“No, he wasn’t,” Melanie, Scarlett, and Waylynn said at the same time.
“How do you think he always knew there was a party going on?” Gage asked.
Melanie laughed. “Oh, that is simple. Any function we had, Chloe would make plans for Patches to be some part of it. I’ll never forget the look on your father’s face when Patches started walking down the aisle of his and Paxton’s wedding.”
Chloe grinned. “He loved being in weddings. I was hoping he would be in…”
Her voice trailed off.
Waylynn cleared her throat. “There will never be another goat like Patches. I don’t know if that should make me happy or incredibly sad.”
Chloe giggled. “He most certainly lived for tormenting you, Aunt Waylynn.”
Trevor clapped his hands. “I came in here to tell you the games have started. We’re playing Twister.”
Mike and Gage jumped up.
Glancing back at me, Mike said, “I love this family!”
Alyssa laughed as she untied her apron and looked back at Melanie and Chloe. “I’m going to go join them, do you mind?”
“No! Go, and I think I’ll join you. Chloe and Rip can finish the cookies.”
Chloe went to argue, but Melanie wasn’t having any of it. “Thank you for giving your grandmother a break for once, sweetheart.”
Letting out a sigh, Chloe cracked a slight smile. “Of course. Go have fun.”
When they all walked out of the kitchen, I looked at Chloe. She was back to focusing on placing the dough on the cookie sheet.
I attempted to steady myself before I spoke to her. When she looked up at me, I lost my breath. Her bloodshot eyes made me want to pull her to me and tell her it was okay to cry. That she could be both angry at me and sad about Patches at the same time. I wanted to hold her more than anything. When she looked away, I remembered Steed’s words.
“Keep fighting for her, though. She’s worth the battle.”
Chloe
“I’M SORRY I laid that on you today,” Rip said. “You didn’t deserve that.”
Not daring to look at him, I shrugged.
“Do you want to talk about it? Patches, I mean?”
My gaze lifted to meet his. “I don’t think so. Maybe. I’m not sure.”
Rip’s phone rang, and he reached into his pocket for it. “Excuse me, Chloe. I need to take this call.”
I focused my attention back on the cookies.
“This is Rip.”
I tried not to stare at him, but it was hard not to. My heart had been racing in my chest since I walked out of the cabin.
Rip loves me. Rip. Loves. Me.
I pressed my mouth into a tight line. How could he tell me now? Today of all days.
“Hey George, how is everything going?”
George? George Mathews from the bank?
“Yes. I recently started working in the accounting department at Frio Cattle Ranch. Did you need something from Steed for the closing?”
That caught my attention.
“The closing date is set already?”
He paused, waiting for a response.
“I understand that, sir, and yes, I have set money aside for contingencies. But the inspection said the house was in good shape. Anything that breaks down, I’m positive I can fix. They had it listed lower than I thought they would, so that will leave me some money to work with.”
Setting my mixing spoon down, I wiped my hands on the towel and looked at Rip. He turned around and caught me staring at him.
“Wednesday at three. I got it. I’ll be there. Thank you, George. I’m excited.” He ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. Then he walked over and took the cookie scoop and started to put more dough on the sheet.
Okay, so he wasn’t going to share what that was about unless I asked. Well, I’m not going to ask.
Agitated, I said, “If you want to go join them in the other room for games, you can. I’m fine in here.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I’ll probably just take off.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I croaked out, “You’re leaving?”
With a half shrug, he replied, “Well, I feel like I’m in the way here.”
I chewed on my lip, tears building in my eyes once more. I had been angry with Rip but having him here with me really did make me feel better.
He took one look at me and added, “I mean, I’ll stay if you want me to stay.”
Our eyes locked, and I could almost see him silently pleading with me to tell him to stay.
“No, that’s fine. If you have things you need to do.”
“I don’t. I mean, I don’t have anything to do. I promised you I’d be here for you, Chloe. I don’t want to leave.”
This time I lost the battle and let a tear slip free. He dropped the scoop and cupped my face with his hands. I waited for him to wipe my tears away with his thumbs like he had so many times.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he leaned down and kissed my cheek softly, making my knees weaken. I closed my eyes tightly when he moved to the other side and kissed those tears away.
His hand moved softly along my face and his fingers slid into my hair. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.”
I opened my eyes and found him staring down at me. Was he sorry about Patches? Sorry for pushing me away four years ago? Sorry for telling me he loved me on one of the worst days of my life?
For a brief moment, I almost lifted up on my toes to kiss him.
Almost.
He let me go and backed away, his fingers running through his hair. “I didn’t want to tell you that way. Not today, not when you were already so upset.”
I wasn’t sure what he expected me to say. When he looked at me, I felt my heart race faster.
Pulling my gaze off of him, I faced the cookies again and took in a deep breath. “I need some time to figure everything out, Rip. To process it all. I guess I’m asking you for what you needed from me that day I confessed my feelings for you.”
