Chapter 4
Amelia
The scent of pumpkin maple lotion filled the inside of Sydney’s car. She’d showed me the cutest shop with homemade lotions and jewelry made from ethically-sourced animal antlers. I bought three jars of cream and a few necklaces. It was the perfect way to meet some of the locals. While not completely at ease, I did feel more comfortable than I did when I’d arrived. The locals were certainly welcoming.
“Thanks for a lovely day, Ames,” she said, her green eyes sparkling with warmth.
“Anytime, Syd. Can't wait to meet my little nephew.” I smiled, patting her growing baby bump before exiting her. I waved goodbye as she drove off, leaving me standing on the sidewalk in front of my quaint rental duplex. Ted’s car was sitting next to mine, still warm. He must’ve just gotten home too.
As I approached the doorstep, a plain yellow envelope, carefully taped to the center of my door, caught my attention. Curiosity piqued, I pulled it down, finding my name handwritten in bold, blocky letters.
What was this? I read the note, each word ignited a new wave of indignation.
“Stealing from his garden? What on earth…” Teddy . I clenched the note in my hand, anger bubbling beneath the surface. How dare he accuse me of such a petty crime? And threatening me with legal action? That was twice this week already. He wasn’t going to get away with this behavior.
We hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot since I’d moved in, but accusing me without any evidence? That was low, even for him.
I marched over to Teddy's front door. My heart pounded in my chest as I raised a hand and knocked sharply on the wooden door.
“Teddy Cranston!” I bellowed, not caring if the entire neighborhood heard me. “I need to talk to you, right now!”
The door swung open, revealing Teddy's scowling face. His salt-and-pepper hair was disheveled, likely from tending to his precious garden.
“Amelia,” he growled, clearly irritated by my interruption. “What do you want?”
“Explain this,” I demanded, thrusting the crumpled note into his chest. “Why would you accuse me of stealing from your garden? I've never touched your precious vegetables! You didn’t even have the decency to talk to me about it. You left a note, like a coward.”
“I tried to knock this morning. You didn’t answer. Seemed like a guilty thing to do.”
“I’ve been shopping in Moonridge all day with Sydney,” I spat. “Not that it’s any of your business.” How arrogant of him. Outrage consumed me. It was irrational how easily he got under my skin. He was like an expert at annoying me, and we’d just met.
“Look, I didn’t have thieves in my garden before you moved in. Who else could it have been?” His eyes flared, and his lips formed a tight thin line. Just when I thought we might be able to be civil neighbors, he ruined it again with all of this.
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t me. We've barely spoken since I moved here, and yet you're so quick to believe that I'm capable of something so petty? I can afford to buy a salad, Teddy. I don’t need your vegetables.”
“For the last time, it’s Ted.” He took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm his emotions. Seemed like I equally annoyed him. Good . “I'm sorry if you're not the one responsible, but I need to find out who is. My garden means a lot to me.”
“Fine,” I huffed, my anger subsiding slightly. “But don't go accusing people without any evidence, especially when it's your neighbor you're talking about. If you had just asked me about it, we could have sorted this out like adults. And quit threatening me with legal action. I went to law school too, I just decided not to practice. But don’t underestimate me.”
“Fair enough,” he sighed, rubbing his temples. "I apologize for jumping to conclusions. But if you're not the vandal, then who is?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said, my hands on my hips as I glared at Teddy. “If you want to find the real culprit so badly, why don't we stake out your precious garden together? That way, we can put this whole ridiculous accusation to rest.”
He narrowed his eyes, clearly taken aback by my suggestion. “You're serious?”
“Dead serious,” I shot back, folding my arms across my chest. “I have nothing to hide, and I want to prove to you that I'm not the thief.”
“Alright,” he said after a moment's hesitation. “But if it turns out you are the culprit, I expect a full apology from you.”
“Deal,” I said, sticking my hand out for him to shake. “And I’ll expect the same when I prove my innocence.”
“Deal.” His calloused hand shook mine. His voice was just as gruff as his hands. Not at all like I expected a lawyer’s hands to feel. “Meet you out back at sunset. I’ll bring dinner.”
“Fine,” I growled back. “I’ll bring dessert.” I turned on my heel and stomped back to my place. Wait? Did we just plan an angry date?
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky with vibrant shades of pink and orange, Teddy and I sat on his back porch, armed with flashlights and a pair of binoculars. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and ripe vegetables from Teddy's meticulously-tended garden.
He had served dinner at his patio table. He’d even turned on the patio heater. “Chicken okay? I didn’t think to ask.”
“Perfect,” I said. His careful consideration was unexpected. He served the chicken with bacon and acorn squash. “Is the squash from your garden?”
“Yeah.” He smiled briefly. “It’s good, right?”
“Mhmh.” I finished my bite. “Are we sure you aren’t sleepwalking and pilfering your own garden?”
He laughed, then caught himself and cleared his throat.
“Holy cats. Did you just laugh? I didn’t think you knew how.” I gave him a smile.
He smirked. His tone was gruff but quieter than before. “I know our first interactions haven't been…pleasant, but let's try to get through this without ripping each other's heads off, okay?”
“Sounds fair,” I replied, unable to hold back a small chuckle. His attempt at diplomacy was almost endearing.
As night fell, we took turns scanning the garden for any signs of movement, our earlier animosity fading.
“So, Amelia,” Teddy cleared his throat. “Besides arguing and causing destruction, what else do you like to do for fun.”
I playfully smacked his arm. “Good question. I haven’t really had much time to do anything else but work. I spent most of my adult life trying to get to the top of the career ladder only to get fired after my company downsized.”
“Ouch, that’s rough.” His voice sounded sincere, not a hint of condescension. “Well, now that you have time, is there anything you’d like to try?”
I had been so worried about finding another job, I hadn’t really though about it. “Maybe something creative, like painting? I don’t know. I’ve never tried it.”
“Interesting choice. I guess it makes sense. You have to be creative to do marketing. Painting wouldn’t be a huge stretch.”
He had a point. When we weren’t fighting like cats and dogs, he wasn’t such a bad guy. He was even easy to talk with.
"Teddy," I said softly, suddenly struck by a thought. "Have you ever considered that maybe it's not a person who's behind the garden thievery?"
“Like what, some kind of animal?” he asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
“Exactly,” I nodded. “We’re surrounded by forests—it wouldn't be far-fetched for a critter or two to wander into town.”
“True,” he conceded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But if it were an animal, why target my garden specifically? I’ve talked with the other nearby neighbors who garden, and they haven’t had any problems.”
“Maybe your vegetables are extra special—like gourmet meals for whatever it is,” I suggested with a grin.
“Ha!” he snorted, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “As much as I'd love to take credit for having irresistibly delicious produce, that theory seems a bit far-fetched.”
“Stranger things have happened,” I countered playfully, enjoying the banter between us.
At around 10 pm, it was clear the culprit wasn’t taking a chance tonight.
“Alright, Amelia,” Teddy said, standing up from the chair beside me. “I think we can call it a night. Nothing's happened, and I'm pretty sure you just wanted an excuse to spend time with me.”
“Excuse me?” My eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “You're the one who accused me of ruining your precious garden! Besides, I still think it could be an animal.”
“An animal that didn’t target my garden until you moved in?” Teddy chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Unlikely. See you around, Amy.”
I hated being called Amy, unless it was Leah. “It’s Amelia or Ames. Not Amy.”
“I know,” he said with a wink. Touché.
With that, he turned and headed back to his house, leaving me fuming in the dark. If he wanted to play games, then so could I.