Page 42 of Single Teddy
The longer he looked at me, the bigger the knot became, and I felt like I would implode, so I turned away. Looked at Bear instead. Looked at the little kid and breathed.
“Y-you know,” I said after a few moments, pushing my glasses up and attempted to recompose myself. “Maybe he’s afraid of losing you too. Maybe that’s why he’s acting up.”
I called back to every instance of Bear and Teddy I could remember, and how clingy he was to his uncle. Even at The Outpost last weekend, he’d run to Teddy as soon as Autumn or anyone talked to him.
“You think?” Teddy asked.
“It’s a possibility. I wouldn’t rule it out.”
He sighed again.
“I don’t know what to do.”
I bit down the urge to touch him again and instead resolved to just smile.
“Visit a therapist, for starters. And build a routine. Routines help kids feel safe and secure.”
Saying that brought the twins to the front of my mind, and I wondered if they were showing signs too. Signs I might have missed.
“Routine, huh? It’s hard to keep a routine when the bathroom is occupied most of the day,” he said, and I blinked.
“Huh?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. It’s just…it’s hard to keep a routine when we can’t even use the bathroom at the lodge whenever we need to. Some days, he has to go without a bath because it gets too late?—”
“Lodge? What are you…? You live in a lodge?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Luna’s Lodge.”
I gasped.
“Oh my, Teddy!” I scolded. “No wonder Bear is not settling very well yet. Does he even have his own room?”
Teddy hung his head in shame and bit his lip.
Freaking adorable even when he was being a silly man.
“You need to move into a home. ASAP. He needs to feel safe and secure, to have his own space that isn’t constantly crowded with strangers. Forget everything else and start there for his sake.”
Teddy glanced at Bear and nodded.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I rolled my eyes and touched his arm again. Gosh, I was addicted. And it wasn’t like his arm was tiny. It was rock-hard muscle, and it made my skin sizzle every time I came into contact with him. But I didn’t care. He needed to get the message loud and clear.
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to this little man by finding him a home.”
“I will,” he said with a gentle smile, and I caught him glancing at my hand on his arm.
Was it having the same effect on him as it had on me? And why did he have to go and fuel more of my spank bank with such smoldering, cute expressions?
THIRTEEN
TEDDY
As if Wesley hadn’t already given me enough food for thought, he’d given me newfound purpose. I just didn’t know how I could afford it.
I’d have to talk to Hwan to see if he could give me an advance on some of my wages and probably pick up another job somehow. It wasn’t as if I enjoyed staying at Luna’s Lodge, but it was the only option we had. It was free, and Mr. Roger was far less demanding than I had anticipated. So far, I’d only done a few odd jobs here and there and kept an eye on check-ins while he ran errands on the weekends.
