“Ellie?”
“Mom?”
Wait….what?
I turned around to see a woman standing in front of me. I instantly recognized her from the pictures in Gunner’s bedroom. Gunner was standing behind her and she slowly turned around to look at him. She ran into his arms as he picked her up and spun her around.
“DREW! Oh Drew! I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry baby boy, so sorry!”
OH. MY. GOD…...I looked around for Gunner’s father but didn’t see him. Bastard! I wonder if she had just gotten there. That made me feel sad if she had, she missed a beautiful ceremony.
“Mom……why didn’t you let me know you were coming? Did you just get here?”
“No Drew, I was here for the ceremony. It was beautiful. You look so handsome Drew and look at you such a man now; you’re not my little boy……. Oh my…...” She started to cry as Gunner drew her back into his arms.
My heart was hurting. To think of all the time she missed out because of Gunner’s stubborn father.
“Mom please don’t cry. You don’t know how happy you made me by coming. Thank you so much.”
“Drew, your father would not come I’m sorry. He did tell me to congratulate you though.” She said with such sadness in her voice.
Gunner laughed. “Sure he did mom! I don’t want to talk about him. I want to introduce you to my wife.”
I sucked in a breath of air. Oh god I loved hearing him say that!
“Mom, may I introduce to you my wife, Mrs. Ellie Mathews. Ellie sweetheart this is my mother Grace Mathews.”
I reached my hand out to shake hers but she came up to me and hugged me. More like squeezed the shit out of me. She pulled back and looked me up and down.
“So beautiful! You’re such a beautiful girl!”
“Thank you Mrs. Mathews.”
“No, please Ellie sweetheart, call me Grace. Thank you so much Ellie for making my Drew so happy. I can see by the way he looks at you how happy and in love he is with you.” She said to me with a smile.
I smiled back at her. She really was a beautiful woman and I could see so much of her in Gunner now that I saw her in person.
“Thank you Grace. I feel the same way about him. He’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met.”
Gunner walked around his mom and took me into his arms and leaned down and kissed me. Before he pulled all the way away from my lips he smiled.
“Do you want some sweet tea baby?”
I had to let out a giggle. I wonder if he had seen my many failed attempts to get that tea!
“God yes!”
Gunner let me go and I watched as he poured me a glass of tea. I turned back to look at Grace and she was smiling at us with a big ole smile on her face. I really was so happy she made it and I know it meant so much to Gunner. I just wished his dad would have come.
“Mom, you remember how good Grams tea is, you want some?”
Grace laughed and shook her head no. “Drew I just spent nearly an hour in Emma’s kitchen with her. She filled me up with three glasses of tea! I’m good honey thank you.”
Grace and I took a seat at one of the tables and talked for ever. She told me stories about Gunner when he was little, how he got into trouble in high school with fighting for a bit. It was like she was trying to make up for the lost time we had to get to know each other before I became her daughter in-law. She raved on and on about Emma, told me to learn as much from her as I could if I was going to be a rancher’s wife.
Jenny walked up to us and said Gunner and I really needed to have our first dance. We had both been so busy walking around and talking to everyone that the DJ and band just started up without us. I nodded and got up and followed Jenny into the barn. Gunner was talking to Jack, the DJ. I’m guessing he was telling him what song to play. I saw Jack nod yes to Gunner and smile. Gunner pretty much left all the wedding decisions up to me except for the song he wanted for our first dance. I had no problem with that since he had a pretty damn good track record with songs!
Gunner walked up to me and held out his hand. Jack announced that we were FINALLY having our first dance. Everyone whooped and hollered.
“Will you please do me the honor Mrs. Mathews?” Gunner said as he kissed the back of my left hand and started to walk me to the middle of the barn.
As he pulled me into his arms he leaned down and whispered against my ear. His warm breath sent the butterflies into flight in my stomach and I felt a shiver run through my entire body.
“Don’t ever forget how I feel about you; never, ever forget sweetheart. I will always want you and only you. I would be lost without you Ellie; I love you more than life itself…..”
Then he leaned down and kissed me so passionately I felt the love pouring from his body straight into mine.
Then the song started. Oh my god…….
“Wanted” by Hunter Hayes.
Gunner never let up on his kiss even when the song started. I felt the tears rolling down my face and Gunner grabbed onto me and held me tighter as I was slowly starting to sink down. I’m not sure how long he kissed me for but I started to sob. He pulled his lips away from mine and smiled down at me. He reached up and wiped away at the endless tears running down my face.
“Happy tears baby?”
I couldn’t find my voice. I loved him so much and he just made the most wonderful day so much more special. I didn’t think it could get any better but again he showed me different.
I could barely talk but somehow I managed to speak.
“Yes Gunner, they are very happy tears. I love you so much. Th…thank…um…….” I started to cry again. He pulled me into him and held me close as he started to sing the song to me so softly and sweetly.
I never wanted this moment to end. I never in my life felt so loved and wanted as I did at this very moment. I would love this man with everything I had in me for the rest of my life. I would do everything in my power to make him just as happy as he has made me.
I looked up at him and smiled as he smiled down to me.
“Drew…...it’s another first.”
He looked at me confused. “What is baby?”
“This……this feeling……it’s a first for me.”
“Tell me Ellie.”
“I have never in my life…..ever felt so completely loved and……..wanted.”
Gunner leaned down and captured my mouth again with his. It was perfect.
No, It was……..heaven……
Evening had already come and the lights in the trees were turned on by someone. Probably Jenny by the way that poor girl was running all over the place.
Gunner and I were both exhausted. I had never danced so much in my entire life, ate so much and laughed so much. It was all coming to an end.
“So are you going to change or stay in that dress?” Ari asked with a wiggle of her eyes.
Gunner walked over and whispered in my ear for me to keep the dress on. He wanted to slowly peel it off of at the hotel in Austin.
“I guess I’m keeping the dress on!”
Ari let out a laugh and hit Gunner in the shoulder.
“If you think she looks beautiful in the dress, wait until you see what she has on underneath the dress. Or all the little outfits I packed in her suitcase.”
Gunner pulled me against him and pushed his hips into my backside. OH MY! I think it is time to go……
“Ari, I always knew there was a reason I liked you so damn much.”
“Damn straight ass wipe and you better spoil her rotten on the honeymoon or I’ll punch you in the nuts and not think twice about it.”
With that Ari turned and walked away. I had to laugh. I loved her so much. I thought about the whole situation with Jefferson. Ari didn’t know it but Jenny was working double time tonight. With our wedding and also transforming the hunter’s cabin into a romantic paradise so Jefferson could ask Ari to marry him tonight. I noticed her getting in and out of her truck for the last two hours running back and forth.