Page 50 of Something Like Sunflowers

Oh, shit. What does she mean by—this Hunter thing? I suppose Lemon told her about the dare to stay here for a month. I mean, it’s not that bad. Makes sense she’d want to mull it over with me, but it doesn’t explain the other buzz going on in my phone. Or maybe that’s just the light, pulsing feeling in my head. I forgot how much I hate drinking.

I hover over Dustin’s text next, but I don’t get far before my phone is ringing again…

Claudette Charbonneau, I read on the screen.

What am I missing?

I swipe to the side and accept the call. At least I know this woman isn’t going to sugarcoat whatever the hell is going on and will give it to me straight.

“Um, hi. Good morning, Claudette. How are—”

She cuts me off with a boisterous laugh and a dark little chuckle that ends in an “mmm, mmm, mmm.”

“I did not think you had it in you, my dear, but wow. You have blown even me away with your quick thinking and sharp wit. I like you.” She punctuates her sentence with nothing but air. A silence she commands simply because she is none other than Claudette Charbonneau, Queen of Southern Fashion and CEO of Classy Country.

I’d love to be as regal as she is. But then I shake my head and push that thought away. I’m still confused.

“You and your”—she sighs wistfully—”sexy cowboy have caused quite the riot.”

I sputter at that. Sexy cowboy? Has she lost her damn mind? I look out the window to make sure the world is still out there and there isn’t some sort of apocalypse or something, but I just end up taking in the beautiful rows of wheat and pastures of wildflowers, as far as the eye can see. Oh, my gosh. Hunter wasn’t joking when he said he had a farm.

But it isn’t just a farm to me. It’s…it’s a kingdom. A place we used to wander and sneak around when it was just an abandoned building sitting on what we considered our spot.

A whole lot has happened on this land…on this exact farm…in this very house. Even if it was just dilapidated boards and crumbled bricks back then. I breathe in deep and try to focus back on Claudette, faintly smelling bacon in the air. I say a quick thank you to the big man above because at least there’s bacon.

As I follow the most glorious smell on Earth through the beautifully renovated farmhouse where I grew up romping and rolling about, I home in on a word Claudette just uttered and walk face first into the wall before me.

“Did you…” I stutter, catching my breath as I turn and lean against the wall, steadying myself so I can hear what I think I heard. “Did you just say my marriage?” Surely, I heard wrong. But then I put Claudette on speaker as I go back to scrolling through the rest of my texts. The one from Dustin stops me in my tracks, and no sooner than I read what I think I just read, does Claudette speak the very words into existence.

DUSTIN: YOU.MARRIED.HUNTER?!

I swallow my confusion, stalling, pressing the center button on my phone and close my texting app altogether. I’m pretty sure whatever else is in there, whatever other secrets my brain is hiding from me in its post-drunk-girl wisdom, those things can, and probably should, wait until I confirm what Claudette and Dustin just told me.

And bacon can happen first too. Because, at this point, I know something crazy is about to go down in this little town. It apparently involves me, Hunter, and marriage.

Whatever I’m about to face, I am sure as hell getting bacon before it commences.

At this point, Claudette is just going on and on about how wonderful our video was last night. And that just sweetens the pot even more, doesn’t it?

We posted a freaking video.

What on Earth is even on the video? Well, that will be the next mystery for me to solve. After bacon. I rub my forehead with my free hand and listen in as she thanks me. But it strikes me as weird.

“What exactly are you thanking me for?” Because I am so genuinely confused.

“Well, your video last night…” I knock my head against the wall. I have got to see this video. “It sparked quite a bit of interest from both of your followings. Point blank, your fans are in love with your love! And so is Classy Country. In fact, I talked to the other investors, and we have decided to sponsor a reception in your honor after the charity fair is wrapped up. All expenses covered, of course.”

I’m speechless. What in the ever-loving world is going on right now? Did I bump my head last night? I mean, I know Hunter and I were all over each other, but not like… past second base or anything. And I know we made that dare to get married. I just…I can’t remember anything past that. And I’m wondering how drunk I really was if that’s the case.

From what I can tell, we came home to his house after some unknown blackout period which must have included a…

…a whole freaking marriage? There’s no way we’d be able to swing that. He was just as drunk as I was, nonetheless. Details on that to be discovered later. I have a ton of questions.

Anyway, we came home, I’m still in my clothes, and it seems as if we just went to sleep. I’ve got to be missing something. I curl my hand around the banister, and I feel something hard and constricting press against my finger. My ring finger, to be exact.

It can’t be.

But oh, yes, my eyes widen, because it most certainly can. And it most certainly is.

---