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“Yeah, doll,” he replies, voice hoarse.
Maybe it wasn’t a confession of my feelings per se. Maybe I’m still working on that. Working through the conviction that I’m not too much for this man. That, unlike the others, I fit with Teddy in a way that feels lasting and right. And he fits with me.
But that word means something to Teddy. And I can see it in his eyes; he knows it means something to me, too.
I can’t say for sure what was missing in my past relationships. If there was one thing I was searching for. A single key. But fuck, Teddy sure unlocked something in me all the same.
I kiss my husband chastely, just a press of lips, and then I lift off his lap. When I leave for work, the memory of his taste stays with me.
Just like he wanted.
Chapter 27
Teddy
“Knock, knock.”
Scott looks up from his desk, a smile dimpling his cheeks. “Hey, Teddy. Come on in. Shut the door if you want.”
“You sure that wouldn’t start rumors?” I ask, leaving the door open as I step inside his office.
Scott snorts. “None I haven’t heard before. So what’s up? You have an update on Phillip’s case?”
“I do,” I say happily. “The landlord settled.”
“Well, that’s great. No drama is good drama.”
I huff a laugh, but he’s not wrong.
“I think I saw Phillip heading into the library earlier,” Scott says. “Should we see if we can catch him?”
“Sure.”
Scott and I head toward the community center’s library-slash-study space. There aren’t any younger kids around at this time of day, but a few older teens are stationed at computers, and some of the private study room doors are closed. Scott points over to the back corner, where Phillip is sitting in a chair with headphones in. He looks up as we approach and tugs out the earpieces.
“Uh, hey,” he says, sitting taller.
“Hey,” Scott replies, taking a seat across from the teen. I do the same as Scott asks, “Mind if we talk in here? It’s good news.”
Phillip nods. “Yeah, sure.”
Scott waves a hand my way, giving me the floor.
“Your landlord agreed to pay you back for the excess rent he collected,” I tell Phillip, pulling the check out of my bag. “I have it here. Plus your security deposit.”
Phillip blinks at the check I hand him. “Really? That’s it?”
“That’s it,” I confirm.
“But that was so…easy,” the teen says.
“That’s why we keep this guy around,” Scott teases, clapping me on the shoulder.
I shake my head, although there’s a smile on my face. “Sometimes it is that easy. Not all lawsuits go to court.”
“Well, thanks,” Phillip says, looking a little shell-shocked. “I didn’t think anyone would care, and I just… Thank you, guys. For everything.”
“Of course,” Scott says gently. He notches his head at the sketchpad in Phillip’s lap. “Schoolwork or fun?”
