Love at First Sight

by Kelly Elliott

  “That’s understandable.”

  She nodded.

  “I texted Gage to let him know I found you. He said he would let his dad and Trevor know. I think they were all heading back to the house.”

  “I feel like a silly fool for running off like that.”

  “Don’t. You have every right to be upset, Chloe. Patches was your best friend.”

  “One of my best friends,” she whispered.

  My heart stalled. I couldn’t let her marry that asshole, not without telling her how I felt.

  Placing her hands over her face, she let out a frustrated growl. “Everything is changing. Why can’t it just be like it was before?”

  I had no idea if she was talking about us or not. This was my chance. I had to tell her how I really felt, or I might never get it out.

  Walking over to her, I lifted her chin and our eyes locked.

  Kiss her.

  Tell her.

  Do something, Rip! Now!

  Her blue eyes were bloodshot, and she looked exhausted. “We should probably head back up to the house. I’m sure my mother is worried.”

  “Don’t marry him, Chloe.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “What did you say?”

  I shook my head. There was no going back now. “I said, don’t marry him. Don’t marry Easton.”

  Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away rapidly as she took a step back. “And why shouldn’t I marry him?”

  “He won’t ever be able to love you like I love you. No one will ever love you like that.”

  A single tear slipped free and trailed down her face. I watched it until it traveled the length of her cheek and dropped to the floor. Then I met her stare.

  “You’re telling me this now?” Her voice cracked.

  I rubbed the back of my neck. Afraid to even look her in the eyes.

  “Now. You decide to tell me now?”

  The lump in my throat was making it hard for me to speak. I cleared my throat. “I…I wanted to tell you that day.”

  My voice cracked, and I stopped talking. She stared at me, disbelief all over her face. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, Chloe. You mean the world to me, and I was scared. I was shocked you had admitted it. If you had just given me a few minutes to process it… I tried to talk to you after that. To tell you I felt the same way and explain why taking the next step scared the hell out of me. But you wouldn’t let me.”

  “Is that why you left Texas A&M? You left because I was dating Easton?”

  I narrowed my brows. “Does it matter?”

  “Yes!” she screamed. “Right now, it matters. Tell me the truth!”

  Her anger nearly filled the entire small cabin.

  “Yes. I left because I couldn’t stand the sight of you with him. Every time I saw him touch you, I wanted to punch him.”

  Chloe turned away and grabbed onto the back of a chair. Her other hand was over her stomach.

  “The thought of losing you forever has always scared me. There were so many times in high school I wanted to kiss you, but I was afraid you would tell me you just wanted to be friends. I didn’t dare believe you felt the same.”

  Her shoulders shook, and I knew she was crying.

  “Chloe, I’m sorry I…”

  She spun around and cleared her face of tears. “You were afraid? You don’t think I was afraid when I told you how I felt? You didn’t think we could love each other enough to make it work?”

  “I…I tried to talk to you, Chloe, and you pushed me away.”

  “You asshole! Now you tell me!”

  I jumped when she yelled.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Her hands came up and covered her mouth as she cried again. When I walked toward her, she held out her hand.

  “Stop! You don’t get to console me, Rip. Not when it’s you who is ripping out my heart right now!”

  “What?” I asked, instantly feeling like someone had reached into my chest and done the same to me. I took a step toward her, and she took one away.

  “It was supposed to be you! It was always supposed to be you.”

  My eyes burned with the threat of tears. “What was supposed to be me?”

  She shook her head frantically and put her hand out again when I tried to walk to her.

  “Don’t, Rip. Don’t you dare try to make this better now. It will never be better!”

  “Chloe, I wanted to tell you that day. I tried for weeks to get you to talk to me and you wouldn’t. You kept telling me to forget it, that it had never happened. What did you want me to do?”

  “Fight for me!” she said, tears streaming down her face. “For us. I poured my heart out to you that day, and you stomped on it. What was I supposed to do?”

  I shook my head. “You mean everything to me, Chloe, and what if we didn’t work out?”

  “Goddamn it, Rip! How could we not have worked out? I loved you, and you’re telling me you felt the same.”

  A feeling so hard hit me in the chest, I took a few steps away from her. “Loved?”

  She stared at me for the longest time, then let out a scream that I was positive could be heard by Mike all the way across the ranch.

  “You jerk! You asshole! You stupid idiot!”

  “I admit I am all those things. That and more.”

  Her hands flew up in the air. “You don’t get it, Rip. You just don’t get it.”

  She was full-on crying again, and I wanted to hit myself for making her feel this way. Especially since she was already so upset about Patches.

  “It was supposed to be you for everything! For all of it!”

  “Chloe, what are you talking about?”

  “Don’t you see? Don’t you understand that every single dream I’ve ever had I had with you?”

  Chloe walked up to me and hit me on the chest with both her fists as she cried harder.

  “You, Rip! My first real kiss should have been with you! My first date with a man who adored me should have been you! When I lost my virginity... God.” Sobs rushed from her body. “It was supposed to be with you!”

