Taming Teddy (Made Marian, #2)

by Lucy Lennox

My official job was independent wildlife consultant. I had a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a doctorate in veterinary medicine with specialty training in wildlife management.

That might have been when I started to realize I was fooling myself if I thought I could keep Jamie Marian at a distance.

I woke up in a puddle of my own drool on top of Teddy’s chest. Like a boss.

“I hit the parental jackpot. They’re like the perfect parents. If they turn out to be serial killers, part of me will be relieved they weren’t quite as flawless as I always thought,” I joked.

Jamie, I’m not going to submit your photos after all. I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. This flash drive has all the original files on it. You can use them however you wish. They are yours now. I’m so sorry I messed everything up. - Teddy And just like that, I realized another man I loved had left me. Except this time it was without a doubt the absolute love of my life. The human being I knew would hold my heart inside of his for as long as I walked the earth.

When you find yourself telling a perfect stranger at the top of a mountain about an incredible person you might consider changing your life for, that’s a pretty big hint.”

Dammit, my heart was in Alaska. I realized in that moment I was in love with Jamie.

“Baby girl, don’t let one cheating jackass steal a happy future from you. You are going to find an amazing man who will make you laugh and make you feel like a million bucks. Someone who will cross an ocean just to be with you and who will stand in a crowded room and only see you. You have to put yourself back out there though. They’re not all manwhores terrified of commitment,” I urged.

As more and more people saw the photo, they sought me out to congratulate me on a magical composition and capture. When we sat for the dinner, I was pleasantly surprised to be sitting near the front next to a photographer I’d worked with before named KJ Harrow. She was bubbly and a little nutty, which was my favorite combination.

“Sometimes photographs tell you the truth. You look at the moment you were lucky enough to capture and see your very heart reflected back in the image. In that way, photography offers permanence. Moments, like relationships, can be fleeting, but a photograph captures the moment and sets it in stone.”

“If Jamie were here tonight, I would want to thank him for giving me the honor of his trust. I would also want to tell him I fell stupidly in love with him, which led me to take the best photograph of my career. Thanks again to all of you for the highest photography honor I’ve ever dreamed of,” I finished, holding up the plaque again.