“It was an accident. My birth control failed. Big time.”
He laughed. “I would say so. How are you feeling?”
“Well, anything chocolate makes me sick. I’ve had some light to moderate morning sickness. Except it comes at all times of the day so I’m not really sure why it is called morning sickness.”
He laughed. “Rip taking good care of you?”
“Yes. He talks to my stomach every single morning and night and any time in between when we’re alone. He’s madly in love with this baby already.”
“That’s because he’s been madly in love with the baby’s momma for many years.”
“Yeah.” With a chuckle, I said, “He’s reading this book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
“I read that. It’s a good one.”
I smiled. “He reminds me so much of you, Daddy. The way he loves me. Looks at me. It’s how you look at Mom.”
“Oh, pumpkin, that boy has been looking at you like that since y’all were about ten years old.”
My cheeks flushed. We sat in silence for a few moments.
“I’m going to be a mom.”
“I’m going to be a grandpa.”
We both exhaled.
“I hope Rip and I are half as good as parents as you and Mom are.”
He kissed my forehead. “You will be an amazing mother. I know you will. And Rip is going to be an amazing dad. He comes from a good family.”
Squeezing his arm, I said, “We should go back in. I’m sure Rip is freaking out and worrying that you hate him.”
Dad stood and then helped me to my feet. I was capable of getting up on my own, but Daddy was a true southern gentleman.
“Maybe I’ll let him sweat it out for a bit before I make nice.”
“Daddy!” I said, hitting him lightly on the arm. The front door opened, and Rip stood there. Looking every bit as worried as I knew he was.
“Steed, sir.”
Holding up his hand, Daddy shook his head. “Son, I’m damn happy for both of you. I just needed a minute or two.”
“He was fixin’ to cry and didn’t want to do it in front of your dad,” I said, causing my father to glare.
Rip laughed, which made Daddy send the look to him, but he made it ten times scarier.
“Not funny. Got it,” Rip stated.
As my father walked by, he held out one hand to shake while squeezing Rip’s shoulder with the other. “Congratulations, son.”
There was no way I could stop the flood of happiness that hit me. We spent the rest of the evening helping Kristin unpack some Christmas boxes and organize the decorations. It was a fun night, and it kept my mind off of tomorrow’s wedding. I had no idea why I was nervous. I was already married. But this time we would be doing it in front of our family. And it wouldn’t be just me and Rip. This time it was me, Rip, and our baby.
Renee ran around in a circle as she laughed. Shannon, one of my old college friends turned professional photographer, was snapping pictures. She’d gotten me before I got ready, as I got ready, and was now waiting for the big moment when I got on my horse, Lizzy, and rode over to the chapel.
“Chloe, lift your dress just a bit, let me see the tip of your cowboy boot.”
I did as she said. A light knock on the door had my stomach dropping.
Aunt Scarlett popped her head in and smiled. “Rip and Mike are at the chapel. Are you, Alyssa, and Renee ready to go?”
Taking in a deep breath, I said, “Yes. Very ready.”
Shannon gathered up all her stuff. She would be driving behind me in the ranch four-wheel drive Mule. Alyssa climbed up on her favorite horse here at the ranch, Pepsi.
With the help of Uncle Trevor, I got up on my horse. Shannon and Scarlett made sure my dress was laid out perfectly. No one would see me walking up to the chapel, since they would all be inside, but Shannon was snapping pictures.
“Ready?” Trevor asked, a giant smile on his face.
“Ready!” I glanced around. “Wait? Where is Renee?”
“She went on ahead with your Daddy. They’ll be waiting outside the chapel,” Scarlett said.
“Perfect. Let’s go!” I said.
The ride to the chapel wasn’t long, but it felt like it took forever to get there. Trevor, Scarlett, and Shannon went ahead so that they could get to their seats, and Shannon could get me and Alyssa coming up on our horses.
“Well, I guess now you get to finally call yourself Mrs. Rip Myers in public,” Alyssa mused.
“Yes! Finally.”
I looked her way. She was beaming. “Are you thinking about your own wedding?” I asked.
“Yeah, about that.”
I almost brought my horse to a stop. “What do you mean…about that. Are y’all having problems?”
“What? No! Gosh, no. It’s just, after seeing you and Rip elope like that, well, it got us thinking.”
Nearly letting out a scream, I covered my mouth.
Alyssa giggled. “We’re eloping.”
“Shut up! Where?”
She shrugged. “We haven’t thought about it just yet.”
“What about the big wedding y’all were planning?”
“I don’t want a big wedding. I want it to just be me, Mike, you and Rip.”
“Oh, Alyssa! Where? When?”
She giggled. “We’ll talk about it after you come back from your honeymoon. We have to work around your little baby.”
The horses turned the bend, and I instantly heard the rush of water from the Frio River. In front of us was the little white chapel sitting in front of our tree. My stomach fluttered but not from nerves. Maybe it was excitement. Or maybe it was the baby. That thought nearly had me in tears. Was our little one making themselves known at our wedding?
As we got closer, I looked at the giant oak tree. It was all coming full circle today.
