CHAPT50
After three and a half hours of shopping Nikki and I went to a small salad shop for a light lunch. I took a seat facing the door and she sat across from me. "Thank you so much for coming with me today Cassidy, it's been fun. I like you; you're like a part of the family."
"It has been really fun today, and I have a great time all week being here. I love the family."
Nikki smirked, "I think you will be around here for a long while. Teddy would fight to keep you around here I think."
I was looking over her shoulder and the girl who had just walked in looked vaguely familiar to me. I knew I had seen her before but couldn't place where. Then I knew who she was and I felt sick. "Hey isn't that Kristen?"
Nikki glanced over her shoulder and grimaced. "Yeah, and her dad, but how did you know who it was? I didn't think you had ever met her."
"I haven't, but when she took everything from Teddy's house she left all the pictures."
"Are you serious? What did he say?"
I shrugged. "Honestly I don't think he even noticed until he saw me looking at them. Then he just said that he needed to put them away. He really loved her, so very much."
"She loved him too at one time," Nikki said.
"I know. I could tell in the pictures; the older ones at least."
Just then Kristen walked over to our table and smiled at Nikki. "Nikki, hi, how are you?"
Looking up at her Nikki forced a smile. "I'm great Kristen, thanks for asking."
"I haven't heard from Teddy since last week, and I thought that he would be in town since work had brought him to Mississippi. I guess that means that there will be a DiBiase family cookout."
"Tomorrow we are having one actually," Nikki said.
"Well that's nice," Kristen said. "I guess I'm just surprised that he didn't call when he got back home."
Nikki laughed. "Why would he call Kristen? You broke his heart and in all reality you said all there was too say when you handed him divorce papers."
With a sigh Kristen said, "You're right, but he said a lot too when he asked me to rush it." She looked at me then and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think that we have met. I'm Kristen."
I stared at her outstretched hand and wondered how much I should say to her. Finally I looked at her as I grabbed my purse. "You're right, we have never met, and I know who you are." I stood up and started for the bathroom. "I'll be back in a minute."
In the bathroom I took a couple of deep breaths and refreshed my lip gloss and brushed out my ponytail. I knew that I shouldn't have let Kristen bother me but she did. I had seen how bad she hurt Teddy and I knew how incredible he was; it just made me angry.
I slid my brush back into my purse and as I headed back to the table I hoped that Kristen was gone. I was glad to see that she was as I sat back down. "I am so sorry Nikki; I shouldn't have let her irritate me that way. It's just I saw how she hurt him and I watched him cry because of her. She just acts like he still should be at her feet or something."
"I promise you its fine, Nikki said. "Do you want to go shop a little more? We still have a few hours til you have to be at Teddy's."
I nodded and stood up. "Sounds good to me, let's go!" We left the salad shop and headed back to the mall for another two hours.
Back at the house I took a shower and fixed my hair before I headed to the bedroom to look for something to wear. I had no idea what Teddy had planned so I sent a text asking what I should wear. Within seconds he sent a message back saying to just be comfortable so I pulled out my new wide leg jeans and a short sleeved sweater. I slipped into my Nikes and headed downstairs.
I found everyone in the living room and walked in quietly. Brett looked up and smiled at me. "Hey there, how are you?"
"Good, how did your fishing trip go today?"
Ted Sr. laughed and said, "We didn't catch anything but we had a lot of good talks."
"I guess that means it was a good trip then," I smiled.
Nikki smiled and stood up. "Alright you guys I am taking her to Teddy's and I will be right back."
The ride was short and as I got of the car in front of Teddy's door I thanked her for the ride. "No problem Cass. Have a good time," she said.
Teddy met me at the door and as soon as he had closed it behind us he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my lips without a single word. I pulled back and smiled at him. "Well hello to you too."
He smiled at me, taking me by the hand and led me to the kitchen. I stopped in the doorway and stared in shock at the beautiful sight before me. Teddy had soft music playing and the table set for two. The only light in the whole room was coming from what seemed to be no less than a hundred candles and there were fresh flowers everywhere. I blinked up at him through my tears. "This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. No one has ever done something like this for me."
"So you like it?"
"I love it," I said. I thought to myself that this was a man that I could lose my heart too.
"I'm glad," he said as he pulled out my chair and I sat. "I just fixed steaks and vegetables and garlic bread, nothing fancy." He said as he brought our plates to the table and poured wine into our glasses. He cut a bite of his steak and fed it to me.
