CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
D ear Lord, give me patience.
A prayer Teddy knew would go unanswered. The last of his patience had gone out of the window, the same time Kelly had dropped her third tray of the night. Nothing was going right tonight. In fact, nothing had been going right since he’d been dismissed from Summer’s side five long days ago.
If it hadn’t been for Laney’s updates, he wouldn’t have been able to hold himself back from storming the hospital and demanding she tell him exactly how she was feeling. God, he missed her.
“Good news. Jacob can come in and help; he’s on his way now,” Kelly beamed as she re-emerged from the back and resumed serving.
“Thank God.” Teddy plonked down Bob’s pint and took the old man’s money. “Place is packed—it’s like the whole of Bluestone decided to come out tonight.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Kelly smirked as she squirted soda over ice.
Teddy simply grunted. It was becoming increasingly difficult to disguise his bad mood from both his customers and his staff.
As he poured yet another beer, his thoughts drifted back to Summer. Who was he kidding? They’d never stopped being about Summer. What she was doing. How she was feeling. If she was thinking about him. He was a man obsessed. He’d even started to wonder what exactly constituted stalking.
Don’t be that guy, man. Not cool.
Thanks to his Summer-riddled brain, the sight of her walking into Mickey’s didn’t register until she was standing directly in front of him. Well, in front of the bar he was behind anyway. He had to blink a few too many times. He was even considering pinching himself but thought twice about it.
She looked beautiful. Fresh-faced with her messy blonde hair sweeping all over the place. She was in jeans, a gray tank top, and her Converse. As his eyes swept over her and drank the sight of her in, it didn’t take a genius to work out she was nervous. Teeth were digging into her lower lip as she fiddled with the collection of black bracelets adorning her wrist.
“Summer—”
“Please,” she immediately cut him off. “Can I go first?”
Holding his breath, he reluctantly nodded and ignored the quietening crowd surrounding them.
“So, uh, this might have been a bit easier if I’d have gone with my first instinct and walked in here with a boombox over my head, playing Green Day. But when I googled grand romantic gestures ... the internet advised that me doing one wasn’t a good idea. Apparently women shouldn’t do the whole romantic gestures thing because ... and I quote ... it makes them look ‘too thirsty.’ I’m not sure what that means ... but going by all the Fatal Attraction -themed comments I read, I’m thinking it’s not a good thing.”
His smile was stretched so wide it should be hurting. But nothing. Not one goddamn thing was going to wipe this smile off his face. Summer had googled grand romantic gestures. For him. For his sorry ass.
“I guess this could be considered one anyway though, seeing as the whole bar is kinda staring at us.” She wasn’t wrong. “But I want it on record that I’m not doing this because I’m ...” He watched her air quote the word “thirsty.”
“Noted.” Humor laced his voice. Not because this was funny, but because he was so happy.
“Okay. Um. So, while you were proving just how well you knew me these past few days, I got to thinking about all the things I know about you. More specifically, all the things I love about you.” Did she just say love? “So here goes ...”
He watched, his heart violently pounding as Summer removed a crumpled piece of paper from her jean pocket and unfolded it. She’d written a list. Jesus Christ.
“Your smile,” she began. “Not only does it light up the whole room, but it somehow has the ability to actually warm me from the inside out.”
It wasn’t just his heart pounding now; his ears had got in on the action.
“How much you care,” she continued. “For your sister, for me, for the whole town. You think I don’t see you helping Dotty with her deliveries? Or helping Bob open the gift shop shutters every morning? We all see you.”
His mouth was so dry he was finding it hard to swallow.
“How safe you make me feel. And not just since I’ve been back. You’ve always made me feel safe. And so damn strong. It’s like I know ... I know that as long as I have you by my side, everything will always be okay.” Her eyes finally lifted from the paper and met his. “But mostly, Teddy ... I love that you’re my best friend.”
He couldn’t breathe. He knew he had to say something, but words were failing him. Everything was failing him. He simply wasn’t functioning.
“I love you, Teddy McCallen. It’s always been you.” And with those words, he finally woke up. He was jumping over the bar a second later. “I’m sorry I sent you away, I didn’t mean—”
She didn’t get to finish her unnecessary apology because his mouth was on hers before anything else could come out. She tasted like sweet tea. Heaven.
When they eventually came up for air, she mumbled, “Do you forgive me?” against his lips.
He drew his head back just enough to catch the shine in her eyes. “Doll, there is nothing to forgive. Although truth be told, I am a little pissed that you got to be the one to say I love you first.”
“You love me?” The beginnings of a smile tipped up one side of her mouth.
“Baby ... I love you so fucking much it hurts.” He dropped his forehead against hers, needing to touch her again. “Don’t ever send me away again, okay? I can’t live without you, doll. I need you. The past few days have been torture.”
“I promise,” she whispered.
He needed another taste. Capturing her lips again, he breathed her in. Vanilla filling his lungs and his heart beating so loudly it drowned out the cheers and catcalls filling the bar.
Very aware of their audience, he was careful to keep his hands to himself, only letting them drift as far as her lower back. But the urge to drag her soft curves up against him was strong. Especially when she pushed her tongue deeper, making him want to beat his chest.
They continued to kiss way longer than was probably acceptable, considering where they were. It was definitely long enough to turn his blood molten. He knew they needed to stop before he took her right there on the bar floor. But he didn’t. As if sensing his lack of control, Summer was the one to draw back.
They were both panting when she did. Their eyes glazed. Still standing close enough to swallow each other’s breaths.
“So, I figured something out when I was in the hospital.” Summer’s chest heaved, brushing against him as she spoke.
“Oh yeah?” Teddy was back to smiling.
“Yeah. I’m actually not bad at relationships after all. I was just trying to do them with the wrong people. The reason it never worked out was because ... they weren’t you. No one was ever you.”
He let himself groan. “Keep saying shit like that to me, doll, and I’m gonna drag you upstairs and have my wicked way with you.”
“Oh really?”
He watched her playfully cock her eyebrow.
“Really.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to know that you were all I’ve thought about this week? How every second I wasn’t with you, I was thinking about you. Wishing you were with me. Holding me. Kissing—”
There was only so much a man could take. Summer was now off her feet and cradled against his chest. Giggling. Both of them ignoring the very questionable jeers as he walked them to the back stairwell.
Summer was back to torturing him as her mouth latched onto his neck. But it was okay. Of all the possible problems to have, this was a good one.