Once I stepped off that horse, everything changed. I walked up to the blue antique doors and stopped when I saw the sight in front of me. Renee stood there with a baby goat on a leash. My heart melted on the spot.
“Oh my God! A baby goat!”
“Do not get your dress dirty!” Alyssa warned.
The little goat jumped and twirled in the air. Renee and I both laughed. It reminded me of the day I got Patches.
“Do you like her?” Daddy asked.
“Is she mine?”
He nodded. “She’s all yours.”
I nearly jumped into my father’s arms. “I love her so much! I’m going to name her Calamity Jane!”
My father laughed. “O-okay.”
“Ready?” Alyssa asked as she stood at the doors.
Taking my arms, my father and I stood to the side with Renee and one very excited goat in front of us.
Two old high school buddies of Rip’s, Colt and Bill, served as ushers, opening the big blue doors. Alyssa looked at me and winked before she started off into the chapel. Renee jumped up and down, which made Calamity Jane do the same.
“Ready?” I asked her.
She looked up at me and nodded as she held her basket of white rose petals. “Weady!”
“Go!” Daddy said in a soft voice. Renee walked through the doors and Calamity Jane followed.
Bill stood and watched as Alyssa and Renee walked down the aisle. He chuckled a few times and looked over at us. “The goat’s eating the rose petals.”
I covered my mouth and giggled. A part of me felt like Patches was here with me. My stomach fluttered again, and I took in a deep breath, forcing myself not to cry.
The wedding march started, and I looked up at my father. He gave me the sweetest smile. “I love you, pumpkin. You’ll always be my little girl. Always.”
“Oh, Daddy. Don’t make me cry, my makeup will smudge, and I’ll look a fright.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Never in a million years. And it wouldn’t matter. That boy waiting at the end of the chapel loves you with all his heart. I don’t think he would care if you walked in weari
ng jeans and one of his old T-shirts.”
I laughed. “He probably wouldn’t care.”
Bill motioned for us to start walking. When we turned the corner and entered the little chapel, everyone stood. That’s when I saw him.
Rip.
He stood at the very end, dressed in crisp new jeans, his favorite cowboy boots, and a white shirt with a satin, light-tan formal vest and a brand-new white cowboy hat. My heart felt like it flipped in my chest. Mike stood next to him, dressed almost the same, but his vest was darker and matched Alyssa’s dress.
Something caught my eye and I looked to see Calamity Jane jumping up to try and get onto Aunt Waylynn’s lap.
“Are you kidding me right now?” Waylynn exclaimed as everyone started to laugh over the music.
“Shit, what are the odds?” my father said as I burst out laughing.
Calamity Jane decided she wanted to stick with Renee who had the rose petals and followed her up to the altar where Calamity Jane proceeded to lay down. The excitement of the aisle must have taken some energy out of her.
The long antique table behind the pastor was decorated with the most beautiful greenery and flowers. I had left it up to my mother to arrange the flowers in the chapel, and she had done an amazing job.
But my eyes kept going to Rip.
Stopping at the end of the aisle, Daddy leaned in and gave me a kiss. He placed my hand into Rip’s when asked who was giving me away.
“I’m not giving her away. She is too rare and precious. I am, however, willing to share her with you.”
Rip nodded, his emotions showing on his handsome face. Rip held my hand as I took the step up. We faced one another, and he looked me up and down.
When his eyes landed on mine, he whispered, “Les mots ne peuvent pas décrire mon amour pour toi.”
Words cannot describe my love for you.
My eyes filled with tears, and Rip shook his head as he lifted his brow. “No tears.”
“What if they’re happy tears?”
Rip smiled, and the pastor started the service. I hardly heard a word as the man I had loved nearly my entire life looked lovingly into my eyes while he rubbed his thumbs over the back of my hands. My face was beginning to hurt from smiling so big. When it came time to exchange rings, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The simple, white gold band Rip had shown me was now more elegant, covered in small diamonds and a decorative bead around the edges. It looked exactly like a ring I had seen years ago in a French magazine we were reading in high school.
My eyes jerked up to his. A tear slipped free, and he reached up and wiped it away.
“Do you forget anything?” I asked, my voice cracking.
Rip leaned in closer to whisper. “I ripped the page out of the magazine and have had it ever since. I had a jeweler in Johnson City make it out of my great-grandmother’s band.”
This man. Lord, this man.
Once the pastor had declared us man and wife, we kissed. Then I took my flowers and Calamity Jane’s leash, and we made our way back down the aisle with a quick stop to ring the chapel bell. Our family and friends cheered as we walked out of the door.
The plan was to stay and take pictures while the wedding guests made their way up to the main house. It would give me and Rip a few moments alone together before we partied the night away with friends and family.
“Come here,” Rip said, taking my hand in his.
Shannon followed our every move, snapping pictures as we walked across the grass to our tree. Rip held onto the swing as I sat down on it. He leaned his mouth to my ear.
“Je t’aime, Chloe.”
“I love you, too.”
His French made my stomach pull with desire. Would anyone really miss us at the reception if we didn’t show up?
