I set my phone down on the coffee table and looked up to see Jeff standing there waiting for me. We were planning on going and picking up some stuff for Brad’s birthday party tonight, right before I got the call from Ellie.

“Holy shit, dude . . . You get a part-time job with fucking Hallmark that you didn’t tell me about? You almost had me in tears. I take it Ellie had a positive reaction, since it sounds like you’re heading over there now,” Jeff said as he walked up and slapped me on the back. “Just make her happy and treat her right, Gunner. That’s all I care about.”

“You got it, dude,” I said as I took his hand and slapped his arm. I was happy at this moment and I wouldn’t have cared who heard me talking to Ellie.

Jeff knew the hell I had been through in the last three weeks. The first week I wouldn’t even get up to go work out. The second week I worked out so much I almost injured myself, and this week all I was doing was getting drunk every night.

“You going over there right now?”

“We’re going over there right now. Ellie wants to see you, and they’re moving into the guest house at Ari’s parents’ place and need help moving some shit,” I said as I walked over to grab my keys and wallet.

“Well, why can’t Ari’s boyfriend Jason help them move?” Jeff said as he sat down on the sofa.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask Ari when she asked if we both could come over to help out.”

Jeff sat up straight. “Ari asked for me to come over, too?”

I nodded my head yes and Jeff jumped up and jogged back into his bedroom. Well, I guess that solves that. I saw Jeff walking back down the hall . . . What the fuck?

“Dude, did you change what you were wearing?” I asked as I looked up and down at the khaki shorts and the tight-ass red T-shirt he put on.

“What? I didn’t want to wear jeans if we’re going to be moving. Fuck, it’s hot outside already.”

I just nodded my head and headed out the door. The whole drive over to Ari’s house Jeff was quiet. I knew he was excited to see Ellie since he hadn’t seen her in about two weeks. And the way his knee was bouncing up and down—I would say he was excited to see Ari as well.

“Do you want to invite the girls over tonight for Brad’s party?” I asked Jeff as he looked out the window in silence.

“Um, I don’t care. I’m sure Ari will want to bring Jason. That guy was a fucking prick in high school who fucked every girl who let him. I can’t believe she would give it up to that fucker.”

Jeff had been kicking himself in the ass for the last month for pushing Ari into sleeping with another guy. I knew it was killing him inside. About a week ago we all went out and got trashed, when we got home Jeff and I sat in the backyard for a bit. He told me how fucked up he had been feeling since he found out Ari gave up her virginity to this Jason guy. He blamed himself for pushing her into it. He just kept saying it should have been special for her . . . I knew what he was talking about. I thought about Ellie all the time. I prayed to God I’m the one she is with for her first time. I’d do everything in my goddamn power to make sure it was special for her. Of course I couldn’t talk to Jeff about that, unless I wanted to get my ass kicked.

“Jeff, what’s done is done. You can’t take any of it back, dude. You haven’t seen this guy in how many years? He might be a nice guy who will treat her good,” I said as I saw Jeff look over at me.

“Yeah, well, I guess you’re right. I just hope she’s happy.”

Jeff looked back out the window, and I saw his body tense up as I pulled into Ari’s long-ass driveway. Damn, these people had a shitload of money. As we got closer to the house I saw Ari and Ellie outside putting stuff in their cars. My dick instantly jumped when I saw her.

Fuck . . . it had been too long since I laid my eyes on her beautiful face.

“Well, I guess I’m about to see if Ari still hates me,” Jeff said with a chuckle. I pulled up behind Ari’s Jeep and my eyes caught Ellie’s. My God, her smile just did me in every time.

Jeff hopped out of the truck first and then I got out, never taking my eyes away from hers. I thought for sure she would go up to Jeff first, but I was shocked when she started running over to me. I just stopped in my tracks. She ran and slammed into me so hard I almost lost my balance.

I just held her as tight as I could and breathed in her smell. God, I’d missed her so much.

“Ellie, I’ve missed you,” I whispered as I kissed the side of her head and held her even tighter and lifted her off the ground.

“Gunner! Thank you so much for coming over! I’ve missed you, too.” I gently set her back on the ground. When she looked up at me she had the sweetest smile on her face. I bent down and brushed her lips gently with mine. The fact that Jeff was standing here watching all of this left me a bit . . . uneasy. Ellie sucked in a breath as our lips touched. Holy hell, I wanted to just kiss the shit out of her right now. She must have been feeling the same way because she opened her eyes and looked up at me and started to laugh.

“What do you need help with sweetheart? The cavalry has arrived to help with whatever needs moving!” I said as I looked up at Jeff, who was now just looking over at Ari.

