The fact that Connor still didn't know who Declan was killed him. Declan wanted to tell him, but Sarah and Devin had asked for six months. It was difficult on Declan. He was developing this amazing relationship with his son, but it was based partially on a lie. By the end of the summer, we would fulfill the time requirement, and then we could tell Connor.
"Hey, where's Goober?" I asked, noticing Garrett's absence and the obvious void in our little family.
"He said he had something for work, so he couldn't make it." Logan shrugged.
"On a Saturday afternoon?"
"I don't know. He does work a lot," Clare answered.
"I'm worried about him. I don't think he's had a date in months, if not years. He doesn't do anything but work, and it's beginning to show. He looks tired and worn out all the time."
Clare nodded in agreement. "I know. Me, too. I've tried to talk with him, but he brushes it off, saying he needs to put in the time to move up. He says he'll have time to do everything he wants to do later when he's higher up the ladder."
"I don't think it's a career choice. I think he's purposely avoiding something. Work is just a happy accident that keeps his mind occupied," I said, holding up my glass to my face in a vain attempt to cool myself down.
Backyard cookout in the summer? Whose dumb idea was this?
Oh yeah, mine.
"But what could it be though?" Clare asked.
"I don't know, and I doubt he'll tell anyone. Keep an eye on him, and if it gets worse, let me know. I'll force it out of him if I have to," I said.
The men wandered over to the grill, pretending to cook, as they drank beer and laughed. Clare and I took a seat on the patio where a fan had been plugged in, and we sighed as the cool wind blew in our direction.
"Guess what?" Clare said before sipping her sweet tea.
I didn't know how she stomached the stuff. I knew I was born and raised in the South, but I couldn't stand it. It tasted like simple syrup with a bit of tea thrown in for color. Yuck.
"You really do think I look fat in this dress?"
"No!" She giggled. "You look gorgeous as always. You need to take it down a notch and give the rest of us a fighting chance."
"Oh, please. Do you see the way your husband keeps looking over here? He's staring at one of us, and it's definitely not me. I'd say you have it going on and then some."
She smiled as she quickly glanced across the yard, catching Logan's heated gaze. His hair had mostly grown back, and it was back to his messy signature style.
"You were going to tell me something before you started eye-fucking your husband?" I teased.
She blushed and laughed. She tore her eyes away from Logan and focused back on me. She was the color of a cherry red tomato, and she probably would be for the next five minutes. No amount of embarrassment ever went unnoticed on Clare's fair skin.
"Yes! I'm going back to work! I start back this fall," she said excitedly.
Clare, in her former life —before Ethan had become sick and it had become too hard to take care of him and work at the same time —had been a high school history teacher.
"That's great! Is Logan excited?" I asked.
"Yes, it was his idea. He knew I was lonely in the house now that Maddie is in school. My mom will have to pick her up from school since the high school runs a bit later than her elementary school, but I will still be able to be here with her in the late afternoons. I honestly can't wait to get back into teaching."
"That's great. And hey, think of all the teenage boys who will have crushes on you! That will be a boost to the ego when you hit the big three-oh," I joked.
She threw a napkin at my face, and we continued to talk until Declan came over, announcing dinner.
"I cooked a mean steak, snickerdoodle. You have to try it."
"Nope."
"Nope to the steak or the pet name?"
"The pet name. It's awful. Call me that again, and I swear to God I will tell Clare right here in front of all our family and friends what your favorite movie is," I threatened.
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.