It was fabulous with the perfect blend of seasoning and it was so tender. As we both ate I said, "Teddy thank you so much for inviting me here this week. I love this place and your family is amazing. Watching you here with them has been so nice and I like seeing you relaxed and just in your own environment."
"It's been great having you here too. It's like you belong here, like you've always been a part of it." I smiled at him and we finished eating in a comfortable silence.
As Teddy put the plates into the sink a slow country song began to play and he walked over to me. "Dance with me," he asked. I stood up and wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. His chin rested on my head and we danced in the kitchen in the light of the candles.
As the song came to end I looked up at him and he looked at me with a grin. "What," he asked me.
"I was just thinking that if you keep this up I might end up losing my heart. I was also thinking that that you are unbelievably beautiful."
"Cassidy," he whispered, "I would never let you lose your heart. I would hold onto it for you and give you mine."
I could feel my eyes getting watery and blinked the tears back. "Wow, good looks, manners, morals, and romantic. Can you possibly get any better," I said as I stretched to kiss his full lips. He me back with enough passion to ignite the planet, and when he pulled back he started blowing out the candles. I helped him to get them all out, and noticed that without them it was dark inside the kitchen. In that darkness his lips found mine again and he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me to the living room and lay me down on the couch.
He lay down beside of me as he whispered, "You make me want to throw my morals out the window. Hell you make me want more than I am willing to take right now."
"I'm sorry," I said tracing the lines of his face with my fingertips. "Tell me how and I'll stop."
"You can't stop being you Cass." He kissed me again, softer this time. "When you look at me I can see someone believing in me and caring about me. I see in your eyes the man I want to be and in your smile I find the strength to become that man."
A tear escaped and I said, "That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me."
"I mean it," he said. "I only know that I don't you to be out of my life. I don't ever want to lose your friendship."
I shook my head. "That will never happen, but I hope that you know that you are so much more than my friend."
"You're more than that to me too."
I snuggled against his warm body and was comfortable. It was odd but I felt like my body was made to fit with his. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms again so badly and wake up to his face. "What time did you tell everyone to be here tomorrow? I think I told Jalen one o'clock." I was yawning but not wanting to fully give in to sleep just yet.
"I guess they will all be here about that time then. I talked to Randy this afternoon and Sam was packing their bags. She is staying with Alanna through Tuesday morning."
I couldn't stop my smile. "I can't wait to meet them. Randy talks about them both so much I feel like I know them already."
"He is lucky to have them, and Sam is good for him." He yawned too then and said, "What do you say we go upstairs and put on a movie and fall asleep?"
I shook my head in agreement and followed him up the stairs to his bedroom. When we walked in I immediately noticed that the only pictures in the room were family shots. "It was time to put them away," was all he said as he started a movie. He kissed the top of my head and we lay in his bed. He pulled me close to him and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. We both fell asleep before the opening credits had finished and the movie started.
I dreamed that night for the first time in a long time. In my dreams I was older by two or three years and I was sitting out on the patio at Teddy's parent's house talking with them. I could hear two little kids playing out in the yard and then I saw Teddy out of the corner of my eye as he filled the kitchen doorway but didn't speak. Even though there was a conversation going on between myself and his parent's I didn't hear anything but the kids playing. Suddenly the kids were silent and I turned to look at them, seeing them for the first time. They were no more than a year and a half, or two years old and they were obviously twins. They both had hair in the same shade as Teddy's and a sprinkle of freckles across their faces. The only difference was their eye colors and there was one set of blue eyes and one set of green fixed on Teddy. The little faces lit up with so much happiness and joy and the two began toddling toward the patio with their arms open wide.
I was confused when as one the kids began squealing, "Dada's home!" All I saw was Teddy but maybe I had missed something. Then all my confusion disappeared when Teddy came forward and scooped them effortless into his arms kissing their heads. "Ah my boys, I missed you so much." Teddy walked over to me, never letting go of the boys and kissed my head. "I missed you too," he said.
I woke up then and squinted at the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows. My legs were tangled with Teddy's and my head was lying on his chest. He had obviously at some point taken his shirt off during the night and his warm skin felt good against my cheek. I glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it said it was already ten fifteen and I sighed. I hated to have to untangle myself from him and end this moment.
I turned my head and I pressed my lips to his chest and he tightened his arms around me. "I thought you were asleep," I said.
"Nope, I woke up about an hour ago but I didn't want to move. Plus you had such a peaceful smile on your face and I figured that you were having a nice dream and I didn't want to disturb you." He smiled down at me and all I could see were two small faces smiling.
