Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
B unny ran out of the office, her vision blurred by tears she refused to let fall. Frank’s words rang in her ears, overpowering the other people in the office calling out to her. They were looking for a new communications director. Like she was some disposable cog, easily replaced.
Her chest tightened. Each breath was a struggle against the knot of hurt and anger building there. Outside, the cold air slapped her face, a cruel contrast to the heat of her emotions. At least it numbed her.
Her heels sank into the slushy snow piled on the curb as she kept walking, not even sure where she was going. The cheerful sound of children playing in the snow nearby barely registered in her ears. Her hands trembled as she hugged herself. Her thin blouse was no match for the wind slicing through her. It was only when she shuddered so hard her teeth started chattering that she realized something was missing.
Her coat.
She’d run out without it, leaving it draped on the back of her office chair like an idiot. She glanced back at the door. Her pride clashed with her body’s desperate need for warmth.
No. She couldn’t go back in there. Not after what Frank had said. She’d rather freeze to death than walk back into that office to retrieve her coat. Her humiliation would be complete if she did.
Another gust of wind bit at her arms. Bunny wrapped them tighter around herself. Her resolve was beginning to weaken under the relentless chill. Her shivering became uncontrollable. She wasn’t sure if it was the weather or her emotions rattling her so hard.
“Bunny, wait.”
His voice cut through the frigid air like a beacon. She stiffened, squeezing her eyes shut. She wasn’t ready to face him.
Teddy came striding out of the office without a coat, either. But at least he wore a sweater—one that fit him so well it was almost unfair. The knit fabric hugged his broad shoulders and chest, tapering down to his waist like it had been custom made for him. Of course, the sweater fit him perfectly. Just another reminder that life handed Teddy Carter things she had to work twice as hard to earn.
He crossed the icy parking lot like the freezing wind didn’t touch him. His tie flapped wildly in the breeze. His face, though shadowed with concern, was as composed as ever.
“Are you out of your mind? You’re going to freeze out here.”
Bunny glared at him, clutching her arms tighter around herself. “I’m fine,” she bit out, even as a shiver wracked her body.
His gaze dropped to her trembling hands, then flicked back to her face, clearly unconvinced. “Come back inside before you catch your death.”
She looked away, staring at the gray slush lining the curb as if it held the answers to all her problems.
Teddy’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t press her immediately. He took a step closer, and Bunny’s frustration spiked when she noticed the sweater again. How well it emphasized the solid lines of his torso. Why did he have to look so put together when she was literally falling apart?
“You’re shaking,” he said gently, ignoring her protests. Before she could muster a reply, he reached for the hem of his sweater, pulling it over his head in one swift motion. He stepped forward and draped the sweater over her shoulders, his expression calm and resolute.
The sweater was still warm from his body. It enveloped her like a cocoon. It was far too big on her, the sleeves dangling well past her hands. It smelled like him—clean and woodsy and completely Teddy.
Teddy, who wanted to replace her.
“Let me go, Teddy.” Her voice trembled with more emotion than she wanted to show. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself in front of the whole town.”
He didn’t move, his dark eyes locking on hers with an intensity that made her heart stutter. Behind him, the townspeople were scattered across the snowy square, their laughter and chatter fading as they turned to watch the drama unfolding.
“Let them look.” Teddy stepped closer, his warmth cutting through the icy wind and adding to the heat Bunny felt inside his sweater. “If they’re going to talk, I want them to get the story right.”
Bunny crossed her arms, as if that would shield her from the onslaught of emotions he stirred in her. “You’re free of me now. No scandal. No one fact-checking you or pointing out your flaws.”
Teddy’s jaw tightened, but instead of arguing, he reached for her again. This time, he pulled her close. She let out a gush of air as their bodies aligned. He breathed in the puff of air between them. Then he let out a contented sigh.
Bunny couldn't help herself. She inhaled the condensation between them. It was almost as good as kissing him.
“I told you before: you can run against me, just don’t run from me.”
Bunny’s resolve faltered. The fight drained out of her as she met his gaze. “I don’t want to run against you. I was coming back… to help you straighten this mess out.”
Teddy's lips curved into the softest smile. “I don’t see a mess, Bunny. I see things exactly the way they should be. The two of us, together. Taking care of this town. And right now, the most needy constituent happens to be the baby inside who needs both of us to look after her.”
Bunny's heart thudded in her chest, a rhythm so loud she was sure he could hear it. She was sure everyone in the square heard it. But before she could process his words, he leaned in, their foreheads touching.
“I don’t want a shotgun wedding with you.” His voice was so tender it made her knees weak. “I don't want anything between us to be forced. I want a real wedding. I want a family with you—our family, with children from our blood. But I’m happy to start with the bundle that landed on my doorstep."
A whimper escaped her lips. No man had ever made her feel equally weak and strong at the same time.
"Everything about this is out of order. I know that. So let me put it right. Let me take you on a date. Let me court you, the way you deserve, before I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me.”
Her thoughts were spinning. Was this real? Could this really be happening? She stared at him, searching his face for any hint of doubt. There was none.
“Kiss her already!”
That came from the peanut gallery of kids in the street. The adults murmured their assent with a mix of gasps and laughter rippling through the snow-filled air.
Bunny barely registered any of it. All she could see, all she could feel, was Teddy.
And then he kissed her.
The world fell away, the icy wind forgotten as his lips claimed hers. It wasn’t a tentative kiss. It was bold, passionate, all-consuming. Bunny’s hands slid up to his chest, curling into his shirt as she kissed him back with equal fervor.
The townspeople gasped again, followed by an audible “Aww” from someone in the crowd. Bunny didn’t care who.
"I need you," Teddy said against her lips, loud enough that only she could hear. "Please don't leave me."
"Fine, since you'd be lost without me."
He grinned against the corner of her mouth. "I would indeed."
As they twined their fingers together, Bunny felt a shudder pass through Teddy. He was such a guy, pretending he wasn’t cold despite standing in just a button-down shirt in the biting winter wind. The thin material barely moved in the gusts. Bunny felt his body bracing against the chill through his hand.
“Let’s get you inside before you catch pneumonia,” she muttered, quickening her pace and tugging him forward.
"Sure, if you think that's the best look," he said as he followed, grinning at her.
They were just steps from the office door when someone stepped directly into their path. Bunny almost groaned, but her focus shifted as the figure emerged—a teacher from the elementary school. The woman, bundled in a puffy coat and a knitted scarf, didn’t look cold at all. Her gaze, however, was piercing, and it was directed squarely at Teddy.
"Mayor Carter, you still have that open door policy?"
"I do, Mrs. Addison. What can I do for you today?"
"I'd like to have a word about why you stopped funding for the after-school program?"
Teddy frowned. "I didn't."
Bunny swallowed. That was the truth. Teddy hadn't stopped the funding. The paperwork was still sitting on his desk because she had purposefully not reminded him.
She looked out at all the kids playing in the street. She looked at the social worker who held the baby in his arms. This town had done just fine in an emergency. The adults pulled together and did what needed to be done. It was the kids that needed looking after, and Bunny had dropped the ball.