Love At First Sight (Southern Bride 1)

“What happened?” I asked.

Gage sighed. “Well, some asshole said you were sleeping around and cheating on your fiancé. I informed him you were not engaged to the douchebag, and he called me a liar. So I hit him.”

I gasped. “You did what?”

“I had to! He was questioning your honor. Plus, I can’t stand the guy, so it was a good excuse to take him out. Anyway, Dad found out about it and just chewed me out and said I needed to come up and apologize to you.”

“Okay, first, don’t be going around defending my honor. I don’t need you to. I appreciate it, but it’s not needed. Second, you don’t need to apologize to me for anything.”

He lifted his brows, stuck his hands in his pockets, and rocked on his boots.

“Oh no, what did you do?” I asked.

“Well, I sort of told everyone you and Rip have been in love for like…ever.”

I smiled. “That’s pretty much a true statement.”

He shrugged. “I may have suggested you might be moving in together.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“It was an accident.”

“An accident? Gage, why would you even say that?”

“’Cause Rip is buying a house, you love that house, Dad and Mom said you would probably be moving out soon. It slipped.”

I sighed. “Well, I guess it’s not that bad.”

He avoided eye contact.

“What else?”

“Someone might have suggested you were pregnant and that sent everybody running to their phones. The prayer chain is on fire.”

My shoulders slumped.

Then my phone went off with a text.

Alyssa: You might want to know, you’re now pregnant with Rip’s child, about six months along according to Karen down at the beauty shop. Rose said you’re not pregnant, but Easton walked in on y’all in the barn…having sex…during your engagement party. He broke the engagement off.

“Six months pregnant! Sex in the barn! Are these people insane?”

“It’s been a slow year for gossip,” Gage replied with a smug grin.

I shot him a dirty look. “Do not defend me again. You caused all of this, Gage.”

“Right. Got that message loud and clear from Dad.”

After taking a shower and spending way too much time in my closet, I finally picked a cute little light blue sundress to wear on my picnic with Rip. Every time my phone went off, I groaned. It was either Alyssa updating me on the ever-changing gossip, or someone texting me to ask if the rumors were true. When my phone rang and I saw it was Rip, I sighed in relief.

“Hello?”

“Hey beautiful, how is it going?”

“Well, I’ve been fighting off rumors you and I are having a baby.”

“Wow. Okay. We sure work fast. That should be considered some sort of miracle considering we’ve been on one date and haven’t had sex yet. What’s that called? Divine inoculation, immaculate emancipation, something like that?”

I laughed.

“If it helps, you beat up Easton in one of the rumors.”

“I like that rumor. A lot.”

“Between you, Daddy, and Gage…I swear. I’ll be the talk of the town for months with the way things are going. How is your morning so far?”

“Busy. I’m going to be heading over your way soon. You might want to pack up a bag.”

“A bag?” I asked, my cheeks burning slightly from grinning so big. “What kind of bag?”

“An overnight bag. Get a swimsuit, sneakers for hiking, couple changes of clothes.”

“I’m intrigued, Mr. Myers. Are you taking me off somewhere?”

“Yes, ma’am. You better believe I am. I mean, unless you don’t think we should. I don’t want to push or rush.”

“Ignore that comment I made the other night. I was emotional and then you kissed me. That pretty much sealed the deal.”

Rip laughed, and it made my belly flip. “I’ll see you soon, Chloe Cat.”

“Au revoir!” I said and hit End.

With a giddiness in my step, I packed a bag. It seemed our picnic has turned into a bigger adventure.

Chloe

AT TWELVE NOON on the dot, Rip was at my front door. I opened it and smiled at him. He was wearing Wrangler jeans, his brown cowboy boots he’d had forever, a white T-shirt, and a light brown cowboy hat.

Be. Still. My. Heart.

Lord, I’d never seen a man so good-looking as this one standing in front of me. My insides shook at the idea of simply having him touch me.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hey, you’re right on time.”

“Like always. Well, except for maybe four years too late? But we won’t mention that again.” He smirked at his little joke.

I laughed, because it was true. Since I could remember, Rip Meyers could be counted on for being on time for everything. I, on the other hand, was always running late. For everything.

“You’ve got your overnight bag packed?”

My brows lifted. “I do, and are you going to tell me where we are going?”

The corner of his mouth rose into that flirtatious smile I fell in love with so many years ago. Then my stomach dropped as a strange zip of energy raced through my body. Overnight bag. Oh my gosh.