Saved (28 page)

I rolled over, lying next to Gunner, and I
put my hands on my stomach. Rolling over onto his side to face me,
he placed his hand on mine and smiled at me.

“It’ll happen sweetheart, when it’s meant to
happen. Don’t stress about it, okay?”

I tried to smile at him, but
I had the strangest feeling come over me.
Why do I think this is not going to be as easy as we both
thought it would be?

“I love you, Drew. I love you so much.”

Gunner leaned down and gently kissed me on
the nose and then on my lips.

“I love you too Baby, more than you’ll ever
know.”

I didn’t think it was possible so soon, but
before I knew it, he moved on top of me, and I was lost again in
his sweet love making.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE

JEFF

Josh had insisted on coming out with me to
make the food rounds this morning. I knew it was only because he
didn’t want to be at the house with Ari and Heather. I tried to get
him to talk, but I ended up just letting him sulk for about thirty
minutes.

A new stud horse, Romeo, had arrived
yesterday. I was mucking out his stale, when I saw Josh walking
into the barn. He looked like hell.

“What the fuck, Josh? What happened yesterday
when you went to talk to Heather?”

“Fuck if I know. I asked her
if she still wanted to talk. At first, I thought she was going to,
then Lynda called around the corner, asking if we were still on for
heading into town for lunch. I’m not even sure where the hell that
came from since I didn’t even ask Lynda to lunch. I simply told
Lynda that I would talk to her in a minute, and when I turned
around, I swear Heather had steam coming from her ears. Then, she
accused me of moving on fast. Moving on from
what?
She was the one who said there
was no future for us and that we were just friends. I’m so fucking
confused right now. I don’t know which way is up and which way is
down for Christ’s sake.”

I shook my head and closed
Romeo’s stall, while he was trying to push his damn way out.
Shit, this horse is a feisty bastard.
Ari had begged me to let her ride him last night.
There was no way in hell I was letting her get on this
horse.

“Josh, listen to me, dude. Women are…fuck, I
don’t really know how women are. I just know that at least more
than half the time, when they say something, they really mean the
opposite. I don’t why. God made ‘em that way, and I ain’t about to
question God on it. I really think you need to talk to her and get
it out there before Gunner’s cousin moves in and tries to eat you
alive.”

Josh started laughing. “Yeah, Lynda is
something else. I like her. I mean, if Heather wasn’t in the
picture, I could probably see myself dating Lynda. She just moved
to Austin to finish school at UT. I don’t know. Maybe I just need
to just move on since Heather only wants to be friends.”

“If you think that’s what she really wants,
then maybe you should,” I said, raising my eye-brows at him.

“Well, that’s what she keeps repeating to me
so, I guess that means I need to move on.”

***

By the time we made it back to the house,
Josh was in an even worse mood. I was guessing that the idea of
walking away from any kind of relationship with Heather just pissed
him off. It was either that or it was because Romeo nipped at his
hand.

I walked into the kitchen to
see Heather and Ari sitting at the kitchen island. Ari looked up at
me and gave me that smile that I swore could bring me to my knees
every damn time. I smiled back at her and looked down to see she
was drinking orange juice and not coffee.
That was two days in a row now.

“What’s wrong with the coffee?” I asked as I
walked over to pour myself a cup.

Josh followed and poured some into his
mug.

I leaned down to give Ari a
kiss. She let out a small moan, and I just about grabbed her and
hauled her ass into our bedroom.
Fuck
. She smelled so damn good. I
nipped at her bottom lip, and then I pulled away, so I could sit
down next to her.

Josh leaned up against the kitchen counter
and looked everywhere but at Heather.

Ari just busted out with, “So, what the hell
is going on with you two anyway?”

Heather choked on her coffee, and Josh looked
like he was about to kill Ari. It took everything out of me not to
laugh. Ari never was one to beat around the bush. That was one of
the things I loved about her. She was a no-bullshit kind of
girl.