  She took a step back and placed her hand over her mouth before she whispered, “The man who got down on one knee and asked me to marry him… It should have been you…”

  She cried so hard that she couldn’t speak for a moment. Looking into my eyes, she whispered, “I wanted those things with you. And now it’s too late. You’re too late.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to hold down the sick feeling. “Please don’t say that, Chloe. Please.”

  When I opened my eyes, I felt my own tears on my face. Chloe started to walk to me, then stopped. Her fingers pressed against her lips. She shook her head, then took a few steps back.

  Crossing the distance between us, I took her into my arms. She cried so hard I was positive she was having a hard time breathing.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so damn sorry.”

  Chloe buried her face in my chest for what felt like an eternity before she pushed away from me. Shaking her head, she stepped back until she got to the door. “You’re too late.”

  “Chloe! Please don’t do this. I’m begging you not to marry him.”

  The door jerked open, and she started to walk out, but stopped. With a slow, deep breath, she looked me in the eyes once more. “I told Easton last week I couldn’t marry him.”

  The air in my lungs felt like someone had set it on fire. “Wh-what?” I managed.

  She stepped through the door and shut it, leaving me alone in the small cabin. I stumbled back and sat on the small sofa.

  My fingers jerked through my hair while I cried out, “Fuuuck!”

  If she had broken up with Easton last week, why had she said it was too late for us?

  I broke down and cried like I had never cried before.

  Rip

  BY THE TIME I made it back to the barn, there was no one around. Chloe’s horse, Lizzy, was put up in her stall, as was the horse Gage had been on.

  I took c
are of Walter and fed him oats before I made my way back up to the house. As I approached, I avoided going to the back door and walked down the driveway, instead. Chloe was probably back at her house anyway.

  Right as I got to my truck, Steed’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

  “Rip, where are you going?”

  Clearing my throat, I looked at him. He was standing on the front porch of Melanie and John’s house.

  “I figured I would head on out.”

  “You’re not going to say goodbye to Chloe?”

  “With all due respect, sir, I don’t think she wants to see me right now.”

  He gave a thoughtful nod and then motioned for me to join him on the porch.

  My heart was hammering. Steed Parker was one man I never wanted to make angry.

  “Sit down, Rip. We’re going to have ourselves a little talk.”

  I swallowed hard. “A talk?”

  “Yes, a talk. Sit.”

  Sitting on the rocking chair beside him, I rubbed my hands together nervously.

  Steed took in a deep breath, then exhaled. “I’m going to guess you told her you loved her.”

  My eyes widened in shock.

  “Don’t look so stunned, son. Everyone in this whole damn town knows the two of you love each other. Why in the hell you’re both too stubborn to admit it is beyond all of us.”

  I glanced down at my hands.

  “Chloe told me once, right after we had moved to College Station. She said she wanted more than friendship, and I freaked. I mean, there were so many times I wanted to tell her how I felt but I was afraid she only thought of me as a friend.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  I smiled. “I know, sir. I’m stupid as a box of rocks. That day I told her we couldn’t be more than friends, I was so scared of losing her as my best friend, Steed. But five minutes after I said those words to her, I wanted to take them back. Things didn’t work out that way, though, and we both moved on.”

  “If there is one thing I’ve learned about mistakes in the past, if you hold onto them, Rip, they’ll never let you move forward. So you messed up then, and I’m going to guess you messed up tonight.”

  I nodded. “She told me it was too late.”

  Steed tossed his head back and laughed. Hard. I chuckled too because he was laughing so damn hard, and I had no idea why.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Rip Myers, how long have you known my daughter?”

  “Eighteen years.”

  “That is eighteen years you have been best friends with a Parker woman. You have been around the Parker women for eighteen years. Have you not learned a damn thing? From any of them?”

  I lifted a brow. “Sir, I’m not really sure if there is a correct answer to that question.”

  Steed winked. “You have learned. Parker women are stubborn as hell. They react on impulse. Take Chloe saying yes to that douchebag, Easton.”

  I had to press my lips together to keep from laughing.

  “They love fiercely, are devoted as hell. They believe they are right one hundred percent of the time. And most important of all, they stay angry for a hell of a lot longer than most people do.”

  “Great,” I whispered, my fingers raking through my hair.

  “I’m going to give you some advice, Rip. But first I want to ask you something.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you love my daughter?”

  My chest squeezed, and my stomach felt like it flipped over. “Yes. I’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember.”

  “There ya go.”

  I drew my brows in. “I’m confused. Was that your advice?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “Um, thank you, I guess?”

  Steed laughed. “I don’t think you and Chloe have ever let yourselves see how in love you are with each other. Love conquers everything, Rip, when you let it take control. It is your lifeboat when the water is too deep, your safety net when you close your eyes and step off the cliff. Your blanket to keep you warm when the nights are cold and your mind is filled with worry or uncertainty. The one thing that ties you and Chloe together besides your friendship is your love for one another. Love, Rip, is the reason you face the fear. You take the leap. You vow to make it work and trust that it will.”

  My eyes stung as I fought tears back. I had never trusted in our love. Never had faith that it would be able to conquer all.

  “What do I do to win her back?”

  The corners of his mouth slowly rose. “Be patient. She’s hurting right now for a few different reasons. Keep fighting for her, though. She’s worth the battle.”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir. She certainly is.”

