“Whatever squirt. If you want guys looking at you like you’re some kind of whore that’s up to you. Let me guess the giant suitcase right here is yours?”

Ari smiled and walked up to Jefferson as he picked up her suitcase. She stood on her tippy toes and purred up at him. “Are you jealous that the other cowboys will be looking at me and fantasizing about how good of a rider I might be?”

Jefferson dropped Ari’s suitcase and it almost landed on her left foot. Ari was stilling leaning in close to Jefferson as she gave him a wink.

“Be careful there Jeff…I have very important items in that suitcase that I need to take care of…….certain…...needs…….”

Jefferson looked over at Gunner and me and shook his head as if he was trying to erase an image. He quickly picked up her suitcase and walked out the front door. Gunner started laughing as soon as the front door shut. I mean really…..I think Ari just entertains the hell out of Gunner. I hit his shoulder and looked at Ari.

“Arianna! That was just plain MEAN! You and I both know you do NOT own any such items! And you……Gunner stop laughing. It’s not funny. She is going to give poor Jefferson a heart attack by the end of the week.” I said as I stared at both of them. They were both trying not to laugh but doing a piss poor job of it.

“WHAT!? I have my flat iron and hair dryer in that suitcase! Those are very important items to me. Gesh Ellie….get your mind out of the gutter you perv!”

Gunner reached down and grabbed my suitcase and started to head out to the truck. “Come on ladies….let’s blow this popsicle stand!”

I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I grabbed my purse and stuck my iPod and my headphones into it as quick as I could. I followed Ari out of the house and locked the door behind me! Ari leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“DO NOT make me sit in the back seat with Jeff or I will f**king kill you!”

I started to giggle when I saw Jefferson jump in the front seat of Gunner’s truck. “I think you scared the shit out of Jefferson….he wouldn’t sit next to you even if you paid him to!”

Ari looked over at the truck and then back at me and we busted out laughing. Gunner walked up and picked me up and spun me around. I let out a little yell as he gave me another kiss. He smiled at me and leaned in close to my ear.

“Do you want to sit in the front with me sweetheart? I can kick Jeff into the back seat with the whore!”

I started to laugh and hit his back. “Put me down and no! I’ll sit with Ari in the backseat. I think if Jefferson and Ari had to sit near each other that long they would end up killing each other and that would ruin my first trip out to the country!”

“Agreed! Let’s go baby.” Gunner walked over to open the truck door for me.

Ohhh…..I secretly wished he called me baby all the time. I was not sure why I liked it so much. I mean…the way it came out of his mouth it just sounded so…….

“Fuck its hot when he calls you baby.” Ari said to me with a wink.

“Yeah, it is hot isn’t it?!.”

Ari jumped into the truck and slid all the way behind Gunner’s seat. Gunner held my arm as I got in. Shit the electric jolt that traveled through my body when he touched me was unreal. Would I ever get use to it? He gave me one last peck on the cheek, smiled and shut the door. He jogged around the front of the truck and got in. He looked over at Jefferson and smiled!

“Alright! Let’s get the hell out of the city and get us some fresh country air!” Gunner said with a smile.

Gunner looked back at me winked and smiled.

“We have to listen to a little music to get us in the mood!”

Gunner hit play and “Banjo” by Rascal Flatts started to play. Jeff and Gunner both gave each other a fist bump and said at the same time…..

“Hells yeah!”

I looked over at Ari and she looked at me.

She smiled and just shook her head.

“Men….” We both said at the same time.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHTGunner……

Christ almighty…….driving for three hours and listening to Ari go on and on was enough to drive me f**king nuts! She got a call from Jason and of course she took it. The minute she said Jason’s name Jeff put on his headphones and didn’t take them off for another hour. Stupid f**ker was just going to give up on the girl he wanted.

I looked back at Ellie one time and the smile on her face looking out the window told me all I needed to know. She already loved being away from the city. Would she love the ranch as much as I did? Could she see herself living there? Being a rancher’s wife? Fuck I sure as shit hoped so.

I turned down the county road that led to the ranch and my palms started to sweat and my heart rate kicked up. What the fuck? I was never nervous coming to the ranch. Maybe it was having Ellie meet Gramps and Grams that was getting me all f**ked up.

I looked back at Ellie and she looked like she was about to come out of her seat. Jeff took his head phones off and turned around to face Ellie.

“You excited honey? This is your first time out to the country and to a working cattle ranch!”

I’m not sure what type of sound Ellie just made but she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Holy shit I’m so excited I’m shaking!”

“Jesus Ellie….it’s just a bunch of cows for Pete’s sake. I’m more concerned with the fact that I’ve not had a cell signal for the last forty five minutes!” Ari said as she moved her cell phone all over the back of Gunner’s truck looking for a signal.

Jeff let out a laugh. “Yep you take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl. You won’t die if you can’t talk to your boyfriend for a few days squirt.”

“Fuck off dickwad.”

