Love at First Sight

by Kelly Elliott

  Judge Brodbeck looked down the line at each of us. Then he lifted his brows and started the ceremony after clearing his throat.

  My knees shook as I thought about what we were doing. I wasn’t sure if Chloe had temporarily lost her mind, if she was worried she was pregnant, or she simply really wanted to be my wife. I was hoping it was the latter.

  “Repeat after me, Rip. I, Rip Myers, in the presence of…” Judge Brodbeck looked at Mike then Alyssa. “Um, in the presence of these witnesses, do take you, Chloe Parker, to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do us part.”

  I stared at him. The only thing I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears.

  Everyone turned and looked at me. “Wait, I don’t remember a thing you just said.”

  Chloe giggled and Judge Brodbeck shook his head. “Son, have you been drinking?”

  “No, sir. I honestly am so damn nervous that I can’t remember what you said.”

  Squeezing my hand, Chloe lifted up on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. “Just say I do.”

  “I do. I do a million times over.”

  The judge smiled.

  “Chloe, repeat after—”

  “I do.” Chloe blurted out. “Boy, howdy, do I ever.”

  Mike let out a small whoop as Alyssa said, “That’s my girl! Get right to it!”

  The judge let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, you both do. I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Rip Myers. You may kiss your bride.”

  Chloe and I faced each other. Then she started to laugh. “Oh my God! Rip, we just got married!”

  “We did.”

  “Kiss me!” she demanded.

  Framing her delicate face in my hands, I did exactly that. We were soon lost in the kiss, and I barely heard the judge speak.

  “I’ll need both witnesses to sign the marriage license, please.”

  When our lips parted, I looked into her eyes. “Hello, Mrs. Myers.”

  Her eyes were so blue they reminded me of what the sky looks like after a spring rain shower.

  “Hey there, Mr. Myers.”

  “I cannot believe y’all got married the day you got engaged!” Alyssa said, hugging us both.

  “Hell, I can. It’s about damn time!” Mike said, bear hugging the three of us.

  Chloe

  A WEEK HAD passed since Rip and I had secretly gotten married. We’d gone back to the farmhouse after we both took the afternoon off, consummated our marriage, then went out to Cord’s Place and celebrated with our two best friends. I skipped on any alcohol, stating I was the designated driver. Rip nursed two beers all night.

  I couldn’t count how many times I glanced down at the twist of paper that was tied around my ring finger and tucked nicely against the antique oval diamond ring. It was our last-minute wedding band.

  As far as my stomach flu, I still had it. And the smell of chocolate-anything still seemed to be the worst trigger. That and the smell of sweet tea. Sweet tea of all things. Every day Grammy brought me a large mug of it and set it on my desk. I somehow managed to keep the green from my face, and the moment she left, I dumped it out the window.

  Rip had been bugging me to buy a pregnancy test, but I needed the blood test. I needed to be sure.

  Today we would find out once and for all. I had stopped taking my birth control pills, just in case. Usually if I had even skipped a pill I would start my period, but that hadn’t happened yet. I had a doctor’s appointment in Uvalde with my gynecologist. Rip and I would get the answer to the question neither of us talked about, but both kept thinking about. Several times I had caught Rip standing in that middle bedroom, the one he had said would make a great nursery. I couldn’t help but feel my heart nearly explode in my chest.

  The knock on my office door pulled me from my deep thoughts. Glancing up, I saw those blue eyes that mirrored mine looking at me.

  “Granddaddy! To what do I owe this honor?”

  I stepped around the desk, giving him a hug.

  “I have a special delivery of sweet tea for you.”

  My smile faltered slightly, but I was positive he didn’t catch it. “Oh, great. I’m going to have to talk to Grammy about all the sweet tea she’s giving me. I feel like I’ve gained ten pounds this week from drinking so much of it.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. That bush outside your window had been getting a hefty dose, as well.”

  My brows pulled in tight as my mouth gaped open. “How did you know?”

  Laughing, he replied, “Your grandmother is like Old Faithful. She brews that tea the same time I go out for my morning walk. Each morning I’ve seen you open that window yonder and dump out the very full cup of tea. Then you cover your mouth and try not to gag.”

  A nervous laugh slipped from my lips. “Oh, I’m not gagging. It’s, ah, the smell from the…mulch. Smells bad.”

  He nodded, clearly not believing the lie that didn’t come out as smoothly as I thought it would. “You always were a bad liar, Chloe Cat. If you don’t like your grandmother’s tea, tell her.”

  My entire body sighed in relief.

  Rip appeared at the door and tingles raced across my skin.

  “Hi, John. How are you doing, sir?” Rip asked, shaking Granddaddy’s hand.

  “I’m well. You working here today?”

  “Yes, sir. Helping Steed out with a new software program designed to help track the vaccinations.”

  “Fascinating,” Granddaddy mused, clearly not the least bit interested. “I’m glad I retired when I did.”

  Rip and I both chuckled.

