Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
A fter dropping Livia at the orchard, Declan was way too amped to go back to the inn and straight to bed. He ought to be figuring out his plan for how to tackle all the tasks necessary for the upcoming move. Instead, he found himself reliving that last kiss as he drove aimlessly toward town.
The one on the Ferris wheel had been innocent. Sweet, even. A reminder of who they’d once been to each other. The one on the porch… That had been a kiss between a man and a woman who wanted each other. Who had life experience enough to know what that entailed and were all in. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what might have happened if either of them had their own place or some anonymous hotel room instead of nosy family who could interrupt at inopportune moments. Would they have ended up in bed, naked and tangled, racing toward the conclusion that had seemed inevitable at eighteen? Or would one of them have come to their senses and stopped the runaway train of lust on top of nostalgia?
Probably best they hadn’t had the opportunity to find out.
Finding himself on one of the side streets of downtown that hadn’t been blocked off for the festival, he glanced up to see a light still on in Mick’s apartment above Webster’s Hardware. His brother had always been a night owl. Before he could think better of it, Declan eased into a parking spot at the curb and headed up.
The door swung open almost immediately after his knock, revealing a woman and a dog inside Mick’s place. At least, he was pretty sure the rotund, furry thing that resembled a gray and brown potato with legs was a dog. He couldn’t be sure.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t realize you had company.”
“No, no, it’s fine. This is my neighbor, Juliette Chen, and her dog Derp. Juliette, my brother Declan.”
She offered a tired smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Declan nodded a hello. Given the squished face, slightly bulging eyes, and tongue that seemed to just hang out the left side of the dog’s mouth, Derp was aptly named.
“She had to work late,” Mick continued, “so I was taking care of the little guy for her.”
Juliette scooped up her rotund pooch. “You’re a godsend, Mick. A really great friend.”
Declan noted the subtle flinch from his brother at the “friend” comment. That told him everything he needed to know about this situation.
He stepped back as she moved toward the door with her happily panting furry companion. With another nod of acknowledgment, she crossed the hall and went into the apartment on the other side. As the door shut behind her, Declan fixed Mick with a look.
Mick’s dark brows drew together. “What?”
“Now it begins to make sense.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You feeling the singledom. How long has she shunted you into the friend zone?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He stepped fully into the apartment. “Really? You’re gonna go with that?”
Hand still on the door, Mick offered a bland stare. “Did you just come to bust my chops for random reasons, or did you have a reason for showing up?”
“I saw Livia tonight.”
His brother’s whole demeanor changed, the attitude melting away into a combination of interest and concern. “Oh. Do we need a beer for this conversation?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
Mick retrieved a couple of Yeunglings, and they sprawled on opposite ends of the big faux-leather sofa.
“So? What happened?”
“Kyle made sure I knew she’d be at the festival tonight.”
“Brother, we all knew that. We were ready to press-gang you into attendance if you hadn’t acted on your own.”
Declan paused, the bottle halfway to his lips. “Nice to know where everyone’s loyalties lie. Anyway, we talked. I made my apology and explained what happened all those years ago.”
When he didn’t immediately continue, Mick growled. “You’re burying the lead. How did she take all that?”
“You’re getting as bad as Ari.”
“She’s rubbing off on all of us. Quit stalling.”
“It went… so much better than I thought it would. We ended up hanging out all night, talking, catching up, riding rides. It was very date-like. And it was just like… I’d seen her yesterday. All the old feelings are still there.”
Mick whooped. “I knew it! ”
Declan had to fight back his grin because his own enthusiasm was bubbling just beneath the surface. “I don’t know how much of it is nostalgia and chemistry and how much is something more, but she’s here for two weeks, so it seems like I’ll get the chance to find out.”
“That’s awesome, man. I’m happy for you. When do you see her again?”
He opened his mouth to answer and realized that, after that mind-blowing kiss on the porch, they hadn’t actually made plans. But he’d said tomorrow because he couldn’t imagine waiting more than overnight. And because it was what he’d said every day during their summer together.
“I’ll head back out to the orchard in the morning.” If she was tied up, he could be a grownup and get her number and make proper plans.
“All of this sounds awesome. So why are you here? Because I know you, bro. You wouldn’t just show up to rehash your night, complete with googly eyes. Something’s stuck in your craw about this, so what is it that’s bothering you?”
