Page 52 of Love Shots

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dear 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.

---