  When Rip’s gaze caught mine, I felt my cheeks warm. He always had a way of looking at me like he wanted to make love to me right there on the spot. “Hey, you ready to go?”

  “Um, yeah, let me grab my purse.”

  As I made my way around the desk, Granddaddy asked, “Where you kids going?”

  “Wedding shopping.”

  “Shopping for furniture.”

  Rip and I looked at each other.

  “Well, a little bit of both,” I quickly added.

  My grandfather looked between the two of us, one brow raised.

  Me.

  Rip.

  Me again.

  Then back to Rip.

  He pulled in a deep breath, smiled, and headed to the door. “No need to sneak. Let me know what the doctor says. I still feel too young to be a great-granddaddy, but I’m ready.”

  When he walked out the door, Rip swung around and looked at me.

  “Furniture, Rip? That was a dead giveaway!”

  “What?” I gaped. “We’re remodeling a house. How is that a giveaway?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  We walked out of my office and out the back door. “Your grandmother probably told him.”

  “Where you kids going?”

  Screaming, I covered my chest with my hand.

  “Trevor! You scared me to death,” I gasped.

  “Why you two sneaking out of here whispering like you’re up to something?”

  “We are not sneaking! Why does everyone keep saying we are sneaking?”

  A wide smile grew over my uncle’s face. “Maybe it’s because the two of you snuck off and got married.”

  Rip reached for the wall, and I almost did the same thing.

  “How do you know that?” I whispered.

  “Damn Dorothy! I knew she couldn’t be trusted,” Rip said. “I told you we should have sent her that beef jerky basket. The woman loves beef jerky.”

  “Who all knows?” I asked.

  “Scarlett. She was at the county clerk’s office that day visiting a friend she used to work with. She saw the two of you and was about to go say hi when she overheard y’all asking for a marriage license. She told me, and don’t worry, no one knows. Your little secret is safe.”

  Rip and I both exhaled. “Thank you, Uncle Trevor. I don’t want anyone�
�s feelings being hurt.”

  “So, you couldn’t wait, huh?”

  With a smile, I leaned into Rip, and he wrapped his arm around me. “We waited long enough. I mean, we want the wedding with our family and friends, but first we wanted to do it just the two us.”

  “I get it, you don’t owe anyone any explanations. What are you sneaking out in the middle of the morning for?”

  Rip and I looked at each other and then back to my uncle.

  “Furniture shopping.”

  “Going wedding shopping.”

  “Rip!”

  “What! You got mad at me for saying furniture, so I said wedding! I can’t keep up with the way your mind works.”

  Uncle Trevor put his hand on Rip’s shoulder and slowly shook his head. “Son, don’t even try. I’m telling you right now. Don’t. Try.”

  “Chloe, please stop pacing.”

  “I can’t help it. What is taking them so long?”

  Rip sat calmly in a chair, looking through a book titled What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

  “This book has some pretty neat information in here. If you are pregnant, I think we should buy one.”

  I nodded. “Okay. But what if I’m not? What if that birth control jacked up my system and now I’m at risk of never having a period again!”

  Rip lifted his eyes from the paperback and looked at me. “Would that be a bad thing?”

  Grabbing the pillow off the examination table, I tossed it at him. There was a light knock on the door and I quickly jumped back up on the table. Doctor Buten walked in and gave Rip and me a polite smile.

  “How is it going, you two?”

  “The birth control you put me on…it’s damaged me!”

  My hand came up and stopped me from speaking.

  Rip chuckled. “Apparently it’s made her spontaneously yell out strange things in the last thirty minutes.”

  Doctor Buten tried not to laugh at Rip’s joke and failed. “You know birth control is never one-hundred percent effective against pregnancy.”

  “I spotted a little bit a month or so ago, but I haven’t had a period.”

  He nodded and looked at my chart. They had drawn blood and had me pee in a cup as soon as they brought me back to the room.

  Looking up from the chart, he smiled. “The nurse said you haven’t taken any at-home pregnancy tests. Is that correct?”

  I nodded. Rip walked over to me.

  “It also appears you got married. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Rip and I said at the same time, while looking at each other in that silly, lovesick way we couldn’t help.

  “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Myers, looks like you’re going to not only be newlyweds, but new parents.”

  Tears pooled in my eyes. I slid off the table, and Rip wrapped me so tightly in his arms I almost couldn’t breathe. Or maybe I was just overcome with emotion.

  “We’re having a baby.”

  A swirl of thoughts raced through mind. I was excited. Thrilled. Scared. Overjoyed. Then I swung back to definitely being scared.

  “Oh my goodness, a baby.”

  Rip pulled back and studied my face. “Are you not happy?”

  “Yes! I’m just shocked, I think. We were not planning on this. There is so much going on and…”

  “Chloe, why don’t you take a seat on the table,” Doctor Buten said.

  With a quick nod, I sat back. Rip held my hand for a few extra seconds before letting it go and sitting back down.

  A new emotion rushed through my veins. Guilt. Rip looked beyond thrilled about the news and here I was trying to decide how I felt. The first thing I’d said was ‘there was so much going on.’