“Ari! I can’t believe you,” Heather said
giving Ari a go-to-hell look.

Josh seemed to compose himself, but then I
saw a look in his eyes. It was that same look he used to get when
he was putting on his game face.

“There’s nothing going on but friendship.
Ain’t that right, Heather?” Josh said.

Oh fuck.

“Um…I um.”

“Heather, didn’t you want to talk to Josh
about something?” Ari said, her eyes pleading with Heather.

“I, um.” Heather looked over at Josh.

He actually looked
pissed.
What the hell?

“I think you made your self clear yesterday
as well as the other day. Or is there something else you needed to
tell me besides to fuck off?”

Ah, shit.
This is going south. I looked at Ari, who was
staring at Josh in shock. Then, she glanced at Heather, who also
had a shocked look on her face. This seemed to be turning into
something I was not used to seeing on Heather.

Suddenly, she appeared to be very pissed-off
as her hands were balled up in fists. I tried to decide who I was
putting my money on.

Getting up from the bar stool, Heather just
glared at Josh.

“To think that I even thought.”

“You even thought what, Heather? I know it
wasn’t about a relationship with me. ‘The bastard manwhore.’ I
believe those were your words to me yesterday.”

“You had just made plans to go have lunch
with Lynda, yet there you were, trying to talk to me! Are you
kidding me right now, Josh?”

“Okay, hold on a second here, y’all. Let’s
just calm down and talk about this,” Ari said as she stood up and
walked over toward Heather.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Ari. Heather
made herself pretty fucking clear where she stood with me. Isn’t
that right, Heather?”

Josh gave Heather a smirk,

Then he glanced over at me. I was completely
stunned as to why he was being such a prick.

For a second, it looked like Heather might
cry. I watched Josh’s whole body sink when he saw the same thing I
did.

Josh said, “Heather, I didn’t.”

“No, Josh you’re completely right. I did tell
you where I stood, and you told me if you walked out the door, then
that was it. So, we’re done. There’s nothing left to talk about. If
you’ll excuse me...”

Heather’s voice cracked as she started to
back out of the kitchen.

“I think I’ll get ready and then head up to
see if Emma needs any help before the party.”

Heather turned, leaving as fast as she could.
Ari looked at Josh and just shook her head.

“She pushed you away because she got scared,
Josh. She wanted to tell you she didn’t mean anything she had said,
you fuckwad! You just blew probably the best thing that’ll ever
happen to you because you had to run into the arms of the first
girl you came across.”

“Wait…what? First off, how do you know she
didn’t mean any of it? And what the hell do you mean I ran into the
arms of the first girl I came across? I haven’t been with anyone in
months!” Josh yelled.

“I know because she sat there and cried to
Ellie and me about how much she cared about you and how she messed
things up with you. But you didn’t let her explain that, did
you?”

Ari started to walk out of the kitchen, but
then she stopped and turned back around.

“Lynda, you stupid ass. You made plans with
Lynda, and she made sure to tell us how you said you would only
dance with her at the party.”Ari turned her back to us as she was
leaving the kitchen. “I’m going to see if Heather is okay.”

Josh was now leaning over with his hands on
his knees.

“Josh…dude, you okay?” I walked over and
helped him sit down.

He looked up at me and started to shake his
head. “I’m so fucking confused that I can’t even think straight. I
never asked Lynda out to lunch yesterday. She kept asking me if I
was going to dance with her. I never said I was only going to dance
with her. They must have misunderstood her. I don’t…” Josh paused,
standing up. “I’m heading up to Garrett and Emma’s place. I know
Drake needs help with the tables and shit. I’ll talk to you later,
dude.”

As Josh was leaving, he walked right into
Heather who was also heading toward the front door. They both just
stood there and stared at each other. Josh was the first to move.
He stepped around her and headed out. Heather turned to me and gave
me a weak smile before she left.

