“Come on, dude. We never fucking see you anymore, Gunner, except at football practice and games. Let’s just go get one beer, just one fucking beer,” Josh said as he followed me out to my truck.

Football season started two months ago, and between school, practice, games, and everything else, I had hardly spent any time with Ellie. I could tell it was starting to get to her. Especially the away games, and at the home games she always seemed nervous. Jeff said she was probably just worried about me getting hurt. I didn’t think that was it.

When we did spend time together, it was fucking magnificent. I loved being able to make her fall apart with my touch. Although, it was getting harder and harder for me to keep control, and I found myself dreaming about her and waking up jacking myself off in my sleep.

I ran my hand through my hair and tried to tune Josh out.

I thought about last Sunday when I took Ellie out for her birthday. It was just the two of us. We went to Judges’ Hill Restaurant and Bar downtown, and it was a perfect evening. I had to smile when I remembered how excited she got when I gave her the present I bought for her. It was a white gold bracelet with a single charm of two hearts on it. She felt her daisy necklace while I put the bracelet on her left wrist. God, I loved her.

I threw my bags in the back seat and turned to get into the truck.

“Gunner, just one fucking beer, dude, that’s all I’m asking. Spend some time with the team, dude.”

I let out a sigh. “Is Jeff going?”

“I’m sure he is. What the fuck happened to him this summer? He sure has been drinking a lot and going out to Rebels almost every night. Coach finds out and his ass is grass, Gunner. Plus, that fucker has banged more girls the last two months then I have this whole goddamn year. You need to sit down and have a come-to-Jesus moment with him, Gun.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve tried talking to him. He won’t listen to me or Ellie.”

“Is this over Ellie’s friend Ari?”

“Yep, and tonight her douchebag boyfriend is throwing her a birthday party that I’m required to be at, so I’ll only be having one beer.”

Josh slapped me on the back and smiled. “Hell to the yes, my brother, make sure you tell Ellie I said hey!”

“Where we meeting?”

“Fado’s, dude. Thirty minutes.”

I jumped in my truck and called Jeff.

“What’s up, dude?”

“Hey, you going to Fado’s to meet some of the guys for a beer?” I asked as I heard some hoe in the background trying to get Jeff’s attention.

“Fuck yeah, I’m going. Pick me up?”

“Ah, yeah, but right after I need to go straight over to Ellie’s place. It’s Ari’s birthday and they’re having a party for her.”

Jeff didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“Fine by me. I haven’t seen my baby sister in a while.”

“Where are you?”

“Sitting in the parking lot of the stadium still. Where the fuck are you?”

“Same fucking place, dick. Where are you parked, ’cause I only see a few of the guys’ cars and not your truck.”

I heard the girl start laughing, and I thought I heard that motherfucker moan.

“Yeah, around the back . . . give me two minutes.”

Motherfucker, this had to stop.

I called Ellie while I waited for the bastard to get his fucking blow job.

“Hey!”

“Hey back, sweetheart. How was your day?”

“Long and tiring and Jason is driving me fucking nuts with this party! He is freaking out about every detail. I want to punch him in the throat and give him a good kick in the balls and watch his face while he lies there in pain.”

I had to laugh. God, how I loved this girl.

“Listen, Ells, Josh is giving me hell about not spending any time with the team. Do you mind if I go to Fado’s for a quick beer and then I’ll head over to your place? I’m picking up Jeff, and he wants to come along to see you.”

“Of course I don’t mind, Gunner. Just please make sure Jeff has not been drinking too much. It’s Ari’s birthday, and I don’t think he has seen her since September.”

“I will make sure, baby, and no . . . he sees her at every home game sitting next to you. I watch him look for her.”

Ellie let out a sigh. “My heart aches for him, Gunner. Will you please try to talk to him again?”

I didn’t want to tell her I was waiting that very moment for the bastard to get done getting blown and that I thought he was a lost cause, so I agreed to talk to him again.

“Thank you, Gunner. I love you and please be careful driving.”

“I love you, too, and always, baby.”

I looked at the clock. I just gave him more than two minutes, so the fucker better have the bitch gone. I pulled around the stadium and saw him leaning against his truck as some girl was pressed all up against him. I just shook my head. He was going to end up fucking up and getting someone pregnant if he didn’t stop this bullshit.

