Wanted (48 page)

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

I let out a laugh and sho
ok
my head. No way was I going to admit I wanted to see his sister in one also
.

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.”

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

E
llie……

After Gunner’s grandmother gave us a tour of the house and her garden, she showed Ari and
me
the bedroom we would be using
. I was falling more and more in love with Emma. She had a tiny frame but lo
ok
ed like if you pissed her off she could haul off and knock the shit out of you. She absolutely adored Gunner and he adored her. The way he introduced her made me swoon and I couldn’t h
elp but fall for him even more.

When she whispered in my ear how happy she was Gunner was finally in love I alm
ost passed out from pure shock.

“Ari, what did Emma whisper in your ear when Jeff introduced y’all?” I asked as
Ari was unpacking her suitcase.

Ari started to laugh again and lo
ok
ed at me.

“She just said ‘Stupid bastard will admit how he
feels about you, don’t worry!’”

I lost it and started laughing. “WOW! Lo
ok
s like Emma has some kind of super power. She told me she was happy Gunner was finally in love!”

Ari dropped her flat iron on the floor and just stood there lo
ok
ing at me.

“W…What did she say? Did Gunner tell her he was in love with you? OH. MY. GOD! Has Gunner told you he LOVES YOU and you didn’t tell me YOU
BITCH!
”

“Jesus, Ari calm down! No….
I’m
pretty sure Gunner has NOT told her that, and NO he has not told me that. But…..” I left Ari hanging as I got up and started to unpack my things.

“BUT?
But what
Ells holy shit….don’t leave me hanging here!”

I lo
ok
ed at Ari and then jumped on her bed. I had been dying to tell her but was afraid I had just taken it wrong.

“
Okay
well I’
ve been dying to say something to you but I thought it was just the alcohol and all of that. The night of Brad’s birthday party when Gunner and Jeff got so drunk, I helped Gunner to bed right?”

“YES, YES…I know all of this….fast forward
please
…..”

I laughed at Ari and sho
ok
my head. “Well
,
as he was falling asleep he might have said something like I love you Ellie…..I don’t really remember exactly what he said because I was in shock.”

Ari sat there stunned. Her mouth slowly started to drop open as she just stared at me. I reached over and used my finger to shut her mouth but it fell back open. I let out a giggle as she just kept staring at me.

“You trying to catch flies with that mouth open like that?”

“Holy shit….Jesus, Mary and Joseph Ellie……how….why in the
fuck
have you not told me this before now?”

I just shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess because he was drunk and all. I mean a lot of people say shit when they are drunk that they
don’t really mean. I guess I’
ve just learned to ignore what dr
unks say because of my mother. He
might have just been saying it because I was helping
him
to bed or something.”

“Or something!
He might have been saying it because he actually DOES love you! What the fuck is wrong with you and your brother? You both can’t see what is in front of your faces.
Drives me crazy Ells.”

I let out a sigh. A part of me wanted to believe that Gunner was in love with me but the other part…th
e other part that knew better.

Y
ou will never be wanted by anyone…….

“Ari listen, we’
ve not even been together long enough for Gunner to fall in love with me. And three weeks of that time we were not even speaking to each other.
It’
s
way too soon for him to be feeling anything like that for me. Way…..
way
too soon.”

“Whatever Ells, you may not notice it but I see the way he has to catch his breath when you walk in a room. Or the way he can’t keep his eyes off
of you for a single minute. The
way he smiles at you even makes my ass swoon. I don’t care what you say Ellie Johnson. Drew Mathews love
s
you.”

I tried to give Ari a smile. I really wished I could believe her
,
but
something was holding me back.

The rest of the day was spent helping Emma co
ok
dinner. We learned how to make Chicken and
Dumpling’s
as well as Emma’s super secret apple pie. I was in awe of Emma. She was everything I would have ever wanted in a mother. I was falling in love
with her as each minute passed.

Ari never ceased to amaze me.
I sat there and watched her as she
moved around
this country kitchen like she grew up here!
The way she interacted with Emma like
she was Emma’s granddaughter and had known her
her
whole life
.
A part of me was envious that Ari got to have such a normal childhood growing up. A mom and dad, grandparents……. the whole thing and all I got was a drunken mother who told me every chan
ce she got how worthless I was.

You will never be wanted by anyone………….

I must have been lost in my thoughts because I never even saw Emma walk over. She cupped my face with her hands and lo
ok
ed deep into my eyes and f
or some reason, my eyes started to tear up
. What the hell? She really did have magic powers!

“Ellie, let go of the past sweetheart. Just let it fall away from you and lo
ok
at what you have surrounding you
right
now. Lo
ok
at the people who love you and want you to be happy.”

