“Sounds good bud, I’ll give you or Jeff a ring later on.”
Ellie and I watched as Josh got back in the Jeep and headed back up the ranch house. I looked over at Ellie, who had a shit-eating grin on her face.
“What’s with the grin?”
She turned to look at me and winked. “Oh, nothing, it’s just that Josh is in for a little surprise when he gets to Jeff and Ari’s.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of surprise, Ellie Mathews?”
“Ari and I talked Heather into coming out and staying for a few weeks until summer classes start. She agreed and said she needed to get out of Austin to get away from the partying.”
“You little devils. Did Ari know Josh was coming out?”
Ellie looked at me like I was stupid. “Of course, she did, and she also knew that Lynda was going to Costa Rica with her parents for a few weeks.”
I let out a laugh.
“You know what else I found out from Heather that explains why she’s been acting the way she has?”
“What?”
“Lynda told her at the wedding that Josh asked her to marry him, but they just hadn’t made it public yet.”
“What the fuck? Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” Ellie said, popping her p. “I hate to say this, Gunner, because Lynda is your cousin, but I don’t trust her one bit. She is jealous of Heather, and I think she’ll do or say anything to keep them apart. When Heather told us what Lynda said, all Ari had to do was look at me, and I knew what she was thinking. The Push-Josh-and-Heather-Together Plan has officially started,” Ellie said as she turned around and looked back in the direction where Josh had just left.
I pulled her into me and hugged her. “Be careful, Ells. Don’t push them too hard baby. Just let them find their way back to each other.”
Ellie turned and looked at me. “They are both so unhappy. Why can’t they see that Gunner?”
“It’s the same reason why Jeff and Ari couldn’t see it…or at least, Jeff couldn’t see. Come on, enough about them. I want to give you a tour of our house.”
We jumped up onto the slab, and I started pointing out where the kitchen. living room, and master bedroom would be.
“Did you keep the small little study, the one that’s in the master room, in the plans?”
“Yeah. Why? I thought you said it would make a great reading room. It’s too late to change it now, babe The slab is poured.”
Ellie started walking over to the area in the master bedroom that would eventually be the little study. Facing out toward our tree, it would be all solid windows.
“No, of course, I don’t want to change it.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. While unfolding it, she said,
“It’ll make a beautiful reading room and a great little nursery for the first few months after the baby comes home in December.”
“Yeah, it would make a great…wait, what?”
Ellie turned around holding up the piece of paper. I walked closer to her. The closer I got the slower I walked. That’s a picture of...
I looked up at her. “Is that a sonogram, Ellie?”
She turned the picture around and looked at it. When she looked back up at me, she smiled.
“Yes, it is, Drew. Say hello to our baby.”
I was standing in front of her, and then I slowly started to sink down to the cement floor until I landed on my ass.
“Baby, you’re pregnant?” I asked.
She sat down on the slab next to me and handed me the picture.
“Yep, looks like your little vacation in March to New Orleans did the trick. I’m due December ninth.”
“How far along are you?” My voice cracked.
“About ten weeks. When I missed my period last month, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Then, I missed this month, and I’d been feeling so sick. I asked Ari to go with me, just in case it came back negative. I didn’t want you to be disappointed. I didn’t even take a home pregnancy test. I’m sorry you weren’t there for the first sonogram, but Dr. Wyatt wanted to check out the baby as soon as the test came back positive.”
I looked up at her with tears building in my eyes. We’re going to have a baby.
“Ellie, I’m not upset about that. I mean, if it’s okay, I want to go to all your appointments with you from now.”
“Of course, it’s okay! Are you happy?”
I looked up at her and saw the tears in her eyes. I took the back of my hand and ran it along the side of her face.
“I’ve never felt so happy in my life, Ells. I love you so damn much.”
Ellie smiled and those beautiful blue eyes lit up as a single tear rolled down her face. I wiped it away and then stood up. I helped my beautiful girl up to her feet before I grabbed her and kissed her. The small moan she let escape ran through my body.
I pulled away and smiled. Then, I turned and started walking us back to my truck. Later, I’d have Ellie drive me back over here to the pick up the ranch truck, right now I just needed to get her home.
“Wait, where are we going?” Ellie asked.
I was practically dragging her along the way.
“Home. I need to make love to you right now.”
She let out a giggle and ran up next to me.
“Well, who am I to argue with such a romantic gesture?”
I reached down and picked her up as she let out a little scream.
“Be ready, baby. I’m gonna rock your pregnant world.”
Ellie laughed as she pushed up off my back.
“Bring it on, Gunner. Bring it on.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
JEFF
I walked down to the barn to check on Josh. He’d been staying with us the last two weeks, along with Heather. I still had to chuckle when I thought of the look on their faces when they both saw each other, then when they found out they were both staying with us. It was priceless. I would have paid a million bucks to have that shit recorded.
Ari told me that they went for a ride together this morning, so at least they were making progress.
When, I walked into the barn, Josh was brushing Sweet Pea, the new mare I bought last week.
“You know, country life agrees with you, Josh. Gunner and I sure could use your help out here, especially with Drake moving to Austin and Aaron helping Jenny more and more with her event-planning business.”
Josh turned and smiled at me.
“I would move out here in a heartbeat if I thought I could. My business is growing pretty fast in Austin though.”
“Dude, you can make furniture anywhere. All this damn fresh air might also inspire you..”
Josh took in a deep breath. “All I smell is horse shit, dude.”
I let out a laugh.
“How was your ride this morning with Heather?”
“Good. She still seems distant though, almost like she’s doing something wrong by spending time with me.”
“I think I know why.”
Josh stopped brushing and looked at me.
“Alright, asshole, you’re planning on sharing with me right?”
“Do you remember when Heather came back from the bathroom so upset on the night of my wedding?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, first off, I need you to know that Heather just told Ari and Ellie this a couple of weeks ago.”
“What? What did she tell them, Jeff?”
“In the bathroom that night, Lynda told Heather that you asked her to marry you, but y’all had decided to wait on telling anyone.”
Josh dropped the brush to the ground.
“Wait…what? I haven’t asked Lynda to marry me. She keeps pushing me, but I’ve never even mentioned marriage to her.”
Josh put his hands on his knees. I walked up to him and put my hand on his back.
“Motherfucker. Is that why she started partying and everything? She thought I was getting married?” Josh asked.
“I guess so. Every time we ever asked her to come along and do something with us, as soon as she found out that you and Lynda were going to be there, she’d change her mind. Josh, do you love Lynda?”
Josh stood up and looked at me.
“I care about her, but do I love her enough to marry her? No, not at all.”
“Do you love Heather?” I asked.