“Hey, Ari, how’s it going?” Jeff said as Ellie walked up and gave him a hug.

“It’s going good. I hear y’all are having a party for Brad tonight for his birthday,” Ari said back to Jeff. I could tell she was trying very hard to act like everything was back to normal.

“Um, yeah, did Amanda tell y’all?”

“Yep, she did. So are we invited to this little party? Ellie and I are going to need a break after moving today,” Ari said as she winked at Ellie. Ellie looked back up to me and smiled.

I got to hand it to Ari . . . she gave an Oscar-worthy performance.

“Yeah, sure, I mean, y’all are always invited to our parties. That’s an open invitation. Feel free to bring anyone with you if you want,” Jeff said as he walked over and started to pick up a box that was on the ground by Ari’s Jeep.

“Cool, but it will just be Ellie and me tonight. There’s more stuff in the house that is too heavy for me to carry if you don’t mind getting it,” Ari said as she moved toward the front door with Jeff following her on her heels.

I leaned down to Ellie and whispered, “Nice . . . is that her way of letting Jeff know Jason will not be joining us tonight?”

Ellie tried not to but she let out a laugh. “Yep. He’s gone for at least a month. Backpacking in Europe with his dad and brother. To be honest, Gunner, I don’t even think Ari likes him.”

“Well, she must like him some to have slept with him,” I said as I looked back up toward the house.

“Ahh, yeah, about that . . . Can you keep a secret?”

“Will I get to kiss you if I say yes?” I said as I wiggled my eyebrows up and down. Ellie instantly blushed. Shit . . . jumpage in my pants again. I had to move to try to adjust my growing problem.

“Yes . . . yes, you will!”

“Well, then I’m all ears. Spill it.”

Ellie looked back up at the house. The front door was open, and it looked like Mark was talking to Jeff and Ari.

“Ari never slept with Jason, she just said that to make Jefferson jealous.”

Whoa . . . wait . . .

“What!” I shouted a little too loud. Jeff poked his head out of the door.

“Is everything okay?” He looked between Ellie and me.

“Oh yeah, dude. Ellie just told me, um, a joke that I didn’t get.” Jeff gave me a strange look and then turned back to Mark and Ari.

I pulled Ellie to the other side of my truck.

“First things first . . .”

I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers. She reached up and put her arms around my neck, so I deepened the kiss. God, the moment I felt her tongue against mine my knees almost buckled out from underneath me. I let out a small moan that made Ellie smile. I pulled back away from her and gave her a smile in return.

“Goddamn, I’ve been dreaming of doing that again, sweetheart.”

Ellie giggled and looked back around to see where Jeff and Ari where.

Now back to this other bullshit.

“Okay, so you mean to tell me that Ari is still an um, you know, an, um—”

“Virgin? Yes, she is. She was upset the morning she called Jefferson. She was in hysterics when she told me what she did and was so upset for trying to hurt Jefferson. I tried to tell her she needed to tell him the truth, but in her mind she thinks this will help them both to move on. I, of course, think she is making a huge mistake, but it’s not my place to get involved. Please don’t tell Jefferson, Gunner.”

“Of course, I won’t say anything, but shit, why can’t they see how they both feel? I want to just knock their heads together!”

“What the hell are you two doing over there? This is a family home, for Christ’s sake!” I heard Ari shout. I looked down at Ellie, and right on cue, she blushed.

“Come on, let’s get you moved into your new digs!”

The whole time we helped them move the little amount of stuff they had, I kept thinking about what Ellie had told me about Ari. Watching Jeff and Ari together they seemed to be loosening up again and becoming more relaxed around each other. Jeff even asked Ari to stop talking when she was rattling on about something and she replied with a “fuck off, dickwad.” Yep, I would say things were getting back to normal.

Once we got everything into the guesthouse and Jeff set up their new flat-screen TV for them, it was lunchtime.

“Well, shit, I know where we’re coming to watch football. This fucker is huge!” Jeff said as he sat back on the sofa.

“So where do y’all want to go for lunch?” Ari asked as she sat on the sofa next to Jeff.

“How about burgers? Mighty Fine sound good?” Jeff asked as he looked around to each of us.

“That sounds mighty fine to me!” Ari said as she jumped up and grabbed her keys. “I’m driving. The weather is too nice not to take the Jeep.”

As we started to walk out to Ari’s Jeep, Ellie held me back. Just by me holding her hand, it made my stomach do all sorts of flips and dives. Jeff and Ari had walked out the door and were heading to the Jeep.

“What’s up, sweetheart, everything okay?”

