by R. C. Martin
“Stop,” he interrupted resolutely. With a wrinkled brow, he inquired, “This isn’t a competition. You do realize that, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she breathed, somehow surprised he would say such a thing. “Harp is one of my favorite people in the world. I learned a long time ago not to compete with her. It’s far easier to just love her. And she loves Ben. I hope your mom and Samuel see why. But I love you, and—”
“And what, Teddy?” he scoffed in bewilderment. “Do I strike you as a man who makes relationship decisions based on my mother’s approval?”
“No,” she answered simply. She could tell Judah was about to speak, as if to close the door on the subject, but she added, “You’ve also never introduced a woman to your mother before. Maybe her opinion will matter more than you think.”
“Sweetheart, we’ve been over this. Tonight’s dinner is happening because Aunt Eddalyn—”
“I know,” she interrupted. “Edda likes me. That doesn’t make me any less nervous. I can’t help it.”
Judah took a healthy swig of his cappuccino before he asked, “Have you ever stopped to think about whether or not you’ll like Annelise Delaney?”
Theodora jerked her head back and stared at him like he was crazy. “Of course, I’ll like her. She raised you.”
Setting his mug on his nightstand, he muttered, “I’d like to take some credit for how I turned out, thank you.”
Before Theodora could think of a reply, Judah tugged at the sheet which covered her body. She lifted her cappuccino reflexively, eyeing the man confoundedly as he crawled onto the bed fully.
“Open,” he said simply, tapping the side of her knee.
“What?”
With raised eyebrows, he commanded, “Open.”
“But—why?” Even as she uttered the words, Theodora bent her legs and spread her knees.
Judah stretched out on his belly and brought his face to her naked center. He hadn’t even touched her, and yet her nipples pebbled as she grew short of breath.
“Tonight, when we’re at dinner, I want you to remember this moment.” With his eyes staring up at hers, Judah dragged his tongue between the folds of her sex. She gasped and quickly discarded her half-finished beverage on the nightstand beside her. “Tonight, when you meet my mother,” he continued, pausing long enough to suck her clit and beckon her arousal. “Remember, no matter what she thinks or says or does—this pussy is mine, and I could give a fuck about all the rest.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he thrust his tongue inside of her. When she came a few minutes later, her fingers buried in his hair and his name pouring from her lips, Judah’s mother was the last thing on her mind.
Chapter Thirty
Certain the elements of winter would arrive any day, I chose the Porsche for our drive to Denver. Traffic was moderate, and we pulled up to The Range—one of Samuel’s favorite downtown restaurants—right on time. I handed my keys to the valet as Teddy stepped up onto the sidewalk, anxiously smoothing her hands along the front of her white, floral blouse worn beneath her long, olive green cardigan. With her tan, ankle boots boosting her off the ground a couple inches, it accentuated her long legs, wrapped in a fitted pair of jeans. She wore her hair loose, the way I liked it best, and I wished I could fuck her nerves right out of her.
“Stop fidgeting,” I insisted as I joined her on the sidewalk. Taking one of her hands into one of mine, I started for the entrance and added, “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” she whispered as she laced our fingers together. “I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn jeans.”
“Stop, baby.” I looked for her hazel-brown eyes before I quirked an eyebrow at her. “What’d I tell you this morning?”
When her freckled cheeks flushed, I knew my point hit its mark. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she nodded, and I winked as we approached the hostess stand. I told the attendant the name under which she could find our reservation, and she informed me two from our party had already arrived. Teddy’s grip around my hand tightened as we were escorted into the dining room. As soon as we were spotted, my mother stood, and Samuel was quick to follow suit.
Much like her sister, my mother was a slim woman with a pale complexion. However, that was about all they had in common. Annelise was taller, standing as high as Teddy in only a pair of flat shoes. Her deeply brown, curly hair was grown out to her shoulders; and her eyes were almost as dark as her brunette locks. The sweater she wore was too big, her pants were an inch too long, and the only jewelry she ever cared to wear was her wedding ring—but she was a simple woman who cared little about appearances. Always was. It wasn’t something we had in common, but it was a familiar trait that comforted me all the same.
