Chapter Six

“Agh! My freakin’ ears,” Teddy complained.

Susan looked down to see him leaning against the wall, his worn hat tipped low over his face.

“You scared me to death,” she snapped, yanking her leg from his grasp. Next to him sat an open box of doughnuts and a half-empty six-pack of beer.

“Have you been out here all night?”

He slid up the wall and moved into the apartment. “Yep.”

“Why? Why didn’t you just come back inside?”

“I didn’t want to talk to you. I wanted to go out and get drunk.”

“So why didn’t you?” She slammed the door shut, then opened it again, picked up the doughnuts and beer and brought them inside before locking the door.

He moved toward the bathroom and she followed. “Why didn’t you just leave?”

“I promised Cord I’d stay, and I keep my promises.” He slammed the bathroom door in her face.

She couldn’t even be mad. Teddy hadn’t left her. She should have known he never would.

“Teddy?” she called through the door.

“What?”

“Thank you.”

He snorted from behind the wood and she heard the water running. Feeling charitable, she moved to the kitchen, pulled out eggs and bacon from her now stocked refrigerator, and got busy. By the time Teddy emerged from his shower, she had the bacon frying and coffee made.

“Isn’t this a bit too domesticated for you?” he asked as she handed him a mug.

Smiling brightly, she ignored his stab. “Over easy or scrambled?”

“How about an omelet?”

“Don’t push my culinary talents too far.”

“Scrambled.”

“Good choice,” she agreed, turning back to the stove.

“We’re going back home next weekend for four days.” He turned the page of the newspaper he’d picked up off the table.

She turned to look at him from the stove. “Why?”

“I need to take care of some business, so you’ll have to come with me.”

“I can’t just fly off home for the weekend. I have rehearsals.”

“You can rehearse at what’s-his-name’s theatre.”

She wasn’t speaking to Brad these days, but Teddy didn’t need to know about that little incident. She shook her head. “I’m not going.”

“Yeah, you are.”

She slid the eggs onto his plate and slammed the frying pan into the sink. “I’m not flying all the way across the country so you can have some little rendezvous with your twins.”

Teddy’s head snapped up and brown eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”

Susan planted her hands on her hips. “You heard me. I know all about your twins and I’m not going to be dragged across the country just so you can have your little tête-à-tête.”

Teddy tipped his head to the side as his eyes bored into hers. “You read my e-mail?”

Susan felt her face flush, but tipped her chin up in defiance. “It’s my computer.”

“You never were above snooping. But I can’t believe you’re so selfish you wouldn’t want me to be there for them.”

“I’m selfish? What about you? Two at once, Teddy? You can’t choose one or the other?”

He frowned. “Why would I choose? They go together.”

“Omigod, I can’t believe you just said that!”

Teddy pushed his uneaten eggs away and stood to face her. “Said what? They’re sisters, why would I break them up?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

The line of his shoulders tightened. “No, I think it’s a great idea. Why not? It’s not like I can’t afford them.”

“And they both think this is fine?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t they? They love each other.”

Susan caught an image of Teddy lying naked on a bed while two dark-haired women attended him. Blinking hard, she drew a deep breath and struggled to stay calm, hoping to make him see how ludicrous this idea was. “Listen, I’m not judging, honestly, I’m not. But others might. I’m just saying you really need to think how this will look. If not for yourself, then for them. Folks are going to talk.”

“I don’t intend to have them live with me until it’s perfectly legal. I know how people are.”

“Legal?”

“Yep.”

“And Cord’s okay with this?”

“He was a little skeptical at first, but he understands now. And not just the twins, though, Ramon’s coming, too.”

Susan swallowed hard, “R-Ramon?”

Teddy poured himself another cup of coffee. “Their brother.”

Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. She tried to keep calm. Something was so wrong with this picture. How could Cord go along with such a thing?

“I, uh, see. Their brother. So you’re going to live with the twins, Rosa and Maria, and their brother is coming, too?”

He sat back down in front of his plate. “Hopefully. We’re still trying to work out all the details.”

“Oh?” she squeaked.

“I thought you’d be happy for me. I mean, everyone is always on me to settle down. Well, I think I’ve done all that and more, don’t you?”