He nodded and replied. “Okay.”
“I miss my best friend.”
He stood next to me, the silence between us like a brick wall.
Sniffling, I added, “I’ve missed you. I need my best friend back.”
“I’ve missed you too, Chloe Cat.”
Looking down, I slowly shook my head, fighting to keep my emotions in control. “Rip, I’m really confused and angry with you. I need some time to sort through all of this.”
“I’d wait for you forever, Chloe.”
I looked away. “I really wish you had told me that four years ago.”
“If I could go back and re-do that day, I would in a heartbeat. I would tell you how many times I wanted to kiss you, tell you I loved you. But I can’t, and that is something I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life. Knowing I let you down like I did. The one thing I never wanted to lose was your friendship, Chloe.”
“Neither do I.”
“You have every right to be upset with me, and I’ll wait patiently for you.”
“You? Patient?” I asked with a raised brow.
The corner of his mouth rose in that shy grin. The one that still made my stomach drop. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had any idea that he would forever own my heart.
“You want to go for a drive? I have something I want to show you.”
Smiling, I tilted my head. “Does it have to do with your phone call?”
His face lit up. “Possibly.”
“What about all this cookie dough?”
“John will eat it.”
I laughed, and it actually felt good. I was still angry, and we had a lot to talk about, but right now I needed my best friend more than I needed a resolution to this mess that was my life.
“Do I need to change?”
His eyes slowly moved over my body, causing my insides to melt. Rip had never looked at me like that so openly. I felt my cheeks burn.
“You’re perfect.”
/> My mouth opened slightly to say something, but I quickly shut it. Turning, I went about covering the dough and putting it in the refrigerator. The oven beeped, and Rip grabbed the mitts and took out the cookies. He then put the other cookie tray in and set the timer again.
“We should let everyone know we’re leaving,” I said, my voice shaky.
What is that about?
“Right.”
Rip motioned for me to walk out of the kitchen first. As we got closer to the family room, I could hear all the laughter and talking. As much as I wanted to enjoy myself with my family, the pain in my chest was almost too much to bear. Every time I thought of Patches, I wanted to cry.
Rip and I stepped into the family room and all eyes turned to us. My mother stood and smiled. “Done with the cookies?”
“No, there is a batch in the oven someone will need to take out in about ten minutes or so. The rest of the dough is in the refrigerator.”
Grammy walked toward us. “Are you leaving?”
If she thought she was hiding her hopefulness, she was wrong. I looked past her to see my mother wearing the same look on her face.
“Rip offered to take me on a drive. He has something he wants to show me and thought it might take my mind off Patches.”
My voice cracked when I said his name. Then Rip lightly touched the lower part of my back, and my body did a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn as tingles zipped across my body.
Good Lord.
I didn’t know if I should be mad, sad, or turned on. I’m a Parker woman, though, so it was possible to experience all of those same emotions in the same breath.
A part of me wanted to just go home, but I knew being alone was the worst choice I could make.
Rip must have felt my body’s reaction to his touch, because he dropped his hand. Had he ever touched me like that before?
Yes. Plenty of times. Guiding me into a room. A gentle touch to let me know he was there. It had always made me tingle, but tonight, that simple touch set my body on fire. I felt the walls between us quickly crumbling, and those touches meant more now than they ever had.
“Oh, that was sweet of you, Rip. You kids be careful driving.” Mom said.
Mike looked at Rip. A look passed between the two of them. It wasn’t concern, more like Mike attempting to make sure Rip was doing the right thing.
Making my way to my parents, I hugged each of them and then granddaddy and grammy. “I’ll just have Rip drop me off at home later.”
“Sounds good. Have a good time, y’all,” my mom called out as we walked out of the family room.
As we made our way out the front door and down the steps, I flashed back to the cabin earlier. Was it only just a few hours ago he told me loved me? Asked me not to marry Easton? It felt like a moment and a lifetime ago.
Rip opened the door to his truck and held out his hand for me. It wasn’t anything new, something he had done since the very first time I rode with him after he got his license. I tried not to react to the way our touching hands shot a bolt of electricity up my arm and into my chest.
When he shut the door and walked around the truck, I took the time to take a few deep breaths.
“You’re mad at him, Chloe. Mad.”
When he jumped into his seat and turned on the truck, he had a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Whatever he was going to show me, he was really excited about it.
“Ready?” he asked, looking at me with pure happiness on his face.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chloe
RIP DROVE DOWN the country road while I stared out the window in silence. I was glad for the quiet, and happy he wasn’t trying to fill it in with stories about Patches. My own mind was flooded with memories of that goat. From the first time I held him, to the last time I visited him this morning.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about?” he asked.
“Patches. I just loved him so much, Rip.”
He took my hand and gently squeezed it. “I know you did.”
