“I’ll be paying cash, so it should be fast and easy.”
Her eyes widened. “Cash? This is a cash sale?”
Mike chuckled as he slipped over to his truck. “I’ll catch up with you later, Rip.”
With a wave, I replied, “Sounds good! Thanks for coming.”
Focusing back on the agent, I confirmed. “Yes, it’s a cash sale. Is that an issue?”
“No! No, not at all. This process just sped up exponentially. I’ll see you at the office.”
I jumped into my truck and stared back at the white farmhouse. Envisioning rocking chairs and sweet tea, I smiled. The emptiness was still there, though. That nagging ache deep within me.
Blue eyes popped into my mind. Her light brown hair pulled into a ponytail and a book in her hand while she sat in a rocking chair on that very porch.
Chloe.
Was she truly happy with Easton? There was only one way to find out, and I was running out of time.
Starting my truck, I took in one deep, long breath and then headed down the long gravel drive.
Chloe - Four hours earlier
I SAT ON the floor in an expensive wedding dress. Crying.
I’d reached a new level of pathetic.
“Chloe Cat! Oh sweetheart, what is wrong?” my mother said, wrapping her arms around me.
“I’ll get tissues!” the sales lady said, running off.
Alyssa took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Chloe.”
That one simple word spoke volumes. Lifting my head, I looked at my mother in the mirror, then turned to her. The pot had finally boiled over.
“I can’t marry him, Momma. I can’t.”
She closed her eyes and said, “Thank you, God.”
Widening my eyes, I stared in disbelief. “You didn’t want me to marry him?”
The sales lady handed me a box of tissues and politely excused herself. Mary helped Alyssa up so she could change out of her dress. I knew they were giving my mother and me some privacy.
“Well, Chloe. Um, I… Okay, here is the thing. If I thought you truly wanted to marry him, yes, I would have wanted you to. Everyone saw that you didn’t, though. You were the least-excited future bride I’ve ever seen in my life. And the fact that your daddy full on hates the man for taking you away from home, well, I can’t help but be relieved.”
“Why didn’t you say something to me? Daddy has never liked him, so that wasn’t a surprise.”
The corner of her mouth turned up. “No, he never has. We didn’t say anything because you needed to figure it out on your own. If your father or I had questioned you, the only thing it would have done is push you toward marrying him to prove us wrong.”
“I value your and Daddy’s thoughts.”
She regarded me for a moment. “Be honest with me, Chloe. Does this have anything to do with Rip?”
My chest squeezed a bit. “A little, but it has more to do with leaving. Giving up my dreams for a life I know I won’t be happy in…”
“Do you love Easton? You must’ve, sweetheart, if you said yes.”
“How about I get out of this dress, and we finish this conversation later? It’s Alyssa’s day, really. I don’t want to steal any more of her thunder.”
Placing her hand on the side of my face, she gave me a warm smile. “I love you and we’ll figure this out together, I promise.”
I hugged her tightly. “I love you, too, Momma. So much.”
The fourth dress Alyssa tried on was the dress. She cried the moment she looked at herself. It was perfect in every single way. I placed my chin on her shoulder as we gazed at the dress in the mirror.
“It’s like it was made for you, Alyssa.”
“Do you think Mike will like it?”
Smiling, I replied, “He’s not going to be able to breathe when he sees you in this.”
Her eyes met mine. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. If I…”
I shook my head. “Don’t. I needed it. Thank you.”
“It was just, well, I didn’t want you to make the biggest mistake of your life, and I knew you were about to.”
“Deep down I did, too. Do me a favor. Please don’t tell Mike. I want to tell Rip myself and I don’t want him hear it from someone else. It’s about time we finally came clean with each other.”
She faced me. “You’re going to tell him you’re still in love with him?”
I looked down and then back at her. “I’m not sure what I’m going to say. And I don’t know what he will say. Knowing he didn’t finish school because of me… I’m angry with him right now more than anything. And confused. If he still loves me, why didn’t he tell me?”
With a half shrug, she said, “Pride and fear of being hurt are powerful emotions.”
Exhaling, I nodded.
“Now that we found my dress, let’s look for your maid of honor dress.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
It didn’t take Alyssa long to pick from the three dresses I tried on. Of course, Mary and my mother loved all three. I had my personal favorite, and as luck would have it, Alyssa picked that one. It was a curve-hugging sequined gown with thin straps. Alyssa wasn’t having any other bridesmaids. Just a maid of honor, and Mike had Rip as his best man.
“Lord, you look hot in that, Chloe,” Alyssa said, fanning herself.
“The nice thing about this dress is you could easily have it altered and made into cocktail length,” the sales lady added.
“And they told me it would take weeks to find a dress. We found two in one day!” Alyssa exclaimed.
“Let me get out of this and then we need to eat. I’m starving.”
“We’re going to grab something at a drive-thru, girls, because I need to get back. Your father and I have a dinner tonight,” my mother called out as she headed to the front, most likely to pay for the dress. After arguing with her about it, she told me to keep my money. I learned long ago not to argue when my mother wanted to do something.
