“Are you serious?”

Declan knew his family would be surprised to hear he’d proposed to Evie.

No. That was an understatement. He knew his family would not only be surprised. They’d also be pissed off, happy, angry, excited, and sad, all at the same time. Some of them feeling more of one emotion than the others.

Chelsea had opted for pissed off as her emotion of choice. “How could you be engaged to Evie Rose, and I didn’t even know you were dating? That’s bullshit, Dec.”

He sat on the couch in his brother Ian’s living room. He didn’t bother defending himself. At least not to Chelsea. She needed to run her course before she’d hear anything he had to say.

“How could you not say anything?” She ranted. “I mean, Declan, come on! It’s me. For God’s sake, you had to know we’d be happy for you. I’m your sister, Dec. Your sister.” She threw up her arms and paced to the other side of the living room, giving one of the other siblings a turn.

“Dude.” Mitch shook his head. “Evie?”

Declan nodded. “Of course, Evie. Always.”

“You just finished telling me that you couldn’t date her. Remember?”

He remembered well. It had been less than two weeks ago when all four brothers had been hanging out on the docks at Dockside, waiting for Evie to pick up Milena and deliver her for Cal’s big romantic surprise. Mitch had outright asked him why he wasn’t asking Evie out on a date when it was clear he was attracted to her. Declan’s reply to his brothers had been truthful.

“She has a kid.”

“I know and Jonah is a great kid. Do you have a problem with kids?”

“No.” Declan jumped up and paced to the edge of the dock. “Not at all. I just know it’s not easy for a single mom to date is all and I need to be respectful of that and of what I can offer before I offer anything at all.”

“That sounds pretty cryptic.”

“It’s just a date,” Ian said.

“No.” Dec shook his head. “I don’t think it could be just a date.”

Looking back, it had been strange foreshadowing for what had happened earlier that day. Declan was right. It could never be just a date with Evie.

Apparently it had to be an engagement.

It had been less than twelve hours since he’d proposed and he already had to remind himself that it wasn’t real.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Declan said. “I meant what I said.” He looked down at the table and tapped his fingers. “I’m not dating her.” He looked up at Mitch. “I’m marrying her.”

Declan hated lying to his brother, but he’d promised Evie and it was a promise he was going to keep. The stakes were too high.

“It just came out of left field,” Ian said. “I mean, you guys didn’t even have one date, did you?”

“I just finished telling you I could never have just a date with Evie.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Cal said. “How do you get engaged without ever dating? It’s not right.”

“It’s not wrong.” He’d had enough of sitting there listening to his family rant. He could take a lot—heck, he expected to take a lot—but there was a limit to it too. “Listen,” he said, addressing his family. “I’m sorry if this has taken you all off guard. I know you think we should all share everything all the time, but some things don’t need to be shared.”

“Dec, it’s not that—”

He shook his head, stopping Cal from continuing. “I don’t want to hear any more.” He knew he had no right to be upset with his family, not when he was standing there lying to their faces, but he couldn’t help it. They didn’t know it wasn’t true, and not one of them was supportive. Not even when he’d been nothing but supportive of each and every one of them with all of their relationships. He pushed up from the table and shook his head. “I can put up with a lot from you guys, but I’m done with this today.” He turned to Mitch. “I didn’t say a word about how you got engaged and married all in the same night after just finding out you’re going to have a baby with a woman you just met, did I?”

He didn’t give him an opportunity to answer before he shook his head. “No,” Dec said. “I didn’t. Except to congratulate you.” He turned to his oldest brother. “And you,” he said to Ian. “After all the drama you and Gwen went through, you proposed to her in front of everyone and what did I say?”

“You congratulated me.”

Declan nodded. “I did.” He looked to his youngest brother next. “And didn’t I help you with your romantic gesture with Milena?”

“Yes,” Cal agreed. “You were nothing but supportive.”

“Exactly.” He ran his hands through his hair, trying not to get angry. “Why can’t you guys do that for me? Why can’t you just unconditionally accept this?”

