“What?” I whispered just as Sadie stepped up beside me.
“Hi, everyone! I’m Sadie Cartwright, Colton’s half-sister.” Leave it to my sister to stun the crowd further.
“So you’re not cheating on Autumn with your sister?” Alex exclaimed as she stood at the table.
“What? No, don’t be ridiculous, Alex.”
“Ridiculous?” the tall blonde exclaimed as she approached me, her fists clenched at her waist. It was obvious she was itching for a fight and I got the feeling it wasn’t on Autumn’s behalf, but maybe something going on in her own life. “I’ll show you ridiculous, you two-timing-”
A domineering shout masked the room as Marisol stood from her spot on the couch. “Hush, Alexandra. I told you from the beginning that you and your siblings jumped to conclusions. Look at her. This young lady has so nicely come to meet our family and you all haven’t even welcomed her and Colton. I am ashamed of you all.”
“We didn’t know, Ma. There were pictures and stories,” Alex tried to explain, but my focus had zoomed into the laptop screen on the kitchen table. There was a zoomed-in picture of me leaving Sadie’s house with her at my side. The headline accused me of having multiple women since my breakup with Nina.
“Did Autumn see this?” I asked, interrupting Mrs. Easterly and the growing noise in the room. “Hey! Did Autumn see this?” I shouted again. Finally, that seemed to get the room’s attention.
Nash approached me with his eyes open and brows relaxed. “She did, but she defended you tooth and nail. She immediately knew this young woman was your sister. And so did I.”
“Where is she?” I asked frantically, grabbing Nash’s forearm. “Was she okay? Did she seem upset?”
“She was frustrated. Not with you, but with her siblings. I’m pretty sure you know where you can find her.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I searched for Sadie who had planted herself on the couch with Marisol, talking animatedly with her hands as I’d learned she seemed to when she was excited.
“Yeah, I do. Think you can watch my sister for a bit?”
“She’s in good hands.”
Nodding at my friend, I turned and headed toward the mudroom, grabbing a set of UTV keys along the way. Just as I found the collective of off-road vehicles, Alex came running toward me.
“Colton! Colton! I’m so sorry. We all are. We should have trusted you and Autumn. You both knew your relationship better than we did.”
Grabbing her shoulders, I shook her until she silenced. “Alex, I need to find Autumn.”
“Oh, yes. Sorry. Go get her. I’ll do my best to keep everyone from the west field for a while.” I appreciated her hint as to where I could find my girl.
“Thanks.”
I tucked my body into the UTV and made my way over to the west fields, trying to remember the path Autumn had taken after I came and enjoyed dinner with her and her family. I felt numb as the wind whipped across my skin, but it wasn’t from the growing chill in the air. It was from the knowledge of Autumn trusting me. That had to mean something more.
The drive was agonizingly slow, but when the roof of the barn came into view, my heart started racing. There were things I wanted to tell Autumn, things that I needed to say so it was clear where I stood with her.
“Autumn!” I yelled, tossing the vehicle into park and grabbing the keys from the ignition.
I ran around the exterior of the barn, calling out her name, but I couldn’t locate her anywhere. Was there a chance that there was a similar barn on this side of the property? Luckily, as I approached the backside of the barn, I saw another UTV parked along the along the hay bales.
“Autumn,” I shouted, just as I trampled over a small figure in my haste to turn the corner.
“Oomph.”
“Autumn, are you okay?” I said, hovering over her as she lay flat on the ground. My hand shook as I checked her over for any injuries from the fall.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she replied with a giggle. It took me a moment, but I recalled that the first time we met, she had nearly run me over at the grocery store.
“Probably a good idea.” Standing, I held out my hand and held her to her feet.
When she finally seemed steady on her feet, I took a step back.
“Hi,” I said. Autumn surprised me as she launched herself into my arms.
“I missed you.” Her breath was warm and affectionate as it wrapped around my neck.
“I missed you, too, baby.”
I held her like she would disappear the second I unraveled my arms from around her waist. Unwillingly, I settled her back on her feet.
“What are you doing here?” she asked and I explained I came straight from her family’s house where they accused me of cheating.
“I kept trying to tell them, Colton.” Her hands flung around spiritedly as she spoke. “They already had their minds made up and wouldn’t listen.”
“I brought her with me.”
“Who?”
“Sadie. My sister.”
“She’s here?” Autumn’s eyes began scanning the area excitedly.
“She’s not here here. She’s at your parents’ house. I left her with your mom.”
