On the trip back from the stables I decided I was going to talk to Ari. I needed to see if we could make a go at being something more than friends. Especially now that I knew she wanted the same life I did. I planned on talking to her after dinner. I was going to just tell her how I felt and pray she felt the same way. I dared to let myself get excited.
That was until I saw her bouncing downstairs right before dinner with Ellie and get so excited when a text message from the cheating bastard Jason came through. Her excitement sent a clear signal. She obviously loved him. Fucking prick didn’t deserve Ari….she was way too good for him and he would end up cheating on her just like he did with all the other ones.
I tried to clear my thoughts so I could get to sleep. After tossing and turning damn near all night the clock read 4:30am when my eyes finally closed.
The next morning I woke up to find Garrett and Ari sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee. Where the hell was everyone else?
“Where is everyone?” I asked as I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.
“Emma ran into town to attend a church meeting, Gunner mentioned something about giving Ellie another first and they took off for town. Gramps here…he was just bitching to me about a fence that needs repairing.”
I had to let out a chuckle at Ari’s reference to Gunners grandfather as Gramps…..only Gunner ever called him that.
“What fence needs fixin’ Garrett? I can head out and fix it for you.” I said as Ari quickly shot her head up and looked at me.
“Well it’s on the north side of the ranch…butts up against the property you’re interested in buying.” Garrett said with a wicked smile on his face.
FUCK ME….Ari sat up straighter and gave me a look of pure shock.
“WHAT? You’re buying property out here? Since when did you decide this? Does Ellie know? What about Gunner does he know? What in the world are you going to do out here? I can’t believe you didn’t tell us….”
“For Christ sakes Ari please shut the fuck up!” I said as I shook my head. Goddamn it that girl could just rattle on.
Ari shot me a dirty look and I could tell she wanted to say something back to me but didn’t because Garrett was sitting right there.
“Anyway, back to the fence….I can take the truck and head on over there right now.” I said as I saw Ari still staring at me. I’m sure she had a million questions she wanted to ask me. Thank the fuck I was leaving to mend a fence.
“Oh Jeff that would be great since Gunner took off with Ellie and Drake and the boys ran into town to get feed and run some errands. I don’t want you going alone though….Ari you go with him. It will do you good to get some fresh air.”
Ari and I both looked at Garrett and spoke at the same time.
“WHAT?!”
“No really Garrett I’m perfectly fine heading out there on my own, there is no need for her to come.”
Ari nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah I mean I was just planning on sitting in the porch swing and reading so…”
“Well then that’s perfect. Take your book and read while Jeff fixes the fence. I have a strict rule…no one out in the pastures by themselves.”
“Oh well um….” Ari said as she shrugged her shoulders and looked at me.
Fucking great…just what I needed. I was going to have to listen her go on and on for at least an hour while I fixed the fence.
“I want you to take the jeep though; I’ll go and get it ready while you go change into some working clothes.” If I didn’t know any better I would have sworn he just gave me a wicked grin and then winked at me. What the hell?
I stood up to go change. I looked at what Ari was wearing…..short shorts, a tee shirt and some flip flops.
“Maybe you should at least put on some sneakers Ari.”
She just looked at me, nodded and went up stairs.
Five minutes later I walked out to the jeep that Garrett had already pulled up to the house and had running. That was strange. I heard the front door screen shut and I turned to see Ari walk out in the same clothes but she changed into a pair of black cowboy boots.
Holy fuck….I’d never in my life seen anything so fucking sexy than this girl in a pair of shorts and cowboy boots. I had to take a few steps to ease my growing erection that was pressing into my fucking zipper.
She walked down towards the jeep and smiled at me as she hopped into the passenger seat. Fuck she even had on a cowboy hat….how the hell did I not see the hat. I let my eyes roam down her legs and then back up again. God how I wanted this girl so fucking badly but I needed to get a grip. She has a boyfriend…..she was not meant to be mine.
Garrett gave me a slap on the back and a wink. “I put plenty of water in there for y’all and even a few snacks…..just in case!” Then he laughed as he walked back towards the house. He waved and shouted back to us.
“Y’all have FUN!”
I got in the jeep and looked at Ari who just shrugged her shoulders and put her ear plugs to her iPod in. Yep…this was going to be fun.
I spent the next hour mending a fence that I swear looked like it had been cut in four different places on purpose. Nah….who the fuck would cut the fence on purpose. I was just about finished when I looked up at Ari sitting in the jeep kicked back and reading her book. Fuck she looked hot as hell with those legs propped up. They looked so smooth. I bet they were smooth. Just like her back was so smooth. I was able to get a feel of it when I was desperately trying to get her bikini top back on before fucking Dewey saw her. I wiped the sweat off my face with my t-shirt and started to gather up the tools.
Fuck with it only being nine in the morning it sure as shit was hot out. I brought the tools back over and put them in the back of the jeep. I let the pliers fall hard against the metal floor and Ari jumped out of her seat. She ripped her head phones off and gave me a go to hell look.
“FUCKER! You scared the shit out of me!”
“Sorry….”
I grabbed a water from the cooler and took a long drink. I couldn’t help but notice her watching me drink it. I wiped the sweat one more time off my face before I got in the jeep.
“Finally, it took you fucking long enough to fix a damn fence that should have been fixed thirty minutes ago.”
“Well if you thought you could have fixed it sooner why the fuck didn’t you bring you sweet ass over and help me?”
“Pesh….yeah right. I kind of enjoyed the show.” She said with a wink.
I turned the key over in the ignition and nothing happened. I let it off and tried it again. Nothing…..Strange….I turned it over again….Nothing…..I did this four more times and now Ari was sitting up looking at the ignition, willing it to start.
“Oh no…NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO! Jeff, tell me that this piece of shit is going to start!” Ari practically shouted in my goddamn ear.