Once we were back at the ranch, Mom pulled me into the study and had me sit down.
“Let’s finish that conversation, shall we?”
I blew out a breath and dropped my head onto the sofa.
“Yes, I loved him. I don’t think I was ever in love with him, though.”
“Not like you are with Rip?”
I jerked my head upright. My mouth opened but nothing would come out. I couldn’t even formulate a reply to that because I knew, deep in my heart, that she was right.
“Chloe Parker, you have been in love with Rip Myers since kindergarten. The only problem is, when you grew up, you stopped declaring that love.”
I buried my face in my hands and let out a frustrated groan. “When Easton asked me to marry him, my first instinct was to say no. The only thing I could think of were memories of Rip. All the times he came so close to telling me how he felt, or the way he had to stop himself when I knew he wanted to kiss me. Then the memory telling him how I felt popped up. I think a part of me thought by saying yes to Easton, I would finally give up the dream of Rip. Move on with my life rather than sitting in a holding pattern for something that would never happen.”
“Chloe,” my mother whispered. “Can’t you see, sweetheart? Rip is madly in love with you.”
Tears filled my eyes. “But he hasn’t ever told me.” I looked down at my hands. “I think he tried after that day, and I held him off. Now, I don’t think he ever will, Momma. If he loves me like everyone says he does, why was he willing to let me marry someone else?”
My voice sounded weak.
“The last thing that boy wants to do is hurt you, Chloe. If he thinks you’re happy, maybe he doesn’t want to ruin that for you. You’re engaged to a man and willing to leave all this behind. In his mind, that must mean you truly love Easton.”
With a nod, I wiped my cheeks. “Rip was most likely the reason I said yes. But he’s not the full reason I can’t marry Easton. I want the life I dreamed of. I want to work alongside Daddy. Here at the ranch. I
want to go horseback riding any time I want. Do you know what Easton wants?”
She shook her head.
“A condo in downtown Houston. He doesn’t even like the country. He can’t understand my love of Patches and thinks he’s a lamb. He’s still jealous of Rip!”
Her brow lifted. “He has every good reason to be jealous of him.”
“I’d say so,” I mumbled.
“Go on, keep talking.”
“I’m not saying no because I’m holding out hope for Rip. I’m saying no because Easton doesn’t fit in with the life I see myself living.”
She pulled me off the sofa and hugged me. “That was what I wanted to hear. I know your heart belongs to Rip, and I have every reason to believe things will work out the way they are supposed to in the long run. But I’m glad you are seeing the true reason why you said yes in the first place, and you’re seeing the reasons why you can’t go through with it. You came to that decision all on your own, sweetheart.”
Her thumb came up and wiped my tears away.
“When did you figure out I wasn’t going to marry him?”
“The moment you pulled the ring out of your pocket. Then you confirmed it when you said you wanted to get married in Melanie and John’s backyard! I know you love your grandparents, but the backyard? Really?”
My hand came up to my mouth, and I tried not to laugh. But soon, my mother and I were in a laughing fit. Daddy walked in and looked between the two of us.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
I wiped my face and walked over to him. “Daddy, I need to tell you something.”
He wore a concerned look. “Is everything okay?”
“Now it is. I decided not to marry Easton.”
The look of relief on my father’s face was instant. “Pinch me now as hard as you can because I better not be dreaming.”
I narrowed my eyes then hit him on the chest. “Daddy!”
“Tell me you’re serious. You’re not marrying the douchebag?”
“Daddy!”
“Steed!”
“What? I couldn’t stand that kid. It took everything I had not to tell him to take his city-ass down the road.”
“Then you will be happy to know that I am going to tell him we won’t be getting married and that he’s not the man I see my future with.”
“Damn straight, he isn’t. I’m so glad you came to your senses, Chloe.”
“Gee, it makes me so happy to know that everyone thought I was making a mistake, yet no one was willing to say anything…”
My father shrugged. “You would have figured it out. You’re a smart woman. Besides, everyone kept saying they always assumed you and Rip would be tying the knot, so I figured that spoke for itself.”
Reaching up on my toes, I kissed him, then smacked him playfully. “Point taken, Daddy.”
“Will you both do me a favor. Please don’t tell anyone. I, um, I want to tell Rip myself.”
“Rip?” my father asked, a slight gleam in his eyes. It was hard to believe this man had once threatened to cut off Rip’s balls if he ever touched me.
“And Grammy and Granddad. The family, I mean.”
With a wink, my father replied, “Uh-huh.”
“Come on, Steed, we need to get ready for that dinner. And I believe Chloe has a phone call to make.”
I chewed on my lip.
“The sooner you do it, the better it will be,” she stated.
A feeling of dread washed over me. I hated hurting Easton, but if I didn’t do this we would both end up hating each other. “I’ll head out to see Patches and then call him.”
“While you’re on the phone with him, tell him to—”
“Steed Parker!” my mother warned. She grabbed him and pulled him out the door.
I giggled, then followed them. I jumped in the four-wheeler and made my way to the main barn. A quick visit with Patches would make everything right again.
