Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Something wrong?” Shepherd, ever the protector, asks first, his brows furrowing with concern. His eyes search mine like he’s bracing for bad news.
“Did we lose a vendor?” Paxton chimes in, his mind always locked on logistics and product placement. He’s already mentally reworking deals, I can tell.
I shake my head, trying to loosen the knot of nerves that’s twisting up my stomach. “No, it’s nothing like that.” My heart’s pounding in my chest, and it feels like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to jump. “I… uh, I’m married.”
The silence that follows is like a lead weight dropping into the room.
“Wait, what?” Tripp’s the first to break the quiet, disbelief clear on his face. I avoid his eyes, not ready to admit that his girlfriend was the one who signed as our witness. The less he knows about that, the better.
“To who?” Brock asks, his voice tinged with shock as if I’ve just told him I bought a yacht or moved to the moon.
“You’re not even dating anyone,” Paxton says, blinking like he’s trying to process this new information. He looks to the others, his expression a mirror of their shared confusion. “Right? He’s not dating anyone. You’re not, right?”
I stuff my hands in my pockets, feeling the weight of their stares. “I’m not dating anyone,” I admit. This is it. No turning back now. I suck in a deep breath, ready to tell them everything, to explain this whirlwind of a decision that’s going to flip everything upside down. "It's... it's Violet."
There’s a pause.
“Violet?” Shepherd echoes, his eyes widening. "As in, Violet Violet?" He glances at the others, clearly trying to connect the dots.
“Yeah,” I say, bracing myself. "Violet Daniels—the rancher. We got married today."
The shock on their faces deepens. Paxton lets out a low whistle while Brock raises both eyebrows. Tripp just stares at me like he’s waiting for the punchline to some bizarre joke.
"You got married, just like that?" Tripp asks, still incredulous. "Why? I mean, out of the blue like this?"
I glance down at my feet, shuffling slightly before I meet their eyes again. "It’s complicated," I begin, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "It’s more of a... deal. You know? She needs help keeping her ranch, and well, I needed to get Mom and the rest of you off my back about settling down. It seemed like a win-win."
“A deal? Like a business deal?” Brock asks, a smirk creeping onto his face. "That’s one way to solve a problem."
Paxton crosses his arms, looking a little more serious. "And you're sure this is what you want? I mean, you’re really okay with this?"
I nod, though I can feel my pulse racing. "Yeah, I am. It’s just for a couple of years, and then we’ll go our separate ways. It’s no big deal."
But even as I say it, the words feel heavier than they should.
“What’s no big deal?” Anya asks, stepping over to Griffin and wrapping her arms around his waist, her curiosity palpable as she glances around at the tense atmosphere. “You all look so serious. What did I miss?”
I can’t help but shake my head, looking at my little sister. Anya who somehow ended up dating my best friend, Griffin. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for them. They’re the perfect match. But still, it’s like everyone’s paired off, and I’ve been the odd man out. Not anymore though, right? Now, everything's changed.
“Callum got married today,” Paxton blurts out, cutting right to the chase.
Anya’s green eyes widen, so big they look like they might pop out of her head. “To who?” Her voice goes up an octave, the shock clear on her face. She looks like I just dropped the most ridiculous bombshell.
Before I can say a word, Tripp jumps in, clearly putting pieces together. “Wait, is that why Millie left this afternoon? She was all secretive this morning, said she had something important to do at the courthouse today.”
I nod slowly, bracing for the incoming storm. “Yeah, Millie was our witness.”
Anya pulls herself out of Griffin’s embrace, stepping forward with both hands firmly parked on her hips, her signature stance when she’s about to lecture someone. “Somebody better tell me who Callum married. Wait…” Her face suddenly shifts, recognition dawning in her eyes as she pieces everything together. “Violet’s at the bar.” She gasps, her hands flying to cover her mouth. “Oh my god, please tell me you didn’t marry Violet.”
The room is suddenly heavy, like the air’s been sucked out. Anya’s disbelief echoes in my ears, and I feel all my brothers staring at me, waiting for my reaction.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice quieter than I intended. “I married Violet.”
Her eyes widen even more—if that’s even possible—and she practically yells, “You married Violet? As in the Violet we’ve all known forever? The one with the ranch?”