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He looked down at his daughter and grinned. “Lead the way, little girl.” With his permission, Rosie darted between well-dressed residents at full speed until she came to a skidding stop right in front of her aunt.
“Aunt Teddy you look sooooooooo pretty!” Rosie’s loud declaration drew the attention of several tables and small circles of people, who now got their first look of Teddy looking spectacular.
She blushed prettily, even in the dim lights of the ballroom and knelt down to wrap her arms around Rosie. “Thanks, Rosie. You look even prettier. I know purple is your royal color, but green is gorgeous on you.” She always knew just what to say to Rosie to make her feel good, and it was just another thing I loved about her.
No. Not loved, it was another thing I admired about her. Yeah, admired. Appreciated.
“Teddy, where are the rest of your clothes?” Antonio’s deep rumble lessened the sting of words I had no doubt he absolutely meant. No matter how old Teddy got, he would always be her older brother.
She stood up to her full height, Rosie’s little hand cradled in hers. “Hey Antonio. Lookin’ good bro, but you know, you’re supposed to rock the morning after look on the actual morning after. Showing up like this might give women the idea they aren’t the first.”
He shrugged. “They’re not.”
“Ew.” I had to give Teddy credit, she worked so hard to avoid my gaze I swear her body vibrated with the effort it took. “Cal,” she finally offered up as a chilly greeting.
“Teddy. You look beautiful tonight.”
Her brown eyes took me in, raked over me from head to toe before she finally let her gaze settle on mine. “Thank you, Cal.” She looked down at Rosie with genuine smile. “Ready to find our table, kiddo?” And that was it. Rosie nodded and Teddy shuffled her off as quickly as she could.
“Ouch.” That was even colder than your average cold shoulder, but when I looked at Antonio, his gaze was focused on someone in the distance. Someone I know. Gus Thompson.
“Gus is looking good tonight.”
Antonio blinked and shrugged. “Where’s our table?”
The so-called “heroes” table was front and center of the stage, just in case any of us had any delusions that we weren’t on display for the evening. According to Suzie, heroes came in all shapes and sizes, some saved lives like me, Casey Jackson from the neurology department, Evan Wright from Cardio, Gus who was a pediatric nurse and Persy, the family doctor at the hospital. Others, like Antonio and Hannah, put Jackson’s Ridge on the map in a real way that meant tourist dollars, and a better existence for us all. “The one with the glass around it.”
He snorted and shook his head. “More like steel bars, for the night anyway. But it’s for a good cause, right?”
“Right,” I answered for his benefit as much as mine. The fundraiser made it possible to treat all patients who showed up at the medical center, whether they could pay or not. No man, woman or child went without healthcare, and if we couldn’t provide the help for them, we pointed them to a medical professional who could, and we helped them figure out how to get the care without going broke. “At least we have each other.”
Antonio snorted a laugh and took his seat beside me, strategically blocking my view of Teddy. “What the hell, man?”
“No staring,” he growled, playing up his role of overprotective big brother to a tee. “You want her, go talk to her like a man.”
“Dick,” I growled back and Antonio smiled. He really was a dick, and he was right. “Don’t rush me.”
Before he could say another word, Suzie took the stage and gave her welcome speech. It was heartfelt and funny, and the ball was—officially—under way.
“Thank you to all the heroes, those mentioned and showcased tonight, and those who prefer a lower profile.” She smiled and found Teddy in the audience. “We’re here to celebrate Jackson’s Ridge and our unique sense of community, to dance until our feet ache tomorrow and to eat a damn good piece of local salmon.”
Laughter followed her comment, as intended, and I listened with half an ear, unable to tear my eyes from Teddy. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was a complete woman. She might want me, but she didn’t’ need me
“And a special thanks to Teddy Ricci for building this wonderful stage that’s sturdy and beautiful, like your work. And thank you to every single hero in the audience. Big or small, your efforts and contributions continue to make this a wonderful place to live.”
I don’t know what came next because I was so focused on Teddy and the long column of her neck when she tilted her head back to laugh with Hannah and Cenzo. She was so damn sexy and didn’t even realize the strength of her appeal. She was unintentionally beautiful most days, but on nights like this it was painfully clear that she was out of my league. It had been a mistake to treat her like the same young girl who’d crushed hard on me as a kid. She wasn’t that little girl anymore, far from it.