  I closed my eyes and willed myself not to cry. At least I knew why I could tear up at the drop of a dime these days.

  “Let’s go ahead and do a vaginal sonogram since you’re pretty early on.” He opened a drawer and took out a gown. “I’ll step out and let the two of you take this all in. Take your time.”

  When he walked out the door, I got off the table and started to remove my pants. Rip gently took hold of my arm, causing me to stop and look at him.

  “Talk to me, Chloe.”

  My chin trembled. “I don’t know if I’m shocked, excited, scared, happy. I mean…I am happy. I think I’ve known, but for some reason I’m terrified suddenly. Is this too soon? We have hardly gotten to even be together.”

  He cupped my face within in hands. “Nothing about this changes the way I feel about you. It only makes me love you even more, if that is possible. Chloe, you and I are meant for each other, and if this baby is a part of our journey early on, then I say what an amazing journey we’re starting off on.”

  A tear slipped down my cheek, and he kissed it. “If you’re worried about me being upset, I’m fucking over the moon. The thought of our baby growing inside you…”

  His voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat while he attempted to get his feelings under control. “I feel like the happiest man on Earth right now. I’m secretly married to the love of my life, we’re having a baby, and the cabinets for the master bathroom are finally done.”

  I started to laugh as I placed my hands on my stomach. “Oh wow, we’re having a baby. A baby.”

  Rip kissed me. Not a sweet kiss that was meant to reassure me of everything, but a kiss that sent a rush of feelings through my body that screamed how much this man loved me. And just like that…only one emotion ran through me.

  Love.

  Love for Rip. Love for our child.

  What an amazing feeling.

  Chloe

  I STOOD IN the middle of the chapel and spun around.

  Mike and Rip had found pews from an old church and had refinished them. They were stunning. The large chandelier over the altar hung down and captured the light from the sun as it peered into the large picture windows. Even the old antique table I had seen months ago in a store in Waco stood proudly under the large windows.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered to myself as I rubbed my stomach.

  I was now eleven weeks pregnant, and according to the book Rip was reading, the baby was the size of a large strawberry. He’d gotten into the habit of asking me how his little berry was doing. Once we found out, we got right to work planning our wedding. No one but Trevor and Scarlett and Alyssa and Mike knew we were already married, and I loved that Rip and I had these two little secrets of ours. Not that I wasn’t excited to tell everyone. I was. The doctor had told us most people wait until the end of the first trimester. Rip and I had decided to wait until the wedding to tell everyone about the baby. The wedding was in three weeks, and we had decided to keep it a small event. Family and close friends. According to my Grammy, though, half of Oak Springs was like family.

  “What do you think?”

  The sound of Rip’s voice made my entire body come to life. I turned as he walked down the aisle toward me. I couldn’t help but giggle. That would be me in a few short weeks.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, stopping and kissing me.

  “Nothing. I was thinking how in a few weeks, I will be walking down the aisle.”

  “I can’t wait to marry you,” Rip spoke against my lips as he kissed me.

  “Hate to break it to you, but you’re already married to me.”

  He smiled. “I can’t wait to marry you again. And put a real ring on your finger. I’m tired of tying things on your finger.”

  Holding up my left hand, I glanced at the string Rip had tied on last night. “I sort of like it.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re going to like the band even better. I had a few changes made to it.”

  My eyes lifted to his. The wedding set was an heirloom in his family, and I knew it meant so much to him to give it to me. I was honored to wear it.

  “Really? Can I see it?”

  Rip tossed his head back and laughed. “No! There are some things you will need to wait for.”

  I smiled. “We don’t seem to be very good
at waiting.”

  “That’s because we did it for far too long.”

  “Agreed.”

  Jonathon made his way over to us, a smile on his face. “The final inspection is under way,” Jonathon said. Rip and I laced our hands together.

  “We built a chapel,” Rip said.

  “No, we built a dream.”

  My second experience wedding dress shopping was a complete one eighty of my first shopping trip. My mother and I flew to Dallas, just the two of us. We spent two nights and three days shopping, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. The first wedding boutique we stopped at was amazing and ended up being the place I found my dress. When they offered me a glass of champagne, I politely declined. With a raised brow, my mother looked at me, the glass, and then down to my stomach. Then she smiled.

  Grammy knew I was pregnant, too. They’d called it from that first day in the kitchen when the cookies nearly sent me over the edge. I loved that they both respected the fact that Rip and I wanted this to ourselves. It felt like so much of our relationship, even before it existed, was on everyone’s radar. These two secrets were ours to cherish. The baby and the marriage.

  After I tried on five dresses, the one appeared in front of me. I didn’t even have to try it on; I knew this was it. The bridal consultant, Virginia, held the dress up and I was stunned into silence. My mother grabbed my hand. She felt it, too.

  Two thin straps held up the gown. The bodice was all lace with peek-a-boo lace on the sides. The neckline plunged low and I smiled thinking about how my already growing breasts would fill it nicely.