2. Teddy
Teddy
W hat the fuck are you doing?
I’ve asked myself that question about six times since Lottie came out the back door of the diner. Still don’t have an answer either.
When her bright amber eyes met mine, something sparked in my gut. And yes, I hear how fucking stupid that sounds, but I can’t describe it any other way.
All I know is she made me feel something for the first time in years, and I’m not ready to let it go.
My bike rumbles down the dirt path Lottie directed me to. I have no idea where she’s taking me. We’ve been riding for about fifteen minutes and are outside of town somewhere. I haven’t been to Sonoma since I was a kid—nothing about the place is familiar anymore.
“Just up here,” Lottie says into my ear. It takes a herculean effort to ignore the way her soft body feels pressed against mine. I’m not even sure how old she is.
Jesus fuck, this is stupid.
The trees give way to an open field that’s been recently mowed. The grass is thick and only comes up to my ankles .
Silence surrounds us when I turn off my bike. There’s a spot on the edge of the field looking out over Sonoma. It’s peaceful out here.
“You’re not going to pull a knife from your backpack and kill me, right?”
Lottie snorts. “I should be asking you that question.”
“I don’t have a backpack.”
“Well, then, I guess I’m safe.”
I smirk. I like her cheekiness. She uses my shoulder to get off the bike, and I follow her lead. She drops her bag on the ground and pulls out a navy blanket.
“You just carry a blanket around wherever you go?”
She gives me an unimpressed look. “No, I was going to sit in the park and wait for my friend to get off work.”
Lottie shakes out her blanket, carefully laying it on the ground before pulling a few other things from her bag. She sits down, taking a drink from her water bottle. “Well? Are you just going to stand there the whole time, or are you going to sit down?”
“You’re a mouthy fucking thing, aren’t you?” I sit down on the blanket with a huff.
“You okay, old man?” Lottie’s eyes sparkle with mirth.
I roll my eyes. “I’m only twenty-eight. I’m not that old.” But fuck, I feel it sometimes.
“You’re only ten years older, then. I thought it would be more.”
I internally sigh in relief. At least she’s legal. Not that anything is going to happen. Because it isn’t. I haven’t even thought about it.
Sure, keep telling yourself that.
An image of Lottie staring up at me while I put my helmet on her comes to mind. I had the strangest urge to kiss her.
“So, why are you in Sonoma?” Lottie pulls a large lunch box from her backpack and unzips it. She places glass containers between us filled with deli meat, cheese, crackers, and some Oreos.
“You know they make these things called Lunchables. They come prepackaged with all this stuff. Then you don’t have to do dishes.”
Lottie scrunches her nose. “I know I sound like a snob when I say this, but I don’t like the fake cheese in those, and who knows what’s in the little meat circles. I’d much rather do the dishes than eat questionable food.”
I shrug. “If you can afford the good stuff, then why not?” We couldn’t even afford the Lunchables, let alone fancy meat and cheese.
“Feel free to have some. I was going to share with Gia anyway.”
I take her offering, eating a couple of crackers.
“You never answered my question,” Lottie says.
“I was hoping you’d move on.”
“Not exactly in my nature. I want to be an investigative journalist.”
“Didn’t see that coming.”
Lottie grins. “My dad is the police chief. It’s in my blood.”
“Welp, gotta go.” I pretend to stand as Lottie laughs, yanking on my arm to sit back down. The fucking thing tingles when she lets go. That’s weird.
“Jerk.” She tries to mean mug me, but her adorable face can’t quite get there.
She looks down at her hands, fiddling with a cracker but never doing anything with it.
The sudden vulnerability surrounding her puts me on edge.
“Everyone’s always been afraid of my dad.
Guys didn’t want to date me because they were scared of him, while the girls didn’t invite me to parties because they thought I would snitch.
I’m lucky I had Gia and her twin sister, Ginny.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a single friend. ”
Her confession spears me right in the heart. I didn’t have friends growing up but for very different reasons. “Hey.” I cuff her on the chin so she’ll look up at me. “If they couldn’t see past their stupidity, it was their loss.”
“I know. And I’m not complaining. I have an amazing family and cousins my age who are my best friends…”
“You’re still allowed to be sad, even if you have a good life.”
“Tell me about you. Please.” The earnestness in her eyes gives me pause. No one has ever asked about my life and genuinely wanted to know the answer. Most people use it as small talk or a means to get what they want from me. Good or bad.
“Uh… Well, I’m a Marine.”
“Called it.” Lottie fist pumps.
I roll my eyes but can’t help the smile that ticks up the side of my mouth. She’s fucking adorable. “I don’t have much in the way of family. My mom died a few years back, and my grandad just passed a few months ago.”
