Chapter 7

Violet

“You what?” Millie practically shouts through the phone, her voice sharp with disbelief.

I shake my head, trying to stay focused on the ranch as I juggle this conversation. The sun beats down, and the familiar hum of daily tasks fills the air. Horses graze in the distance, the occasional neigh echoing around me. I motion to Joey to move a bale of hay while I try to convince Millie to be our witness at the courthouse. Her reaction to Callum agreeing to marry me is beyond what I expected. Shock doesn’t even begin to cover it.

“I needed a husband to save this ranch, Millie, you know that,” I explain, my voice a little more strained than I’d like. “Callum’s been kind enough to step into the role. On paper, that’s it. I just need this done. Please.” I glance around the yard, ensuring everything is running smoothly, my nerves on edge as I try to make her understand.

“I know your situation,” she says, her voice softening slightly. “But I’m not just shocked, I’m… stunned. No, more than stunned. I’m flabbergasted, astonished, dumbstruck—”

“Okay, Millie, I get the point,” I cut in, pinching the bridge of my nose. “But will you please help me? I don’t have anyone else.” My voice cracks just slightly, and I hope she doesn’t hear it.

We need a witness to sign the marriage license and make this thing official, and if Millie won’t do it, I’ll have to ask Callum to find someone, and I really don’t want that. I don’t need or want to depend on him more than necessary. This marriage is supposed to be strictly business, no emotions involved. But with everything feeling so upside down, having Millie there might make it feel just a little less surreal.

“This marriage is just on paper, nothing more,” I add, though part of me wonders if I’m saying it to convince her or myself.

“I understand that, sort of,” Millie says, her voice skeptical yet playful. “I mean, I know you need to get married to save the ranch, but Callum Atwood? The man who doesn’t even want to date because it takes time away from the brewery is offering to be your husband?” She pauses for a moment, then her tone turns dreamy. “Unless… maybe Callum’s had a thing for you all along, and he’s been too intimidated by your success and strength to admit it. And when he saw you crying, his heart shattered into pieces, knowing you’d be the only one to put them back together.”

I can’t help but giggle, shaking my head at her wild imagination. “Millie, this isn’t one of your romance novels. Callum isn’t some tortured hero secretly pining after me. Trust me, he hasn’t been desperately seeking my attention or falling for me in secret. That actually sounds more like the Atwood brother you’re dating,” I tease, laughing even harder at the thought.

Still chuckling, I continue, “Callum’s not in this for love. He understands what it’s like to be married to your work, just like I do. He knows how much time and effort it takes to make your dreams come true. We both agreed this marriage is just temporary. Two years, then we get divorced. No harm, no foul.”

“But what does Callum get out of this?” Millie asks, her voice shifting back to curiosity. “I know him well enough to know he doesn’t just do things out of the kindness of his heart. There’s got to be something in it for him.”

I lean against the barn doorway, my fingers unconsciously tugging at my bottom lip as I think. Millie’s got a point, and I hesitate for a moment. Should I tell her the real reason Callum agreed to this? She’s dating his brother, after all, and I’m sure she’d mention it to him eventually. But then again, Callum did say he plans to tell his family the truth himself, so maybe it’s not that big of a deal.

Closing my eyes briefly, I decide to take the leap. “Well,” I say quietly, lowering my voice, “between you and me, marrying me gets his family off his back about finding someone. Apparently, they’ve been hounding him about settling down, and this way, it looks like he’s done just that. For now, at least.”

Millie is silent for a beat before she gasps. “So it’s a marriage of convenience for both of you,” she muses, and I can almost hear her gears turning. “You get to save your ranch, and he gets his family off his case. Smart.”

“Exactly,” I reply, exhaling the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “It’s nothing more than that. We’re both using each other, in a way. It’s purely business.”

Millie hums, but I can tell she’s not entirely convinced. “You say that now, but I don’t know… Two years is a long time to pretend. Feelings have a funny way of sneaking up on people.”

I smile, though I know she can’t see it. “This isn’t a romance novel, Millie. It’s real life. And in real life, people make practical choices. That’s all this is—a practical choice.”

“I know you don’t have any other options, and I know how stressed you’ve been,” Millie says, her voice softening with concern. She pauses for a moment, either carefully choosing her next words or just to drive me a little crazy with anticipation. “So... what time should I meet you and Callum at the courthouse?”

Relief floods through me, and a small smile tugs at my lips. Millie’s agreement feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders. “We’re set to be there at three,” I tell her, glancing at the time and mentally ticking off everything that still needs to be done before then.

“Do I need to wear a dress or something?” she asks, half-joking, but I can hear the underlying humor in her voice.

I laugh, shaking my head as I step out of the barn. “Hell no. I’m probably going to rush to the courthouse covered in dirt and horse manure.”

Millie chuckles. “Oh, Violet, you’re too much.”

“Sometimes I am,” I admit with a grin. “But seriously, Millie, thank you. This means the world to me.”

