Chapter Four

I couldn’t help but stare at Declan sitting across from me. It was like I had been transported back in time. My parents acted like no time had passed. They were as in love with him now as they had ever been. Momma couldn’t get enough information out of him.

“Where are you staying? I hope nearby.”

Declan wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I rented an apartment in Charleston off the river. Not sure where I will end up permanently.”

“I do hope it’s in Indigo Bay.” Momma was laying it on thick. “Melanie’s been looking at homes in the area, maybe you could look together.” It was the first time she sounded happy about me moving out.

I picked up my glass of ice water to take a sip. “Momma, I’m sure Declan doesn’t need my help.”

Declan gave me a smile that should have been illegal before turning to Momma on his left. “That’s a great idea, Mrs. D. No one knows the Bay better than her.”

“It’s settled then. You two kids always worked well together.”

Uh, didn’t I have a say? I looked at Daddy to intervene, but as much as I had him wrapped around my finger, Momma enveloped him.

Daddy gave me a little wink. “When it comes to those things, a woman’s opinion is much appreciated.”

Declan lifted his glass. “Hear, hear.”

Oh, I had some opinions. I narrowed my eyes at a smiling Declan. “You know I’m not even sure I’ll be staying in Indigo Bay.”

Momma swatted at me. “That’s nonsense talk. Of course you will. Our baby needs to live close to me.”

It was our baby, not my baby. I didn’t mind. I loved that my parents loved this baby.

“When are you due?” Declan asked.

“End of July,” Momma gushed, not letting me answer. “And tomorrow we find out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Declan grinned at Momma’s exuberance. He raised his glass one more time. “To Mel and the luckiest kid around.” He was good. He had Momma tearing up and Daddy patting him on the back like a long-lost son. Even my little one did what felt like a somersault in response.

All I could do was give him a small smile and turn to my food. I wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but I was obviously losing. That became more apparent as lunch wore on and he charmed my parents.

When we were eating our cake, he went in for the kill. “I was wondering, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon, if I could take Melanie for a walk—after I help with the dishes, of course.” His Southern manners were out in full force, which was saying something for a man who had been raised as a Yankee. His family was originally from New York. And where did he get off asking my parents? I was a grown woman. I had been married and everything.

Momma placed her hand across her heart. “You are the sweetest thing alive. Don’t worry about the dishes. Rich and I can take care of them. You kids enjoy your walk.”

That’s how I found myself walking out the lower-level patio door to the pool area with Declan. Glancing up at him I saw glimpses of the boy I used to know. He had a laid-back soul and was even tempered for the most part, with a few exceptions. One being the night I didn’t accept his promise ring. His reaction surprised me. I thought he would have understood. I thought he knew how I felt about him.

We walked past the clear blue water of the pool. The waterfall gently rushed in the background. I admired the oasis our backyard was. Palm trees dotted the space, adding to the aura of it. I particularly loved the hammock that swung between two of them. It had been a favorite spot for the boy next door and me.

That boy was smiling over at me. “A lot of good memories happened here.”

I put my hands in my pockets and nodded.

“Do you remember the welcome party you threw me?”

I did. I thought it would be nice if he got to know some people before school started, and admittedly, I wanted to check him out in swim trunks. I wasn’t disappointed. Halle, Heather, and I all drooled over him. Looking at him now, I bet he would look even better. But I couldn’t think about it.

“That was fun.” I slipped off my shoes before we exited through the gate that led to the wooden pathway and past the dunes and beachy grass. I loved walking barefoot through the sand.

Declan opened the gate for us. “Why do I get the feeling you’re only taking this walk with me to appease your parents?”

I met his eyes and sighed. “What did you expect after all this time?”

His lips pursed. “I don’t know. I’ve wanted to talk to you for so long, but I never thought I would get the chance until yesterday. I didn’t know you were back in town and . . . divorced.” He seemed embarrassed to add that last part.

“Did you even know I was married?”

The tips of his ears turned red. “Your mom sent my parents an announcement.”

“Oh.” I should have figured.

“You were a beautiful bride.”

We sent announcements after the fact. Greyson wanted a quiet destination ceremony in Hawaii with only a few close friends and family. And it’s not like we needed the typical newlywed gifts. Greyson was more than set. “Thanks.” I bit my lip.

“You still bite your lip when you’re nervous.”

I gave him a small smile.

“Please just give me a few minutes of your time?”

His charm got to me. “I suppose I could spare a few minutes.”

He grinned and closed the gate. We walked toward the almost uninhabited beach. The perks of living off a private beach, though once summer arrived it would become more crowded. For now it was just a dad with two of his daughters flying a kite in the spring air. Every time I saw children now, I thought about how that would be me soon. I was going to add flying a kite to the list of things I would teach this baby of mine.

Our walk was quiet until we were several yards from the house.

Declan looked at his old home as we walked in its direction, the wind breezing through our hair. “I thought my parents were ruining my life when they told me we were moving down here for my junior and senior year. Then you and your mom showed up with cookies.”

