I nodded my head and turned to look at the most important man in my life.

“Gramps I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Teaching me about the ranch, giving me the opportunities to be able to go to UT, play football and get my degree in something I loved. Thank you for teaching me to respect and be grateful for the love that I have found with Ellie. Thank you for loving me and believing in me. I love you more like my father than my grandfather.”

Gramps stopped and turned to face me. He had a smile on his face and he just shook his head.

“I love you Drew, you make me so fucking proud son I want you to know that. You will always make me proud. Now let’s go get you married!”

Jeff leaned over and looked at Ellie sitting in the carriage. Then he looked at me.

“You fucking bastard……a carriage, you got her a carriage? Jesus you’re killing me here!”

I just smiled. He was still pissed about having to pay Jenny and Aaron so much to help out with his first night with Ari.

“Do you want me to make your sister happy or not Jeff?” I asked as I struggled to see my beautiful girl.

“Fucker…...I knew you’d pull that card out. What the fuck are you going to do when she tells you she is pregnant for the first time? Fly her to Paris.”

Just then the preacher coughed and looked at us. Hmm Paris? I’ll have to remember that.

Jeff turned and looked at me and then went white. I just smiled at him.

“THAT was MY idea! I claim that one……you cannot have it dickwad! Paris is my idea Gunner.”

“Boys!” Preacher Roberts said as Jeff instantly took a step back and looked down the aisle. Little Lauren and Matthew were walking down the aisle. So fucking cute! Lauren was skipping as Matthew was looking around at every one holding the pillow and snapping his overalls. Yep……I taught him that. Then I saw Heather walking. I took a quick peek at Josh and I thought he was going to break his face he was smiling so goddamn big. Then came Amanda and I heard Brad let out a cuss word that I’m pretty sure Preacher Roberts would be talking to him about later. Then I saw Ari. Jeff took in a breath of air and just stared at her.

“Holy fuck……she is beautiful.” Jeff said at the same time he released all the air he sucked in. I had to agree, Ari looked breathtaking.

Then I saw her. Gramps had his arm around her and they started to walk. Our eyes met and I couldn’t breathe. Oh. My. God. She looked……beautiful. Like a princess. She was looking me up and down checking me out and man did I like it. It looked like she was about to stumble and Gramps had to hold her up. She looked back up at me and I smiled even more at the thought that I just made her weak in the knees.

Then she giggled. I raised my eyebrow at her wondering what she thought was so funny and she giggled more. If I didn’t know any better it looked like for a moment she was starting to walk faster. Then Gramps laughed and whispered something to her.

It took forever for her to walk up to me. Once she got there and Gramps placed her hand in mine that familiar shot of electricity took off in my body. We stepped up to the altar and I leaned over to do just what Gramps told me to do.

“You look so beautiful Ellie; you take my breath away sweetheart. I love you.”

She looked at me and her eyes filled with tears as she smiled at me.

“Drew, I love you too.” Her voice was cracking and I knew she was having a hard time talking. I squeezed her hand and we both turned to Preacher Roberts. I smiled as the thought occurred to me for the first time that day.

Another first………

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

Ellie……

“The ceremony was beautiful darling. Just beautiful! And you……you are the most precious thing I have ever seen!” Aunt Lacy said to me as she kept pulling me in for a hug and then pushing me out again to do a once over. I was starting to feel sick from the constant pushing and pulling.

I was finally able to break free from her and tried to sneak over to grab some sweet tea.

“ELLIE!”

SHIT! Dammit! I was just five feet from my sweet tea! I turned around to see Shannon and James standing there. Oh I still felt so bad about everything that happened. Gunner actually missed their wedding because of the car accident. I felt my face burning up.

Shannon leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Don’t you even think about it Ellie! I know what you’re doing and you will not feel guilty do you hear me?!”

I smiled as she pulled away and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Have you met my sisters yet?” Shannon said as she put her arm in mine and led me away from my sweet tea. I looked around for Gunner. Where the hell was he?

Then I spotted him. He was playing horse shoes with a few of the younger kids. He looked up at me and we smiled at each other. I just wanted to leave…...start our lives together, that and I really wanted some fucking sweet tea! If I had to talk to another person and thank them for coming I think I was going to hurl.

Shannon introduced me to her two sisters, Lynda and Clare. We talked for a bit and then I slowly started to make my way back to the sweet tea. I saw it……oh thank god my mouth was so dry!

Just as I was about to reach for a mason jar and fill it up with nice cold sweet ice tea that only Emma can make…...I was stopped again by someone saying my name. Mother fucker…...now I was going to go off on someone.

“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.