by R. C. Martin
“Is that my youngest, in the flesh?”
Entering from whatever room lay opposite the living space was her father. He stood no taller than five-eleven, and he carried his strength in his chest and shoulders. He had a head full of auburn hair and green eyes—eyes which were glued to Teddy as he drew closer.
“I was beginning to forget what you looked like.”
Letting go of my hand, Teddy chuckled and went to greet the man with an embrace. “Hey, dad. It’s good to see you, too.”
They didn’t hold onto each other for too long. As he began to let go, her father shifted his attention onto me and eyed me curiously. “Who do we have here?”
“Dad, this is Judah. My boyfriend.” As she said the words, she inched her way closer to me, like I could use the buffer. I fought a smile as she went on to say, “Judah, this is my dad.”
Extending my hand, I greeted, “Officer Fitzpatrick.”
The man visibly paused, taken by surprise, and then accepted my gesture with a handshake. “Call me Sean,” he insisted.
It was a friendly invitation, but I knew I hadn’t made my way into his good graces yet. I didn’t mind. He hadn’t made it into mine so quickly, either.
“Wow, a tall one, huh?” came her mother’s voice from behind us. I peered over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of her. It was apparent Teddy had inherited the woman’s height and build. She was beautiful, with dark brown eyes and sandy blonde hair. She appraised me openly before she added, “And quite handsome. You must be Judah.”
“Mom,” interjected Teddy, obviously embarrassed.
“Hi, darling. It’s good to see you,” she said endearingly. “Glad you still know where we live.”
Teddy rolled her eyes. “Judah, this is my mother. Mom, Judah.”
“Mrs. Fitzpatrick,” I replied as I offered my hand again.
“Oh, please, call me Renee. I get enough Mrs. Fitzpatrick around here.”
“Well, come on in, you two. Have a seat,” invited Teddy’s father.
Teddy casually slipped her arm around mine and guided me toward the couch. Her parents took the armchairs opposite us and conversation commenced. Mercifully, given how long it had been since the three of them shared the same space, I was hardly more than a bystander as Teddy caught them up on the topics of work, hobbies, and—more pressingly—her latest vehicle troubles. However, I knew my time was coming. Soon enough, I was the center of everyone’s attention.
Teddy played her part as mediator well, filling them in on how we met and making light of the night of our unexpected double date. I had just finished explaining what it was I did for a living when my phone began to ring. Recognizing the number of the towing company, I politely excused myself and stepped outside. I was on the porch no longer than three minutes. Nevertheless, when I returned to the family room, the women were gone.
“They’ll be back,” Sean said without prompting. “Renee thought a pitcher of lemonade would be nice.”
I nodded as I returned to the couch, curious how the man would make use of our solitude. I didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“How old did you say you were?” he asked.
He studied me unsuspectingly, but I wasn’t an idiot. Given his line of work, I assumed he was an expert when it came to grilling someone. In his living room, I was the suspect.
“I’m thirty-one.”
He leaned forward then, resting his forearms across his knees. “I hope you take no offense when I ask: what is a man like you doing with my daughter?”
I leaned back against the couch and subconsciously positioned myself in a posture opposite his. “I’m afraid I don’t understand your question.”
“You’re a managing partner at an interior design and architecture firm—a vocation I would guess is fairly lucrative. I can tell by the cut of your clothes, the watch on your wrist, and the vehicle you have parked in my driveway that you’re not lacking in success. You seem like a very bright and talented man, but Teddy is still just…a kid.”
I frowned at him, unable to stop myself. What he said was ridiculous, and his implications were borderline insulting. “Teddy is an adult. She may be your youngest child, but she is an independent woman capable of making her own choices.”
“That may be so, but there’s nearly a decade between the two of you. I don’t see what you could possibly have in common, and I can’t say I understand your intentions here.”
“My intentions?” I muttered.
