Chapter 17
Amelia
Spring
After the success of the Christmas dance, Leah had begged me to help with the charity auction for the Animal Rescue where she volunteered. I, of course, had agreed. How could I say no to my sweet niece’s face?
That was two months ago, with Sydney on maternity leave, I had forgotten all about it. Til today, when Sarah, my realtor and the wife of the veterinarian, called to confirm my participation.
“Hi, Amelia,” she said. “I have you down for organizing the charity auction. It's this weekend. Are you still able to help?”
Quickly, I flipped through my planner. The big wedding that I’d booked wasn’t until next weekend. That left this weekend free and clear. “Yes, I’m available. But did I need to be gathering the items? Because I didn’t realize that.”
“Oh no, someone else already took care of that. I just need you to set up and organize the items in a way that makes sense. And of course, your expertise with décor would be a bonus.”
I laughed. “Sure, no problem. I’ll see you Friday morning.”
The moment I arrived at the charity auction venue, my heart swelled with excitement and anticipation. A fresh start in Moonridge had done wonders for me so far, and I was eager to contribute to a good cause.
“Aunt Amy,” Leah waved me over. “Perfect timing. You'll be working with Ted to set up and organize the auction items.”
I rolled my eyes inwardly. Teddy and I had barely made eye contact since I’d confronted him about the lawsuit two months ago. He’d fixed it with the court like he’d promised, but this whole situation had dug a huge cavern between us. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bridge it either. This was my worst nightmare, but I swallowed my pride. This was for Leah.
“Sounds great,” I said through gritted teeth. Karma had a cruel sense of humor. I walked over to Teddy, who stood by the auction items with a clipboard in hand.
“Ted, I understand we’re partnering on this,” I said, desperately trying to hide my annoyance. “Where do we start?”
“Let's begin with organizing these items by value,” he replied, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard.
Okay, so that was how he wanted to play this.
“Or we could arrange them by category, make it more visually appealing for the guests,” I countered.
“Visually appealing?” He raised an eyebrow. “This is an auction, Amelia, not a fashion show.”
“Maybe not, but if we want people to bid generously, we should present the items in the best way possible,” I insisted, crossing my arms.
“Fine,” Teddy grumbled, finally looking up from his clipboard. “We can try it your way. But if it doesn't work, we're switching back to mine.”
“Deal.” We shook on it, a spark of competitiveness igniting. As we continued organizing the items, our differing opinions led to more disagreements. Teddy's no-nonsense approach clashed with my creative ideas, and before long, we were arguing more than we were setting up.
“Amelia, placing the jewelry next to the sports memorabilia doesn't make any sense!” Teddy’s frustration was palpable, but I couldn’t let him win.
“Actually, I think it creates an interesting juxtaposition that will draw people in.”
“Do you always have to be this stubborn?” Teddy asked, his eyes narrowing as he glared at me.
“Only when I'm right,” I quipped, matching his intensity.
Our raised voices began garnering attention from the other volunteers, who glanced over with curiosity and concern. Caught up in our argument, neither of us had realized our volume until we saw the awkward expressions around us. Teddy looked away, embarrassed, while I bit my lip, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“Maybe we should take a break,” Teddy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Agreed,” I said softly, looking around at the concerned faces of the others. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I slipped away from the crowd, eager to find a quiet corner where I could catch my breath and collect my thoughts. My heart raced, and I berated myself for allowing our argument to escalate so publicly.
I ducked into a small alcove near the back of the animal rescue barn, leaning against the cool wall. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady my nerves. It had been a long time since I'd felt this flustered, but something about Teddy had always managed to rile me up.
“Amelia,” I heard his voice call out softly behind me, making me jump. I hadn't realized he'd followed me, but there he was, his face etched with concern.
“Teddy,” I replied, trying to sound unfazed despite my racing heart. "What are you doing here?"
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said, stepping closer. “I didn't mean for our disagreement to get so heated.”
“Neither did I,” I admitted, looking down at my hands. “We’re just so different. It feels like we're always butting heads.”
He nodded slowly, understanding my frustration. “I know,” he agreed. “But maybe that's not such a bad thing. We’re two passionate people. Sometimes being different can bring out the best in one another.”
“Is that what we're doing, Teddy?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Bringing out the best in each other?"
“Maybe not yet,” he chuckled. “But I think we could, if we tried.”
For a moment, we stood there in silence, the tension between us palpable. Then, almost without thinking, I reached out and touched his arm. His skin was warm, the solid strength of his muscles beneath my fingertips sent tingles up my arm.
“Teddy,” I whispered, my voice trembling with vulnerability. “I want to try. I want us to be more than just. . .this.”
“Me too, Ames” he replied softly, his eyes meeting mine. “More than anything.”
And then, as if drawn together by an invisible force, our lips met in a passionate kiss. The belly-burning, heart-hammering, kick-me-in-the-gut passionate kiss. It was as if all the tension and frustration between us had transformed into something else. Something powerful, raw, and undeniably magnetic.
As we pulled apart, our breaths mingled in the cool air. Teddy and I may have been opposites in many ways, but perhaps it was precisely those differences that would bring us closer together. Teddy's eyes, intense yet tender, held mine captive as he gently brushed a stray strand of hair from my cheek.
“I've wanted to do that for a long time, Amelia,” he confessed, his voice a low rumble.
“Me too,” I admitted, my cheeks flushed with heat.
“So, does this mean we're done arguing for now? Or do you want to keep going at it?” he asked with a mischievous grin, his gruff demeanor momentarily replaced by the charming Teddy I'd glimpsed on rare occasions.
I smiled back, the tension between us dissolving as the attraction crackled. “Truce, for now,” I said, holding out my hand. “But don't think this means I've given up on my auction display ideas.”
“Fair enough,” he said, grinning as he shook my hand. “I’ll let you win this time.”
With a playful wink, Teddy turned to rejoin the other volunteers, leaving me to gather my still-racing thoughts. There was something about Teddy that had always gotten under my skin, but this time, I wasn't sure I minded it as much as I once did.