“JD, it’s so good to see you,” she said in greeting, holding her arms out for me. I let go of Teddy’s hand and gave my mother what she wanted. She squeezed me tight and murmured, “You look so handsome. Every time I see you, I wonder where my boy has gone.”
“He turned into a man, that’s all,” said Samuel.
His reply was my mother’s cue to let me go, and he was quick to offer me his hand. I accepted his offer, fully prepared for the hug he pulled me in for as he clapped his palm against my back. He was a few inches shorter than me, and a little heavier around his middle than he was the last I saw him. Even still, he had the same cool, calm persona he always did.
When he pulled away from me, he grazed his fingers over his full, salt-and-pepper beard before pointing at my face. “I like it.”
I expressed my gratitude by way of a smirk and replied, “It’s good to see you.”
“You, too, buddy.”
I turned back and reached for Teddy. She was quick to take my hand as she stepped into the space beside me. When I looked at her, I didn’t miss the way her face had changed—the smile she wore colored with a bit of amusement. I wasn’t sure what that was about, but I made a mental note to inquire about it later and then began to make introductions.
“Teddy, this is my mother, Annelise, and my stepfather, Samuel.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Delaney, it’s really nice to meet you,” said Teddy shyly, holding out her free hand to greet them both with a handshake.
“Call me Ali, honey,” my mother insisted through a grin. “And it is I who am delighted to meet you.”
“And you can call me Sam, darlin’.”
“Well, shall we sit?” suggested Annelise. “Your brother should be here soon. And your sister, as I understand it.”
“Yeah,” murmured Teddy.
“That’s a story I’m looking forward to hearing,” said Samuel. “Have a seat. We’ll order drinks while we wait.”
It was another ten minutes before Benjamin and Harper arrived, but we didn’t struggle for conversation. As the night progressed, there seemed to be an endless number of topics for us to choose from. It having been a few months since either of us had seen our parents, there was the general catching up on life and work followed by the inevitable exchange of stories about how each of us came to know one another.
Much like Teddy assumed, Harper turned on her charm. She amused us all with tales of classroom mishaps as well as a few victories. It was quite apparent she was comfortable; but it was also noted how often she glanced her sister’s way, as if checking to see if she was all right. With my hand resting casually on Teddy’s thigh beneath the table, I could feel it as she grew more comfortable as the night progressed.
It was when dinner arrived that conversation shifted onto Teddy. Both my mother and Samuel inquired about her position at the gallery and how she liked it. Not surprisingly, she downplayed the role she maintained there and all the work I knew she’d been doing for the upcoming exhibition. Rather than let it lie, I prompted her to acknowledge her accomplishments. She was convinced she couldn’t hold a candle to her sister—but I knew otherwise.
Teddy seemed to deflate in relief when Harper turned the inquisition onto my parents, asking them about thei
r work. As I’d heard them do countless times before, my mother explained how she was the shift manager at the veterinarian office where Samuel was the lead doctor. It was how they met, decades ago, when both of them were each starting their careers in the field of animal care. This conversation brought us to the end of our dinner course, at which time Teddy and Harper excused themselves to the restroom.
Silence settled over the table for a moment in their absence. Instantly, I shot a look at my brother. We shared a smirk when he glanced my way at the same time. I knew, without having to say a word, we were both curious who would be the first to speak. Instinct told me it would be our mother. Sure enough, she cleared her throat, smoothed her hands over the napkin in her lap, and then proceeded to speak.
“The family resemblance between the two is striking. They’re both beautiful girls,” she began. “I read somewhere how redheads are fewer and fewer these days, and here we are—each of my boys has one on their arm.”
