Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

CHARLOTTE

T eddy finished his next taco in two bites, then stood to grab more.

I was fascinated by how quickly he was eating them.

I made a move to help him, but he waved a hand in my direction. “You cooked. I can serve myself.”

My cheeks were flush from drinking some of the margarita while I was cooking.

There was something about Teddy moving around my kitchen that made me hot and bothered. If this was a date and he’d brought me flowers, I might have melted on the spot.

I definitely would have thrown my arms around his neck when I saw him on the porch and kissed him. I was demonstrative, and holding myself back was physically painful. It’s why I touched his arm so often. I preferred physical contact with my friends, and I was precariously close to more than liking this man.

Everything he told me about himself had me wanting more. He was so much more than a grumpy guy who was focused on work. He had a strong work ethic, but he also loved his family. He’d do anything for them .

It was such a stark contrast to my family situation. My mom revolved around the needs of my father, not her children.

As a kid, I’d relied on my brother, Cole, being there for me. As a teen, he’d spent more time with our cousins at the Monroe Christmas tree farm. Then I was on my own, and I had to make the best of the situation.

I nibbled on my taco, feeling floaty from the alcohol. I wished Teddy was here for me. That he wanted to spend time with me. And that it had nothing to do with work.

Teddy settled in the chair across from me with three overstuffed tacos. “Is this okay?”

I swallowed hard. “Of course.”

“I don’t want to eat you?—”

My face flamed as I imagined his face between my legs. Would he be as attentive with a woman as he was with everything else? I was positive he would be.

“Out of house and home.”

“That’s not going to happen. I like feeding people.” My face flamed hotter. Did he have any idea what I was thinking about? Probably not because his mind wasn’t in the gutter.

He gave me a confused look. “Is everything okay? You look flushed.”

I jumped up. “It’s hot in here, isn’t it?”

“Is the furnace pumping out too much heat?” Teddy looked like he was ready to go fix something, so I hurried to say. “It works just fine. I’m just warm from the alcohol.”

“Ah,” Teddy said and ate half of a taco in one bite.

I continued to take small bites of mine, conscious that he was watching me eat. His attention was different than other men. I could feel his focused gaze on me. Most men talked about themselves, occasionally throwing out a question, not even bothering to let me respond.

“How is the house?” He sipped the margarita. “The bathtub working out for you? ”

My shoulders relaxed. “I love the tub. Thank you so much for letting me live here.”

“I thought we established that was my dad.”

“You could continue to give him trouble for it, but you aren’t.” Not that I was aware of anyway.

Teddy cleared his throat. “Even I know when to let things go.”

I raised a brow, and he did the same.

“What? I can,” he protested.

“You did in this case, and I’m grateful,” I said swirling the margarita in the glass.

Teddy was so large he took up all the space in the breakfast nook, and he smelled like evergreen. It was a fresh, clean scent, and it made me want to climb him like a tree. “You want to talk about work?”

Not at all. I jumped up again to wash my hands and grab my tablet. I moved my chair next to his, then sat down.

He turned so his knees bracketed mine.

“I inputted the information and made this handy pie graph. You can see how many people have come here every year, the ones who are first timers. Then this part of the graph represents the ones who asked about other amenities. I placed those suggestions on a separate graph. You’ll see that photographs were the winner.”

“You’re thorough.”

“I love graphs. They’re colorful, pretty—” he made a noise in the back of his throat—”and so helpful.”

“It’s only one day of data, but you’ve made your case for photos. What do we need to do to prepare for the festival?”

Excited he was interested, I pulled out the diagram I’d made for the event and talked through the entire day’s schedule. “I’ll just need help moving the picnic tables?—”

“I can get my brothers to move them. ”

“I need to create a nice space for the photos. I have a chair for Santa, a few large candy canes, and presents.”

Teddy frowned. “Who paid for all of that? I haven’t seen any receipts.”

I shrugged. “I did. I wasn’t sure if you’d be on board with it, and I wanted to show you what we could do. Sometimes seeing it is better than talking about it.”

“Send me the receipts so we can reimburse you.”

“I can do that.” I hadn’t expected that. “Why are you being so cooperative all of a sudden?”

“You’ve obviously done your research. And like you said, we’re just trying things. It doesn’t mean it will work.”

“I hope it increases revenue for you.” I stood, needing to get away from him for a second. It was difficult to breathe. But my foot snagged on his foot, and I pitched forward into his lap.

His arm banded around my waist, and mine went around his neck. My chest was pressed against his, and my butt landed on his very hard thigh. “Oomph.”

“Are you okay?” His breath drifted over my ear.

I nodded like a bobble head. “Yup. All good. Thanks for catching me.” I tried to pull away to stand, but his arm banded more tightly around me. “Get your bearings before you go tripping off again.”

I shoved my hair out of my face, a little surprised he was teasing me. “I don’t trip all the time. Just around men with large feet.”

“Is that your excuse?” His voice was low, swirling around in my stomach, then lower.

I bit my lip, wondering what he’d do if I threw a leg over his hip and straddled him. Was he big all over? I had a feeling he would be. I remembered the outline of his bulge in those sweatpants the other morning.

I tipped my head. “I tripped over your foot.”

A sound rumbled in his throat, and it made me instantly wet. There was something about this large, brusque man handling me with such care and tenderness. I wanted more, but he was a walking red flag. He’d said he didn’t engage in relationships, and my body was reacting to him like he was some aphrodisiac.

This desire for him was inconvenient. I needed to convince him that my marketing ideas would work. I didn’t need to muddle things with a physical attraction that he probably didn’t return.

This time, I rose slowly, and his hands dropped away. My skin tingled where his hands had been. He moved his foot this time, and I had a clear path to the kitchen counter where I dropped my tablet and began cleaning the kitchen without looking in his direction.

