“Good morning sweetheart! I slept like shit without you here. How did you sleep?”

I let out a laugh. “I slept okay but just sleeping with you for a few nights has spoiled me. I miss waking up to your smile.”

“Jesus, same here Ells, you are all I think about when I go to sleep and all I think about when I wake up.” Gunner said with such tenderness in his voice.

There was not a day that did not go by that he did not make me feel cherished. I really was waiting for the floor to fall out. Things like this just didn’t happen to me.

“Are you getting excited?”

“YES! I am packed and ready to go! I absolutely cannot wait to get going. How long will it take us to drive there?” I asked as I saw Ari walk by the bedroom with her cup of coffee in hand.

“Depends on how many stops y’all want to make but it normally is about two hours and forty five minutes.”

“I’m really nervous about meeting your grandparents. What if they don’t like me? Or disapprove of you bringing girls out there! Oh my gosh that never even crossed my mind Gunner.” I said as panic started to build up inside of me.

Gunner let out a laugh. I could picture him sitting on the sofa right now and that beautiful crooked smile and him throwing his head back as he laughed. Hmmmm…..I wish I was there right now.

“Ellie, I asked them before I even asked you if it would be alright to invite you and Ari out. My grandparents have a huge ranch house with four bedrooms. Jeff and I will be in one and you and Ari will be in the other. Don’t worry. My grandmother is dying to meet you sweetheart, so please do not worry.”

I let out the breath I had been holding in. I wonder what his grandparents were like. I didn’t even know it they were his dad’s parents or his mothers. That was something I needed to know before I meet them.

“So are these your dad’s parents or your mom’s?’ I asked Gunner as I saw Ari walk back by my door. She was talking on the phone to someone and did not look happy at all.

“I never told you? I’m sorry Ellie. They’re my father’s parents. I spent pretty much every summer growing up at their ranch. I love that place. My father has a brother who has three daughters who use to join me every summer and boy did we all raise hell together. They were pretty much tomboys growing up with me every summer. Man how we all use to love swimming in the Llano River, watching my grams make her famous apple pies and tend to her flower and vegetable garden. My gramps taught me everything about cattle.”

“Do they have help on the ranch? I mean they must need help, I can only imagine how much work that must be. Is your father or uncle going to take over the ranch someday?”

Gunner let out a laugh. “Yeah they have help. Drake is the foreman and has been since I can remember. His two sons, Aaron and Dewey, are the ranch hands. They’re a good bunch of guys and would do anything for my grandparents. Drake doesn’t get along with my father or my Uncle Jim. Jim’s oldest daughter Shannon is actually getting married in the fall here in Austin.”

“Why does Drake and your father and uncle not get along?”

“Not sure but I think it has to do with the fact that they both left right after high school and never looked back. They made it pretty clear that neither one of them wanted the ranch nor anything to do with the ranch. Drake and my father use to be best friends. My dad joined the Army right after high school left everything behind, including his best friend.”

I just sat there. This was the most Gunner had talked about his father since I met him.

“So, Jeff and I are going to be heading out in a few minutes. Make sure you pack a few pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt and boots okay?” Gunner said as I heard Jeff talking to him in the background. He was saying something about Ari not bringing her whole bathroom.

“Should I pack the new bikini I bought from Victoria’s Secret yesterday?” I said very timidly.

“Fuck yes you should pack that or not…we could always go skinny dippin’!” Gunner said with a wicked laugh.

“You wish! See you in a little bit. Be careful driving over here.”

“Always sweetheart, talk to you soon.”

I walked out into the kitchen and Ari was still on the phone. I quickly figured out she was talking to Jason. The look on her face was priceless.

“I’m not sure I am going to have a cell signal since we will be so far out in bum fuck Egypt. Jason really, I’m a big girl I think I’ll be fine……it’s just going to be Ellie and Gunner and me……..I’m not one hundred percent sure if Jeff is going……..his grandparents ranch……..yep just for a like four or five days I think…….he is helping his grandfather fix a few things around their ranch……..okay well have fun hiking………Yep you to……bye…….”

I looked over at Ellie as I poured a cup of coffee. I raised my eyebrows and turned my head down to give her a total mom look.

“Funny…sounded like you were having to explain a lot there.”

“Fuck Jason….he thinks he can tell me where and what and WHO I can hang out with. No…sorry dude that position is reserved for my dad only and even he stepped down years ago. The fact that he is even upset about Jeff being there just pisses me off!”

I started to laugh, god I loved Ari. Her mother had us watching more Katharine Hepburn movies the other night and filling our heads with her girl power lectures. I see why Ari is so strong headed.

“Why would he be upset if he knew Jefferson was going to be there?” I asked because I was more curious than anything. How could Jason even know anything about Jefferson and Ari.

