Page 32 of The Wish List
She shook her head as she followed him through the crowd. “I don’t think the issue is that I don’t know people. I think the issue is they don’t like me.”
“I like you,” he said, turning to face her like they were the only two people in the world. “Does that count for anything?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her mouth suddenly bone dry. “Yes, it does.” Her gaze snagged on a movement behind him. “Ugh. Greg is here.”
Declan continued to watch Beth. “Does that bother you? Do you want to leave?”
She drew in another deep breath, then released it with the sensation she was pushing out more than just air. “I want to stay.” She hoped he understood that the part she didn’t say out loud but meant from the bottom of her heart was that she wanted to stay because of him.
Whatever was between them couldn’t lead anywhere, but she would enjoy the moment just the same.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
BETHWOKEWITHa start later that night and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. One fifteen. What had woken her from the amazing—if shockingly intimate—dream she’d been having about Declan?
For a moment, she wondered if her nocturnal fantasy might be real, but a glance at the empty side of the bed confirmed she was indeed alone.
She still couldn’t believe how easy she’d found it to ignore her ex-husband in favor of Declan, even though Greg had tried to get her attention in a number of ways while loudly carousing with a couple of the young scrub techs from the hospital.
She and Declan had left Champions after one drink—a soda for him, she’d noticed—so that he could collect Timmy and Zach from her sister. Of course, Trinity and Freya had taken great enjoyment in teasing about her new potential love life, although she assured them that they were making something out of nothing.
Beth had never been a fan of make-believe fantasies before tonight.
The sound of voices brought her back to the present moment with a gasp. There was somebody in her house. What was she supposed to do now?
She quickly got out of bed and grabbed a hardcover book off her nightstand, the first thing she could get her hands on that might act as a weapon.
She’d gotten in the habit of charging her phone in the kitchen overnight because she wanted her bedroom to be a device-free zone. Stupid health-conscious habits.
Adrenaline and panic whirled within her. Where could she hide?
Her midcentury bungalow didn’t have walk-in closets, although she’d thought about converting one of the guest bedrooms into one now that she was in the house by herself.
Closet size hadn’t mattered when she and Greg bought the place. To Beth, it had felt like a house that would be good for a family.
She glanced toward the window. She was on the first floor, so maybe she could escape into the backyard and...
She paused at the sound of a crash followed by a muffled curse then laughter. She recognized one of the voices speaking. Her panic immediately transformed to anger. She stalked into the living room to find her ex-husband struggling to take off his loafers as he stumbled around the living room, knocking into furniture.
Even more than having Greg back in her house, Beth was shocked by the sight of Declan standing in the doorway watching him.
“What is going on?” she demanded.
Greg gave her the lopsided grin she no longer found cute. “Hey, Elizabeth who’s not Elizabeth. How’s it hanging?”
“Greg, what are you doing here?” She looked at Declan, who seemed to be as stunned as she felt. “What are the two of you doing here?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I headed back to the bar to help out after the twins went to bed. Champions was slammed tonight. It was closing time and this guy...” He hitched a thumb toward Greg. “Was in no shape to make it home on his own, so I offered him a ride.”
“You brought him here?”
“He told me this was his house.”
“Itismy house,” Greg said. He’d given up on the shoes and had lowered himself to the couch. He stared at the floor, his hands cradling his head like it was too heavy to stay up on its own.
“It isnotyour house,” Beth reminded him. “I don’t understand why you still have a key. If I had known you were going to break in, I would have changed the stupid locks, Greg.”
“Beth, come on. Don’t be that way.”