Susan didn’t know what to say to him. “Settle down?”

“Yeah, you know, with a family and all.”

“Oh,” she parroted.

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” he said with a glint in his eyes.

“Another one?” She swallowed hard, not sure if she could handle much more without fainting.

“I’m building a house.”

“You’re building a house?”

“Is there an echo in here? Why do you repeat everything I say?” He shook his head and smiled. “Yep, over by Buck and Sara’s. I’m building a six-bedroom house, with a small barn for a few horses.”

“You’re moving out?”

“Sort of. I mean, obviously you can never move out if you still work on the ranch, but I need more space between me and the rest of the family. I need some privacy.”

“I can imagine you would.”

“Anyway, point is, we need to get back home next weekend so I can be with them on Saturday.” He shoved back from the table and set his dishes in the sink before turning back around. “You’re looking pretty pale, there, SusieQ. Better get a shower so we can get to the theatre.” He whistled as he left the kitchen.

Susan closed her eyes and braced her hand on the counter. Oh, my God. He’s lost his mind. The sex with these two must be so incredible that he sees nothing wrong with making them his forever. Where the brother fit in, though, that she didn’t get, and didn’t want to.

****

Out of all the things he had to do in New York, the one thing he hated more than any of the others was going to the gym with Susan. Not that it was hard on his eyes to watch a bunch of gorgeous women work out with their personal trainers, that wasn’t it. The fact that he had to watch Susan in nothing but a leotard do her own workout was excruciating. Every need inside him flew to the surface, and he spent most of the time walking around holding her towel in front of him so no one could see his hard on.

Unable to go into the women’s shower room, he positioned himself just outside, in a chair, and flipped idly through the latest gossip magazine, stopping when he came across Susan’s name.

Seems like Susan Sampson brought home more than just a great tan from her long vacation in Texas last month, the article read. Everyone is dying to know who the gorgeous cowboy is that doesn’t let the Broadway diva out of his sight. He accompanies her everywhere, and this reporter means everywhere!

Teddy’s gaze widened at the lineup of photos above the article. Pictures of him carrying Susan’s gym bag into the gym, him following her into the Met, even one of him carrying two coffees out of the local deli to the waiting car.

“I look like a freakin’ boy-toy,” he groused.

Well, this reporter has just gotten the scoop. Susan’s cowboy is multimillionaire rancher Ted Weston—and no fly-by-night boyfriend. They’ve been a part of one another’s life almost since birth. Two of Susan’s sisters are married to two of Mr. Weston’s brothers. Hmmm, maybe he’s hoping to make this a family affair.

“Yeah, right,” he snorted, turning the page. Another full color spread. The two of them out together, hand in hand. One photo in particular caught his attention. Susan was laughing up at him while he smiled down at her.

His heart thudded. She was so beautiful, and looking at him as if he hung the moon. For a moment, he was lost in her face before he snapped back to reality. She was an actress, wasn’t she? Probably knew the photographers were there the whole time.

The locker room door whooshed open, and he glanced up.

“Finally,” he snapped. He started to put the magazine back, but on second thought tucked it under his arm.

“You’re like a bear with a sore paw. What’s with you? I thought you’d enjoy sitting here watching all the women in the yoga class.” She slung her bag over her shoulder. “Or is it because there’s no twins to gawk at?”

He grabbed her gym bag from her shoulder and held the door open. “I look like your kept man,” he snapped.

She laughed. “It wasn’t my idea to have you dog my every move.”

They reached the car and she climbed inside. The magazine slid to the seat as he got in beside her.

“What are you reading this rag for?” She snagged it before he could and flipped it open. “Hey, look, you’re in here.”

“Yeah, I saw.”

“Oh, God! No…no!”

Teddy swung his head around at Susan’s cry. Her face was white and her eyes wide with terror.

“What? Are you having a heart attack or something? What’s wrong?” He leaned over and grabbed her shoulders.

She shook her head. “He’s there,” she whispered shakily.

“What? Where?” Teddy looked around frantically as the car drove through the traffic down Madison Avenue.

Susan grabbed his arm and pointed to the picture of the two of them at the Met. Her finger shook. “Right there, the same man…and there…and there too. Oh, God, Teddy, he’s been everywhere we’ve been.”