Ari stopped and looked at me confused. “You know, I’m not sure why he even asked about Jeff. That is kind of weird isn’t it?” Ari said as she sat down and ate a banana.

“Maybe he knows Gunner and Jeff are roommates, have you ever talked about them?” I asked as Ari looked at a text message she just got.

Ari thought about it for a moment. “I must have….how else would he even know? I mean I’ve brought up Gunner only because of you but I honestly don’t remember ever talking about Jeff. Oh well, it doesn’t matter….I’m not one hundred percent sure Jeff is going until I see his handsome face sitting in the truck!” Ari said with a wink as she got up and walked towards her bedroom.

“I’m going to get dressed. Jeff just sent a text saying they were on their way.” Right then my phone buzzed with a text message from Gunner.

My darling Ellie….we’re on our way. I can’t wait to see you ;-)

I let out a small EEEPPP and ran to the bedroom to grab my suitcase. I brought it back out to the living room and Ari was walking out with her suitcase. She was wearing short….SHORT blue jean shorts with a sleeveless black top. She had on flip flops and was putting her hair in a pony tail.

“THERE! Do I look country enough? I mean I know Jeff is expecting me to be all dolled up and probably wanting to bring four suitcases with me so I am keeping it to a bare minimum.”

I looked at her giant suitcase and then back at her. She had very little makeup on and had taken all of nail polish off as well.

“Well, I know how hard it was for you to take a smaller suitcase Ari….are you sure you got everything?” I said with sarcasm dripping from my mouth.

“Oh holy shit you don’t know how hard it was for me to pack so light. I had to really think about my outfits and what situation I might come up in on a ranch. It was plain torture. Fuck…it better be fun!”

I let out a laugh. I could not believe she was fucking serious! Ari looked at me with a confused look on her face.

“What the hell is so funny?” She said has she put her hands on her hips and stared at me.

“YOU! That is a HUGE suitcase and what is with taking off all your nail polish? I’m pretty sure girls who live in the country wear nail polish. Did you pack jeans? Gunner told me to bring plenty of jeans.”

“Of course I packed jeans what the hell Ellie….I’ve been to the country before!”

Just then I heard Gunner’s truck driving and music blaring from it. Christ if he played Truck Yeah I would kill him. We walked over to the bay window and watched them parked. They both got out of the truck at the same time and they were both laughing at something. My stomach took a dive and my heart starting beating like crazy.

“Holy fuck….” Ari and I both said at the same time. We looked at each other and started laughing.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph no guy should look that fucking hot in a pair of fucking Wranglers and cowboy boots. I think I’m going to have an orgasm just looking at his ass in those things!”

“Shit Ari come on! That’s my brother….eewwwwAAAA!” I said as I hit her in the shoulder.

“Fuck me Ellie do you not see Gunner? Holy shit…..that fucker is hot!”

I smiled as I watched them walk up to the house. Gunner looked hotter than hot. I had to push my legs together to ease the ache that was present….again….from just looking at him. He had on a pair of Wrangler jeans and a white t-shirt. A tight white t-shirt just like the one he was wearing the first day I met him. I could see his tattoo through the white t-shirt and part of it was sticking out from his sleeve. I had yet to see him with his shirt off and I was dying to! I wanted to trace his tribal tattoo with my finger and then my tongue.

ARGH! Ellie stop thinking like that. Oh my god what was wrong with me. I had to shake my head to clear my thoughts.

“Hmmmm YUM….I see Gunner’s tattoo…..sure as shit wish Jeff had on a white t-shirt stupid fucker! I hardly got to look at his tattoos the other morning.” Ari said as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down!

“Shut up you bitch! Come on let’s get going before they see us both drooling all over them!”

Jeff knocked on the front door but then opened it and walked in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ari.

“You’re wearing that?” Jeff asked Ari as he looked her up and down and ran his hand through his hair.

Ari shrugged her shoulders and looked at what she was wearing.

“Yeah, why, what’s wrong with what I have on dickwad?

Gunner walked up to me and leaned down and wrapped his arms around me as he lifted me up to give me a kiss.

“You look beautiful Ells. Did you pack enough pairs of jeans sweetheart?” He said as he slowly lowered me to the ground. I loved nothing more than when he did that. To be so close to his body was amazing. I wonder what having sex would be like with him?

Wait….What??? Holy fuck where did that come from?

“Nothing is wrong if you’re going to the beach or I guess the mall or something. For Christ sakes Ari we are going out to a fucking cattle ranch. If you bend over a little I can probably see your ass those shorts are so fucking short.”

Ari looked at Jeff and gave him that signature smile of hers. “Well it’s a damn good thing this ass does not belong to you now isn’t it. You don’t have to worry about it!” Ari smacked her ass with her hand and gave Jefferson a wink.