I remember not wanting to go with her, but she insisted, and was I ever glad she did when Declan opened the door. It was instant attraction. Then the more I got to know him, I found him to be as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside. Until he left me crying. I was over it, I really was. But being in his presence brought back the memories of the hurt. And I was still dealing with the disappointment of my failed marriage. At least Greyson’s despicable actions didn’t have me wondering what if, or pining for a lost love. Declan, on the other hand, had me wondering for a long time if I made the right decision. And I pined over him for longer than I cared to admit.

He looked out into the distance. “You made those some of the best years of my life.”

“They were a lot of fun.” Parties and bonfires on the beach, traveling together for cross country, proms and formals, kisses in the moonlight, sneaking out past curfew just to spend an hour more with him. There was a small cove a quarter mile down the beach where we would meet. We were headed that direction now.

“It was more than fun for me.”

For me too.

He picked up a broken shell and examined it before tossing it into the ocean. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

He stopped and I followed. His blue eyes owned mine. “You were right to reject my proposal.” He let out a huge breath. “It took me a while to understand why and to see where you were coming from.”

I studied him for a moment. He seemed relieved to get that off his chest. I turned back toward our walk, wondering how smart I really was.

“Does this mean I’m not forgiven?”

I shook my head. “Declan, it’s been long forgiven.”

“I wanted to tell you several years ago, but I wasn’t sure you would ever want to see me again after the way we left things.”

I pushed back his accusatory words of that night long ago. “I hurt and surprised you.” I surprised even myself. “It’s water under the bridge.”

He grabbed my hand, and with that came a peaceful familiarity. It was shocking how good it felt. “Do you mean that?” His eyes pleaded in one breath, and turned playful in the next. “I mean, you will be my Realtor after all.”

I pulled my hand away. It felt too comfortable in his. “I’m sure you can find your own place.” I edged closer to the water and let the waves wash over my feet as I walked on the wet sand, letting it squish between my toes. The water was still cool this time of year, but bearable.

Declan kept in step with me. “It wouldn’t be as much fun, though.”

“I’m still not sure where I’ll end up.”

“Even better; we’ll take our time and explore.”

“I didn’t say I needed your help.”

“It’s only fair, if you help me.”

“I didn’t say I would.”

He nudged me. “You know you want to.”

“For someone I haven’t seen in almost twelve years, you’re more than presumptuous. Don’t you have a girlfriend that could help you out? Or your mom or sisters?”

“My parents are living in San Diego now, Colleen lives in Dallas with her family, and Erica is currently overseas with her husband in Thailand. And I’m between girlfriends.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t have one.”

That surprised me. “You could get a real Realtor.”

“Come on, Mel. Are you going to make me beg?”

“I can send you some links.”

“That’s a start. You’ll need my phone number and email.” He pulled out his phone. “Just give me yours and I’ll text you.”

I leaned away and eyed him. The view wasn’t bad at all. My baby kicked me, reminding me I was a mother-to-be and not some hormone-crazed teen admiring a lost love. I held my mid-section.

Declan followed my hand. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. It’s the baby’s favorite time of day to move.”

His eyes filled with admiration. “Motherhood looks good on you.”

“Now that I’m not puking every day, I love it.”

“I can tell. Now give me your number.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“I can always get it from your mom.”

She would definitely make sure he had it by the way she and Daddy were behaving. “Fine.” I prattled off my number.

“This is the hardest I’ve ever had to work for a woman’s number.”

I’m sure he had women slipping him their number all the time.

We were almost to the cove. The place where it began and ended.

He noticed too. “Remember we used to race there?” There was a mixture of sweet and sorrow in his tone.

“You go ahead. I haven’t run since I found out I was pregnant.” The exhaustion mixed with vomiting and the turmoil left no energy for such things during the first trimester. Walking and swimming were my only forms of exercise now.

“I’ve already got my training in for the day.”

“Training for what?”

“Spartan Races.”

“What are those?”

“You’ve never heard of them?”

“Should I have?”

“I guess only the cool people know about them,” he teased.

“I think if you are still using the word cool, it means you aren’t.”

“There’s a little of the Mel I knew.”

That Mel was long gone, replaced with the realistic version. “So are you going to enlighten me?”

“I thought I would keep you in suspense a little bit longer.” He was still his lighthearted self.

A smile escaped.

“I missed your smile.” That didn’t sound lighthearted at all. It sounded like regret.

“You aren’t the only one.” I missed my smile too.

“I’m sorry for whatever you’ve been through.” He focused on my baby bump.

I wondered how much Daddy told him about my divorce. “Don’t be. It was all for the best. Now tell me about these Spartan Races.” We needed to change the subject. I had this urge to bare my soul to him and it was discomforting. The connection I had always felt with him crept up to the surface. It had from the first day we’d met, but I figured it would be long gone.

The light brightened in his eyes. “They’re obstacle races. The last one I did was eight miles long with over twenty-five obstacles.”

“What kind of obstacles are we talking about?”

“You know, crawling under live barbed-wire, carrying fifty-pound sandbags up and down huge flights of stairs, scaling cliffs without harnesses—”

“Are you teasing me?”

“No, ma’am.”

“You do this for fun?”

“Yeah, and to stay in shape. My next race is in a few weeks in North Carolina.”

“Wow. Good for you.”

“Spectators can come.”

“Is that so?”

“I just thought I’d throw that out there.” His smile warmed me up in a way I hadn’t felt in a very long time.