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“He doesn’t seem like your type”

“What’s my type? It’s not like I’ve dated anyone since you’ve been around,

how could you possibly have an accurate idea of my type?”

“That guy you were dating when I first started, he was nothing like this Teddy”

“Maybe he was the exception, and Teddy is the rule?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel, but he remained silent

“I’m off this weekend”

Surprised by the non-sequitur, Vicki blinked, not sure why he would bring that up “I’m aware of that”

“I won’t be there when you have your lunch with the guy”

Oh

“Chance will be there”

“He ilant as I am”

What the heck was going on right now? Why was he being so damned odd? “Chance does his job just fine”

“If you’re uncomfortable in any way, let Chance know”

“I won’t be Teddy is a perfectly lovely man”

“Perfectly lovely et inappropriate and handsy”

“Maybe I’ll want hiet handsy”

He cla glare in the rearview mirror

When he returned his focus to the road, she thought that would be the end of it Until, “Teddy is a damned stupid name for an adult man”

“What’s going on with you tonight, Ty? Have you been drinking?”

He bristled at that “I would never drink on duty”

There was a brief silence, which Vicki—dead curious about his strange mood—broke a moment later “I like the name Teddy It sounds cuddly”

“That guy is all angles, nothing cuddly about him,” Ty retorted

“There’s nothing cuddly about you, either You’re hard planes and slabs of muscle”

“We’re not talking about me, I’m not the one with the ridiculous name”

“Sure, you’re not, Mr Ty-Me-Down Or is that Ty-Me-Up?” His jaw clenched so hard, she knew he had to be gritting his teeth

Hebeneath his breath