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She looked at me like I had grown two heads. “What about the little spot you told me and your father you wanted to be married at…for years?”
I pressed my lips tightly together. “I…I changed my mind, Mom.”
Leaning in closer, she said, “Chloe, if you still love Rip…”
“Mom…” I warned.
“No, this is important.”
“I’m not marrying Easton in the same spot I wanted to marry my old crush.”
“Is that all Rip is?” she asked, jerking her head back.
“No. He’s my best friend.”
She slowly nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure, Chloe.”
“I’m sure,” I snapped.
Turning, I walked away, and instead of going out back, I headed to my father’s office. When I opened the door, I stopped in my tracks. My heart leapt to my throat.
“Rip?”
He glanced up and smiled, both dimples on full display. My knees went weak, and I hated myself for that physical reaction. I hadn’t seen him in months. We texted nearly every day, even if it was to just say have a good day. Seeing him tonight, though, was not what I was expecting. And I certainly hadn’t planned on running into him alone.
“Hey, why do you look surprised to see me? You had to know I would be here for your party.”
With a grin, I walked into the room. “Of course, I did. I’m surprised to see you in my dad’s office is all.”
Leaning back in the desk chair, he sighed, and dropped a pencil onto the desk.
“Your dad is trying to find an accounting error. He asked me to look at the books. I only got here a little while ago.”
“Oh,” I said, sitting in the chair. “Putting that accounting minor to good use, huh?”
Another smile.
“I always did like numbers.”
I chuckled. “And I always hated them.”
“Glad to be home?” he asked.
“So glad. I missed having you in College Station. I had to go for my Thursday morning coffee all alone.”
“Why didn’t Easton go with you?”
With a half shrug, I replied, “It was our thing. Didn’t feel right going with anyone else.”
He nodded. It looked as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. “Things going good between y’all?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“How’s it going to work with you here and him in… Is it Houston?”
Glancing down at my hands, I noticed I was rubbing them together. Then I lifted my hand and showed him the ring.
“He asked me to marry him last night.”
The color in Rip’s face drained. He looked white as a ghost as he stared at the ring and then jerked his eyes to mine. “And you said yes.”
I heard the immeasurable hurt in his voice, there was no doubt. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yes, I did.”
He didn’t say anything. He simply sat there, staring at me.
“What about you? Are you dating anyone?”
He looked away for a moment and then back at me. “No, I’m not.” He stood. “Um, if you’ll excuse me, Chloe. I just remembered your grandfather asked me check on the barn. Make sure Patches wasn’t going to escape.”
I stood, a wide smile on my face. “I’ll go, too. I’ve been itching to see him.”
Rip ran his hand through his hair. “Well, if you’re going down there, then you can check on everything, and I’ll help finish setting up. I already found the mistake Steed overlooked. I’m sure Easton would like to meet Patches.”
A wave of disappointment washed over me.
“Okay. Sure. I’ll see you at the dinner?”
“Yeah.”
Rip gave me his usual parting wink. But there was definitely a wall that had been hastily thrown up between us. I watched as he quickly walked out of my father’s office.
Turning back to the desk, I looked down at the papers. This was supposed to be my job. The job I had looked forward to since I was little girl. Sitting behind my father’s desk, helping my family run one of the largest cattle ranches in Texas.
“Here you are! Rip said you were in here. What was wrong with him? He seemed really upset.”
I spun around to find Alyssa. Her words rattled around in my chest. “I told him about the engagement. I didn’t want him to hear it for the first time when we announced it later.”
“Oh, shit.”
Chewing on my lip, I nodded. “He seemed a little surprised, but I didn’t think he was upset.”
She snarled at me. Alyssa had never forgiven me for not talking to Rip about that day. She had begged me for weeks to sit down with him, insisting we could work through it. I had ignored her. My stupid pride getting in the way.
“If you didn’t see him get upset, then you’re blind as a fucking bat, Chloe.”
I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Alyssa. He didn’t ask me not to marry Easton. He didn’t profess his undying love for me and beg me to be his as he whisked me off into the sunset.”