I let out a little laugh. “Do you remember when you were helping Trevor paint the north barn and Patches charged you and nearly took out your knee?”
Rip laughed. “He was pissed because I had stolen your attention from him.”
“He was so jealous of you. How many times did he try to take you down?”
“Too many to count. I feel like he sorta liked me, though. At times.”
“He loved you. I know he did.”
Rip turned down County Road 165. We weren’t very far from my family’s ranch.
“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“The Durham Place.”
It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on. “Rip! You’re buying it?”
“I am.”
A memory of me standing in Mr. Durham’s kitchen flashed across my mind. I had been there with my father; Rip was there as well. We couldn’t have been more than fourteen. I was entranced by the house.
When we had walked out, heading back to my father’s truck, I looked at the white house with the large porch once more.
“I would love to live here someday.”
Rip stopped next to me, his hands in his pockets as he gazed at the house. “I’ll buy it for you, Chloe Cat.”
I felt my heart drumming faster in my chest. Rip looked at me before focusing back on the road.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Swallowing hard, I went back to gazing out the window. “Nothing. I’m just surprised you bought it. Did you have to use your granddaddy’s inheritance?”
“Yeah, and I pretty much saved every penny from the time I was fourteen or so.”
I turned to look back at him. Did he even remember that short conversation all those years ago? Is that why he started saving back then?
He turned down the dirt driveway. It didn’t take long for the old Victorian farmhouse to come into view. It was exactly like I remembered it. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Needs some fixin’ up, but I think she’ll be a real beauty once it’s done,” Rip said, coming to a stop, and turning his truck off.
Opening the door to the truck, I followed Rip up the steps.
“How did you know it was for sale?” I asked.
“Been watching it and had my ear to the ground. I knew once Mr. Durham died, it wouldn’t be long before his daughter would want to sell.”
“Did you already buy it?”
“Nah, I close on it this week. Laura Durham gave me a key ahead of time so I could start measuring for Mike to make new cabinets.”
“Oh,” I said, walking into the house first. My eyes scanned the living room, and I gasped. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was. Wainscoting covered the first half of the walls, topped by a chair rail. Wood trim outlined the beautiful old wooden doors and walk through. The staircase was in front of me, its impressive banister screaming for attention. Large plank wood floors spread throughout the room and into the next. My hand ran along the decorated baluster on the banister.
“My goodness, look at how beautiful it is.”
“The floors are still in really good shape. I think I can sand them down and refinish them.”
I nodded as I continued to follow Rip through the house.
“Here is the formal living room. The fireplace mantel is beautiful. I think it just needs a light sanding and stain.”
Walking up to the large windows, I looked out. “Look how beautiful that view is. It’s nothing but rolling hills.”
Rip stood next to me. “Yeah, it’s a beautiful piece of property.” He headed out of the room. “The pocket doors are sticking, but I can fix that easy. Look at the ceiling here in the dining room. Look at the beams.”
I looked where he was pointing. “It’s beautiful.”
“The trim in this house is beautiful. I’m so glad they never painted it white.”
Hearing the excitement in his voice made me smile.
When we walked
into the large kitchen, I scrunched up my nose. “Oh wow, this is…old.”
Rip laughed. “It’s a total gut job in here. Start from scratch. I can see a large island in the middle, though. There’s plenty of space.”
“I’m sure you’ll make it beautiful.”
He tilted his head for a quick moment before he started walking again. “There is a room here that I thought would make a nice office, maybe?”
Looking around the large room, I noticed another window that looked out over the hill country.
“I could see that.”
“Come on. Let’s head upstairs.”
“How many bedrooms does it have?”
“Five.”
“Wow.”
When we reached the landing, I marveled at the space. I could already picture what it would look like with furniture placed about, wall hangings, the homey touch that a country farmhouse should have.
“So the two bedrooms in the front of the house could be gutted and made into one large master bedroom and bathroom.”
We walked into the room, and I sucked in a breath. Floor-to-ceiling windows sat in a large bay area to the front of the house. The view was stunning.
“It faces the west, so you could be on the porch watching the sunset, or up here, in the bedroom.”
I felt my cheeks blush as I thought of lying in a bed with Rip watching the sun sink in the sky.
“If we designed the bathroom right, the tub could look out the windows, as well.”
“We?” I asked.
Rip shrugged, then said, “I guess me and Jonathon.”
I tried not to let it show how that made my chest ache. For the briefest of moments, I thought he might have meant me and him. By the way he was looking at me, I think he wanted to say that as well, and was tiptoeing around the us in this scenario. Or maybe it was wishful thinking.
We walked into another room.
“The rooms all look to be in good shape. Just some cleaning and paint,” I said, walking to a large picture window. No matter what side of the house we were on, the views were stunning. There is nothing like a Texas hill country view.
“Yeah, the bedrooms will be the easiest to do.”
“What do you envision this room?” I asked.
Love at First Sight Page 14