"I guess it was a really nice dream," I said. "I guess we'd better get up and get ready. I need a shower and I want to see if your mom needs any help today. I guess I should have brought a change of clothes last night, huh?"
He smiled and kissed my forehead as he shifted off of the bed. He walked into the closet and came out carrying a shirt in his hands. "You can wear this if you want, and while you take a shower I'll fix some breakfast for us. After we eat I'll take a quick shower and we can head over to the house."
I smiled and stretched as I stood up. "Thank you for the shirt," I said as I kissed him. I headed for the shower and he headed downstairs to fix breakfast. Twenty minutes later I joined him in the kitchen for breakfast.
He smiled when I came in and fixed a plate for me and carried it to the table. I kissed his chin and smiled back at him. "Thank you for breakfast, and again for dinner last night."
"You're welcome," he said. Sitting down he looked at me. "Yesterday I knew that I wanted you to stay here with me but I was worried because I have never had a female in that bed other than Kristen. I shouldn't have been worried though because that was the most peaceful night of sleep I have ever had in that room. Thank you for staying."
I smiled at him and said, "I actually met her yesterday while Nikki and I were out."
"Really?"
I shook my head. "She was surprised that you hadn't called her since you were in town."
"I'm not surprised. I am starting to realize that she thinks this whole world revolves around her. She probably thought that I would call asking her to change her mind about this divorce but I have never been more sure of anything in my life." He stood and took our dishes to the sink and turned back to look at me. "I'm going to go and shower and then we can head out."
I watched him walk out of the kitchen and I started loading the dishes into the dishwasher with a smile. When I finished loading the dishwasher I headed to the living room. I heard the water start upstairs and then there was a knock at the door. I glanced out of the window and saw Beth and Cody standing on the step.
Unlocking the door I opened it to let them in. "Hey you two! Teddy's in the shower and then we were going to head over to his parents. It shouldn't be too long though. You want anything to drink?"
Cody laughed, "I'm okay actually, thanks. I guess things with you and Ted are going good?"
"Yes, actually," I said and then catching his smirk I threw a pillow at him. "Not that way you gutter minded freak!"
Beth laughed and grabbed my arm pulling me to the kitchen. "I'll take that drink," she said as we headed into the kitchen. Once we were there she turned to me and said, "I'm actually not thirsty but thought it would be easier to talk without a guy listening in." She laughed again and said, "Seriously, you look really refreshed."
"It's really nothing like that Beth. I promise, but I have had a great time here and I love this place. His family is fabulous and I am happy."
She studied me for a minute and smiled. "So when it comes to Teddy have you figured out that you love him yet?"
With a blush I looked down and then back up at her. "I have figured out that I definitely can love him and that I will most likely be losing my heart to him. I also learned that what I feel for Teddy is real and the feelings that I had for Matt while we were together were rooted in the fan inside of me."
"Well I guess that is a start," she said.
Someone cleared their throat behind us and I turned to see Teddy standing in the doorway. "If you two are ready we can head on over to the house."
Beth and I walked behind him into the living room. Cody was standing at the door and reached out to take Beth's hand. "We will see you there Ted," Cody said as they headed out to their car.
Teddy turned and looked me in the eye and said, "I want you to know that I wasn't eavesdropping but I did hear some of what you said. I want you to know that you're not alone with your feelings." He leaned down and kissed me then and it somehow felt different than it had before. It was as if it held more promise.
Fifteen minutes later we were walking into the kitchen at his parent's house. His mom was at the island making what looked to be homemade potato salad. Teddy kissed her cheek and said hello. Melanie looked at him and said, "Randy called about ten minutes ago and said that they would be here in half an hour. Now go on out and help the rest of the boys." She hugged Cody and Beth and sent them outside too and then turned to me. "Cassidy do you mind pouring up the tea into that pitcher there, I've already put the sugar into it."
"No problem at all," I said. I was pleased that she wasn't hesitant about letting me lend a hand now. I moved to the stove and got the tea ready and then sat the pitcher in the refrigerator. I turned to see if she needed more help just as the alarm panel by the door buzzed to life.
"That's the gate, Cassidy could you press the green button and just ask who it is?"
I pushed the button and said, "Who is it?" Melanie smiled at me and shook her head. I smiled when I heard Jeff saying it was him and Jalen.
"Press the button that says gate and it will let them in." As I pressed the button she said to me, "Go on out and greet your friends. I'm almost finished in here anyway."