  “Now, are you leaving or coming into the house?” Steed asked as he stood.

  “I believe I’m going into the house with you.”

  “Good. You might want to stick close by me for a bit. Chloe was in the kitchen with a butcher knife earlier. She seemed pretty pissed.”

  When I laughed, and he didn’t, I quickly stopped. “Ohhhh, you’re being serious?”

  “Hell yes, I am. Did you not remember the one bit that I said was important?”

  “Parker women stay mad.”

  “They don’t stay mad, son. Angry. They stay angry. You’ll learn the difference very quickly, I’m afraid.”

  “Right, right. For a hell of a long time.”

  He slapped my back and opened the front door. “You always were a quick learner, son.”

  I followed Steed through the house. It was a massive house, but it felt like we reached the kitchen a lot sooner than I was ready to. I heard voices and knew more of Chloe’s family was here.

  “Look who I found,” Steed announced.

  Everyone in the kitchen turned and looked at me. Chloe’s grandparents, John, and Melanie were standing on either side of Chloe. Gage was sitting at the bar alone with Mike, and Alyssa was leaning against the kitchen sink. She gave me a sympathetic look, so I wasn’t sure if she and Chloe had talked about what happened in the cabin.

  Trevor walked into the kitchen and slapped me on the back. Hard.

  “You stupid bastard,” he said as he leaned in close to my ear.

  “Trevor!” Scarlett, his wife, said as she pushed him away. “Don’t let him get to you, Rip.”

  I smiled. At least the entire family wasn’t here. I might have actually turned and ran for my life.

  “Rip, sweetheart, we were beginning to wonder where you were. Thank you for finding Chloe,” Melanie said, a sweet smile on her face.

  Nodding, I forced myself to talk. “Of course. Anything for Chloe.”

  Chloe’s head lifted, and our eyes met. The look she shot me made me swallow hard, and I could swear I felt sweat beading on my forehead.

  “We are in the process of making chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. It always makes Chloe feel better when she bakes. Why don’t you join us?” Melanie asked.

  “How about if I sit here and watch. I’ve been cleaning Walter’s shoes out and brushing him down. I’m a mess.”

  Melanie smiled and gave me a wink. “Of course.”

  I sat down next to Mike. When I glanced over to Alyssa, she was lifting her brows and motioning toward Chloe. Narrowing my eyes, I mouthed, What?

  She sighed then rolled her eyes. I looked at Mike for help, and he simply smiled.

  “Mike, Alyssa, how is the wedding planning going?” Melanie asked.

  “Good! We pretty much have everything taken care of. Except for the cake.”

  Mike tensed next to me, and I looked at him. Were they still fighting over the damn cake?

  “Y’all haven’t agreed on the cake yet?” I asked.

  “Well, some people can’t make decisions like the rest of us can. They’re too afraid to commit,” Chloe snapped.

  All eyes went to Chloe. Mike cleared his throat while Steed walked by and bumped me.

  “Been there, done that,” Steed stated, grabbing one of the just-baked cook
ies before he walked out of the kitchen.

  Chloe watched her father and then looked at Melanie. “What does he mean by that?”

  Melanie shrugged, but it was clear she knew exactly what Steed was talking about.

  “I’m sure you will both work it out. Love is about seeing both sides of the story and listening to each other. Once you do that, you’ll come up with the perfect cake,” Melanie said.

  I stared at Chloe. She was looking at the batter she was mixing. I wasn’t sure if she had heard her grandmother’s words or not.

  “Alyssa, have you looked at cakes anywhere?”

  “Yes, Mike and I agreed to go with Lucky’s Cake Design. Her cakes are delicious.”

  “Mmm, yes, they are. Do you remember, Chloe, they made the cake for your high school graduation party?”

  Chloe didn’t answer Melanie. She was now staring out the back window, and I knew she was thinking of Patches.

  “Do y’all remember when Patches came running full speed from the barn with his kids in tow? He was heading straight to that cake,” I said with a chuckle.

  Everyone laughed, and Chloe cracked a smile.

  “I remember it!” Waylynn said, walking into the kitchen.

  “Aunt Waylynn,” Chloe said, making her way over and hugging her.

  “I’m so sorry, Chloe Cat. I know how much you loved him.”

  Chloe wiped a tear away and stood next to her grandmother. She started to scoop the dough out of the bowl and place it on the cookie sheet. Each time she put one down, John would pick it up and eat it.

  “John Parker! Stop eating that dough!”

  “What? I like it.”

  “You’re gonna get sick, Granddaddy,” Chloe stated.

  “Fine, I won’t eat it. I will take this plate of already baked cookies and take it to the study, instead. I believe there is a baseball game on.”

  Melanie rolled her eyes, then looked back at me. “Keep going, Rip. It seems like that was just yesterday.”

  “He jumped that fence and cleared it like no other animal I had ever seen before,” I went on.

  “Yeah, and the little bastard distracted me while his spawn tried to take out the spread,” Waylynn added.

  “He wasn’t stupid, that’s for sure,” Chloe said. There was so much sadness in her voice, it nearly brought me to my knees. I wanted to take her pain away.