Was that why he’d come here? Because he needed to talk it out? Figure out what was circling around in the back of his brain now that it wasn’t clouded by feelings?
“Well, her life isn’t here, for one. I’m in flux and getting ready to move here from Nashville in a matter of weeks. Add to that, I’m a single parent. I don’t have the luxury of jumping heart first and risk falling flat on my face.” No matter how much he wanted to. “I’ve got more than me to worry about.”
And so his feet came firmly back down to earth as his adult brain began throwing up all the potential problems of getting involved with Livia again.
“Man, I respect and give you mad props for all your focus on Scarlett. You’re a good dad. But how often have you used your kid as an excuse not to make a move or to take a step or to not do the scary thing?”
The instant clench of discomfort told Declan there was truth to the statement. “Even if that is a little bit true, Livia is different.”
“Sure, she’s different. The way you’ve always talked about her is like she was The One. She’s certainly the one who got away. So what are you gonna do to make sure she doesn’t do that again?”
Hold on and don’t let go.
Ignoring the instant answer that bloomed in his brain, he shrugged. “I don’t know. I have eleven thousand other things I need to deal with this week.” A faint flicker of guilt over the lack of organization around that had him tipping back the beer for another sip.
“Well, you have a week without your kid. And, yeah, you have a lot of shit you need to take care of to get ready for the move. But when are you going to get this shot again? The woman you loved, that you have secretly pined over for more than a decade, is back in your life, willing to give you another shot. That says to me she’s got a lot of those old feelings, too. Which maybe means those feelings were very real on both sides. If I were you, I’d be coming up with every excuse under the sun to spend more time with her. See if this is just nostalgia and chemistry or if there’s a potential for something real. And if there is? Don’t let her go again, man.”
Every cell in his body agreed with Mick. He wanted to jump all in. But he’d learned caution since he’d last done that. If he leapt again, he needed to know she’d be there to catch him.
“For now, I’m just gonna start with breakfast.”
Livia woke slowly, her lips still tingling from Declan’s kiss, her body loose and languid and aroused. Her hand stretched out, reaching for him, wanting to cuddle into his warmth and make lazy love to start the day. When she found nothing but an empty stretch of sheets, she came fully alert, disappointment crashing through the remaining haze of the dream. He wasn’t here. Just like he hadn’t been there twelve years ago for the romantic weekend they’d planned to take their relationship to the next level.
Before she could fall down the rabbit hole of negativity, she scrubbed both hands over her face. Of course he wasn’t here. She hadn’t invited him up. Wouldn’t have, as this was her cousin’s house. God, how would that have gone, if she’d pulled him inside and Abbey had still been sitting in the living room waiting? Abbey probably would’ve cheered them on. How awkward would that have been? Even if she’d stayed quiet and they’d never known she was there, Livia didn’t think she’d have been able to relax enough for any kind of intimacy, knowing Abbey and Kyle were just down the hall.
Getting ahead of yourself, girl .
A couple of truly delicious kisses did not automatically mean they ought to fall into bed. That was just her long-denied libido talking. She’d trusted him enough to be willing to go there once, and life had intervened. After last night, now she understood he’d had reasons. Good ones. But she hadn’t forgotten how it had felt watching day bleed into night, waiting, waiting, waiting, and Declan never showing. Never even sending word that he couldn’t make it.
He’d well and truly broken her heart, and she’d never really gotten over it. That same heart wanted to believe in him now. To throw her immediately back in the deep end so they could pick back up where they’d left off. But his life was complicated, and her brain was going to take longer to get onboard. Yeah, he’d said he wanted to see her again, but he hadn’t firmed up any plans for when or what. She refused to spend her time here waiting around on Declan Callahan like the lovesick teenager she’d once been.
A long, hot shower improved her disposition considerably. Knowing coffee would take care of the rest, she dressed and headed downstairs in search of some. She found Abbey and Kyle in the kitchen, tucked up beside each other in the window seat, looking like a romance novel happily ever after. Feeling like an intruder on what looked like an intimate moment, she hesitated at the threshold, wondering if she should turn around.
Abbey glanced up. “Good morning! We’ve got breakfast at the big house this morning. Mama said she’s making pancakes.”
Kyle rubbed the mound of her belly. “This one can’t get enough of those.”
“It’s the bacon,” his wife pronounced. “See?” She pointed to where her belly vibrated with a thump. “He kicks for bacon. Let’s go.”
