Chapter Fourteen – Gunner

Sweat poured off me as I pulled my baseball cap off and wiped my forehead. My shoulder was killing me, but I pushed through the pain and ignored it. One stupid mistake, and I was landing on my shoulder wrong during spring training. At least it wasn’t so bad that I needed surgery.

“You getting tired?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Hell no. I’m just getting started.”

Jeff shook his head while he attached the fence puller on the top wire. “After this, we’re done.”

Thank fuck.

I was ready to head down to the water and cool off. Even though it was the end of April, it was hot as hell out.

“Only a few more weeks, and it’s summer,” Jeff said with a huge smile.

“You still planning on surprising your sister with a graduation party?” I asked, pulling the fence tight.

He nodded. “Yeah, I think she’ll like that. I just need to make sure no one hits on her.”

I chuckled. “Well, you already know Josh will be trying.”

Jeff stopped working and shot me a dirty look. “That bastard is not to go anywhere near my sister.”

Holding up my hands, I let out another roar of laughter. “Dude, I’ll be surprised if you even let any of us go to the party.”

He huffed. “I might not.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t. Speaking of, isn’t Ellie coming over Monday night for something?”

Jeff pulled off his work gloves and made his way over to the tailgate of the ranch truck.

“Yes, so don’t forget to be gone.”

I rolled my eyes. “Dude, seriously, don’t you think this is getting to be a little crazy? Your sister is almost graduated, and doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”

Jeff pointed to me. “She’ll take one look at you, Mathews, and her brain will go foggy.”

I stared at him with a blank expression. “Her brain will go foggy?”

“Yes. I’ve seen it happen plenty of times. A girl takes one look at you, and she goes all weak in the knees. You’re the classic charmer.”

I scoffed. “Well, I’m not sure who you’re talking about because I haven’t gotten laid in a while.”

“Crysti is always up for the task.”

Snarling my lip up at him, I shook my head. “Speaking of . . . you hook up with your favorite fuck buddy Rebecca lately?”

Jeff shook his head. “Nah. Haven’t been in the mood for her and her clingy ways.”

“I don’t know how Josh does it. How he can hop from bed to bed. That shit would get old for me.”

“Yeah well, I think there is more behind it than just Josh being a manwhore. He’s got deeper issues. Commitment fear maybe?”

I nodded and grabbed a water from the cooler. “Probably. I can see it in his eyes he wants something more.”

Jeff jumped up and sat on the tailgate. “I think that’s what scares him so much. The fact that he does want something more. The key is finding the someone for the something more.”

I held up my water to his, and we tapped them together. “Ain’t that the truth.” I sighed. “He won’t find her jumping from bed to bed.”

Jeff agreed. “No, but he’s having a hell of lot more fun than we are.”

“Yeah, the bastard sure is.”

“Drew, why don’t you and Jeff go into town and have a bit of fun?” Grams proposed as I stared down at the dominoes.

“I’m good, Grams.”

“Me too. I’m not really in the mood to go out,” Jeff added.

“Leave them alone, Emma. Can’t you see we’re buried in a deep game here?” Gramps said.

Grams rolled her eyes and huffed. “Fine. I’ll make up a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.”

Jeff groaned. “I’d live here for the rest of my life if I could.”

“You trying to steal my girl there, Jeff?” Gramps asked.

Holding up his hands in defense, Jeff chuckled. “No, sir. I would never dream of it.”

Grams headed off to the kitchen, and for some crazy reason, my mouth opened, and I started talking before I actually thought about what I was saying.

“When did you know Grams was the one?” I asked.

Jeff looked up at me and then directly to Gramps.

“The first time I laid my eyes on my Emma.” Gramps smiled wide. “Lord, she was a pretty little thing. I think the thing that struck me most was her smile. Maybe her eyes.”

Gramps closed his eyes. You could tell he was brought back to that moment.

“And you knew she was the one?” Jeff asked this time.

He looked back at Jeff. “I sure as hell did. Not sure if I wanted to admit it so much, but I knew she was it for me. The chase was fun.” He wiggled his brows.

Jeff and I both laughed.

“I can’t imagine Emma not giving in to your charms right away,” Jeff stated.

Gramps waved off Jeff. “Trust me, son. She gave me a run for my money. It made winning her all the better. Knowing that she put up a bit of a fight.”

The three of us remained quiet for a bit before Gramps started talking again.

“You’ll know. You may not know right away, but something about her will be different. You’ll feel it with this.” He patted his chest. “Instead of that.” Then pointed down. She’ll make you feel things you’ve never felt before. Like that weak-in-the-knee moment.”

We both stared at him.

“You boys have never felt weak in the knees when looking at a girl? Never?”

“No, can’t say I ever have,” I said.

Jeff cleared his throat and looked away. A dead giveaway that he’d felt that way. Probably the mystery girl he had a thing for.

Gramps stared at Jeff. “You have, though, haven’t you, son?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. I’ve for sure felt something for one girl that I’ve never experienced with any other girl.”

Gramps pointed to Jeff. “Then there ya go.”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way about you?”

“Well, then I guess you’ve got yourself a pickle. How have the dates been?”

I chuckled. “Gramps, I think this is Jeff’s mystery girl.”

Gramps’s brows raised. “Mystery girl?”

“Yeah, the one he admires but from afar.”

“Well what in the hell kind of fun is admiring a girl from afar? Jeff, you’re a good-looking kid. Get in there; sell yourself for Christ’s sake.”

Jeff laughed and shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

“Bullshit. Nothing worth having comes to you easily.”

I couldn’t help but watch Jeff as he let Gramps’s words settle in.

Who in the hell is this girl he liked?

The conversation was changed by Gramps. He must have sensed Jeff needed to focus on something else.

“Are you boys excited about your last year of college?”

Jeff shrugged. “I am, and I’m not. I have no clue what I actually want to do when I graduate. I have a few ideas, though.”

“Well, it’s a no-brainer for me. The ranch is in my future,” I stated.

Gramps’s smile warmed. “Have you spoken to your mother or father lately?”

He just ruined my warm fuzzy. “No.”

It was a simple one-word answer that he knew not to pursue. My relationship with my father was not a good one. Never had been if I’m to be honest. I missed my mother something fierce, though. I’d talked to her a few weeks back. She had begged me to come home for a visit, but I couldn’t do it. The thought of seeing my dad made me physically ill. I wondered if his soldiers felt the same way when they saw him walk in.

The rest of the evening was spent sitting in the living room watching old westerns and eating Grams’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

It was heaven on earth.