I didn’t mask my tone. Neither did I attempt to placate him with some bullshit answer to calm whatever over-protective fears he had when he looked at me. I knew one thing to be certain—Teddy was my choice, and I was hers. He didn’t have to choose me. Whether he accepted me or not wasn’t my concern. He wasn’t the one I wanted in my bed.
“I see the way she looks at you,” he went on to say. “She’s clearly grown attached. Given the length of time you two have known each other, I think it fair for me to say: if you don’t have any intention of sticking around for the long haul, I would rather you not use my daughter as your plaything.”
I breathed a laugh and shook my head, appalled but somehow impressed by his candidness. It was clear to me he was somehow marking his territory in an attempt to ward me off. As I sat with that reality, I couldn’t deny he had a right to stand up for his daughter. She was worth the fight. Yet, as much as he wished to protect her, he couldn’t begin to understand the way I wanted her. Even more, he couldn’t know I wasn’t afraid of a challenge. I earned my place at Teddy’s side, and he wasn’t going to scare me away.
“Officer Fitzpatrick,” I began at last. “I’m not a fortune teller. I will not claim to know what my future with Teddy looks like; but I would ask you to respect me enough not to assume I would dare come into your home if Teddy was nothing more to me than a plaything. I have better things to do with my time than meet the parents of a woman whose feelings I care nothing about.”
Silence settled between us for a moment, his eyes intently trained on me.
In a last-ditch effort to test my nerve, he said, “I know my girls. They’re the marrying kind. I’d keep that in mind.”
“Look, her choice to be with me is exactly that. Her choice. So long as Teddy chooses me, I’m not worried about whether or not she’s the marrying kind.”
“Fair enough,” he mumbled. Sitting upright in his chair, he seemed to relax.“You’re an honest man. I respect that.”
I dipped my chin in a nod and relented.
Chapter Twelve
Theodora was hesitant to join her mother in the kitchen while Judah was out making a call. The thought of abandoning him with her father—who could be intense when he wanted to be—made her anxious. Renee simply rolled her eyes and insisted, assuring her daughter they would only be gone long enough to make a batch of her mint-rosemary lemonade.
Tasked with juicing the lemons her mother cut, Theodora stood at the kitchen island next to the woman who knew her second best. Much as she wanted to return to the next room, she would have been lying if she said she didn’t enjoy Renee’s company. She really was so grateful Judah agreed to bring her home for a day.
“Teddy, my darling, I want to ask you something.”
Shrugging innocently, Theodora responded without pause. “Okay.”
“It’s about Judah,” Renee began.
Theodora’s hands worked a little slower as she waited for her mother to continue.
“Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but he seems a bit old for you.”
She could tell her mother was trying to be gentle, but that didn’t make it any easier to keep her defenses down. Attempting to maintain an unaffected tone, Theodora countered, “That’s not a question, mom.”
“Okay. Well—don’t you think he’s a little old for you?”
“No. He’s in his early thirties. It’s not like he’s ancient.”
“Teddy, you just barely graduated college. He graduated years ago. He’s had time to establish a career, buy a
house…I don’t know. Don’t you think you should be with someone who you might be able to relate to a bit more?”
Shifting so her hip rested against the counter’s edge, Theodora ignored the growing pile of lemon halves as she looked at Renee. No longer able to completely hide her agitation, she sounded argumentative when she replied, “I relate to Judah just fine. Besides, how have you forgotten that my best friend is closer to forty than twenty-five? Age is just a number.”
Renee met her daughter’s stare as she mimicked her stance. “Older men tend to want different things than younger ones.”
With knit eyebrows, Theodora shook her head. “If you mean to say that because he’s older, he’s more focused—okay. Yeah. You’re right. He’s very focused and intentional about everything he does.”
“And what does he want with you? What are his intentions with you?”
“He’s my boyfriend. What do you mean?”
“My child,” Renee cooed, grazing the back of her fingers along Theodora’s face maternally. “I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all.”
“Mom, what does his age have to do with whether or not he’s capable of hurting me?”