Holy hell.
If this is any indication, this was going to be a
very interesting party.

***

Ari walked back into the kitchen a few
minutes later. The moment I saw her, I had to catch my breath.

Damn. She was dressed in a
white shirt with a pink tank top underneath. She had on a pair of
jean shorts and a belt with a buckle that was so damn big and
blingy that I just had to smile at her. As I moved my eyes down her
body, I noticed the pink cowboy boots.
My
cowgirl sure the hell knows how to dress.

“Baby, those shorts…maybe you should…”

Ari turned and gave me a look that said I
should know better than to say anything about what she was
wearing.

“I’m just sayin’ that they’re are kinda
short, baby.”

“They are not short, Jeff. These are the
longest damn pair of shorts I have that still fit me. I think I’m
getting bigger already.”

“Already? What do you mean by that? Isn’t it
supposed to be we get married, you get happy, and then start
getting bigger because you’re so damn happy with me?” I said with a
laugh.

Ari looked like as pale as a ghost.

“Ari, I’m just kidding, baby. You look
amazing.” I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms.

She instantly relaxed and started to run her
hands through my hair. She pushed her hips into me, and that was
the only sign I needed. I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs
around me as I started to walk her into the bedroom.

“Oh god Jeff. I need you so bad.”

I let her slide down my body while I took her
mouth in mine. She let out a moan, and I couldn’t wait anymore. I
pulled my mouth away from her to take her shirt off.

Just then, someone knocked at the door.

“Motherfucker!” Ari and I both yelled at the
same time.

“Just ignore it, Jeff. Please just ignore
it,” Ari said nearly begging.

I pulled her shirt over her
head and then put my hand up under the tank top.
God, she felt so good.
She slowly started to back up to the bed. When she was lying
down, I crawled on top of her and captured her lips with mine
again. Reaching my hands down, I started to unbuckle her belt.
Then, I thought I heard the front door open.

Ari pulled back and whispered,

“Did someone just come in?”

“Jeff? Ari?” Garrett called out.

We heard him walking down the hall-way. Ari
pushed me away and rolled over, landing on the floor next to the
bed.

I just leaned over and looked at her.

“What the hell are you doing?” I whispered to
her.

“Go talk to him! Shit! I don’t want him
walking into our room to see me half dressed!”

I was confused because she was still wearing
her tank top and shorts. I crawled off the bed, I could hear
Garrett in the kitchen.

I adjusted my harder-than-rock-hard dick
while I made my way out to see what was going on. I made a mental
note to always make sure the front and side doors were locked from
this point on.

I walked into the kitchen to see Garrett
pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Garrett, what’s up?” I asked.

“Hey, son. Gunner asked me to come fetch you
to help set up the tables and all that shit for the party this
afternoon. Your front door was open, so I just helped myself.”

I tried really hard to smile as I made
another mental note. The next time I had enough beers in me I as
gonna have a talk with Garrett about him walking into the house.
While I was making all these damn mental notes, I better make one
to warn Gunner.

Just then, Ari came running
in through the front door.
What the hell?
How did she…?

“Hey, Gramps! What’s shaking?” Ari said as
she bounced up to give him a hug and a kiss.

He grinned and gave her a look that I didn’t
understand. She shook her head, and he gave her a faint smile
back.

“Get it done, kid,” he said to her.

Then, he slapped me on the back and told me
to get my ass in his truck. Ari started laughing and then grabbed
my arm as we headed outside.

I pulled her back for second. “How the hell
did you get outside?”

She looked at me like I had just asked her
the stupidest question ever. “I climbed out the bedroom
window.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want Garrett to think we were
messing around. If I came out from the bedroom, he would have.”

I just stared at her. She made it sound so
logical. I leaned down to kiss her as she let out a giggle.

“God, I love you, baby!” I barely pulled my
lips away from hers.

“We’ll pick up where we left off later,” I
said as I smacked her ass.