37. Teddy
TEDDY PARKED HERSELF NEXT TO POPS, REFUSING TO LEAVE the room, her eyes glued to the jagged lines tracing his every heartbeat. Every now and then, he opened his eyes, but he stayed too sedated for conversation. Part of her wanted to tear into him about Jack. All these weeks, he neglected to mention he knew Jack. Not just knew him, but Pops invited Jack for dinner. The whole scenario felt like one of those dreams where she ended up in a room with a movie star, a high school teacher, and the clerk at the grocery store—random people without any connection to each other.
She flinched at a new beep on the monitor. Her hands trembling, she gripped Pops’s hand and sobbed. Don’t you dare die on me, Pops. Do what you must, but not that. I’m not ready. I will show you I’m not a screwup. Teddy put her shaking fingers to his wrist to feel his pulse, though the monitor reliably counted every beat. The doctors tried assuring her, but the fear inside her quivered like a live thing writhing and squirming to get set free. And the fear still writhed and squirmed when the doctors kicked her out of the hospital for the day.
By the time she reached the ranch, the sun hovered just over the horizon. Tangerine, fuchsia, and gold rays streamed through the clouds. She remembered the gate code—1123—her grandmother’s birthday. At least some things never changed, like the gate code, and the dusty, lonesome smell that blew in from across the expanses of mesquite, cactus, and cow dung.
Earth and sand spit from her tires, and Teddy strained to see the house. Pepper poked her head out the window and lapped up the country air, threads of slobber hanging from her mouth. She barked at a doe and fawn grazing on wild daisies. Wait until Pepper sees the cows. She’ll go bonkers.
Teddy steered through the dust into the yard. Pepper barked again, at nothing in particular this time. Perhaps she just wanted to announce her arrival. Then Teddy saw him. Jack stood on the porch.
“ Nooo! ” She screamed at the steering wheel. She’d heard enough of his lies.
The ranch dogs, all five of them, surrounded the truck. Pepper growled a good game now, but the minute she jumped from the truck, she cowered. Rover approached her and growled. Pepper whimpered. She knew her place. Jack did not. Teddy would not be the victim of some ploy between Pops and Jack.
Jack shouted. “Hey, there.”
Did he think he could just pick up where they left off?
“Forget something?” She asked as she walked toward the house. “Pepper, come!”
Pepper obliged. She had no desire to hang with the outside dogs. Jack followed Teddy as well, trying to play all nicey-nice with Pepper, as if that would change her mind.
Ridiculous. The nerve of them conspiring behind her back. How could she ever forgive him for that? Did he even like her, or was their relationship a charade all for her-grandfather? Surely, Pops wouldn’t bribe him to date her. What century were they living in? She knew Pops didn’t want her to be alone. But this?
She plopped onto Pops’s couch and grabbed hold of the maple wagon-wheel arm rest.
“I’m sorry.” Jack whispered. He sat in a matching rocker across the room.
“You still here?” Teddy stroked the wagon-wheel.
“That’s a great couch. Worth a fortune in one of those boutique shops in Fort Worth.”
Teddy scowled at him. “Like I said, are you still here?”
He pulled back in his chair. “I came back to get my things. Then, I’ll go. But first—”
“I hate being played the fool.” Teddy glared at Jack with every mean muscle in her face.
“That’s exactly what I told your grandfather.”
“We can’t just go on like nothing happened.”
Jack tipped his head at just the right angle to display his charming smile. “We could.”
He seemed so honest and innocent. She never would have thought he had a devious bone in his body.
“I want to forgive you, for only one reason—Pops likes you and wants us to be together.”
“A point in my favor.”
“Don’t get too cocky. I’m not sure what your game is. Two months and not one mention you know my grandfather.” She just sat there staring at him, tears welling in her eyes.
Jack made eye contact before saying, “I wanted to. I meant to.”
“At least you know you messed up.”
“Believe me.” He tapped his fingers on his wagon-wheel arm rest. “I figure that if something good happens, even if you made a mistake in the process, the good thing can’t be wrong.”
Jack wanted to make things right. She could see the honesty in his eyes. “I should have told you.” He sounded nervous.
“Come clean now.” She fumed. “Why did I even let you in this house?”
“Please, you’ve got to hear my side.” Jack practically begged her.
“You’ve got five minutes, then you’re out of here.”
“He frequented the Llano restaurant, and we became friends.” Jack spit out the words so fast he must have thought she was timing him. “He always wanted to know how I felt. I guess he could relate since—”
“My grandmother died, too.”
“That’s the connection. He always asked if I was dating someone.”
Had she overreacted? Maybe she misunderstood. But that didn’t explain why she just learned about this now.
“But that’s not all.” Jack drummed his fingers on the arm rest. “He knew you wouldn’t take money from him.”
She made a scoffing sound. “What does that mean exactly?”
“He gave me some beef . . .” he paused, “if I would help raise money for you.”
He slouched in his chair like a kid in kindergarten.
“But I would have helped anyway. I wanted to.”
“So, the concert?”
“He financed the event.” He threw his hands in the air. “There, you have the whole story.”
Pain shot through her chest. Pops paid Jack to help her. Worse yet. Jack made money out of the deal.
She rose from her chair, and punched Jack on his shoulders. “How could you do this?”
Jack buried his face in his hands.
“Stop!” she yelled. Pepper cowered. “I think I’ve heard enough.”
“You’ve got to understand.”
“Pops is fighting for his life. You made money out of the deal.” She faced Jack squarely, raised her chin. “And, why not hang out with the granddaughter at the same time? She’s easy. She’s desperate.”
“All the money went to charity, I swear.”
“Tons of free advertising.”
Jack scowled. “I . . .” His mouth hung open. “I lo—”
“Don’t you dare.” Teddy narrowed her eyes.
Jack made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a protest.
Teddy covered her ears. “I can’t hear you. Get your stuff and get out.”