“Oh… I’m so sorry…” She cringes. “You know, I just realized I don’t even know your name.”
A laugh bursts out of my chest. “What would your daddy say if he knew you got onto the back of my bike without even knowing my first name?”
She bites her lip and giggles. “He’d probably kill me.”
I shake my head, but my grin stays in place. “It’s Teddy. Well, William, but most people call me Teddy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Teddy. I’m Charlotte, but everyone calls me Lottie.
” She holds her tiny hand out, and I take it in my much larger one.
Her amber eyes hold mine captive far longer than is appropriate.
Add in her shiny brown hair that’s slightly messy from my helmet, and I have to force myself to look away.
“So, what are you doing in town?” A Cheshire grin stretches across Lottie’s face .
I pretend to sigh with resignation. “My grandad lived in a house out on Old Mill Road. I got a letter in the mail a while back saying he left it to me when he passed. I didn’t know him all that well, but I’m on leave for a few months and thought I’d check it out.”
“Your grandpa was Old Man Kavanagh? Sorry, Uriah Kavanagh. Just because everyone called him Old Man doesn’t mean that was his name.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Yeah. You knew him?”
“He would sit in my section whenever I worked at the diner. I barely got grunts out of him, and he always ordered the same thing for dinner—a patty melt with sweet potato fries.” Lottie gives me a sad smile.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to know him.
He wasn’t the friendliest of men, but he always tipped me well.
I once asked him why he sat in my section every time I worked.
He told me my smile made his day better.
” She bites the inside of her cheek. “I didn’t even know he died.
I noticed he hadn’t been to the diner in a while, but I just figured he’d moved into a senior living facility or something.
I’m such a shit human. I can’t believe I didn’t ask. ”
I reach out to stop Lottie’s guilt spiral. “It’s not your fault. I doubt he would’ve wanted any major fanfare. If anything, I’m the one who should feel like shit. I wasn’t here to give him a funeral.”
“Were you deployed?”
“I’d just gotten back from one, yeah. I was exhausted and still trying to transition into everyday life. It’s not easy to flip the switch.”
“How long are you home?”
“Only a few more weeks. I have to be at Camp Lejeune on the twenty-first.”
“Oh…” Lottie’s shoulders slump. She visibly shakes her head and then spears me with a smile. “Then we better make today the best day you’ve ever had. ”
I raise my eyebrows at her, and she smacks me on the shoulder. “I didn’t mean that.”
I laugh at how pink her cheeks are. “What exactly are you implying there, Sparkles? Nothing untoward, I hope.”
She shoves me. “You started it!”
“I did nothing of the sort. I’m a good boy.” I wink at her.
“Sure, and I’m Mary Magdalene.”
I snort. “Fair.” The time on my watch catches my attention. “Fuck, I have to go.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I told a friend I’d meet him in Charleston tonight since I was in the area.”
Lottie’s eyebrows scrunch. “In the area? That’s like five hours from here.”
I shrug. “I didn’t have anything else to do when I agreed to it.” What I don’t say is how much I’d rather stay here and keep talking to her.
Instead, I pack the blanket and containers into her backpack and suit her up for the ride back to town. I ignore how good she looks in my jacket and helmet, as if the image won’t be burned into my memory for a while. It makes me feel like a creep. She’s practically a child, for fuck’s sake.
When she straddles my bike, she doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around me this time. I soak in the contact, knowing the likelihood of ever coming back here is minimal.
I take Lottie back to the diner and help her off my bike while staying astride. She pulls off my helmet and jacket, handing them to me before taking a step back. The distance between us feels like miles. It doesn’t make a bit of sense, given I’ve only known her for a few hours.
“How old-fashioned would it sound if I asked to write you letters?”
I scoff. “Pretty fucking old- fashioned.”
Lottie rolls her eyes. “Fine, then. Email? Texting? Phone calls? How can I reach you?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, contemplating my options. I shouldn’t give her anything. I’m ten years older, get deployed on dangerous missions, and only met her about five minutes ago. Yet, I find myself holding out my hand for her phone.
I create a new contact entry and add my email address. I just barely stop myself from giving her my number. I’m not sure what I’d do if I had easy access to talk to her. What I do know is that she’s young and has her whole life ahead of her. I’m not about to interrupt that.
“I probably won’t be able to check my inbox very often, especially once I’ve shipped out, but send me a note if you want to.”
“I will. Bye, Teddy.” Lottie leans in, presses a kiss to my cheek, and steps back just as quickly. Then she turns around and starts walking away.
I do the only smart thing I can. I start my bike and ride far away from the most tempting girl I’ve met in a long time.