Chapter 19
Amelia
I was just about to brew a fresh pot of hot tea when Blake came barging through my front door, his face flushed with excitement.
“Knock much?” I barked at him. Geez, how dare he just barge into my home like he lived here.
He disregarded my comment. “Amelia, you won't believe it! The Sam Finnegan lawsuit is resolved!”
He grinned widely, practically bouncing on his toes.
“Really? That's fantastic news.” Last I’d heard, Sam was still adamant that the land was his. “How did it happen?”
“Ted managed to get Sam to see reason and drop the lawsuit. He's been working tirelessly on this case, Amelia. I think he really wanted to make things right with you.”
“Yeah? I guess he’s not so bad.” I avoided his gaze.
“Maybe not. I suppose if…” He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. That was his nervous tick, and it made me smile.
“If what?” I goaded him. I was pretty sure I knew where he was going with it, but I was going to force him to say it.
He rolled his eyes. “I supposed if you and Teddy dated it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
“Really?” I eyed him suspiciously.
“Yeah, I guess. But I still think you could do a lot better than Ted Cranston .” He rolled his upper lip.
His conviction made me laugh.
His phone rang. “That’s Sydney. I can’t wait to tell her the good news. She didn’t answer when I called so I came here first.” He kissed me on the cheek and then answered the phone.
“Hi babe. I have great news…” He closed the door behind him with a click.
That was wholly unexpected. The sudden withdrawal of the lawsuit was one thing, but Blake’s sudden approval of a relationship with Teddy was odd. Did Sydney finally tell him about me and Ted? There was no way Ted would have approached Blake about it. What would make him say that all of a sudden?
A few hours later, the sound of a car door shutting echoed in my house. Ted must be home.
I glanced out the window and saw Ted approaching, clutching a bouquet of flowers in his hands. His usually confident stride was replaced by a hesitant shuffle, and his eyes darted nervously between my doorstep and the ground beneath his feet.
“Wow, he must be really nervous,” I muttered under my breath, feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and anticipation. He rang the bell. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Hi,” he stammered, holding out the bouquet. “I, uh, saw these at the florist and thought you might like them.”
“They're beautiful,” I said, accepting the flowers with a smile. “Thank you.”
"Would you like to come in?" I asked, stepping aside to make room for him.
"Sure, thank you," he answered, still clearly nervous but managing a small, tentative smile as he crossed the threshold into my home. He’d been in my house dozens of times. His sudden awkwardness was weird and unnerving.
I led Ted to the living room, his anxiety palpable as he took a seat on the couch next to me. My own heart pounded erratically in my chest. His sudden change in confidence worried me.
“Amelia,” he began, his voice wavering slightly. “Ever since we met, I've been drawn to you. At first, I thought it was just because you were so different from anyone else in Moonridge. But as I got to know you better, I realized it's not just your intelligence or your tenacity that drew me in—it's the warmth of your heart and your unwavering resilience.”
My eyes widened in surprise and heat crept up my cheeks. “Ted, I had no idea you felt that way.”
“I know I'm not great at expressing my emotions,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this. I wanted to for a while now, but then I just put too much pressure on it. . .”
“Ted,” I chuckled, “you’re rambling.” He was adorable when he did that.
“I love you.”
Before I could respond, a wild rabbit wandered into the living room with a triumphant twitch of his whiskers.
“Is that who I think it is?” Teddy asked.
The rabbit darted around the furniture, clearly enjoying the playful chaos he was creating.
“Yup looks like Hopper,” I remarked with a chuckle, momentarily distracted from the intensity of our conversation.
“The Garden Bandit strikes again,” Teddy laughed and half-heartedly attempted to shoo him back outside again.
“Maybe he’s hungry,” I said.
“I bet that’s it. My garden hasn’t sprouted yet.” Ted went to the kitchen and returned with a few leaves of lettuce, offering one to me. We sat down cross-legged on the floor, Hopper's curiosity piqued as he approached us cautiously.
“Here you go, Hopper,” Ted coaxed gently, his voice unexpectedly tender as he held out a piece of lettuce. The rabbit hesitated for a moment before nibbling on the leaf, clearly enjoying the treat.
A comfortable silence settled between us as we continued feeding Hopper, the warmth of Ted's fingers brushing against mine sending shivers down my spine. “I love you too.”
“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes bright.
“Yeah.”
Our lips collided in a passionate kiss, sending an electric shock through my body. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He breathed heavily against my lips before pulling away. I dropped my hands away, but he grabbed them and held them. “I never thought I'd meet someone who could understand and love me despite my grumpiness. But you've turned my world upside down in the best possible way.”
His confession made my heart swell, and I was at a loss for words. Instead, I scooted closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. Ted wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his embrace. It felt as if we were two puzzle pieces that fit together seamlessly.
As I gazed down at the rabbit, eating the last of his greens, I knew we had found something truly special.
“This little guy isn’t so bad,” Ted said. “Maybe we can keep him. What do you think?”
He was a wild animal, not a pet, but I suppose in a way we’d been inadvertently feeding him all this time. “I suppose we have to, right?”
“Most couples get a dog,” Ted said giving me the side-eye.
“Well, we’re not most couples.”