Emma, Ari, and I spent most of the afternoon cleaning up and packing up food from our Thanksgiving Day feast. The guys all went out to the porch, and I heard Garrett saying something about a Jess person bringing in a new horse. Ari’s eyes lit up at that. Anything to do with horses, she was on board.

“Girls, why don’t y’all head on down to the main stable and check out the new filly that just came in?”

“How old is she, Emma?” Ari asked as she took off the apron she had tied around her. She had been smiling from head to toe ever since she and Jefferson came back from their ride yesterday. I guess they worked things out, because he couldn’t keep his hands off her and she was the same way. Emma had to tell them to mind their manners at least five times during dinner.

“She’s three and she’s a beauty. Jefferson actually bought her for his new place.” Ari and I both snapped our heads around and looked at Emma. She realized her mistake the moment it came out of her mouth.

“Wait, what new place, Emma? Why is Jefferson buying a horse?” I asked Emma.

“You mean he hasn’t told you yet?” Ari asked in a stunned voice.

“No, I have no idea what either one of you is talking about!”

Emma shook her head and looked back to the sink where she was putting away the last of the dishes. “It ain’t my place to tell you Jefferson’s news, Ellie.”

Ari started to laugh. “Well, it sure as shit is mine now! Jeff is buying two hundred and fifty acres of land that butts up against the north side of the Mathews ranch.”

What? Why would he not tell me this, and more importantly, how?

“How in the hell—oh, sorry, Emma—how in the heck can he afford to buy a two-hundred-fifty-acre piece of land?”

Ari shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. I knew Jeff worked during the year after football season, but that was only during the spring semester. Then I remembered my car. How did he afford to buy my car . . . with cash? Now he’s buying horses? Something did not add up. No intern at an architectural firm could make that much money. I know he said he had money left over from our grandmother, and he was a good saver, but come on. I was getting to the bottom of this right away.

I spun on my heels and made a beeline for the stables. Ari was right behind me. I didn’t talk the whole way there; I had too many things running through my mind. Oh my gosh, what if he was selling drugs!

“Stop thinking so much, Ellie! Christ! I can hear your damn brain working in overtime now. Just give Jeff a chance to tell you. Don’t go running in and start accusing him of selling drugs or something.”

Shit, how did she know that’s what I’d been thinking? Did I say it out loud by mistake? We turned the corner and I saw Drake, Aaron, Jefferson, Gunner, and . . . a girl?

She was probably my height and weight, but she was dressed in super tight-ass Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, and a tight navy blue T-shirt. What the fuck?

Gunner and Aaron were both talking to her, and she threw her head back to laugh at something Gunner had said. I immediately didn’t like her. I didn’t know who she was, but I knew I didn’t like her one bit.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who the fuck is the tramp dressed as a cowgirl?” Ari said as she looked her up and down. Jefferson’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw Ari. He looked over at me and smiled as he walked up to me.

“Ells, I wanted to wait until it was all final, but it looks like this week it will be, so . . . Um, yeah, I bought some land out here. It butts up against the north pasture of the Mathews ranch. It’s about two hundred and fifty acres.” He then looked over to Ari and smiled even bigger. “I bought it hoping to turn it into a horse ranch, and I bought my first filly today. She’s yours, baby. Whatever you want to name her, Ari, she’s all yours.”

Ari looked stunned. I’d never in my life seen Ari stunned into silence, ever, in all the years I had known her. She stared at Jeff, and I noticed his smile starting to falter. I looked back at Ari and saw she had a tear rolling down her face. Next thing I knew she was jumping into Jeff’s arms and wrapping her legs around his waist.

“Oh my God! You bought me a horse!” Jeff started laughing as he walked over to the filly while Ari kissed him all over like mad.

“Jesus, get a damn hotel room, would you!” Gunner called out as he looked over at me and winked. He then turned his attention to Miss Bleached-Blonde, Tight-Ass-Jeans-Wearing, Fake-Ass-Tits Cowgirl. She gave him a quick hug—huh?—and then turned to hug Aaron. Old friend? Cousin? Who was this girl?

“Hey, sweetheart, want to see the filly? She’s a beauty.”

“I’m pretty sure I already got a look at her.” Gunner gave me a confused look and looked back toward the horse. Stupid ass . . .

“Sure, let’s go meet Ari’s new horse,” I said as I just shook my head.

For the rest of the night, no one brought up Miss Bleached-Blonde, Tight-Ass-Jeans-Wearing, Fake-Ass-Tits Cowgirl, so neither did I. It was almost like she was never even there. I did corner Jeff about how in the hell he was able to buy all this shit. Turns out the money from our grandmother that he invested was doing pretty well. He had some set aside for a car and school for me and had some left over if I ever wanted to use it for a wedding.

A wedding? Okay. I wasn’t planning on that for a while. Gunner’s whole body tensed up when I laughed about needing the money for a wedding. I thought it was weird, but I was still pissed about Miss Tight Pants to care right now what Gunner was thinking.

The next morning I woke up to see Ari already up and gone. Sheesh, second day in a row she had hightailed it out first thing in the morning. I was beginning to think that she and Jeff were sneaking off to make out or something. Ewww . . . I didn’t need that visual at all just now. Not first damn thing in the morning. I shook my head to erase the image from my mind.

