Christ almighty, driving for three hours and listening to Ari go on and on was enough to drive me fucking 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. His stupid ass 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. 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 fucked up.

I looked back at Ellie and she looked like she was about to come out of her seat. Jeff took his headphones 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!”

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?” Ellie pleaded. “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 that 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 large, black iron gate with Mathews Cattle Co above it.

I heard Ellie 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’s bedroom downstairs, and the other three bedrooms all upstairs. Both the first and second stories of the house had wraparound porches. 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 toward 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 fucking 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 ol’ 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 handshake. 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 as 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’s 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, gave her a hug, and whispered something in her 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’s 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 whenever 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’d 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’ve 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, too. 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 smile grew bigger and she told Grams that daisies were 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.

“Trust me, Ellie, darlin’, trust me,” Grams said with a wink. Ellie smiled as Grams linked both Ari and Ellie’s arms into hers and walked them into the house. Both girls started laughing at something Grams said to them. Ellie turned back around and gave me a smile. I returned her smile along with a wink as she turned her attention back to what Grams was saying.

Watching her walk into the house for the first time with Grams almost made my heart burst into two. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her retreating figure. Just as the door shut, Gramps slapped Jeff and I both on the backs.

“Well, I’ll be goddamned! Holy shit, boys, how the hell did you two luck out with those beauties?” Gramps said with a loud laugh. “You lucky sons of bitches. Now, let’s head down to the barn and find Drake; I think I need a beer or ten. I’ll get Dewey to bring the girls’ suitcases up to their room.”

Jeff and I both looked at each other and smiled. We walked with Gramps to the barn while he got us caught up on all the work he had in store for us while we were there. Jeff leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“I don’t care how many goddamn fences need mending . . . I just want to see Ari in a bikini.”

I let out a laugh and shook my head. No way was I going to admit I wanted to see his sister in one, too.

Jeff gave me a wink and slapped my back. Bastard already knew I was thinking it, though.

“Let’s go, boys. We have some catching up to do.”