Page 74 of The Reason I Married Him
Hattie’s eyes widen. “Yes, of course. Sorry.” She gleefully claps her hands. “I’m going to go tell Ryland. We were texting, and I wasn’t sure what was happening between you two. Still, then I heard from Ethel, who heard from Dee Dee, who overheard Amanda talking about it. Well, I had to rush over here to confirm it because you know how sometimes the things the town talks about aren’t true, and I didn’t want to look like a fool when people asked me, and oh my God, I’m so excited. We can go on double dates, and you’re going to be so happy, and you’rein love and . . . ahhh!” She claps again and leaves the guest house, only to run over to the main house.
“Jesus,” Aubree exhales as she leans back on the bed and drapes one hand over her face.
“So . . . you love me, huh?”
She lifts her arm, giving me that classic side-eye that makes me laugh. “Please, I can’t handle any teasing from you at the moment.”
“Fair enough.” I smirk. “Glad that we’re in love, though. It really solidifies this bond we have.”
“Yup . . . soooo in love,” she says with a heavy dose of sarcasm that makes me laugh.
“Looks like we’re doing this. Now the question is . . . how am I going to propose?”
She lifts her arm and looks me dead in the eyes. “If you make a spectacle of it, I’ll murder you.”
Just the response I was looking for . . .
Chapter Eight
AUBREE
Dinner last night was eventful to say the least.
Wyatt thought it would be a good idea to head over and talk to Ryland, who just stood in the kitchen for the longest time, stunned. I don’t blame him. If the roles were reversed, I’d be just as shocked, because I haven’t been acting like someone falling in love. I haven’t even mentioned one word. If anything, I’ve expressed my displeasure about Wyatt and his part ownership of the farm. I was mad about that. So for me to suddenly be in love is probably startling.
Of course, being the good big brother that he is, Ryland shook Wyatt’s hand, and we sat down and ate dinner.
Wyatt was careful with being overtly affectionate—probably got the vibe that I wasn’t into it in front of my family—and kept things minimal with just an arm draped over my chair.
After dinner, I helped Ryland with the dishes while Hattie, Wyatt, and Mac playedSpace Escapein the living room. I occasionally glanced in their direction to see how Wyatt interacted with Mac, and it was nice to see him playing withher . . . not because I’m thinking of future children or anything like that, but because it’s nice for Mac to have another person in her life who she can love.
Once Mac started yawning, we said our goodbyes, and Wyatt walked me to the guest house, where he leaned in and whispered in my ear that he’d contact his lawyer to get a prenup drawn up.
I thanked him, and then when the coast was clear and Hattie was gone, I pulled away from him, slipped into my house, and stared up at the ceiling for an hour, wondering what the hell I was doing with my life.
And let me tell you, nothing came to mind.
I eventually fell asleep but woke up early this morning with bloodshot eyes, a heavy feeling on my chest, and the need to get out on the farm and do something with my hands.
So that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I shut the door to the guest house and take a walk out back toward the barn, where I see Wyatt’s SUV parked.
I let out a long exhale.
Yup, why would he be anywhere else?
Coffee in hand, I close the distance, and when I reach the barn, I find him sitting on the tractor with a bakery box next to him and wearing a bright smile.
How is this man happy all the time? Does he take uppers every morning?
He doesn’t even have any coffee with him.
I don’t get it.
“Morning,” he says, hopping down and grabbing the box. “I was going to knock on your door this morning, but I wasn’t sure if you were awake and didn’t want to disturb you. I came here and did some touch-ups on the chicken coop, making sure we covered everything with paint.”
I walk over to a bench in the barn and take a seat, crossing one leg over the other. “You could have knocked on my door. I was awake.”
