Page 45 of Stealing Kisses

“Sure, you did,” he teased, tickling her as he gave her a hard time.

“I did!” She protested around her giggles. Then she tried tickling him back, which turned into wrestling on the couch. And since Teddy was bigger and stronger, the wrestling ended up with Baylin pinned and panting underneath him, eyes glossy and glistening with laughter, and Teddy way too close to losing control.

He tickled her ribs one last time to make her squirm, and then Teddy lifted himself off Baylin and went to tend the fire…the one burning just fine of its own accord.

Fine, Lord. Call me a coward. I’m a coward. I admit it…a weak, falling in love, goofy old fool.

“Is this week the longest you’ve gone without practicing?” Baylin asked. “Minus the game last night, which I’m guessing wasn’t much of a practice for you.” Her smarty-pants expression said it all. Busted.

“Nah, I guess it wasn’t,” he admitted. “But that guy got in my head… I wanted to beat him so bad that my nerves went a little wild.”

“Who? Michael?”

“That’s the one. I hated seeing him flirt with you on the field. I just lost it…saw red, the whole enchilada.”

He’d sat back down on the couch next to where Baylin sat facing him, criss-cross style. Teddy glanced at her, embarrassed by his behavior the night before.

She shook her head and laughed before putting his worries to rest.

“I told you: I’ve known Michael —and his entire family — my whole life. He’s just a friend. That’s all he’s ever been, and that’s all he’ll ever be.”

Teddy nodded, accepting Baylin at her word.

“It was quite entertaining to see your Bruce Banner slash Incredible Hulk transformation,” she said, poking him in the ribs.

“I can’t believe I let him get to me,” Teddy groaned, covering his face with both hands. “I mean, that’s why I choose joy… I choose to live in the moment because it keeps the wolves at bay.”

“On that we can agree,” Baylin said, unfolding her legs and moving forward on the cushion to reach the apple pie. She sliced it, putting a quarter of the pie on his plate and a smaller sliver onher own. Then she scooted to rest her back against the arm of the couch, still facing Teddy. He did the same on the opposite end.

“Growing up, I’d always planned on going to college for a business degree. I wanted to own my own flower shop back here in Green Hills someday. I had travel journals lined out for all the places I’d go first, though…so I could bring back the inspiration of the most magnificent flowers in the world. Everything crumbled my senior year. Just a few days before graduation, my grandpa died. He had an accident on the farm, doing a task he’d done a million or more times. In the aftermath of his sudden death, we realized my grandma’s struggles with memory loss were much more than mere forgetfulness. With Papa Joe gone, she declined faster than we could have imagined. By the end of that summer, we moved her into Memorial Care, the memory care facility in town. Being at home had turned unsafe for her. Taking her there broke my heart.”

“Is she still living?” Teddy asked, taking a napkin from under the pie plate and handing it to Baylin for her tears.

“No,” she said, wiping her eyes. “She didn’t make it a full year after that.” She sniffled, dried her cheeks, and squared her shoulders, fortifying her brave front. “My parents had no interest in staying here; they’d never loved the farm or Green Hills the way Papa Joe did, the way I do. They wanted to sell the farm, pay off the debts, and put the rest of the funds in an account for my college expenses.”

“That sounds reasonable, so you could pursue your own life and dreams.”

“It does, and that was their argument. But I just couldn’t do it… I couldn’t walk away from our family’s legacy, the place I love more than any other on earth. I convinced them to let me try my hand at running the farm. We agreed to a five-year deal. At the end of the five years, I’ll have paid them for their share of the farm.”

“When does the lease expire?”

“August thirty-first…on my twenty-fifth birthday.”

“And that’s why finances are so tight around here? Because you’re paying off the lease in just five years?”

She noddedyes,taking a bite of her dessert.

“That’s quite an accomplishment,” Teddy said, impressed.

“Thingshavebeen tight,” she admitted before taking a sip of her wine. “But it’s been good for me. I had to be diligent, watch every penny, and weigh every decision.”

“Since I’m payingfive hundred dollarsa night to sleep with the horses, I’d say you’ve taught yourself well.”

She grinned at his ribbing.

“College helped; I had no clue how little I knew when I assumed responsibility for the farm. And I’ve had guidance and support from friends in the community.”

“Did you take classes online?”

---