The word pressed on his chest, but Declan stood stone-still, because the old guy probably wasn’t wrong about that.
Max gave the comforter a good pat. “I’m all set now, son. Thank you for your time.”
Declan took one step back, still processing. This was more than your run-of-the-mill, granny-induced romance intervention. Everyone in his family knew the two matriarchs fancied themselves as matchmakers, but this? This was way bigger than an arranged date.
“Yes?” Max asked when Declan didn’t leave. “You have more to say on the subject?”
So much more. “Max, I could never…do that and not want to be part of…everything.”
“That’s what Finnie said. ‘He’s an honorable lad,’” he mimicked. “Fine. Be honorable, then. That beautiful woman downstairs was born to be a mother.”
He honestly couldn’t argue with that. Evie was a natural nurturer, but she’d funneled all that into animals. Was he wrong in thinking that was enough?
“And Finnie said you’ve done nothing but act like a father for half your life.” He lifted his straggly brows. “Maybe it’s time you be one for a change.”
Did he really think that was something two people could just do? Didn’t he realize the monumental responsibility involved?
“So.” Max dragged the single syllable out. “Time’s a-wastin’, young Mahoney. And I’m gonna kick the bucket any day.” He closed his eyes. “Tell Evie I’m not hungry. And maybe bring Judah up. I think he’ll be good company. Thank you, Declan.”
This time, he couldn’t deny the dismissal as Max closed his eyes. But had his silence meant agreement to this old man? Because he sure as hell wasn’t…
A baby?
That would be insane. Impossible. Life-changing and rule-breaking and not the way things were done. Not to mention the fact that Evie really didn’t need him in the scheme of things. And he sure as hell didn’t need…
Hell. He didn’t know what he needed. In the space of a few hours, his whole life had tilted sideways.
Max started snoring, so Declan walked out, so dazed he practically walked into Evie carrying a tray.
“He went to sleep,” he told her.
“Of course he did. Well, I’ll put this by his bed, and then we can finish getting Judah set up.”
“He asked that we bring Judah up here.” Among other strange requests.
“Really? Huh.” She nodded as she went into the room and quietly set the tray on a table near the bed. While Declan stood in the doorway, she smoothed Max’s comforter and tucked it around him, suddenly looking very…maternal.
Good God, was it really Declan’s fault she didn’t have her own family?
“Judah here with you? You’re full of good ideas, Granddaddy,” she whispered, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead.
He was full of ideas, that was for sure. Good, crazy, laughable, and balderdash, whatever the hell that was.
She stood, took a minute to adjust the shutters to darken the room, then joined Declan at the door.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said with a raised, teasing brow.
That was the terrifying thing. He was. Might not think about anything else. “Think about…”
“Leaving without telling me what he wanted to talk to you about.” She tugged on his T-shirt sleeve, pulling him into the hall. “I won’t rest until I know.”
She wouldn’t rest if she did.
* * *
It was the house. It had to be. What else could have made Declan change from the easygoing, warm, present man he’d been all day, to the one who suddenly seemed…distant?
“I guess bringing him here was a mistake,” Evie said when the last of the supplies were unloaded.
“Because he needs bags of food the size of a football field?” He lowered the sack of dry food to the laundry room floor. “I doubt he’ll eat it, anyway.”
“I can make him plain chicken,” she said. “No dog turns down chicken, and he needs to eat. And that’s another reason I didn’t want him crying in a crate. He’ll eat once he gets comfortable here.”
“You think he can?”
“Eventually.” She eyed him as she leaned against the washing machine, trying to decide if honesty would make him disappear for twenty years again. Because even when he got quiet and cool, she didn’t want Declan far away. “But I didn’t mean him being here was a mistake. I meant you.”
His broad shoulders rose and fell with a sigh. “I’m fine,” he said.
Really? Because he’d changed so dramatically in the last half hour. “I guess this can’t be easy for you.”
“No, no, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
He leaned over to pick up some kibble that had fallen from the top of the bag, suddenly preoccupied with cleaning up the laundry room. “Just trying to…” He blew out a breath. “Anyway, I better get back to Waterford, or I’ll miss dinner completely,” he said.
“You can have dinner here.”
He looked at her, a storm she didn’t understand brewing behind his eyes. “That’s okay. You have enough to worry about.”
“You can’t leave until you tell me why Granddaddy wanted privacy,” she said playfully, trying to lighten the mood. “He goes on these crazy kicks about things he wants to give people in his will. It won’t upset me if he mentioned dying, because he says that all the time. Did he offer you his prized fishing rod or something?”
“Something,” he said vaguely, looking at his watch.
“Okay, then.” She pushed off the washer, the sting of his rebuff zinging up her spine as she turned to walk out. “I guess we’re back to chilly exchanges and brick walls for us. Fun while it lasted, though.” As she started out the door, his fingers clamped on her arm, stopping her.
“Evie.”
She turned, meeting his gaze, which was…tortured. Why? The house? Granddaddy? Her? What could make him look so utterly torn? “What is it?”
“My grandmother was here.”
The non sequitur—or what seemed like one—threw her. “I know. I let her in, along with her friend Yiayia.”
“Do you know why?”
“Um, actually, I do. The