“Can you two please just knock it off for at least two days? I really want to enjoy this time we all have together before Gunner and Jefferson have to report back to football practice OKAY?! Will the two of you attempt to get along…….for me?”

Jeff just turned around and didn’t say a word; Ari told Ellie of course they would behave. Right…..I didn’t believe that load of shit any more than Ellie probably did.

We pulled up to the gate. It was a large black iron gate and above it read:

Mathews Cattle Co

I heard Ellie let out a gasp as I punched in the gate code and we made our way down the long country road that led to my dream. The driveway went on a good three miles before we got to the ranch house. One more turn and that big white house would be in front of us.

Fuck I loved that house. The house had four bedrooms with Gramps and Grams bedroom downstairs and the other three bedrooms all upstairs. Both the first and second story of the house had wraparound porches all the way around the house. Each room had access to the porch and on cool nights Grams would open all the windows and doors to cool the house off.

The porch swing facing out towards the west was my favorite part of the house. I remember all the nights I sat on that swing with Gramps while he told me what it took to be a cattle rancher. I smiled at the memory. I turned to look back at Ellie. She was staring at me with a goofy little smile. My heart started to beat faster as I gave her a wink. I was f**king nervous as hell.

There it was……. the ranch house…….and there was Gramps and Grams standing out front waiting for us. I thought I heard Ellie tell Ari she was nervous about meeting my grandparents. We pulled up and I threw the truck into park as I jumped out and made a beeline straight to Grams. She was holding a bouquet of daisies in her hand. I reached down and gently lifted her up and gave her a small hug as I kissed her on the cheek.

“Oh, you big ‘ole hulk now you put me back down Drew!”

“Yes ma’am, I missed you Grams, I missed you so much.” I slowly put Grams down as I turned to give Gramps a hand shake. He pulled my hand in and gave me a bear hug, just like always.

“How are you doing Drew? We missed you so much son. Son of bitch you keep getting bigger, good for ranch work.” Gramps said has he gave me a once over.

Jeff walked up next and leaned down and gave Grams a kiss and a hug and then shook Gramps hand. Ellie and Ari were right behind him. Jeff turned around and took Ari’s hand in his and brought her up to Grams and Gramps.

“Mr. and Mrs. Mathews this is Arianna Peterson, Ellie’s best friend.” Grams looked at Ari and smiled and then looked up at Jeff and raised her one eyebrow. She always knew when someone was hiding something.

“Humph, just Ellie’s best friend huh sweetheart?” Grams said as she looked back at Ari. She walked up to Ari and gave her a hug and whispered something in Ari’s ear that made Ari’s face instantly blush. Ari then let out a laugh as she looked back at Jeff. Nothing got by my grandmother.

“Arianna dear, you are such a pretty thing…...please call me Emma.”

“Thank you so much for having us; it is absolutely breathtaking out here! And please, call me Ari.”

Gramps walked over and gave Ari a small hug and welcomed her. Ari thanked him and told him about her own grandfather’s ranch where she spent almost every summer riding in the local rodeos barrel racing. Jeff looked shocked to say the least. Damn that girl never ceased to shock me one way or another.

Next thing I knew Gramps was looking straight at me. “Now where the hell is this girl who has stolen our Drew’s heart?” He had a huge smile on his face, the same smile he wore when ever Grams walked into a room.

It was time…..my hands started to sweat again and my knees felt like they were going to buckle any moment. I wiped my hand on my jeans and gently took Ellie’s hand in mine. I walked up to Gramps first since he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from her.

“Gramps, I would like to introduce you to Ellie Johnson, Jeff’s sister and well…um….the girl who has captured my heart and soul.” Ellie turned and looked at me. She slowly gave me that goddamn smile of hers that melts my heart every time. Her beautiful blue eyes looked even more beautiful out here under the vast Texas sky.

God I loved her.

Ellie walked up to Gramps as he bent down and wrapped her in his arms and lifted her up. Ellie started to laugh. “Well aren’t you the prettiest thing I have ever laid eyes on next to Emma here.”

Gramps set Ellie down and her cheeks were a beautiful rose color. She smiled up at him and I swear he swayed a little. I knew right then and there she had bewitched him just as much as she had me.

Ellie turned to face me and gave me a wink. “I see where you get it from now.”

I placed my hand on her lower back and brought her over to Grams. I thought I felt a shiver go through Ellie’s body. As we got closer to Grams I thought I saw tears in my grandmother’s eyes. What was that all about?

“Ellie this is the most important woman in my life, I adore her and I know you will also. Grams…….this is my Ellie.” I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I looked around to see if anyone else could hear it also.

Grams walked up to Ellie and handed her the daisies. Ellie’s smiled grew bigger and she told Grams that daisies where her favorite. Grams threw her head back and laughed and told her she had heard that from a little fairy. Grams placed both her hands on Ellie’s shoulders and looked her over. Her smile was all I needed to see to know she already loved Ellie. She brought Ellie in for hug and whispered something into Ellie’s ear as well. Ellie didn’t laugh like Ari did. She pulled back and looked at Grams shocked and then turned to look over at me.