Pulling back, Rip let the swing go. I lifted my boots and laughed as I felt the breeze flowing through my hair. I had worn it half up and half down, knowing how much Rip loved my hair down.
“Stop the swing and kiss her, Rip!” Shannon said, snapping pictures as she spoke.
Rip stopped the swing, took off his cowboy hat, and hid our faces as he kissed me.
Shannon and I both laughed. The small flutter in my stomach told me this baby already thought her Daddy was so romantic and so funny.
Chloe
RIP AND I walked hand in hand down a little alley in Paris. I should have known he was taking me to France from all his little hints. Talking to me in French at the wedding was one big tip off. Although he would often speak to me in French, especially when he was making love to me. I had never gotten the chance to study abroad, so this was Rip’s way of making up for that lost trip.
We had been here for one week and had another week planned. Rip’s wedding present to me was a set of beautiful earrings that we had found in an antique store here in France. I still had my gift to give him. Which I was about to do.
“It’s so beautiful here,” I said, taking in a deep breath. The weather had been perfect. Not too hot, and not too cold.
“It is,” Rip agreed as we made our way out of the alley and stopped in front of a stunning park.
“Oh my gosh, look at the flowers!”
“Stunning. Look, there’s a wedding about to happen! Let’s go watch.”
“Rip, we cannot go watch! It’s someone’s wedding.”
“But we’re dressed for a wedding in a park. And if they didn’t want people to watch, why have it in a park?”
I glanced down at my soft pink sundress. Rip was dressed in jeans and a pullover. With a giggle, I said, “Okay! Let’s go peek.”
As we got closer, I strained to see what the groom looked like. From behind he looked exactly like Mike.
“That looks like…”
My voice trailed off as we drew closer.
“No! Are you kidding me?” I cried out as Mike turned and faced us. I rushed over to him and hugged him.
Rip was laughing behind me as he said, “We totally pulled it off!”
Mike returned the laughter and nodded. “That we did!”
“You’re here! Where is Alyssa?” I asked, looking around. There was a small building off to the side where Mike pointed.
“She’s in there, waiting for her maid of honor.”
I screamed like a little silly school girl and took off toward the small building.
“Chloe, be careful running!” Rip cried out.
Throwing open the door, I came to a stop. There was my best friend dressed in a stunning chiffon gown holding a large bouquet of flowers, with a smaller one held out to me.
“I thought you were going to make me late to my own wedding.”
Hugging her, I clenched my teeth to keep from crying. When I pulled back, I saw she was doing the same.
“We always said we wanted to go to France together. The four of us. When Rip presented us with the idea to just run off and get married and spend a week in France with y’all, we couldn’t say no. We told our folks the plan, and they paid for this instead of the big fancy wedding in Oak Springs.”
“I can’t believe you’re here. Will you stay longer than a week?” I asked.
“After y’all leave to go back home, Mike and I are going to Tuscany for a week.”
My hands covered my mouth, and I started to jump around like a little girl.
The woman who had been standing next to Alyssa spoke in French, alerting her that the time was now.
“Let’s do this!” Alyssa said, handing me the flowers.
As I walked down the little stone pathway toward Mike and Rip, I couldn’t help the huge smile on my face.
Rip and I stared into each other’s eyes the entire ceremony. Part of it was done in French, the rest in English. When it came time for them to kiss, I bit my lip and stared at Rip. He had been watching Mike and Alyssa but swung his gaze to meet mine.
We both smiled. And I felt it again, the little flutter in my stomach that I had been feeling every day since last week at our wedding when I first felt it. I placed my
hand on my stomach and let out a half laugh, half sob. Rip instantly walked up to me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, placing his hand over mine.
Alyssa and Mike turned to face me.
“Nothing! Nothing is wrong. I’m just overcome with happiness.”
I hugged Alyssa and then Mike. The photographer ushered them to stand for pictures while Rip and I moved to the side.
He glanced down at my hand on my belly.
“Our baby is moving, and I feel her.”
His eyes went wide. “You feel the baby?”
I nodded. “I felt her last week. On our wedding day. At first, I thought it was nervous flutters, but I’ve been feeling it all week. She keeps letting me know she’s here with us.”
Rip cupped my face within his hands. “You keep saying she.”
My smile was so wide that it made my cheeks ache. “That’s because the baby is a girl.”
Rip chuckled. “Is that so? And how do you know that?”
Reaching into the little pocket of my sun dress, I pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. I had asked Doctor Buten to do a blood test to find out the sex of the baby.
Rip opened it and instantly started to cry. He looked at me. “A girl? Our little Emma.”
I nodded. “I hope you’re happy. I know you probably wanted a little boy.”
He shook his head and placed his hand on the back of my neck, bringing me into a kiss.
“I didn’t care. I only want a happy baby.”
Smiling, I placed his hand on my stomach. “I can’t believe how much I love Emma already. Is it possible to keep falling more in love with her?”
Rip nodded. “I think so. And when I see her, I know I will fall even more in love with her at first sight. Just like I did with her mommy.”
THE END
Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.
Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, The Playbook, and Lost Love, to name a few.
Love at First Sight Page 24