesn’t help.
“You’re still going to meet us in Vegas, right?” Luca asks.
I nod.
“Of course.”
“I would quote you a price to stay at the lodge for the summer, but we’re booked out into fall,” Dutton offers. His family owns Lovers Lodge, the place this town is most known for.
“I’d say you could crash here,” Luca says looking around the room at all the boxes, “but Shay just sold her place and is still unpacking, and the fact she’s officially moved in excites me.”
“Stop.” Miles groans.
“What? I’m in love.” Luca grins and sits.
“Hasn’t she been living here since you two got engaged?” Dutton asks.
“Not officially, but yeah.”
“What’s the difference?” Linc asks.
“All her things are here now. Not just some of them,” Luca answers without missing a beat.
“Fair point, and just so you know, I did check to see if any new rental listings showed up today. There weren’t any.”
“Thanks,” I say to Linc. Given that he and his dad own the only real estate company in town, they would know if anything came up.
“Maybe we should talk to Ruby again,” Luca says, but no one replies.
A timer from the kitchen dings, and Linc jumps up. “I’ll get the pizza.”
“Thanks. Look, I think it’s safe to say your sister isn’t going to change her mind. She was pretty clear on her feelings on Sunday, and that’s okay. It’s her house.”
“Luca caught her by surprise. I’m sure if the idea was brought to her in a different way, she’d at least hear you out,” Hudson says.
“She won’t change her mind,” Miles adds.
“I think she might,” Luca argues.
I glance between Ruby’s brothers. All three see a different side of her.
But no matter what they think she might or might not do, and no matter how hard I’ve tried to fix whatever I did wrong, Ruby Asher doesn’t care much for me.
There is no way I can change her mind and convince her in less than a week to let me move in with her.
“Look, I really appreciate all the help and concern, but you’ll barely notice I’m gone.”
Linc walks in with the pizza cut into slices on a floral serving dish.
Everyone pauses and looks at Luca.
He chuckles.
“I told you that Shay has all her things here. Hence the flowers.” He grabs a slice and then leans back. “So, who’s ready for our first hoops game of the summer next week?”
“Are we ever ready?” Miles asks.
“I’d be more ready if we hadn’t let Luca pick the team name.” Dutton glares at him and takes a bite of his pizza.
“I’m sorry.” Luca’s voice is laced with sarcasm. “The Air Balls seemed fitting since we kind of suck.”
“For who?” Hudson asks, and everyone laughs.
Yeah, I’ll definitely miss nights like this.
The fact that I take the time to walk down my driveway, take the sidewalk in front of Ruby’s yard, then turn up her driveway, all as her gaze tracks my every step from her seat on her front porch, is a dead giveaway that I’m avoiding something.
That something is telling Susie that we’re going to move back to the city for the summer. If Luca stays on track, we can move into our new house just after Labor Day. So that’s already a week shorter than expected.
Still, it’s going to sound like a lifetime to my daughter.
I would ask Ruby if she’s told Max, but I have the feeling she hasn’t.
If she had told Max, he would have absolutely mentioned it to Susie by now. Those two talk nonstop when they are together.
“Do all boys' nights end with you frowning the way you are?” Ruby asks, her tone slightly teasing. I’m sure she intended an insult in that question somewhere, but I’m too distracted to find it right now.
With a sigh, I drop into a rocking chair on her porch.
“No, they don’t. Tonight, however, I have to tell the number one girl in my life that we are moving for the summer.”
I’m not sure why I just admitted that to Ruby. Our thing is snappy comments and heavy sarcasm with a side of an eye-roll. Not … deep front porch conversation.
Then again, Ruby is aware of my situation, and with our kids being besties and all, I’m sure she does have an interest in my choices.
She closes the book in her hand and flips it over, setting it next to her before she sits up straight.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
My gaze shifts from the coverless book that she clearly took the wrap off to her eyes. Under the moonlight, there is a flicker of gold in them.
They’re captivating in ways I could never admit to her.
Maybe this move would be good for me, too, in this sense.
I could finally stop thinking of her and treat her as just Max’s mom.
“Yeah. Is it about how we're about to break the hearts of the two nicest kids in this town? How our summers are about to be filled with dramatics of how we ruined all their fun?”
Ruby’s lips tug into a smile. It puts me off guard for a moment.
Making Ruby smile isn’t something I do often.
“It’s the opposite.”
My brow lifts as I lean back and wait for her to go on.
“I …” She looks away, picking at something on the blanket covering her legs. “I thought it over, and the idea of you and Susie moving into the basement isn’t … the … worst.”
I rub under my nose to hide my smile.
I bet that was just as painful for her to admit as it was to hear coming off her lips.
“Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You were very against it when Luca brought it up.”
“I was caught off guard, Declan.”
I chuckle. There’s my snappy Ruby.
“Well, that’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to impose, and telling Susie will be—”
“It would actually be doing me a favor, and I know you don’t owe me any, but this is me extending an olive branch. I don’t want to ruin Max’s first full summer here just as much as you don’t want to pull Susie away from this place.”
“Yeah, but moving in together is a big deal.”
“Only if we make it one.”
I study her. The way she’s relaxed into her seat, one leg crossed over the other, bare foot dangling in the air. Outside of the initial delivery of her offer, nothing about her posture right now suggests she’s uncomfortable with this as she focuses on me.
“You’re sure about this?”
She lets out a big sigh.
“I mean, it’s a crazy idea, but it’s not permanent and …”
This time she looks away and starts to chew on her thumbnail.
“And …” I prompt her.
Her hand drops, and she groans. “And I get the feeling you chose to move back here for a reason. As someone who made a similar choice, the idea of leaving again—”
“Makes you sick to your stomach?” I finish for her.
“Yeah.”
I don’t want to come off as too eager, but this offer, even coming from her, feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
And I haven’t even given her my answer yet.
“I can’t promise I’ll be all roses and sunshine each day,” she admits
“I wouldn’t expect anything other than you being you, Ruby.”
Her gaze narrows. “Right.”
“You’re really offering me an out?”
“I’m offering myself an out,” she says without missing a beat.
I grin then stand up.
“Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I move to head into her house to grab Susie, but then stop.
“Hey, you know what?” I ask.
“What?”
“I bet that you and I are officially friends by the end of the summer.”
She ignores me and opens her book.
“Maybe even best friends.”
“Don’t make me regret this.”
I chuckle and head inside.
This summer just got a whole lot more interesting.