Never Been Ready (Ready #2)(71)

His eyes widened.

"He told you?" Clare exclaimed, knowing all about my long, arduous ploy to get Declan to tell me his favorite movie.

It had taken months, but I'd finally gotten him to break down.

"Oh yeah, and it's good. Not something he'd want to share with his man buddies over there," I said, pointing to Logan and Colin.

Colin had his arm slung around his wife as he just laughed, and Logan gave me a goofy grin. They really, really wanted to know.

"What are you talking about?" Connor asked, coming from the playground with Maddie in tow.

"Declan's favorite movie," I answered, giving Declan a sly grin.

"Oh, you mean that movie, The Notebook?" Connor said.

Seconds after he'd said it, the backyard exploded. Logan and Colin doubled over in deep masculine laughter. Declan cursed, and all the women in the vicinity gave a collective sigh. I found it sexy that he loved that movie. It was seriously romantic...but for a dude, it wasn't a typical movie to love.

"Can't. Fucking. Breathe," Logan bellowed, clutching his side, before letting loose a string of jokes that addressed Declan's masculinity or the lack thereof that had the entire backyard in an uproar. I had to admit, it was pretty damn funny.

"I'm going to get you back for this, Matthews," Declan promised.

"Uh-huh, are you sure you can? I mean, don't you have a pedicure to go to or something? And besides, I really don't think I have anything that can top that, but I'd love to see you try."

"Oh, really?" Clare challenged. "I believe there's a frilly apron in there you love to use when cooking. Should I go get it and share?"

Logan went white, and it was Declan's turn to laugh.

"You use an apron, dude?" Declan chuckled.

"It keeps my clothes clean! And it's Clare's! I just use it because it's the only one we have." Logan pouted, making him look ridiculously handsome in a boyish way.

The entire time this was going on, Connor stood next to me, watching with a big grin on his face. Three months ago, if he'd said something like that and this had all happened, he would have run out of the room, worried that he'd ruined the party with his slip-up. But today, he was relaxed, and he understood we teased in good fun.

We all sat down at the picnic table after piling our plates full of food. Connor sat in between Declan and me.

Declan gave him a little nudge. "Last time I tell you anything, Little Man."

Connor giggled as Declan tried to pinch his side.

"I didn't know it was a secret!" Connor laughed again.

"Just remind me of this day when we meet your first girlfriend. I'll be sure to return the favor with something equally embarrassing," Declan said.

~Declan~

Dinner was finished, and I went wandering through the house in search of Connor. I hadn't seen him since we sat down to eat, and then he'd run off with Maddie to play again. I loved these visits I had with him —except for the end when I had to give him back. I hated that part. It reminded me of the f**ked-up situation I was in —the fact that I still couldn't tell him who I was, the fact that my son was being raised by someone else, and the fact that he still thought of me as nothing more than a close family friend. I was basically the family equivalent to an uncle.

I understood Sarah and Devin's reluctance. I did. I was just impatient. Connor had made such strides in the last few months. Every obstacle he'd faced, he had overcome. It hadn't been easy.

There had been days he'd spent with us where he would still cry and ask, "Why? Why her?"

I couldn't answer that for him. I didn't know why his mother had been taken so early in his life. Despite our falling-out, Heather had been a good person. I knew she'd made mistakes, and I hated that I couldn't get the first seven years of Connor's life back. Did I wish things were different though? Hell yes. If I could take his pain away, even at the cost of not knowing him, I would do it in an instant.

I found Maddie and Connor in the hallway downstairs, looking at old photos. There were photos of Clare and Logan, baby pictures of Maddie, and a few of Ethan, Clare's late husband. I thought it was cool of Logan to honor Ethan's memory. I wasn't so sure I'd be as accommodating as Logan was, but then again, I wasn't in his situation, so I guessed I'd never know. We all did what we had to do to love the person we were meant for, and Logan was doing just that. "That's my other Daddy. He's in heaven," I heard Maddie say to Connor.

I hung back, ducking into one of the spare bedrooms, curious to see their interaction.

"My mommy is in heaven, too," Connor said.

"Maybe they're friends!" Maddie suggested brightly, bringing a slight smile to Connor's face.

"Maybe. That would be cool. Was your Daddy nice?"

"He was really nice. He used to surf and take me to the beach when I was a baby."

"My mom liked the beach, too, so maybe they are surfing together in heaven."

"On pink waves!"

"Why would the waves be pink?" Connor asked.

"Because it's heaven. Duh," Maddie said.

I had to suppress a chuckle.

"Hey, look at this picture. That boy looks just like you!" Maddie said, pointing to a picture on the opposite wall.