Chloe
AS I WAS walking into the barn, my phone rang. My heart dropped when I saw who it was.
Easton.
I took a deep breath and answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, where are you at?”
“Walking into the barn.”
“That’s right. It’s about that time you visit your lamb.”
“It’s a goat, for fuck’s sake!” I shouted, a little loud.
Liberty looked straight at me as I stepped into the barn. Then she started to laugh. I shot her the finger and kept walking toward Patches’ stall.
“Jesus, what is wrong with you? I can’t help it if I can’t keep all the farm animals straight. Chloe, you’ve really changed since you got home.”
Liberty stopped and whispered, “He’s out in the pasture. He got out earlier and ate Gram’s roses.”
“Thanks, Liberty.”
“What?” Easton asked.
“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to my cousin, and I haven’t changed. This is me. This is who I am. I’m a country girl who loves animals. I have a pet goat who is my best friend. I want to live in the country, work for my father, live in Oak Springs, and I do not want to marry you!”
My hand went to my mouth while my eyes widened in horror. Liberty, on the other hand, jumped onto a hay bale and started to clap.
“It’s about time!” she shouted.
I waved for her to stop and quiet down.
“I’m sorry, what did you say last?” Easton asked.
Dropping onto the hay bale, I closed my eyes. That was not how I wanted to tell Easton.
“Easton, you had to know this was coming. All we have done is fight over every little thing.”
“Chloe, you’re walking away from this because we had a few disagreements?”
“I’m saying no to marriage because I should have never have said yes in the first place.”
“Why not?”
Liberty put her arm around me, and I rested my head on her shoulder. It was clear she could hear Easton’s voice.
“This is my life, East. Here. In Oak Springs. With my family. If I left, I would only end up resenting you and we would both be unhappy.”
“So you’re saying no because you don’t want to leave home?”
I stood and sighed. He didn’t get it at all, or he refused to get it. I slowly walked toward the barn door.
“Easton, for years I’ve planned on working for my family’s ranch. You knew that. My dad made a new position just for me! This is home.”
“And you don’t love me enough to leave it, start a new life. Make a new home?”
“Do you love me enough to understand why I can’t leave? Do you love me enough to do the same thing for me?”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “I do love you, Chloe. That’s why I want to marry you. Do you not love me?”
I swallowed hard. “I do love you. But I’m not…in love with you.”
“That doesn’t make fucking sense.”
Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Easton, what I’m trying to say is I love you, and dating you was amazing, and we had a lot of fun. But you even admitted to me you only asked me to marry you because we were drifting apart. I don’t love you enough to walk away from a life I have dreamed of for as long as I can remember. A life I want. Living in a condo in downtown Houston is not the life I want. I’d be miserable. We’d both end up miserable.”
“Fine. You want a house in the suburbs, we can do that. You can even bring your lamb.”
I let out a bemused laugh. “If we did that, then you would be settling. And the suburbs is not the same as land and rolling hills.”
“This has nothing to do with your job and your family ranch. It doesn’t even have anything to do with living in Houston. This has everything to do with Rip, doesn’t it? You can’t leave him.”
“Why does an argument with you always come back to Rip?”
“Because your whole life revolves around him. You went to every single one of his games. You even cancelled da
tes so you could go and cheer on your best friend. God damn it, Chloe. You are in love with the guy, and you won’t admit it to yourself. That is why you won’t marry me, because of that bastard.”
Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to control my temper. “I won’t lie to you about Rip, Easton. Yes, I have feelings for him. He is my best friend and will always be my best friend. He was also the first boy I ever fell in love with. When you asked me to marry you, I thought that if I said yes, I would finally be able to let go of my past. Let go of Rip. That was selfish of me, and I’m sorry. But the reason I am telling you no today isn’t because of Rip. This last week I realized that I can’t leave Oak Springs. The future I’ve dreamed of, the plans I’ve made for my life, they’re all here, every one of them…not in Houston.”
“So this is it? You’re giving up on us?”
“East, you and I both know deep down that this was never going to work. You asked me to marry you because you didn’t want us to break up. I said yes because I didn’t know how to say no.”
There was a long pause before he cleared his throat. “Well, I guess it would be hard for me to win your heart not only from Rip, but your whole damn town, as well.” His sharp words felt like a knife in my heart. I had loved this man. I spent the last ten months with him, but now more than ever I knew I wasn’t in love with him.
“I’m sorry, East.”
“Me too, Chloe. You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.”
With a slight shake of my head, I replied, “That is another disagreement because I think I’m saving myself from the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Keep the ring. I don’t want it back. Good luck, Chloe.”
Before I had a chance to say anything, he hung up. Jerking the phone from my ear, I stared at it.
“He hung up on me!” I said before losing it laughing. God, it felt so good to laugh about Easton for once instead of crying.
A week had passed since I had spoken to Easton and broken off our engagement. I sent him the ring back, even though he told me to keep it. It didn’t feel right. He sent me a message that he got it back. A four-word text, to be exact.
Love at First Sight Page 11