“I know you don’t like to hear it, but you’re still so young. You have so much life left to live, and I don’t want to see you get so attached that it crushes you if he ever decides he needs someone a little older.”
“That’s not—that’s not going to happen.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Theodora felt as young and naïve as her mother seemed to think she was. She sensed it as her cheeks warmed in a blush, but she ignored it as she turned back toward the lemons to continue her task.
“You don’t know him,” she added. “He cares about me. He’s committed to me.”
“Teddy, I—”
“He buys me flowers when he’s thinking of me. Did I tell you that?” she asked, peering over at her mother. “And when I’m having a really bad day—like the worst—he’ll hold me and just be with me.”
She could feel tears prick the back of her eyes as she thought about the truth; the truth she couldn’t share with her mother because she’d carried around the secret for too long. The statute of limitations had expired, but the aftereffects were not ones she was forced to deal with on her own. She had Judah. Regardless of whether or not Renee could understand, Theodora needed her mother to trust her.
“He means something to me, okay? And I mean something to him.”
“Oh, dear,” Renee sighed as she reached over to rub her daughter’s back. “You’re already in love with him, aren’t you?”
Theodora didn’t respond. Instead, she sealed her lips closed, resolute in her decision not to utter the truth. A part of her didn’t want to say the words because she didn’t want her mother to hear them before the man himself. More than that, she didn’t want her mother to twist what she felt in her heart and shove it into whatever box she’d constructed to hold her idea of their relationship.
Not deterred by the silence, Renee inquired, “Are you sleeping with him?”
Theodora sucked in a quiet gasp as she jerked away from her mother’s touch. “No offense, but whether I am or am not sleeping with Jude is none of your business.” She breathed out a sigh, overwhelmed by the destination of their conversation. Focusing her attention on squeezing the lemons, she continued, “I know you think you have the right to know. I know you think this because Harper tells you that kind of thing. But I’m not Harper, okay? Not to mention, based on this conversation, I’m sure you’d think my answer was some sort of poor reflection on Judah and how his age plays into him pressuring me…or…I don’t know. Something crazy. Something that’s not true. The truth is, he’s never made me do anything I didn’t want to do. He respects me. He’s a gentleman. And if you would just give him a chance—”
“Okay, okay,” she interjected soothingly. Sliding an arm around Theodora’s waist, Renee drew her close. “I’m sorry. I hear you. I also trust you. Look at me, please.” She waited for Theodora to obey before she went on to say, “You’ve never been my impulsive child. I know this about you. So, if you’re telling me what exists between you and Judah is completely genuine, then I believe you. But don’t fault your dear mom for being cautious. It’s my job.”
Theodora stared at her mother for a long moment. Finally, she said, “He’s a good man.”
“All right. What do you say we get our good men something refreshing to drink?”
Anxious to put their conversation to bed and return to the next room, Theodora nodded in agreement.
Chapter Thirteen
“I know I’ve said it a couple times already but thank you. Thank you for today. It meant a lot to me,” said Teddy as we both closed ourselves into the Mercedes.
We spent the remainder of the morning at her parent’s house, until her father suggested we head into town for lunch. In favor of any excuse to occupy a space bigger than their living room—cramped with unspoken inquires and over-protective suspicions—I didn’t argue. We journeyed to downtown Estes separately, reconvening for lunch and an hour of aimless wandering. To say it wasn’t my ideal afternoon would have only been the truth; but there was something about Teddy’s gratitude that made me amenable. Her repetitive thanks were like an acknowledgment of my compromise. My sacrifice. It didn’t go unnoticed, and somehow that held meaning.
I looked over at her, not bothering to start the vehicle right away. Instead, I replied, “It was nothing.”
“No, it wasn’t,” she scoffed with a knowing smile. “You were left alone in a room with my dad—that’s far from nothing. I’m sure I owe you. What did you guys talk about, by the way?”