I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a UT football sweatshirt. It felt like the cold front had moved through. I went down into the kitchen. Nine thirty? What the hell! Why did everyone let me sleep in so late? And where the hell was everyone?

I walked out onto the front porch to see Emma and Garrett in a deep conversation. They stopped the moment I walked out.

“Oh, excuse me, I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” I said as I started to head back into the house.

“Nonsense, Ellie, darling, you could never interrupt us. Are you looking for Drew, honey?”

I nodded my head and smiled.

“I believe he walked down to the barn a little bit ago. He was going to feed the horses.”

“Oh, okay, great . . . um, thanks, I’ll go him track him down.” Why was I stammering over my words?

I headed down to the main stable and I heard voices. I turned the corner to see her leaning up against the barn, and Gunner was leaning next to her with his arm resting up against a stall. She was smiling and laughing at something he said. I instantly had the same feelings I had when I came across Ryan. I just stood there. Finally, Gunner looked up. He gave me that drop-my-panties crooked smile of his and dropped his arm and started to walk toward me. I was frozen. Why was he down here alone with this girl? I looked over at her and she was giving me a dirty look and then smirked at me.

I don’t know why I did it, but I turned and walked away. “Ellie?” Gunner called for me. As soon as I turned the corner out of their view, I took off running. I had no idea where the hell I was going, but I was running as fast as I could.

“Ellie, stop!” Gunner shouted. I knew I’d never be able to outrun him. Shit! He runs every damn day. I ran up to the tank and had to put my hands on my knees and lean over.

Oh, shit . . . I needed to start working out again. I was trying to suck in air, but my lungs felt like they had closed up.

“What the fuck, Ellie? What are you doing running away like that?”

Have. To. Catch. My. Breath . . .

I stood up and tried to rub out the cramp I was now getting on my side. Holy fuck, I think I need to start running. Okay, maybe walking and then work my way up to running. Oh my God, I’m rambling my own fucking thoughts now.

Gunner walked up and pulled me around to look at him.

“What was that about? Why did you run off?”

Once I got my breath back, I just let go. I was tired, cranky, stressed out from school, never seeing Gunner enough, sitting and having to watch endless girls swoon all over his ass, and now this. He was down in the barn looking like he was about to kiss some bleached-blonde tight . . . oh, fuck it . . . bitch cowgirl.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Gunner. It’s just that it looked like you two needed a private moment to finish whatever it is you were about to start.”

“What? Ellie what are you talking about?”

“Go fuck yourself, okay? You let me sleep in this morning so you could spend some time with tight-jean-wearing-whoever-the-fuck-she-is bleached blonde. You sure looked cozy with each other. I would say her name, but funny thing is, you never introduced her to me yesterday. Especially after she gave you a nice, long goodbye hug. Fuck this.”

I started to walk away, but fuck . . . I still had the cramp in my side. Fuck me!

“Ellie, don’t walk away from me. Stop for just one goddamn minute.”

“I’m going home.”

I watched as he threw his hands in his hair and then pulled them down over his face.

“Baby, please stop. I can’t do this, Ellie. All we do is argue anymore, and you keep getting pissed at me and I have no fucking clue as to why. So you saw me talking to Jess. She’s Drake’s daughter. We all grew up together. Fuck, she’s like a little sister to me, Ellie. I was not about to kiss her or do anything else with her for that matter. I love you, dammit, Ellie! Why can’t you see that I love you? I only want you.”

You will never be wanted by anyone . . .

“Shit! When will her voice get out of my damn head!”

“Whose voice, Ellie?”

I did it again. I turned around and saw the hurt in Gunner’s eyes. Why was I having such a trust issue with him lately? I really didn’t think they looked like they were about to kiss, so why did I run off like that?

I felt sick to my stomach and just sat down and started to cry. Gunner was over and down on his knees in two seconds flat.

“Ellie! What’s wrong? Do you feel sick?”

I threw myself into him. He wrapped his arms around me and then sat down and brought me onto his lap. He was stroking my back and just kept saying it was all right. It wasn’t all right though.

“Gunner, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I keep waiting for the floor to fall out from beneath me. I’m so tired of school already, I’m stressed out, my mother won’t stop calling me because I refuse to speak to her, you’re hardly ever around, and when I do get to see you, I have to watch girls throw themselves at you . . . I’m waiting for you to get sick of me and leave.” I started sobbing.

“Sweetheart, I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know your mom had been calling you. I wish you would have told me or Jeff. I know school is rough, baby. You took way too many classes, Ells. Football is almost over, baby, and we can be together more often. It’s all going to work out. You need to talk to me, Ellie, we can’t keep fighting over little shit that means nothing, okay?”

I nodded my head and looked up at him. His blue eyes caught mine, and I sucked in a breath from the smoldering look he was giving me. He slowly started to pull me down, leaned me back on the grass, and started to kiss me.

After I came back down to earth, Gunner leaned in against my ear and whispered to me.

“Another first, baby. Orgasm next to the tank.”

I let out a laugh and looked at his beautiful smile. Maybe everything really was going to be okay.