Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,117
up the ironing board and was carefully pressing the skirt of her dress she’d bought at the mall.
She looked up as he came in and set the iron down. “Everything all right?”
“Dad said he’d tell Victor you were here.” He wandered into the kitchen, looked aimlessly into the refrigerator, and then poured himself some coffee.
“I hope he’s okay with me turning up like this.”
“Why wouldn’t he be?” Ted stirred his coffee so forcefully, half of it swirled right out of the mug. “I bet he’d leave the cruise right now to get back to you if he had the choice.”
He added more coffee to his mug and mopped up the pool on the countertop.
“Did you and your dad have a disagreement or something?” Veronica had returned to pressing her skirt and had her back to him. “You seem a bit tense.”
“He just . . .” Ted let out an aggrieved breath. “I stuck around because he needed me, and now somehow I’m the one who is at fault for not getting out and doing more with my life.”
“Are you talking about what happened with your mom?”
“Not just that. Three years ago Dad had prostate cancer. It’s gone now, but it took him a couple of years to really get back to his old self, you know?”
He set his mug down and went over to her, taking the iron out of her hand. “You’ve missed a bit.” He angled the skirt and eased the tip of the iron toward the gathered waistband. “Can you fetch my wedding shirt? I left it on my chest of drawers.”
“Sure!” Veronica was looking at him like he was crazy; he wasn’t quite sure why as he turned the fabric and repeated his action.
By the time she returned, he’d finished her dress and put it back on the hanger. He unwrapped his new shirt, placed it on the ironing board, and sprayed it with water.
“Beth was busy looking after Mikey, so I was the one who took Dad to all his appointments—not that I minded doing it—but with that, and running the gas station, and the shop, I didn’t have a lot of free time.”
“I bet you didn’t.” Veronica perched on the arm of the couch and watched him work. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
Ted smoothed a hand over the creases in the arm of his shirt and straightened it out. “I know. I just hate it when I’m suddenly the one at fault for supposedly sitting around when all I’ve tried to do is take care of everyone else.” He tried to smile. “I guess I owe you an apology, for losing my temper over something that isn’t your fault.”
“That’s you losing your temper?” She raised an eyebrow and clutched at her chest. “Ooh, I’m terrified.”
He picked up the bottle and sent a mist of spray right at her head, which made her duck and squeak. His smile turned into a genuine grin as she came off the couch and squared up to him.
“Hey!” He held up his hands. “Let me finish ironing my shirt, and then you can fight me all you like.”
She retreated to the couch. “Seeing as watching you iron is a huge turn-on, I’m happy to wait.”
“Someone had to do it when Mom left.” Ted turned the shirt over and applied steam and firm pressure. “I find it really soothing.”
“I bet you fold your laundry the moment it comes out of the dryer as well,” Veronica commented.
“Doesn’t everyone?” He looked up to find her gazing at him like he was some kind of rock star. “It’s not exactly hard.”
He checked the shirt, decided it looked okay, and threw it over his shoulder before unplugging the iron. “I’m going to wash it and iron it again when it’s dry. Do you have anything to put in the washing machine?”
“You’re going to do it all again?” She followed him out into the hallway.
“Yeah, I find the creases go away more quickly.” He added detergent to the machine as she came back with an armful of her clothes. “As long as they’re not white, stick them in. I don’t think the shirt is going to bleed any color out, but you never know.”
“I don’t have any whites.” She placed everything in the machine and stood back to let him push the right buttons. “Thanks.”
He turned around and bumped right into her, his hands coming automatically to her elbows to hold her steady. She looked up at him, wrapped her hand around