I studied her for a moment, wondering if there was anything more to her question than idle curiosity. As she stared back at me, her brown eyes warm and soft—alight with a happiness I hadn’t seen in her gaze before—I understood she truly believed what she said. Our visit, not just hers but ours, meant a lot to her. I thought back on what her father said to me, the questions he hurled my way with little mercy, and it clicked in my mind.
She’s his little girl. Truly.
The bond which existed between them was one I would never understand. It was a bond the likes of which I was robbed of before I could even stand on my own two feet. Whatever it was they shared, one look at her and I knew I’d be an ass to toy with the trust which existed between them.
Turning in my seat, I finally started the engine and simply answered, “You. We talked about you.” Before she could ask any follow-up questions, I backed out of the parking space and said, “I’ll take you back to your place. You can grab what you need for the next couple of days.”
“Are you—are you sure? I mean, you’ve gone out of your way so much today. If you—”
“Theodora, you’re currently without a car, and we have plans tomorrow. Besides,” I paused, reaching over to rest a hand on top of her thigh. “We’ve done what you’ve wanted all day. It’s my turn.”
She didn’t respond with words. Rather, she covered my hand with both of hers and held me there. This was all the confirmation I needed to know she understood me perfectly, and we were on the same page.
It took us nearly an hour to reach her apartment, and another twenty minutes for her to add to her overnight bag. I didn’t read into our arrangement. I didn’t overthink what we were doing, how easy it was to fall into a routine, or what it meant—if anything—that my whole weekend had become about her. It didn’t matter. As we pulled into my driveway and eased into the garage, I knew she’d be naked within minutes. That’s what I wanted. She was who I wanted. It seemed this was the truth, by any means necessary.
Upon entering the house, we both gravitated toward the bedroom—she to discard her bag; me to be sure she discarded everything else, too.
Teddy dropped her things just beside my bookshelf. When she turned around and found me right behind her, she started in surprise. I was quick to slide a hand around the back of her neck before I le
aned down to kiss her. She relaxed against me almost immediately. With my lips pressed to hers, she reached up and took hold of either side of my leather jacket. Her grip enabled her to pull us closer together, but it wasn’t close enough. She sighed sweetly when I coaxed her mouth open with my tongue. As she pushed up on her tiptoes, I kissed her deeper, without a doubt she felt the urge for intimate proximity just as I did.
I pressed my free hand to the small of her back, pulling her toward me more, wanting to feel her body flush with mine—wanting her to feel how much she turned me on. She circled her arms around my neck, and when I moved to palm her ass, she hummed a moan. Teddy rolled her hips, in a manner I understood was entirely natural, not exactly conscious, but completely sexy. My dick grew harder with the tease.
I severed my mouth from hers, bringing it to her ear as I murmured, “Take my clothes off, sweetheart.”
A shiver ran through her, but she was quick to obey. With her bottom lip pinched between her teeth, she peeked through her lashes at me as she slid her hands underneath my jacket and eased it from over my shoulders. I let the garment fall to the ground, watching my woman as she pulled the hem of my shirt from the confines of my pants. She worked the fabric up my torso, and I reached behind my neck to gather a fist-full of the collar in order to help her get it over my head.
When she touched her hands to my abdomen and paused, I studied her curiously. I detected her tremble along with her hesitation. Saying nothing, I wondered what she was thinking. I didn’t have to wait long before I received my answer. Teddy unbuttoned my pants, hooked her thumbs over the top and into the waistband of my boxer briefs, and then began to make her descent. I breathed a curse as she sank to her knees.
With my pants pooled at my ankles, she looked up at me bashfully—her cheeks rosy with a blush. Without a word spoken by either of us, she took me into her mouth. Instantly, pleasure raced up my spine. I whispered another curse, reaching down to rest a hand around the back of her head. This spurred her on, and she held onto the back of my knees as she sucked me harder. I groaned, my eyelids falling closed of their own volition, and my head falling back as I surrendered to her ministrations.