Amanda’s brow lifted and not in surprise. “Little?”
He grimaced. She knew him only too well.
He squeezed his index finger and thumb together just leaving a little space between them. “An itty bitty one.”
“There’s nothing itty bitty when it comes to you,” Amanda reminded him.
“I know, right? Rawr!” He made a clawing motion with his hand.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“But it’s true.”
“Something I don’t need to know.”
“But still fact.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“Just ask Adam.”
“I’m not asking Adam how big you are.”
“Why? He’d vouch for me.”
“Aaaaaanywaaaaay...”
Teddy dropped his voice to a whisper and leaned close to Amanda. Especially since Hannah was sitting on his other side. Most likely eavesdropping. “Anyway, I really think he’s having second thoughts.”
Amanda gasped. “He is not!”
“Or possibly having an affair,” he said under his breath, just loud enough so she could hear him.
Amanda shook her head. “Adam would never cheat on you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Are you crazy?”
Teddy shh’d her to get her to keep her voice down. Which was ironic since he was the one who usually needed to be shushed.
“Have you noticed how loyal Brysons are?”
“He could be different. I’m starting to believe he only accepted my proposal to just shut me up. I think I’m good enough to live with and,” he leaned closer and curved a hand around the side of his mouth, to avoid Hanna hearing him, “fuck, but not good enough to be his husband.”
“Bullshit.”
“Then why has it been so long?” Oh God, the whine in his own voice made him shudder. But this was whine-worthy.
“It’s not a rush. It’s not like you need to hurry and get pregnant because you’re past your prime.”
“I am not past my prime. I’m only forty-five. And I would love to have his baby. You know he wants one.”
“Mother nature hasn’t figured out how you can do that yet.”
Which might be a good thing, since it would ruin his figure. “No, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a surrogate and use Adam’s swimmers. But that takes time and planning. We would need to start that process soon.”
“You want to use Adam’s and not yours?”
Teddy half-shrugged. “I finally got my Bryson buck, now I want that buck’s baby. Honestly, I want it to look just like him, not me. Oh, and I could dress him up so cute!” He grabbed Amanda’s thigh and squeezed. “Adam has to love me, right? He puts up with all my shit. Nobody would put up with me unless they did.”
Amanda smiled and patted his hand. “Yes, he loves you.”
“Then he should want to marry me.”
“The Bryson bucks always had problems with commitment,” she reminded him. “Even Adam.”
“But if we’re going to have a baby, we need to do it soon. I don’t want to be asked if I’m my kid’s grandfather,” Teddy shuddered, “when I pick him up from school. It’s bad enough he’ll probably be teased for having two dads.”
The clip-clop of horses headed their way, followed by a few other floats from businesses around the area and the high school football team.
He sighed. “Speaking of two dads, Manning Grove needs a Pride Parade.”
“Hmm. Yeah. Though, that might end up being a single float parade.”
“But I’d rock it.” He did his signature two snaps and a clap.
“That you would.”
“And you know Adam and I aren’t the only ones flying the rainbow flag. I bet a couple of those leather-clad gorillas riding those hot, rumbly motorcycles are, too.”
“I doubt it.”
“You never know, since men in leather is such a gay thing.”
“Depends on the leather. I haven’t spotted any of them riding their motorcycles in assless chaps yet.”
“Oh. Now that—”
“It would give your blue hairs a heart attack,” Amanda said.
“It would be so hot, though. Some of them have really nice tushies.”
“I haven’t noticed,” Amanda lied.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Well, if you arrange a Pride parade, we’ll walk the route with you.” Amanda waved a hand down the line of sitting Brysons. “We all will.”
“At least it would be in June instead of this crazy cold weather. Brrr.” He hugged his shoulders and shivered dramatically. “Since my man isn’t here, I might have to find one of those bearded gorillas to keep me warm.”
“I’d stick to hot chocolate, Teddy. Adam isn’t the sharing type.”
Teddy’s eyes lit up. “No, he isn’t. I love, love, love when he gets all jealous over me.”
“See? Proof he loves you.”
“Mmm. I don’t know why.”
“Honestly? I don’t know, either,” Amanda said in all seriousness.
Teddy’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t!”
She laughed. “I think I did.”
“Oh! Here comes Du—“
“Santa,” Amanda quickly corrected him.
“Oh, yes, right. Santa. Santa’s beard needs a trim, it’s looking a little ragged. I’ll have to get him into my chair. He fights me tooth and nail but I’m learning how to tame that savage beast.”
“Not until after he delivers the kids’ presents, please. We don’t want him delayed or we’ll hear a bunch of whining tomorrow morning.”
“That would not be pleasant.”
Amanda gave him a look. “Right. Whining isn’t pleasant.”
Teddy rolled his eyes. “Unless there’s a good reason for it.”
“Here comes that reason.”
Teddy’s head twisted in the direction Amanda was staring.
Adam hoped to hell that Amanda hadn’t spilled the beans. She and Teddy were as thick as thieves, but he didn’t want to ruin his surprise for his fiancé.
It had been a struggle to keep it secret since Teddy felt the need to know everything that happened in the Bryson family, even if it didn’t concern him.
Though, in a few days, Teddy would probably be whining about too much sex and also sand in all of his cracks and crevices.
He could see the man wearing a big floppy sun hat, white zinc on his nose, oversized Jackie Kennedy-Onassis sunglasses and sipping a tropical drink with one of those little colorful umbrellas.
And maybe even wearing a banana sling bathing suit.
Hopefully, Adam could talk him out of the last. Not talking him out of it, but talk him out of wearing one. In truth, it would be easy to talk him out of it.
