Page 65 of All My Heart

Teddy growled. “She was dressed as an elf.”

“Did she make a hot elf?” I asked.

“I think I have a picture someone sent me to torture me with.” Teddy scrolled through his photos. “Here it is.”

He tilted his screen so I could see the picture of him as Santa in a red velvet chair.

“Is this Charlotte?” I pointed at the elf who sat in his lap, an arm around his neck and a big smile on her face.

“She's ridiculous.”

“She makes a hot elf.” I couldn't really see what she looked like under that getup; I just wanted to see if Teddy cared.

He grabbed his phone from me. “I knew you wouldn't be any help.”

“What's the issue with her?”

Teddy huffed out a breath. “I don't have time to do this marketing stuff.”

“But if it helps the farm's bottom line, shouldn't we do it? I thought the family decided it would be best to keep the farm going.” Dad talked about the farm, and I'd listened halfheartedly. It wasn't something that affected me. I just didn't want Dad to be stressed.

His lips pursed. “I don't know if it will be a good move.”

I tipped my head to the side, trying to remember the conversations we'd had on the topic. “I thought Dad said the festival was a success.”

Teddy was thoughtful. “I guess the turnout was good and the money too.”

I frowned. “Then what's the problem?”

Teddy let out an exasperated sigh. “She's everywhere now that I'm staying on the farm. She's so cheerful and positive. She's always touching me too.”

“She's too happy?” I asked him slowly, trying to get a feel for the problem.

He gave me a look. “I've always made the decisions on the farm, and now Dad brought in this outsider, and she's irritating as fuck.”

My eyes widened. “After Mom died, you helped out with the family and the farm. But Dad's okay now. Maybe it's time for you to ease back. You have a job and a house.”

I'd pulled back when I enlisted, so that was easy advice for me to offer. The farm held good memories when I was a child, but I didn't have any involvement with it now.

Teddy's frown deepened. “I've always helped on the farm.”

“You don't have to anymore.”

He shook his head. “I'm not ready to let go.”

“It's hard to make big changes. That's what I did when I resigned from the military.” And I was still dealing with the fallout.

Teddy handed me a beer from the small cooler we'd kept nearby. “Why did you? We all thought you'd stay until retirement.”

“I wasn't making real connections with anyone. I was too afraid to lose someone. I was sick of living like that.”

“That's understandable, given our mother dying young and your job.”

“I wanted more.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I just don't know what that is.”

“Is it Luna?” Teddy threw a thumb over his shoulder and lowered his voice.

My chest tightened. “She's going home soon. There can't be anything there.”

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