Page 10 of Shotgun Spouse

She glanced at him, standing there like a lost puppy among shelves of pastel-colored chaos. “Why would someone leave a baby with you? What about you screams ‘reliable parent material’?”

"You're no longer pulling your punches, are you? What made you dislike me so much? Is it because I missed today's speech?"

"You constantly go off-script."

"Because I read the room. If they're not into what I'm saying, I have to pivot."

"But then you forget to mention certainly policy pieces or details that are important."

"People will forget the policy. They'll always remember how you made them feel."

She rolled her eyes. "You're still not always the most reliable."

“I'm reliable when and where it counts. People trusted me enough to elect me mayor.”

Bunny thought of the donor who had been interested in backing Grant and was now looking at her. Not everyone thought Teddy was reliable or responsible.

The baby started to fuss again, his tiny face scrunching up as a wobbly cry escaped his lips. Teddy, looking slightly panicked, jostled the car seat in an attempt to soothe him, rocking it back and forth with the same enthusiasm he used to hype up kids before a basketball game.

"Hey, little guy," Teddy cooed awkwardly, his deep voice entirely unsuited for baby talk. "No need to cry. We got you. You’re good. Right?"

The baby did not agree. His cries only grew louder, his tiny fists flailing.

Bunny stepped in with the air of someone who had handled a thousand meltdowns before breakfast. She unbuckled the baby and lifted him into her arms, cradling him against her chest.

Instant silence.

The baby nestled into Bunny as if he had known her forever, his tiny fingers curling into the fabric of her coat. Bunny swayed, patting the baby’s back in a slow, soothing rhythm.

"Huh. Well, that’s just great. I can handle a gym full of rowdy teenagers, but one tiny baby wipes the floor with me."

"That’s because babies need comfort, not pep talks. You can’t treat him like he’s about to take a free throw."

“You’re a natural.”

That sounded like true admiration, not teasing or mockery. Teddy wasn’t smirking or flashing that mischievous, too-charming-for-his-own-good smile. His gaze was warm, steady—like he was seeing something in her that she wasn’t used to people noticing.

Her sisters expected her to do things for them. She assumed Teddy was the same. But he looked at her with… was that appreciation and gratitude?

No, it couldn't be. It was the lopsided grin. The same one she’d watched countless women sigh over. She’d seen them lean in, flip their hair, and trail their fingers along his arm, angling for his attention. It usually worked. Teddy Carter was the town’s golden boy, and people loved basking in his glow.

But now, standing here in the middle of the baby aisle with a pack of diapers under his arm and a hint of exhaustion in his eyes, Bunny realized something: She’d never actually seen him take any of those women home.

Oh, she’d seen them slip their numbers into his hand. Cards scribbled with names and winks, sometimes even with little hearts doodled on the back. But Teddy never pocketed them. He’d always handed them off to Frank or left them behind—on the table, on the podium, forgotten, like they meant nothing.

Now that she thought about it, she had never seen Teddy with a date. Never once.

Bunny adjusted the baby in her arms, feeling the steady warmth of the tiny body curled against her. Teddy was still watching her, that grin of his softening at the edges.

What were they talking about? He'd called her a natural.

“Someone has to be,” Bunny replied. “You can’t even tell the difference between formula and milk.”

“I’m learning. Babies aren't easy for everyone, you know.”

“Neither is parenting." Bunny snorted, turning her attention to the baby, who grinned a gummy smile up at her. "But I'm here now. We'll figure it out.”

Just as Teddy opened his mouth to respond, Mrs. Hargrove—the local gossip—appeared at the end of the aisle, holding a box of teething biscuits. She paused, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene: Bunny holding the baby with practiced ease, Teddy carrying baby supplies, and their exchanged words about "parenting" and "figuring it out."

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