Declan didn’t wait for an answer. He stormed out of the front door, letting it slam behind him. It’s not that he had anywhere to go. He was staying at his brother’s house. But he needed the fresh air. At least for a few moments.

He walked to the edge of the drive and sat down on the big boulder that marked the house. Declan never lied. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been dishonest, especially with his family. He hated it.

It made his stomach sick.

He dropped his head into his hands and tried to slow his breathing. The ends would justify the means.

They had to.

“Declan?”

He sat up at the sound of his mother’s voice. She’d sat quietly while his siblings had given him a hard time, but hadn’t said a word.

But he wasn’t surprised to see her. No doubt she had an opinion on things.

“Can I sit?”

He nodded and made room for her on the boulder.

“You stormed out of there pretty dramatically, Dec,” she said when she was settled. “You’re not usually the dramatic one. That’s more Cal’s department, don’t you think?”

That made him laugh, but only for a moment. “I was mad,” he said when the laughter died. “I still am.”

“I don’t blame you.”

That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. His head whipped around so he could stare at his mom. “What?”

She nodded. “I mean it, Dec. I think if I were you, I’d be mad, too. Family should be supportive. No matter what your decision is.”

“Exactly.”

“But I can appreciate how they might feel hurt, too. After all, you can imagine what a shock this is for them, right? I mean, marriage is a huge commitment, Declan. It’s not to be taken lightly or played around with.”

He swallowed his guilt. “I know.”

“And you have to know that your brothers especially feel that way, too. So for you all of a sudden to be engaged when there was no mention of you and Evie even dating, it’s a little unusual, don’t you think?”

“Of course.” He couldn’t meet her eyes. “But don’t you think that’s why they should be even more supportive? I mean, they’re all in love. They understand how it feels when you just can’t wait to be with someone and you want to move quickly. At least they should.” He mumbled the last part under his breath.

She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “They will. It’s just a shock. They’ll get over it and it’ll be fine. I think they’re just feeling a little bit left out because you didn’t include them in this the way they did with you.”

Guilt stabbed at his stomach. If they were upset now, they were going to be really upset when they heard the truth. Declan pushed it from his mind. He’d deal with that when it was time. They would understand.

Hopefully.

“What about you?” It occurred to him that his mom hadn’t yet said anything about what she was feeling. Maybe that was a good thing and he shouldn’t rock the boat. But it was strange. He always had a very close relationship to his mother. For her not to say anything was unusual to say the least. “What do you think about all of this?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, leaving a strange look on her face.

“I don’t know what to say, Declan,” she finally said. “All I’ve ever wanted is to see my boys happy and settled down with someone they love. A mother worries about her boys. Especially when they’ve lived through such a…well, such a defining moment in their own parents’ relationship. There’s always a concern that something like that will impact your children when it comes to relationships of their own.” Declan couldn’t remember his mother ever bringing up the situation before. After that night, they’d never really talked about it. She’d chosen instead to move forward.

“Of all the boys,” she continued, “I think I was the most concerned about you, Declan.”

“Me?”

She nodded with a soft smile. “You’ve always had so much love to give and you gave it freely to the world with your foundation. But when it came to love…well…you’ve always seemed a little closed off to the idea. I wasn’t sure you were ever going to let yourself get to that place and allow love into your heart.”

His mom was exactly right. Maybe even more so than she even knew. But there was no way he was going to tell her that because despite the engagement, he still felt that way.

“But, I guess I was wrong.” She laughed and the solemn moment was over. She slapped her knees and stood. “And as far as your brothers go, they’ll be fine. All you need to worry about now is you and Evie and that little boy of hers. That should be your priority now.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

She gave him a hug and left him alone to think about what she’d said.

It wasn’t until later, after he’d gotten in his car, foregoing the option to go back inside and see if his brothers were in fact fine, and on his way to Evie’s that he realized although his mother hadn’t been upset with him, she also hadn’t congratulated him either.

