Chapter 21
Three nights later, Jessica was curled up on her couch, staring at the wall.
She should go to bed, but she didn’t want to.
Blue was curled in the space between her crossed legs, all cosy and snug with her tiny head resting on Jessica’s thigh.
With Sam at Rob’s and all her household chores done, this was the first opportunity Jessica had to rest all day.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened the other night. How Teddy had offered to help her.
How much she’d wanted to say yes. Well, yes, when she was better.
Which she was now.
So much better.
But Jessica knew what would happen if she asked Teddy to cross that line with her. It’d be good. Probably great even, and definitely fun. But it wouldn’t be anything like what was described in some of the romance novels Joan had left behind when she moved out.
Because it wouldn’t be real.
Picking up the remote, Jessica turned on the television. TV was all about escapism, right? There had to be something she could watch that would distract her. A quick skim of the free-to-air channels showed that while there were a lot of options, none appealed.
She looked over at her phone. The screen was clear, no notifications obstructing the picture of Sam snuggling Blue on their back verandah.
Jessica tapped on her phone screen and opened her emails. There was nothing new. The one from Owen confirming their mediation appointment in three weeks was still at the top. She was about to put her phone on charge when a new text appeared on the screen.
Teddy: So, weird question incoming.
She sat up straight, ignoring Blue’s hiss of unhappiness at being jostled awake.
Jessica: What’s up?
She congratulated herself for managing an easy, breezy response.
The three dots appeared again.
Teddy: What should I wear to our wedding? A suit?
What a perfect segue to mention that she’d spent the last few days obsessively thinking about Teddy in his birthday suit. Except not, because they didn’t do that.
Teddy: What are you going to wear?
That was a good question. Her standard outfit of mum jeans or shorts wasn’t going to work. And surely the courthouse had a standard of dress.
Jessica: I hadn’t considered this yet.
Because she’d been distracted by how kind Teddy was, how easily he was fitting into her and Sam’s lives, and—for the last few days anyway—imagining how he could help her. Jessica swallowed.
Teddy: One of my patients was talking about the pub’s Halloween party, and that made me think of costumes, which led me to wonder, what does someone wear to a secret wedding?
Jessica: Maybe just something nice? It doesn’t have to be formal.
Teddy: Suit, no tie?
Jessica decided they were overthinking this.
Loads of people must get married in courthouses in a whole swag of different outfits.
There were probably people who turned up in full-on wedding dresses and three-piece suits.
And, probably, there were just as many who wore jeans and T-shirts.
She’d guess the only requirements were that a) they had to wear clothes and b) they had to wear shoes.
Jessica: Smart casual pants and a button-up? Or whatever you’re comfortable in.
Jessica’s phone rang, and Teddy’s contact picture—a selfie of him and Blue that he’d texted her with a winky emoji—filled the screen.
Wait. Was he FaceTiming her?
Jessica brushed her curls out of her eyes before hitting accept.
“Starshine,” Teddy said, his deep voice rumbling around her like she was in a movie theatre with a top-of-the-line surround sound speaker system. “I’m not going to half-ass this. I want to look nice for you.”
Thank God she’d forgone switching on the overhead light before, instead opting for one of the cheap lamps on the side table next to the couch. Otherwise, Teddy would’ve been able to see how red his words made her.
“You don’t have to,” she murmured, hoping to convince her body to remove some of the heat pooling in her cheeks.
Teddy cocked his head to the side. “So you wouldn’t care if I turned up in footy shorts, thongs and my favourite shirt?
It’s covered in paint stains from when I helped Owen and Alice repaint her new workshop.
I’m not talking about artfully arranged ones either.
These are the dribbly kind. All down the front. ”
She smiled, noticing how Teddy immediately mimicked her expression, his eyes twinkling.
“I’m not going to make demands of you, Teddy. You’re doing me the favour, remember? And there isn’t going to be any photographic evidence. Who would we show? We’re not telling anyone about this.”
“You won’t need any pictures? For the lawyer?”
Oh. Jessica had assumed all she’d need would be the certificate of marriage. Would she have to provide supporting evidence in case anyone disputed the will? Not that there was anyone who could do that … unless Cara wouldn’t … would she?
Who was Jessica kidding? Her mother absolutely would. Jessica had been ignoring Cara’s calls since the last request for money.
“Hello?” Teddy waved, and Jessica’s attention snapped back to the screen in front of her.
“I guess we could take a few pictures. Just in case we need them.”
“A suit it is, then.” Teddy nodded, his man bun bobbing up and down. “And you’ll wear …”
She’d hated the dress she’d worn to marry Rob, but his mother had insisted. It had been a shapeless cream sack designed to hide her burgeoning belly. Instead, it had accentuated it. “I might wear a suit too.”
“Badass.” Teddy grinned, and a pang of gratefulness hit Jessica square in the chest. Most other guys would expect their bride to wear a dress.
But these weren’t normal circumstances, she reminded herself.
“I’ll find something.” This would give her something to do in the quiet moments once Sam had gone to sleep.
“One more thing,” Teddy said.
“Hmm?”
“This is even more awkward, but we need to talk about it.”
Oh. This is happening. We’re doing this.
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
She was pretty sure she could do it. Separate sex from her emotions. And let’s face it, sex with Teddy would be fantastic.
On the screen, Teddy leant towards the camera, resting his chin on his palm.
She took a deep breath.
Braced herself.
“Should I get you a ring?”
Jessica dropped the phone, earning another reproachful look and hiss from Blue.
“Jess?”
She rolled her eyes at herself, grateful that Teddy couldn’t see her face right now.
“No, no, that’s okay. I can get my own ring. And I can get one for you too? Unless you have a ring already? I mean, we can take them off as soon as we leave the courthouse.”
“I don’t have any rings,” Teddy said. “I’ve never been a jewellery kind of guy.”
No. Teddy James was a partially buttoned shirt with a hint of his chest tattoo kind of guy. A tousled, sun-bleached hair kind of guy. A lazy smile and twinkle in his eyes kind of guy. Teddy was the main event all on his own. He didn’t need to accessorise.
“I’ll be in charge of the rings,” Jessica said. Look at that, another thing to fill the empty silence of her evenings.
“It feels wrong for you to buy your own ring.” Teddy’s brows were drawn down low, and his lips were twisted to one side. “I’d be happy to help—” He paused, his eyes widening.
Jessica would bet her entire inheritance that he was thinking the same thing she was, except he didn’t mean it. Just like he hadn’t meant it the other night. She’d been delirious with fever or dehydration or whatever. She should let him know he was off the hook.
“It’s okay, Teddy. I’m used to taking care of myself.”