Knowing there would absolutely be coffee at the farmhouse, Livia waited as Kyle hefted Abbey to her feet, and they all fell into step for the short walk. The sun hung just over the horizon, washing the sky beyond the orchard in a watercolor splendor that suggested they were in for a beautiful day.
“How did you sleep?” Abbey’s grin suggested she knew Livia had been treated to more than PG dreams.
“Fine.”
Livia definitely didn’t want to talk about her dreams. She still didn’t know what to do with the fact that thoughts of Declan brought as much pain as excitement. She’d learned better than to let herself give in to anticipation. Hope was a dangerous thing. It bred expectations, and expectations led to more disappointment. Better to assume last night was all she was going to get.
Already depressed by the idea of it, Livia hung back as they all trooped into the house and headed for the kitchen, where she could hear the murmur of voices and smell the delicious aroma of coffee.
Aunt Faye turned from the stove, where a small mountain of pancakes already sat on a tray by her elbow. “Good morning, y’all. We’ve got company for breakfast.”
Company?
Livia’s gaze shot to the table. And there, sitting beside Uncle Roy with a mug in his hands, exactly as he had so many times before, was Declan.
“You’re here.” It was exactly what she’d said at the fair last night, but there was that same sense of unreality at seeing him.
One corner of his mouth quirked up in a self-deprecatory smile. “Mornin’. I forgot to get your number last night.”
Uncle Roy huffed in satisfaction. “Told you he was sweet on you.”
If Declan was embarrassed by being called out, he didn’t show it. “I figured I’d take a shot that y’all were all still early risers and come on over.”
“Of course. You’re always welcome,” Aunt Faye insisted. “We love getting visits from our people.”
Something flickered over Declan’s face at the reference to him as one of “our people,” and it occurred to Livia that it had been a brave thing for him to tromp over here like this without knowing how the family would react. So far as she knew, he hadn’t seen or spoken to any of them in twelve years, either. Then again, as locals, they’d all probably known some version of the truth she’d so staunchly avoided all this time.
She was still staring at him, unable to get her brain to kick into gear, when he rose from his seat and crossed to the coffeemaker. He opened a cabinet and pulled down a mug, pouring a cup and adding one sugar and a healthy splash of half and half from the fridge before giving it a stir and bringing it over to her.
“I figure you still need some of your favorite go-go juice to get rolling in the morning.”
Stunned, she accepted the mug and sipped. “You remember how I take my coffee?”
“I haven’t forgotten a thing about you.” The low murmur slid over her like a caress.
Livia wanted to pull him in and claim another kiss as a start to her day. The punch of it would probably be far more effective and a lot quicker than the caffeine. But she still felt awkward about this around her family, so she held herself back, lifting the mug in a toast instead. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t know what your plans were for the day, so I thought I’d swing by early to put in my bid if you had any free time.”
He’d promised her tomorrow and here he was, exactly as he’d said he would be. Her romantic heart sent up a cheer. See? He’s still that guy we loved. Everything from before was just a misunderstanding.
“I don’t actually know what I’m supposed to be doing today. Part of why I’m here is to help with the Harvest Festival.”
Aunt Faye turned from the stove, gesturing with the spatula. “Oh honey, no. That was just a thinly veiled excuse to get you up here for a longer visit. You two go, have fun. Enjoy yourselves.”
Well, obviously, they were on board with the rekindling of this flame. Livia wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she wasn’t about to look the gift of more time with him in the mouth. With a wry smile of her own, she met his hazel gaze. “It seems I’m at loose ends.”
Declan’s grin broadened. “I can work with that.”
“But before you whisk our girl away, you’ll eat. Sit down. There’s plenty to go around.” Aunt Faye skirted around them to set the massive tray of pancakes on the table just as Uncle Mark came into the room, clearly fresh from a shower himself.
“Mornin’, Declan.”
“Mornin’, sir.”
And so it went through the meal. Everyone lapsed into easy conversation, as if it was just another summer workday and Declan hadn’t been out of their lives for more than a decade. Livia didn’t say much. She was too busy splitting her attention between the pancakes and the occasional brush of Declan’s leg against hers—something else that was a relic of times gone by. It still made her giddy, and by the time plates were cleared and the dishwasher loaded, she’d decided not to fight it.
So when Declan offered his hand and asked, “Ready to go?” Livia didn’t even ask where. She simply curled her fingers around his and said, “Yes.”