Page 12 of Shotgun Spouse

“So you’re saying I should be checking every pothole myself? Maybe make the coffee while I’m at it?”

“Delegating is fine in theory, but if one person doesn’t do their job—if one cog in your so-called wheel breaks—everything falls apart.”

“That’s why you pick the right people in the first place,” Teddy countered. “You don’t fixate on every detail. You see the bigger picture and trust your team to handle the rest. You let them take ownership of their work.”

Bunny huffed, clearly unconvinced. “And what happens when someone drops the ball? Or marries the wrong man. Or forgets to do the business license renewal. What then?”

"Are we still talking about the military, or the town, or…"

"It doesn't matter."

Teddy got the notion that it did matter. Very much, in fact. He knew how close Bunny was to her younger sisters. Knew when she was on the phone with them or had just come from lunch with them. There was a weariness in her eyes behind the love she had for them. It was clear they relied on their big sister, and he got the sense that Bunny liked that codependency.

At the same time, it was weighing her down. She likely didn't know how to let them be on their own, how to let them run their own lives without her constant supervision. Much like his mother did with him.

“If someone drops the ball, you all deal with it. But you don't go into an op assuming the ball will be dropped. Not if you've trained your team well.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

Yup. This was definitely about her sisters.

The truck hit a patch of snow. The tires slipped briefly before catching again. Bunny let out a startled gasp, her hand flying to the chicken handle.

Teddy's hand flew to her chest, protecting her with the arm bar of his forearm. The heated gasp raised goosebumps on his flesh. His forearm connected with her chest. He should've pulled his hand away, but it would not move.

"I'll thank you to keep both hands on the wheel, Mayor Carter."

Teddy returned his hands to the wheel, ten and two like he’d been taught. They drove the rest of the way in silence as the snowfall accumulated behind them. There was no way she'd make it back down the hill and over the bridge tonight.

During the last big snow, two years ago, he had been trapped up here for two days. The authorities had offered to come get him out, but Teddy had declined, insisting they dig out the rest of the town first. He had a satellite phone that always connected, even if the cell towers went out.

A shrill wail erupted from the back seat, cutting through the quiet. Teddy winced, glancing in the mirror as the baby’s face scrunched up, his tiny fists flailing against the blanket.

Bunny twisted in her seat as she tried to see the baby in the dim light. “He probably needs a change.”

“Or maybe he just doesn’t like my driving,” Teddy quipped, shutting off the engine.

“Get the car seat. I’ll grab the diaper bag.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The baby’s cries echoed in his ears as he stepped out into the cold. The wind bit at his face. This wasn’t how he’d imagined the night going. Sure, he’d secretly hoped to get snowed in with Bunny—no phones, no interruptions, just the two of them in his cozy house with the storm outside.

But now? With a crying baby and Bunny giving him that exasperated look every five minutes? As he hauled the car seat out of the back and turned toward the house, he wasn’t so sure this snowstorm was going to be the romantic, Hallmark-worthy setup he’d hoped for.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The cold hit Bunny’s face as soon as she stepped out of Teddy’s truck. The snow swirled in dense waves, blurring everything into a frosty white haze. The flakes clung to her coat, melting into tiny droplets as she hurried toward the open front door of Teddy’s house. The wind bit at her cheeks, making her feel as though she was wading into the heart of the storm rather than escaping it.

She crossed the threshold. Once inside, she shook off the snow and stomped her boots on the mat, but the chill stayed with her. Turning back, she saw the snow piling up so quickly it had already started to cover their tracks. The sight sent a sinking feeling into her stomach. What had she been thinking hopping into his passenger seat?

Teddy followed close behind, carrying the baby in the car seat. His easy stride contrasted sharply with Bunny’s rising panic. She glanced around the cozy, pristine bachelor pad. It had an inviting, open floor plan that was starkly unprepared for the chaos of a wailing infant.

Her sisters flashed into her mind. Kitty and her quick-to-love, quick-to-marriage escapades. Birdy, buried in legal briefs and her stubborn refusal to let anyone in. How would theymanage without her? And what would the town think when they inevitably found out she’d spent the night with the mayor and a baby everyone seemed to think was theirs?

Though, Bunny thought with a growing skepticism,there’s no way this baby is his. The baby had none of Teddy’s warm brown skin, his dark eyes, or his unruly curls. He didn’t share even the slightest resemblance to him.

The baby’s sudden, shrill cry snapped Bunny out of her thoughts. It was a cry filled with all the urgency of a tiny human who hadn’t been changed or fed in too long.

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