I reached for the remainder of my wine, silently taking a sip. I knew better than to speak. With every second the Fitzpatricks were away from the table, mother’s time was ticking, and she wasn’t finished.
“I will say, I find it interesting that you are with the older, Ben—and JD, you’re with the younger. Seems a bit backwards.”
“You heard how we all met,” started Benjamin. “It’s coincidence. Anyway, they’re different women, mom.”
“This is true,” she said noncommittally. Her eyes shifted from Benjamin and then onto me apprehensively. “Judah, Teddy seems so young. I’m just surprised is all.”
“I don’t know,” piped in Samuel. “She appears quite taken by JD. I think they look good together.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Whether or not Teddy and I looked good together wasn’t my concern. I had my standards, I made my choice, and their opinions on my romantic interests—just as I told Teddy—meant little.
“You’re right,” said Annelise, patting Samuel’s hand. “You two do make a fine couple. I’m just wondering how long it’ll last. How long before she changes her mind about what she wants? It’s what young people do. She’s at that stage in life where nothing is certain. I remember being in my early twenties. Don’t you? You’re not the same man you were then, JD. There’s so much self-discovery that takes place within this window of time.”
“Make your point, mother,” I insisted, wishing for the conclusion of our conversation.
“I see the way you look at her. She’s not the only one smitten. I don’t want to see you in ruins if it all comes crashing down.” Annelise freed a quiet sigh as she shook her head at me. “You think I don’t know. You think I don’t know about the first girl who broke your heart all those years ago. A mother knows these things, Judah, whether you speak of them or not. She changed you. And Teddy is doing the same thing. Your decision to even bring her here speaks volumes. Your heart is on your sleeve, and I—”
“Enough. Please,” I muttered. I tried not to frown at her, but I failed. For a moment, I resented her for bringing up Aubrey. She was right. I had never spoken of that relationship with her; to bring it up that night felt uncalled for. Furthermore, to question my ability to handle myself, regardless of what direction my relationship with Teddy went, was unwarranted.
“She’s good for him, mom. And she’s not a flight risk. I—”
“Benjamin.” I shot him a warning glare. With one look, I told him to stand down. The last thing I wanted was for him to fight my battles; for him to defend my woman.
“I didn’t bring her here to be evaluated. Neither did I ask for your opinion. You wanted to meet her and now you have.”
I could sense my cordial mood as it began to wane, like it was in orbit around our table. My mother had shown me a side of her I’d never seen before—a side of her I didn’t wish to know. Teddy was right. Having never introduced a woman to my mother, I hadn’t put myself in a position to hear her scrutinize me. Not just what little she knew of my relationship, but the parts of me she thought she knew and didn’t. Moreover, she went so far as to judge the woman who, after only an hour and a half, was hardly more than an acquaintance.
I no longer wanted to be there. Not just in the conversation, but at the table with Teddy. I wanted to leave, to take her out of the spotlight and hide her in my shadow. I didn’t want even a whiff of my mother’s opinion to waft in Teddy’s direction. I had spent a considerable amount of time assuring her she had nothing to worry about. Naïvely, I believed as much and was proven wrong. The last thing I wanted was for Teddy to be filled with doubt and insecurity that was wholly unnecessary.
Today, she loves me, I reminded myself.
Today, she chooses me—and I her.
Tomorrow, I shall take care of myself.
I always have.
I always will.
Chapter Thirty-One
Soon after her dinner plate was taken, Theodora excused herself to the restroom. Harper was quick to announce she had to go too, and she took her sister’s hand in her own as they headed across the restaurant.
“Oh. My. Fucking. God!” Harper gushed in an excited whisper, squeezing Theodora’s fingers tightly.
Theodora’s eyes scanned her sister’s profile anxiously as she murmured, “What?”
“I don’t know what you did to that man since I last saw him, but—oh, shit.” She burst into a fit of laughter, touching her forehead to Theodora’s shoulder. “I take that back.” As they drew closer to the restroom, she let go of Theodora’s hand and slipped her arm around her waist. Pulling her sister into her side, she whispered, “You must be really good in bed.”
