The Country Duet(35)

“Baby.” I slap her ass then kiss her cheek. “Going to warm up some dinner for Dave.”

My touch snaps her out of the trance. I keep the mood light while preparing Dave’s food and grabbing his insulin from the refrigerator. Teale steps away from the trash canss and begins fidgeting with her fingers.

“Hey.” I pull her to me with a hand to her hip. “You’ve seen the worst. Now just relax.”

“I know it’s stupid because I was just reassuring you and now I’m a mess.”

“Pretty girl, it’s a lot to take in. I get that, but we ground each other. It’s what we are good at.”

“You break your damn neck in there?” Dave hollers from the living room.

We both smile and then share a quick kiss. In one hand is Dave’s dinner, and the other is intertwined in Teale’s hand. Dave’s nose is buried in a magazine when we walk in.

“Brought someone with me tonight, Dave.”

This gets his attention. He peers up from his magazine with a slow grin beginning to cover his face. He does exactly what I expected he would, taking Teale in from head to toe, then roams right back up to her face.

“She’s a nice looker, good set of tits and all.”

I look over to Teale and wink then whisper, “Told you so.”

“My boy taking good care of you?” Dave sits forward, totally pleased with himself. “Told him he needed to play with those tits real good.”

Teale gulps air in. I drop her hand and then hand Dave his plate of food.

“He’s doing good,” Teale admits with a cute shrug.

I clear a spot on the couch that probably hasn’t seen daylight for years, then pull Teale onto my lap.

“I always know when you ain’t giving him none because he gets all quiet and caught up in his own head.”

Teale giggles at that. Using a tactic I know will get Dave off the topic of sex and tits, I point to the magazine. “What you reading up on?”

Teale burrows further into my bare chest, relieved for the change of topic. I wrap my arms around her middle, holding on tight, feeling my whole word come full circle.

“Page nineteen. Cool tractor replica.” He shoves a whole mouthful of food in his mouth. The man truly has no manners at all.

I earmark the page, knowing I could easily make him an exact copy of this for a yard ornament. The washer ceases to rattle in the hallway, and Teale jumps up from my lap, racing down the hall. Dave watches her ass until it disappears down the hall.

“She’s a beauty.”

“Thanks.” I smirk at Dave.

He goes on about Teale while shoveling food in. Something is going to have to change. Dave can’t be stranded like he was earlier today.

“Dave, we need a backup plan to avoid what happened today. You call me any time of the day if you need help.”

He grimaces then his fork clatters to his plate. “Never get old, Hunter, just never grow old.”

Teale bounces back into the room with a black shirt in her hand. She must have found Dave’s stockpile. She throws it at me.

“Put this on. It’s a bit awkward having you shirtless.”

“My chest distracting?” I run my palm over it.

“No, it’s weird.”

I glance over to Dave to find him staring us down. His jaw is hanging wide open in shock. No one touches his shirts. I pull it on over my head to goad him.

“I make this shabby thing look damn good.”

This gets the reaction I was going for. Dave slides his plate onto the table next to him, knocking shit off. He takes his time standing up, and for him, it is quite fast.

“You got music?” he asks Teale.

“On my phone.” She pulls it from her back pocket and waves it.

“Get us a good ol’ country song.”

Teale stares at him in confusion. “Like?”

“Damn music,” he demands. “Gonna teach this smartass a lesson.”

He rattles on about being the best jitterbug dancer in the state of Idaho, and he used to steal all the women right from their men. Teale brings up a Johnny Cash song on her phone, and it may be the first genuine smile I’ve ever seen from Dave. The man is radiating with pride and happiness. If I were to guess, it’s been several long years since he’s felt this way.

“Now, just follow my lead, sweet thing.” He grabs Teale’s hand.

Every action is labored and in slow motion, but it doesn’t stop Dave from doing his best to swing her around his living room. Teale picks up quickly, anticipating the next move, shaking her ass for him.

I watch from the dusty couch in one of Dave’s damn black shirts and become overwhelmed with a load of emotion. He barely lasts one song and is back in his recliner.

“Couldn’t even count how many women I stole from other men with those dance moves. It’s the way to a woman’s heart.”

“I can see that, Dave. Hunter, over there, should be getting a little worried.”

She mindlessly picks up the insulin and tester. Dave doesn’t even bat an eye or lash out with harsh words like he would with anyone else.

“Did Hunter tell you that I’m a nursing student?”

“Teale…” I try to stop her before she makes a huge mistake.

“Nurses are bossy bitches that need to mind their own,” he spits.