“I know,” she replies softly. “I’ll see you at three.”

We hang up, and as I slip my phone into my back pocket, the sky suddenly darkens. Before I can even process it, a loud crack of thunder echoes through the fields, and the heavens open up, drenching me in sheets of cold rain. It comes down in torrents, soaking me within seconds, my clothes plastering to my skin as I stand there in disbelief.

I throw my head back and shout to the sky, half-laughing, half-frustrated. “Is this your way of telling me I should shower before I go to the courthouse, Dad?” I shout, shaking my head as rain pours down my face, dripping from my hair. I can’t help but feel like this is some cosmic joke from above. It’s my dad’s way of reminding me not to lose my sense of humor, even in the middle of this madness.

I take a deep breath, letting the rain cool me off and wash away some of the tension that’s been building for weeks. As much as I want to resist, I feel a strange sense of peace. Maybe this is a sign that things will work out after all. I wipe the water from my eyes and start toward the house, knowing that no matter what happens at the courthouse, I’m going to face it head-on. Clean and ready… or soaked and muddy.

My stomach is in knots. My hands are clammy, and my heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest. I try to steady my breathing, but nothing’s working. It’s surreal to be standing here in front of the judge, with Millie at my side, and Callum. I can’t believe this. Callum’s about to become my husband, even if it’s just on paper.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the judge’s voice cuts through the whirlwind of emotions in my head.

I glance up at Callum, my pulse quickening even more as he smiles down at me. I search his face, my eyes scanning for any hint of second thoughts or regret, wondering if he’s already rethinking this insane decision after being married for all of ten seconds. But all I see is a calm, steady gaze. The kind that could make anyone feel reassured.

“I think you’re supposed to kiss the bride,” Millie hisses from behind me, her voice loud enough for all of us to hear.

Callum’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, darting between me, the judge, and Millie. There’s a moment of hesitation, like we’re all caught in the awkwardness of what’s supposed to happen next.

“It’s fine,” I say quickly, not wanting to make this any more uncomfortable than it already is. My fingers toy nervously with the delicate gold band now sitting on my ring finger.

Before I can fully process what’s happening, Callum wraps a strong arm around my waist, pulling me closer. My breath catches as he leans down and gently presses his lips to mine. It’s soft, barely a whisper of a kiss, but it takes me completely by surprise.

My heart flutters wildly in my chest, and I can’t deny the explosion of butterflies that erupts in my stomach. The kiss is over in a blink, quick and to the point, but the sensation lingers. His lips, soft and warm, feel like velvet against mine, leaving an imprint that seems to stretch time.

For that brief moment, his arm stays firm around me, holding me close enough that I can feel his body heat through his clothes, his strength enveloping me.

As he pulls back, my pulse is still racing, and I realize I’m staring at him, completely caught off guard by how that tiny kiss made me feel. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the deal—kissing, or the way it stirred something in me.

“Congratulations,” Millie says, shrugging as she wraps me in a hug. Her words are light, but I can hear the mixture of concern and curiosity in her voice.

“Thanks, I guess,” I reply, still processing everything that’s just happened. The weight of the gold ring on my finger suddenly feels a lot heavier than it did a few minutes ago.

Millie turns to Callum, a playful grin spreading across her face. “Callum, Sunday dinner should be fun.”

He lets out a small chuckle but quickly steps in with a more serious tone. “I appreciate you being here, Millie, I truly do. But please, let me handle telling my family,” he says, moving just a bit closer to me, almost instinctively. It’s subtle, but there’s a protectiveness in his stance, as if he’s already taken on this new role.

Millie raises her hands in mock surrender, glancing between the two of us. “Believe me, I’m not getting in the middle of this.” She pauses, noticing my narrowed eyes. “I mean, I get that you’re both helping each other, which is great. I promise, I won’t say a word.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, grateful that she’s willing to keep this between us. I’m not ready for the whole town to start speculating just yet.

Millie gives us both a quick hug and waves goodbye before heading off to her bookstore. As she disappears around the corner, Callum and I are left standing alone on the courthouse steps. The silence between us is thick, and I can’t help but wonder if he feels as awkward as I do right now. We just got married, yet I barely know him beyond our business arrangement.

We slowly start walking down the courthouse steps, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I steal a glance at him from the corner of my eye, wondering what’s going through his head.

“Should we go get a drink at the brewery to celebrate?” Callum suggests, his voice casual but with an underlying tension, like he’s not sure how I’ll respond.

The offer surprises me. This whole thing may not be real, but for some reason, the idea of celebrating doesn’t seem so crazy. There’s a small part of me that wants to say yes. After all, he’s my husband now, and after that kiss, I’m not entirely sure I want to go home alone just yet. Something about the way his lips felt against mine has stirred something unfamiliar inside me.

I bite my lip, hesitating for a moment before answering. “Yeah… a drink sounds nice,” I say, glancing up at him. “I think I’d like to get to know my husband a little better.”