---

“Good morning.” Evie stood next to the foot of the couch and held out a steaming cup of coffee. She felt bad about making him sleep on the couch the night before, but she’d been taken off guard when he’d arrived at her doorstep and told her he needed a place to crash for the night.

In hindsight, it made perfect sense for him to be there. Especially now since she had a ring on her finger and likely by sundown last night the entire town would have heard about the proposal.

If she was honest with herself, having him sleep on the couch was more about reminding herself that the ring on her finger wasn’t real and that everything he’d said to her when he’d proposed had been acting. Evie needed the reminder, because dammit if her heart hadn’t flipped a little bit when he’d kneeled down and slipped the diamond on her finger.

Okay, it had flipped a lot.

She watched him as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his neck. No doubt he’d have some kinks to work out. She’d fallen asleep on the couch a few times in the past, and it definitely wasn’t the comfiest place to sleep. Finally he sat up, looked at her and smiled.

“Well, isn’t that the best way to wake up?” He took the offered cup of coffee. “A beautiful woman and a hot cup of coffee. I can’t think of anything better.” He inhaled deeply and took a sip.

“I wasn’t sure how you drank it.” There were a million things Evie wasn’t sure about. “I guessed.”

“Black.” He nodded his confirmation. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Evie twisted her hands awkwardly. Unsure of what to say or how to proceed or…of anything, really. “I’m sorry about the couch,” she said. “I know it’s not the most comfortable place to sleep, but I didn’t—”

“It’s fine.” Declan stood and stretched his long, lean frame. “I probably shouldn’t have just shown up like that. I guess we’ll have a few things to work out.”

She nodded, grateful that he understood. But why wouldn’t he? Declan understood everything. He was unbelievably compassionate and giving and…no. She needed to stop thinking of him that way. They were friends. This was an arrangement.

But that kiss.

Reliving their kiss had kept her up last night. Playing back in her head. The way his lips felt. The way he’d tasted. The way his arms held her protectively.

She blushed just looking at him, remembering how her fantasies had progressed as she’d laid awake in her bed with him in the next room.

Evie turned away and swallowed hard. “I’ll make some breakfast. There are fresh towels in the bathroom if you want to freshen up first.”

“Perfect. I have a change of clothes in the car.” She turned to look at him in question and he laughed. “It’s an old habit from being on the road so much. I always keep a backpack ready to go. It’s come in handy more than once over the years working all over the place.”

Of course.

“Jonah probably won’t be up for another hour or so. I thought it would be a good idea if you…”

Her words trailed off because he took a step toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Why was she so nervous with him now? Nothing had changed between them.

Or everything had changed.

“Don’t worry.” He squeezed her shoulder gently while his thumb moved in circles on her bare skin. “We’ll figure out how this is going to work.”

She nodded.

“Just don’t worry, okay?”

She nodded again, and this time forced a smile when all she really wanted to do was throw herself in his arms again so he could hold her the way he had the day before. Evie couldn’t remember ever feeling as safe and protected as she had when Declan held her.

Her body yearned for it.

But he turned and disappeared to freshen up, so she did the next best thing that she could. She went into the kitchen to cook the biggest breakfast she could.

---

It didn’t take her long to have a stack of pancakes and a plate of bacon warming in the oven. She’d just cracked the first eggs into the pan when there was a knock at her kitchen door.

Evie flipped the dishtowel over her shoulder and turned to greet her early morning guest. It was likely a friend of Jonah’s wanting to get an early start on a day of summer fun. It didn’t matter how many times Evie told them that Jonah liked to sleep in, they still showed up—but it wasn’t a friend for Jonah.

It was Tony’s shape she saw through the sheer curtain of the glass kitchen door. Evie froze.

What could he possibly want so early in the morning?

If she could ignore him, she would. But he’d seen her. Besides, the sooner she got rid of him, the better. Before Jonah got up.

She swallowed hard, pulled her shoulders back and opened the door. “Tony.”

“Good morning. Can I come in?”

She started to shake her head, but Tony stepped forward and to avoid contact, she instinctively backed up.