I felt his presence behind me. He placed a hand on my hip and maneuvered me out of the space. “I’ll clean. Why don’t you sit and relax?”

I let out a breath, remembering how I’d “relaxed” when I came with my fingers between my legs in the bathtub. It hadn’t been enough, and I had to get out the trusty vibrator. I felt empty after the orgasm. I needed something inside me, and my body wanted Teddy.

It was proof that my taste in men was terrible. I hadn’t shaken off my last bad decision; I didn’t need to make another.

I watched Teddy put the food in containers in the fridge, then place the dishes in the dishwasher. He was adept in the kitchen. Maybe because he took care of his siblings and lived alone. A man who knew his way around a kitchen was sexy.

I loved caring for people, but I wasn’t averse to men doing the same for me. In fact, I loved it. Too bad I’d never experienced it before.

He closed the dishwasher and asked, “You want to sit in the living room?”

“Why don’t we sit outside. I need some fresh air.” Inside, my senses were overwhelmed with him. I didn’t wait for him to follow me. I shoved on boots and grabbed a blanket before heading outside.

I turned on the strings of lights that were already here when I moved in. It gave the patio a nice ambiance. Not that this was a date.

“I didn’t realize Daphne left the chairs and the lights.” Teddy moved to start a fire in the fire pit. There was plenty of firewood.

“I’m glad she did. I was thinking of putting up some lights and decorations. But these were already here.” They weren’t holiday lights per se. They could stay up year-round.

“They suit you. Will you be getting a tree?”

“This place isn’t mine.” I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to stay here between Rick popping up and Teddy not wanting me around. I didn’t want to get too used to it.

“You’re welcome to hang decorations and pictures. Put up a tree.”

“That would be nice. I know how to cut one down now.” My heart picked up at the idea of cutting down my own tree.

“Let me know when you want to get one.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, admiring the lights. “I can see why you like it here. It’s quiet.”

“When there aren’t people here. That’s why I bought my own property. I needed space. I didn’t want people tromping over my fields, looking for the perfect tree.”

“That makes sense.” And after growing up with so many brothers and sisters, I could see why he craved solitude now.

“But it’s good to be back,” he finally said.

“What’s going on with your house?” I asked, curious about his life away from the farm.

“I have to check it out. It’s been slow going with the insurance company. They were airing it out first, then needed to decide if new floors were necessary, or if they could salvage the old. I’d rather put in new. ”

My forehead creased. “That’s a pain, especially around the holidays. You just want to be in your own place, you know?”

“Why don’t you have your own place?”

“It made sense to just stay at the inn when I worked there.” Plus, I thought it would be harder for Rick to find me without a physical address. “But I’d love to buy something like this eventually.”

“It suits you.” Teddy’s gaze rested on me.

“It’s just enough space for me.”

“You ever think about starting a family?” Teddy asked, surprising me.

I shifted in my chair. “It would have to be with the right guy. My dad wasn’t the best, and I wouldn’t want to raise my kids by myself.”

“Cole said your dad was an alcoholic.”

“Still is, as far as we know. When Cole made things with Daphne and Izzy official, we went over there to tell my parents we didn’t want contact unless he’d completed rehab. Last I heard, he was going, but I’ll believe it when it happens.”

“Good for you for standing your ground. It’s hard to take that stance when it’s someone you love.”

“I have mixed feelings about my dad. He wasn’t there. My mom was always worried about him, and then Cole would disappear to our cousins’ farm. I was alone.”

“That must have been tough.”

“I learned how to make the best of things. I got through it.” And I was better for it. “I wouldn’t be who I was now without that experience, but I wonder who I could have been with a supportive father. My mother was so focused on him, I feel like we missed out on a normal childhood.”

“That sounds similar to my situation.”

“What about you? Do you think about starting a family”

“I’m busy with my job and the farm. I can’t imagine I’d have time for them, and I’d always worry that I’d get sick and have to leave them. Not that it was my mom’s fault or anything.”

My heart cracked a little at this admission. “That’s understandable. But I’m not sure we can plan our futures by looking at our pasts. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Aren’t you doing the same thing? Basing your future on your past?” Teddy shifted in his chair so that his legs were spread wide.

I smiled. “I’m not in the best place to give any advice.”

“Right now, I have enough on my plate with the home renovations, work, and the farm.”

I shook my head. “I have the farm handled. You can focus on your house and your other job.”

It was impossible for him to let go of his control over everything in his life. But I hoped he would eventually trust me to do a good job on the farm. “You’ve shown me everything. I know how things are run.”

“I like to keep an eye on things.” Teddy stood. “I’d better get home. I have an early day tomorrow. Make sure you monitor the fire until it goes out.”

I stood and mock saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

He didn’t even balk at my reaction. He must be used to his coworkers complying with his barked orders.

With an amused smile, I followed him to the front door.

Teddy turned to face me. “Thanks for dinner.”

“It was my pleasure.” I opened the door for him; the smell of the smoke lingered on my hair and clothes.

“Let me know when you need me to help with set up for the festival. I’m usually here in the evenings, but I offered to help a friend with some home renovations.”

He’d been here all weekend, and I hadn’t given his hours much thought before now. “I’m here to increase revenue, so maybe you can hire a few more people. ”

Teddy waved me off as he headed down the drive. “We’ll see.”

For the first time, I noticed that he hadn’t driven. He’d walked from his place. Did he not want to leave his truck in front of my cottage? Was he worried that his family would notice?

I watched him until I couldn’t see him anymore. Then I closed the door and went to the backyard to put out the fire.

But I couldn’t let it go. Teddy didn’t do anything unless there was a reason. He might prefer walking, but I didn’t think so.

He didn’t want his family to see his truck parked at my house. Why would that be? Unless he was attracted to me too?