Theodora’s step faltered. “Harper!” She stared at her sister, her embarrassment coloring her face.
“Sorry,” Harper laughed. When they reached the hallway where the restrooms were housed, out of view of the open dining room, Harper pulled Theodora to a stop. Her amusement still lighting up her green eyes, she faced her sister directly and semi-repeated, “That was crass, and I’m sorry. I’m mostly kidding. Actually—I’m not. I imagine you probably have some innate skills. You are my sister, after all.”
“Ew.” Cringing at the implication, Theodora tried desperately not to imagine Harper and Ben naked. “Why are we talking about this?”
“Because—Teddy, he’s different. Judah is like a lion at that table, and you are his feline. It is so hot! I swear, I’ve never seen a man so possessive and yet so gentle at the same time. The way he looks at you? The way he touches you. Teddy Bear—if he’s not in love with you, he’s falling. Fast and hard.”
Theodora softened at her sister’s declaration. “He hasn’t said the words,” she admitted.
“That’s not surprising. It’s not always an easy thing for men to do. Besides, you guys haven’t been together that long. You’ve got to give his head a chance to catch up with his heart, sis. And it will. He is totally head-over-heels for you. It’s so obvious. I’m sure his mom is completely blinded by it.”
This time, Harper’s observations drew a sigh from Theodora’s lips. She thought back over the last hour, remembering the way Annelise would look at Harper and how it differed from the way she looked at her.
“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s very sure of me.”
“Teddy,” Harper began, reaching up to fidget with Theodora’s hair. “She’s sitting across from the woman who just might be her son’s forever. Of course, she’s not very sure of you. Remember how mom reacted to Judah? It’s maternal instinct. You’ll see one day.”
Theodora’s eyebrows knit together instantly. It was like her heart itself tugged at them as it lurched with the residual pain of the wound she thought might always need healing.
“No, Harper. I won’t.”
“Oh, shit,” her sister breathed. “I wasn’t—I didn’t—fuck. I’m sorry,” she stuttered, pulling Theodora into her arms. Theodora went willingly as Harper continued to stammer. “You never know, though. You have options. It’s the twenty-first centur
y! You could—”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Harp,” interrupted Theodora. She extracted herself from her sister’s embrace. “It’s okay. I’m okay. Let’s just—let’s just pee so we can get back out there.”
“Yeah. Good idea.”
Upon entering their destination, they both disappeared into an open stall. When they were each finished, standing together at the sink, Harper leaned over and kissed Theodora on the cheek. They smiled at each other via their reflections in the mirror, and it was the salve Theodora needed for her sometimes aching heart.
“Come on, Theodora Rose,” said Harper as they dried their hands. “Let’s get you back to your lion before he thinks I’ve whisked you away.”
The women walked hand in hand back to the table, letting each other go only when they reached their seats. The moment Theodora sat in her chair, Judah reached over and clasped his hand around her jean-clad thigh. His grip was tighter than it was earlier in the evening, and she searched his profile for an explanation. When she found none, she rested her hands atop his, leaning toward him as she murmured, “Hey, you okay?”
He sucked in a breath through his nose, exhaling slowly as his gray eyes met her brown ones. She couldn’t decipher the emotions which swam within the darkness of his irises, but it made her heart race just the same.
He loosened his grip around her leg, then leaned toward her until his lips were grazing her ear. The hair on his face tickled her, and she relished the feeling. “I’m not interested in ordering dessert,” he said. “I’ve got ice cream at home—and you.”
Theodora’s entire body tingled in excitement, and she leaned closer in an unconscious attempt to hide her face.
“I’m going to get our check, and then we’re out of here. You with me, sweetheart?”
After he asked the question, he pulled away enough to be able to meet her gaze. She squeezed his hand with hers and whispered, “Always.”
