Today was the day! I jumped up out of bed and made a beeline to my bathroom. It was working out perfectly, living in the guesthouse on Ari’s parents’ property. We both had our own bedroom and our own bathroom, and best of all, we didn’t have to pay rent to live there.

I had spent the night before last over at Gunner’s again. That made three nights I’d spent over there. I doubt Jefferson was too happy about it, but I assured him nothing was going on. Ari finally got over the whole thing with waking up with Jefferson. She did tell me how for one brief moment she was thrilled to feel his hard-on pressed into her and I had to stop her from speaking any further. Last thing I wanted to hear about was my brother’s hard-on. Ewww!

I heard Ari grinding coffee beans and hurried up getting dressed. I put on a pair of shorts and a UT football T-shirt. Flip flops were going to be my choice for the ride out to the ranch. I was so incredibly nervous about meeting Gunner’s grandparents. I noticed he hardly ever talked about his parents. He would mention his mom every now and then, but never talked about his father.

Just then my phone rang. I ran over and picked it up off the nightstand. Right on time!

“Good morning, Drew! How did you sleep?” I had gotten into the habit of calling Gunner by his real name first thing every morning.

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

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

“Jesus, same here, Ells. You’re 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’m 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 with his beautiful crooked smile, throwing his head back as he laughed. Hmm, I wished I was there.

“Ellie, I asked them before I even asked you if it would be all right 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. My grandmother is dying to meet you, sweetheart, so please don’t worry.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding in. I wonder what his grandparents were like. I didn’t even know if they were his dad’s parents or his mother’s. That was something I needed to know before I met 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. Growing up, I spent pretty much every summer at their ranch. I love that place. My father has a brother who has three daughters—my cousins. They used to join me every summer, and boy did we all raise hell together. They were pretty much tomboys. Man, how we all used to love swimming in the Llano River, watching my Grams make her famous apple pies and tend to her flower and vegetable gardens. 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 do 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 used to be best friends. My dad joined the army right after high school and 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’m 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 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 too. Bye.”

I looked over at Ari as I poured a cup of coffee. I raised my eyebrows and turned my head 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-willed.

“Why would he be upset if he knew Jefferson was going to be there?” I asked. 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 toward 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 eeeepp and ran to the bedroom to grab my suitcase. I brought it back out to the living room as Ari was walking out with her suitcase. She was wearing short, very short, blue jean shorts with a sleeveless black top. She had on flip-flops and was putting her hair in a ponytail.

“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’m keeping it to a bare minimum.”

I looked at her giant suitcase and then back at her. She had on very little makeup and had taken off all her nail polish 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 situations might come up on a ranch. It was plain torture. Fuck, it better be fun!”

I let out a laugh. I couldn’t believe she was serious! Ari looked at me with a confused look on her face.

“What the hell is so funny?” She asked as 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 drive up, music blaring. Christ, if he played “Truck Yeah,” I would kill him. We walked over to the bay window and watched them park. They both got out of the truck at the same time and they were both laughing about 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 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 . . . eeeww!” 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 T-shirt and part of it was sticking out from his sleeve. I wanted to trace his tribal tattoo with my finger and then with 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.

“Hmm, 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, 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 wondered what having sex with him would be like.

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’s sake, Ari, we are going out to a fucking cattle ranch. If you bend over a little, I could probably see your ass those shorts are so short.”

Ari looked at Jeff and gave him that signature smile of hers. “Well, it’s a damn good thing this ass doesn’t 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.

“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, “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 were 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 entertained 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’s 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. Jeez, 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 shoved my iPod and my headphones into it as quickly 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 fucking kill you!”

I started to giggle when I saw Jefferson jump into 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, 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 his future ex-wife.”

I started to laugh and hit his back. “Put me down, and no! I’ll sit with Ari in the back seat. I think if Jefferson and Ari had to sit near each other for 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.

Ohh, I secretly wished he called me baby all the time. I wasn’t sure why I liked it so much. I mean, the way it came out of his mouth it just sounded so . . .

“Fuck, it’s 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 used 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.

“All right! 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.