I pulled up and honked the horn. He waved goodbye, jogged over to the truck, and jumped in.

“Thanks for the extra few minutes,” he said as he gave me a wink.

“Jeff, this is getting out of hand. I mean, come on, dude, did you know her name?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Did you even know that girl’s name?”

“Of course I did. She’s a bartender at Rebels, and her name is Stacey. There, are you happy, fuckwad?”

I shook my head as we made our way downtown to Fado’s. I had my one drink, and surprisingly enough, Jeff only ordered a Coke. We talked for a few more minutes with some of the guys, and then Jeff and I took off for Ari’s birthday party.

By the time we got to the party and pulled down their driveway, there were already about fifteen cars parked all around.

“Motherfucker. What the fuck is Jon Baker doing here?”

Jeff looked around until he saw him leaning against a BMW talking to some bleached blonde.

“Hell if I know. Ari wouldn’t have invited him, so that means that douchebag Jason must know him.”

I parked my truck around the side of the cottage. By the time we got around to the front door, Jon and the blonde must have already gone inside. I opened the door and was not surprised to see him standing there talking to Ellie. Fucking dick.

“Gun, just take it easy. He’s only talking to her.”

“Yeah, and that’s all he’s ever going to do with her.”

I started making my way over to Ellie. She smiled that big beautiful smile she saves only for me. She stepped away from Jon and started to walk toward me. I picked her up and kissed the fuck out of her.

“Wow! Was that because Jon was talking to me, or are you just that happy to see me?”

Shit, I loved this girl. I laughed as I quickly kissed her again. “Both!”

“I’ll take both then, anytime!” I slid Ellie down against me and made sure she felt my already hard dick. Just looking at her turned me on. She gave me a wink and smiled. I needed to let her know how much I always wanted her.

“Hey, Sis . . .” Jeff said as he leaned down to give Ellie a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug.

“Thanks for coming, Jeff. I’m sure Ari will be happy to see you.”

Jeff just shrugged as he scanned the room. His head stopped, and his eyes lit up for the first time in two months. I looked over to where he was looking, and there was Ari. She was laughing at something Amanda and Heather were saying, and she had not noticed Jeff yet. Just then she looked over, and I could tell she sucked in her breath at the sight of Jeff standing in her living room. I looked down at Ellie and noticed she was holding her breath. When I looked back at Ari, she smiled at Jeff. I swear it was the first time I’d seen that smile of hers since the day she was riding horses at the ranch. I turned to look at Jeff, and he was smiling back at her. He then nodded and waved. She waved back, and her face turned as red as a rose.

Huh . . . interesting. Ellie leaned up and asked if I wanted a beer, and I shook my head no. I mouthed water to her. She smiled and turned to walk into the kitchen. I looked up just in time to see Jon watching Ellie walk away. I think I was going to have to beat his ass, and soon.

Then I heard Ari.

“Hey, Gunner. Hi, Jeff. Um, long time no see. How’ve you been?”

Jeff cleared his throat after his first attempt to talk to her failed.

“Um, I’ve been good. Busy with football and senior year and all. How about you? You look beautiful, and um, happy birthday, Squirt!”

Ari blushed again. I looked over her shoulder and saw douchebag Jason watching her every move. Fuck, I couldn’t stand that guy. Something about him made me uneasy.

“Thank you for both the compliment and the birthday wishes. I’ve been okay . . . busy. I miss hanging out with y’all. I’m thinking of going to the ranch with Ellie for Thanksgiving weekend since my parents are going on a cruise. Are you, um, you planning on being there?”

Jeff must have felt the daggers being thrown his way by Jason, because he looked up and smiled at the prick before looking back down to Ari.

“Yeah, I’m planning on heading there with Gunner.”

Ari smiled a big satisfying smile. “Cool! Maybe we can have a rematch of that horse race you clearly cheated at,” Ari said with a wink.

Jeff let out a laugh.

“You bet, Ari, a rematch sounds great,” Jeff said as they both stood there and stared at each other.

Douchebag Jason hit a spoon on the side of a wine glass. What a fuckhead. Ellie walked back up, and Ari gave Ellie a questioning look. Ellie shrugged her shoulders.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please? Quiet down, please. Arianna, baby, please come stand next to me.”

