Page 25 of Shotgun Spouse

Teddy's mouth fell slack. His eyes were wide as they roamed from her tousled hair to the oversized shirt skimming her legs. The baby cooed, seemingly amused by the scene, but Teddy didn’t notice.

“You look good enough to eat.”

Dinner unfolded like the best first date Bunny had ever experienced. Teddy was charming and attentive, refilling her glass, serving her pasta with a flourish and keeping the baby entertained between bites. The baby gurgled happily, sucking on her fingers as if she were part of the fun.

The food was incredible, rich and flavorful. Teddy kept her laughing with stories about his first few weeks as mayor—particularly his disastrous attempt to balance the town budget with a flip chart and a marker.

After dinner, Teddy led her to the living room, where he popped in an old rom-com DVD. They sank onto the couch, Bunny curling her legs beneath her as the baby snoozed in her car seat nearby. Halfway through the movie, Teddy executed the classic “yawn-and-stretch” move, sliding his arm around her shoulders.

Bunny nestled against him. Her head came to rest on his shoulder. The warmth of his body seeped into hers. She felt completely at ease.

“We should name the baby,” she said into his collarbone.

“We should find her parents first—or at least a good home. Someone who can give her everything she needs.”

Bunny turned slightly, studying his face. “What about you? Would you want to be that person?”

Teddy was quiet for a moment, his gaze flickering to the baby before returning to her. “I do want kids. But not just any kids. I want to be the father to a particular woman’s children.”

Bunny's breath caught at his words. The air between them grew charged. It was just like it had been when they sat across from each other and he'd kissed the sense out of her. Her senses now made ready to flee.

Teddy leaned in, his eyes dropping to her lips.

Bunny tilted her head back to give him easy access to her lips, her throat, all of her if he asked. And then—a knock at the door.

They jerked apart as the sound echoed through the house, loud and insistent. The baby stirred, letting out a small, startled cry.

It was Teddy that managed to extricate himself from their tangle. He rose from the couch and strolled over to the door.

Bunny stood as well, moving to comfort the baby. She picked up the little girl, rocking her gently as she whispered soothing words.

The knock came again, louder this time. Teddy opened the door. His jaw dropped. When he managed to get his mouth working, the single word that left his lips was the biggest shock to Bunny in the last twenty-four hours.

“Mom?"

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Theodore Carter, are you going to let me in, or are you going to let me stand out here and freeze?”

Teddy froze, his hand gripping the edge of the door as his mother’s voice cut through the air like a drill sergeant’s bark. He blinked at her, bundled against the snow in her military-grade parka. Her steel-gray hair peeked out from under a knit hat.

He felt sixteen again, caught red-handed, sneaking a girl into his room after curfew. His mom had always known. Always. She’d had an uncanny ability to knock at the exact wrong moment, whether he was stealing a kiss or watching a movie that was decidedly not PG.

Now, standing on his own porch as a grown man in his own house, Teddy still felt the same teenage dread wash over him. He ducked his head instinctively, even though he had nothing to hide. Or did he?

Sgt. Deirdre Carter swept past him like a force of nature. Her boots stomped across the floor, leaving a trail of melting snow in her wake. A gust of icy air swirled through the room as the screen door swung shut behind her. Teddy barely had time to process his mother's arrival before noticing movement in his driveway.

His mom hadn't come alone. The cavalry had arrived.

The sound of heavy machinery echoed through the quiet, snow-blanketed landscape. A snowplow rumbled past the house, its lights flashing like a beacon against the whiteout conditions. The driver gave a quick wave to Teddy from behind the frosted glass. The plow moved efficiently down the road, leaving behind a freshly cleared path.

The sound of car doors slamming drew Teddy's attention. Two cars, visibly worse for wear after battling the storm, sat idling in his driveway. They shouldn't have made it up the hill in these conditions, but somehow they had. The doors opened in unison, and the cavalry began to file out.

Frank, with his ever-present scowl. Teddy only recognized Preston because of the phone glued to his ear. The device peeked out from behind a thick scarf that Teddy thought he might have seen in a woman's fashion magazine. Pulling up the rear was Grant, looking smug as he stomped his boots clean of snow.

Teddy sighed, running a hand down his face. Whatever was coming, it wasn’t going to be good. "Well," he muttered under his breath, glancing toward Bunny and the baby. "Let the circus begin."

Frank stopped just inside the doorway. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. His scowl went neutral as he took in the scene. Frank wouldn’t say anything—he never did. But Preston and Grant? They were another story. Both men sauntered in behind Frank, their gazes flicking around like they were cataloging every detail for future office gossip.

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