“I heard the good news.” He glanced down at her left hand. “I actually witnessed it,” he clarified. “I supposed congratulations are in order.”

“They are.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Thank you. Why are you here, Tony?”

“I want to meet Jonah.”

She knew it was coming, but the request still took her off guard. “Now?”

“Is he here?”

“Of course he’s here,” she snapped. “This is his home.”

“Right.” Tony looked around, unsure of what to say next. “It’s nice.”

Evie wasn’t in the mood to make small talk. “He’s sleeping.”

He nodded. “So later?”

The last thing she wanted to do was introduce Tony and Jonah, but it wasn’t about what Evie wanted. Her son came first. He always had. He always would. He should meet his father. It really was the right thing to do.

“Okay,” she agreed. “At Dream Puff’s. I’ll be there with him at eleven.”

Tony nodded. “We’ll be there.”

“We?”

“Me and Lauren.”

Evie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, willing Tony and this entire situation to just go away. When she opened them, he was still there.

“Eleven,” she said simply.

“Right. And then can we talk about him coming to—”

“No.” She held up a hand. “We aren’t going to talk about anything else. I’m letting you meet him, Tony, because that’s what’s best for him. He obviously doesn’t remember the handful of times you managed to come around when he was a baby, but he knows about you and you are his father. It’s the right thing to do. But I spoke with my lawyer, and he told me what you’re trying to do.”

“About that, I—”

“No,” she said again, praying that her voice wasn’t shaking. She was only barely holding on to her emotions. “I’m not talking about it with you right now. Russ, my lawyer, will handle it.”

“Evie.” He took a step toward her. “I think maybe you and I could—”

“Smells good in here, babe.”

She didn’t see him come into the kitchen, but the sound of Declan’s voice behind her was a welcome relief. A moment later, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his very hard, very bare chest, still damp from the shower he’d obviously just come from. It took her a moment to realize he was only wearing a towel around his waist, a fact that would have registered far differently if Tony hadn’t been standing there.

Declan nuzzled briefly into her neck and whispered, “It’s okay,” before placing a tender kiss below her ear. He straightened up, and with one arm still wrapped protectively around Evie, he offered Tony his free hand. “Declan McCormick, Evie’s fiancé.” He shook his head with an easy laugh. “That feels so good to say.”

Tony, obviously taken off guard, took a moment to recover before he took Declan’s hand. “Tony Clarke, Jonah’s dad.”

Evie flinched, but Dec didn’t miss a beat.

“Ah yes. I did hear something about you wanting to meet your son now.”

He delivered the line with such ease that all Tony could do was stammer out a weak, “Yes.”

“Oh, babe. Smells like the eggs are done.”

She immediately felt the loss of his heat against her when he moved to the stove to take the pan with the obviously ruined eggs off, but she was consoled by the view of Declan from the back in only a towel. Fake fiancé or not, he was damned nice to look at.

“Looks like breakfast is ready.” Declan turned to Tony, who still stood, dumbfounded, by the door. “Is there something else you need today?”

“Dream Puff’s?” Tony looked at Evie for confirmation.

She nodded. “Eleven.”

“Okay.” Seemingly recovered from Declan’s interruption, Tony flashed a toothy grin. “See you then.”

As soon as he left, Declan crossed the room and wrapped her up in a hug. Evie didn’t even realize she was shaking until Declan’s arms held her tight. He didn’t say anything, just held her, and she drew strength she didn’t know she needed from his embrace.

He didn’t rush her, and when she was ready, she pulled back.

“So, Dream Puff’s at eleven?”

“You don’t have to go.”

“Yes.” He looked her straight in the eyes. “I do. Besides, I want to be there.” He reached for her and cupped her chin with his hand. It was a move so gentle and so intimate, Evie wanted to close her eyes and sink into it. “I told you I would help you, Evie.” His thumb rubbed lightly on her skin. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. We’re in this together. I’m not going to leave you alone in this.”

She closed her eyes and for the briefest moment allowed herself to believe it was real. That Declan really was her fiancé and all of this was real.