Ellie leaned up and whispered to me, “What the hell is this all about? He never calls her ‘baby’!” Jeff must have heard Ellie, because he snapped his head back over to where Ari was now standing next to Jason.

Jason turned Ari around so she was facing directly in front of us. Next thing I knew, he stepped in front of her and got down on one knee.

“Oh, shit!” Ellie and I both said at the same time.

“Arianna, my sweet Arianna. These last few months have been nothing but magical for me.”

Ari was looking down at this jackass with a shocked look on her face. I wondered if she was more shocked that he was about to ask her to marry him or that he just described their last few months together as being “magical.” Douchebag. All they ever did was fight!

“It would be my greatest honor if you were to take this ring and say you will marry me.”

Ari looked up and looked directly at Jeff. She almost had a pleading look in her eyes. Jeff stood there staring back at her.

“Jeff! Do something, say something, for Christ’s sake!” Ellie whispered.

“Arianna, I know this might seem sudden, but, baby, will you be my wife?” Douchebag had to ask her again because she was still staring at Jeff. Oh, this was going to be good.

Ari looked down at Jason and then back up at Jeff again.

“I need some fresh air,” Jeff said as he walked toward the front door.

“Shit!” Ellie and I both said again at the same time. I started to go after him as Ellie pushed me from behind trying to get me to walk faster. I looked over at Ari, who now had her eyes closed with a single tear rolling down her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked down at Jason, but I never got to hear what she said because Ellie was pushing me out the goddamn front door.

Jeff was throwing up by the BMW that Jon had been leaning against earlier. Damn, I sure hoped that was that asshole’s car.

“Oh my God, Jefferson! Are you okay?” Ellie said as she ran over to him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, you motherfucking idiot! You just let the best fucking thing that will ever happen to you go. You walked away from her, you goddamn stupid motherfucker,” I said as Jeff kept throwing up.

“Gunner! Stop!” Ellie shouted at me.

“Why, Ellie? Because he just let the only girl he has ever loved end up with some fucking dickhead who is going to end up cheating on her with some country-club plastic Barbie? You fucked up again, Jeff!”

Jeff was still throwing up, and Ellie was just standing there rubbing her hand on his back.

“Shut the fuck up, Gunner!” Jeff yelled between heaves. “You don’t think I know what the fuck just happened. You don’t think I lay in bed every fucking night and pray to God that Ari was mine and that I could turn back the clock and do it the right way? I’m getting what I fucking deserve. I don’t deserve her, I never have!”

“Jefferson, that’s not true. Ari loves you.”

Jeff was still leaning with his hands on his knees looking at the ground. He let his head drop even more.

“You mean she used to love me, Ellie. She’s marrying another man.” He threw up again.

Then he stood up and looked up as he threw his head back and yelled out, “Fucking son of a bitch! I fucking walked away from the only goddamn person I ever loved.”

He started to cry as Ellie took him in her arms. I heard a sharp intake of air and turned around to see Ari standing right behind me.

How much of that did she hear?

She looked at me as she started to back up, then she turned and went into the house. What a fucking mess.

“Gunner, I think you should take Jefferson home,” Ellie said as Jeff stood up and tried to calm down.

Fuck. I started to panic, because if I left to take Jeff home, that meant Ellie would be left here with Jon.

“Ells, please will you come with us?” Jeff asked as he started to walk toward the side of the house.

“Of course, Jefferson. Um, let me go grab my purse.” She walked by me and reached up to give me a kiss.

“We’ll be around the side of the house by your bedroom window,” I said as she gave me a sad smile.

I walked back to my truck and got in. Jeff was in the back seat already.

“You owe me, and don’t ever call me all those mean names again, you fucking bastard,” Jeff said as he took a drink of water that was in the back seat.

“First off, that water has been back there forever, and I have no clue who even drank from it last. And second, what the fuck do I owe you for?”

“For asking Ellie to come along. You didn’t really want her to stay here with Jonathon Barker hot on her tail, did you?”

I stared at Jeff in shock. “You really are a smart motherfucker, aren’t you? I just hope that was the prick’s car you were puking on.”

We both laughed, and when Ellie got in the truck, she asked what we were laughing at.

“Nothing, sweetheart. Just wondering who that BMW belongs to. They’re going to be in for a rude awaking when they step in Jeff’s puke.”