“No, no it’s not okay,” she said with a serious look on her face. Oh, shit. I started to replay the whole morning in my head. Did I say something? What the fuck did I do?

“What is it, Ells? What’s wrong?” I asked her as my heart started to beat out of control. Things were just getting back to normal. No, they were better than normal. We were finally past the whole “just friends” thing.

“It’s just that I really need you to kiss me, like, right now,” she said with a smile that melted my heart right there on the spot.

Well, shit, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better.

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to kiss you, Ellie,” I said as I reached down and hugged her around her waist. She giggled when I lifted her up and took her lips with mine. Fuck, if my dick was not getting hard again. I just wanted to walk over to the sofa with her and make out. Touch her body and make her feel things she had never felt before.

Just as the kiss was moving from sweet and innocent to passionate and needy, Ari honked the horn. Ellie started laughing and even though I just wanted to shout FUCK, I started to put Ellie back down. She had a huge smile on her face that only made me smile right back at her.

“Was that what you were looking for?” I asked as I gave her a wink.

She smiled and punched me in the arm. “Yes! But more than anything, I love the way you pick me up and hold me close to you.” Right on cue, the blush crept up her cheeks. I’d never get tired of seeing that color on her face.

“That is just one of the many things I love to do to you.”

Ari honked again but this time she laid on the horn for a good five seconds. Ellie and I both laughed and started to walk out the door.

“She is probably pissed she’s sitting in the Jeep alone with Jefferson,” Ellie said.

After lunch, we picked up a few items for Brad’s birthday party before heading back to the girls’ cottage. Ari had sent a text message to their friend Heather and asked if she wanted to come tonight since Amanda would also be there with Brad.

“You better warn your friend Heather that Josh had his eyes on her,” Jeff said with a wink toward Ari and Ellie.

“Shit! All the bastard talked about every time I danced with him was Heather. Fucker had a hard-on all night, and it was not from dancing with me,” Ari said as she pulled the last bag for the party out of her Jeep and walked it over to my truck.

Somehow nothing that came out of this girl’s mouth shocked me. Ari was actually a perfect match for Jeff. If only they could both see it.

“Okay, well, um, I guess we will see y’all later tonight, right?” Jeff said as he looked between Ellie and Ari. His eyes lingered a little bit longer on Ari though . . . Did Ari just blush?

“Yep. We have to pick up Heather on the way there, but we’ll be there around what, seven?” Ellie said as she just stared at me and smiled. I couldn’t even think with her looking at me like that.

“Yeah, seven is good, honey,” Jeff said as he walked up and gave Ellie a kiss on the check. He turned and starting to walk toward Ari, who was leaning up against her Jeep. I saw her whole body tense up.

“I’ll see ya later then,” Jeff said as he reached around her and into the Jeep for his tea.

Shit, for a moment there I thought he was going to lean down and kiss her. Seeing how Ari’s body reacted, it was clear she thought the same thing. He grabbed his tea, took a drink, and winked at her. Once he turned around, I could see Ari let out the breath she was holding.

I walked over to Ellie and put my mouth up against her ear. “I can’t wait to see you later, sweetheart. Thank you for such a wonderful day.” I kissed the side of her face before I turned and walked over to my truck.

I jumped into the truck and looked up to see her smiling at me. I had to fight the urge to jump back out and kiss her again. I waved goodbye as I pulled out of the guesthouse’s small driveway and turned onto the main drive leading off the property. I looked over at Jeff, who had a shit-eating grin on his face.

“You want to tell me what that was all about?” I asked as Jeff turned to look at me.

“I think we should invite Ellie and Ari to go to the ranch with us. Your grandmother and grandfather would love to meet Ellie,” Jeff said as he started to go through my iPod.

“Funny you should mention that, ’cause I was thinking about it earlier this morning when we were helping them move. You think they would both want to come?”

“I know Ellie is dying to get out into the country air. She has talked about moving to the country since she was a little girl, so I know she’ll be excited to go.”

“What about Ari?”

Jeff let out a laugh and then looked over at me. “Ari, yeah, she’ll go if Ellie asks her to go. I’m not sure how that princess will do out in the country, but I sure as shit would love to find out!”

“Well, damn, that’s going to make for an interesting trip out to the ranch, that’s for sure. Let’s just get you two through the party tonight, shall we? By the way, back to that move you put on her—reaching in to get your tea. I hope you noticed her reaction,” I said as I looked over at Jeff.

“You liked that, huh? I sure as shit noticed it, and believe me, I intend on using that to my advantage.”

I just shook my head.

“I have no doubt about that, dude.”