I felt th
e tears running down my face
. WHAT THE FUCK? I never cry in front of people. I lo
ok
ed over at Ari who was watching. She had flour on her cheek right under her eye and I just started to laugh when I
saw it. Emma to
ok
me in her arms and held me
. I had never fel
t loved so much as I did in that
moment. Could Ari be right, could someone love you this much and this fast? I completely lost it and started sobbing.

“Oh
my gosh
…I don’t know what’
s wrong with me!
I’m so sorry!
” I said as Emma held me close to her and st
ok
ed my hair.

“
Shhhh
, baby girl.”
Emma turned and had Ari walk over to us. Ari knelt down and lo
ok
ed at me.

“I told you Ells….I told you.”

Just then the door opened to the kitchen and
I lifted my head to see Gunner walk
in. His smile quickly faded and he lo
ok
ed like someone
had punched
him
in the gut.
I instantly felt like a stupid idiot.

“Baby what’s wrong?” Gunner said as he walked up and dropped to his knees
at my side
. Emma let me go and smiled down at Gunner. She to
ok
a step back and lo
ok
ed at me with a
smile that made my heart melt.

“Nothing is wrong Drew. Ell
ie just needed a good cry that’s all. I think tonight would be the perfect night for your surprise for Ellie
Drew.” Emma said as Gunner lo
ok
ed up a
t her and she gave him a wink.

What did Gunner have planned? My heart started to beat faster. I lo
ok
ed over and just stared into his beautiful blue eyes. They lo
ok
ed…..bluer for some reason. They had a spark in t
hem I had never noticed before.

“Your eyes Gunner….they’
re so…..blue.”

Gunner smiled at me and for a second
time within the last two
minutes my heart melted. He had Emma’s cro
ok
ed smile. He reached up an
d wiped the tears from my eyes.

“My beautiful Ellie, please don’t cry.”

Just then something inside my chest hurt
but in a good way
. I threw my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. The warmth from his touch spread through my whole body
all at once
.

“My beautiful, beautiful girl….I hate to see you cry, it cuts me to the bone. I just want you to happy baby.”

Oh. My. God……I think I just gave up my heart and soul to Drew Mathews.

I
think ……..

I think I
was in love with him.

I pulled away from him and he cupped my face with his hands and kissed me so passionately that my head started to spin. I forgot all about Emma and Ari being in the same room and I returned his kiss. I kissed h
im with everything I had been holding back
. The feel of Gunner’s mouth on mine, his tongue
dancing perfectly with mine, I wanted to cry again. He slowly pulled away and leaned his forehe
ad against
mine.
We both to
ok
a few second
s
to catch our breath.

“I want to show you what the stars lo
ok
like at night Ellie, just you and me tonight if you’re up for it sweetheart?
I want to give
you a
no
ther first
.” Gunner said as he lo
ok
ed into my eyes.

I smiled at him because he had
remembered our conversation from before. “I would like nothing more than to do that.” Just then I remember Emma and Ari. I felt my face get hot
as I looked up
.

“They left before I kissed you sweetheart.” Gunner said with a wicked smile as I sho
ok
my head at him.

“Come on, I
need to wash up before dinner!”

Jefferson and Garrett walked in just then laughing their asses off. Gunner jumped up and to
ok
my hand.

Gunner’s grandfather to
ok
one lo
ok
at me and then snapped his head over to Gunner.

“What the
hell did you do her Drew? She’
s been crying!” Garrett yelled.

Emma walked into the kitchen with
Ari laughing about something
.

“Oh hush now you old goat. Drew did nothing to her and everything is fine. The girls helped with dinner so go wash up and don’t think I don’t smell that beer on you!”

Everyone laughed and Garrett walked up and kissed Emma with such passion I had to lo
ok
away. Gunner squeezed my hand and lo
ok
ed down at me as I lo
ok
ed up at him.
I didn’t dare tell him my hand still kind of hurt from when I hit Ryan over a month ago.

Just then I saw Jefferson walk up to Ari who was leaning against the counter s
miling at the display of
affection
from Garrett and Emma. I watched him as he gently wip
ed the flour off of Ari’s face.

“You um, you had some flour on your face
there
.” Jeff said as he smiled at her and then tur
ned and walked away. A
s soon as he walked out of the kitchen Ari reach
ed
to her side and grabbed the counter.
Her face was as red as the dish towel that was slung over her shoulder.
She lo
ok
ed up at me and I smiled. I was going to have to have a talk with that brother of mine.

CHAPTER FORTY

G
unner……

Jeff, Gramps and I all cleared and cleaned the dishes while the girls went out and sat on the porch. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it was that got Ellie upset. Did Grams say something to her? Maybe Ari
said something
? I would have to talk to Grams about it when I
was able to talk to her alone.