“You like Daughtry I’m guessing from the smile on your face when it started!” Gunner said before he started to back out of the driveway.

“Yes! I love them! Love this song too. But honestly…I was praying that Truck Yeah would not start up. I’m not sure what I would have done to you had you started that song.” I said as I looked over at him. He jammed on his brakes and just stared at me.

“Oh thank FUCK I’m not the only one! Holy shit I want to delete that song from Jeff’s iPod. I’m SO sick of it.” Gunner said as he looked at me with the most serious look on his face. I had to start laughing.

“I have thought the same thing! I swear every time he starts it I just want to haul off and hit him.” I looked down at my hand that was a bit still swollen.

“Great minds think alike Ells!” Gunner said with a laugh as he backed out and headed towards the school.

That was like the third time Gunner has called me Ells. Tons of people call me Ell or Ells. So why when he said it did I get butterflies in my stomach? The same way I did when he called me sweetheart.

“Chocolate lab.” I said when the silence in the truck was starting to get to me.

Gunner looked over at me with a confused look on his face. “What?”

“You asked me what my favorite dog was. I think it’s a chocolate lab. I have never had a dog but if I ever got one…..I would want a chocolate lab I think.” I said as I looked out the window, not sure why tears where starting to build in my eyes.

“Oh yeah, right the dog. You’ve never had a dog? WOW…boy or girl?” Gunner asked as he turned into the high school parking lot.

“I think I would want a boy. Yep….someone to watch over me and protect me and love me like there was no tomorrow.” I said as I turned and looked at Gunner. He was just staring at me….again. He did that a lot. There went the hand through the hair.

SHIT…why did that turn me on so damn much. I moved around in my seat to help with the ache.

“You know you don’t need a dog for that sweetheart. I’m pretty sure you could find someone who is more than willing to take on that job.” He said with the sweetest smile. I so badly wanted to ask if he wanted to apply for the open position. HA! Yeah right. He couldn’t even kiss me……

“What would you name him?” Gunner asked as he jumped out of his truck and ran around the front to open my door. Good ‘ole Texas charm….I bet he has girls falling all over him. Well, I was not going to be one of them….or so I kept telling myself that.

“Um, let’s see…..I think I would name him….Gus.” I said with a smile on my face. Yes…I liked that. It was a good strong name for a dog. Gunner let out a laugh that caused me to stop and look at him.

“What the hell is wrong with Gus? That is a good strong country boy name for my country boy dog. I can’t believe you are laughing at my name choice. Some friend you are Gunner Mathews!” I said as I hit him with my good hand.

After what seemed like FOREVER he stopped laughing.

“Gus? You want to name him Gus? How the hell did you come up with that name Ellie?” Gunner said as we started to walk towards the school. He reached down and took my left hand into his right hand. Did he realize he was holding my hand? My god…the butterflies where going crazy in my stomach.

“Well if you must know….one time Jefferson took me on a drive out to Fredericksburg. Said we needed some country air. I saw the name on a mailbox and I don’t know I just liked it.” I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

“Do you like the country? I mean would you ever want to live out in the country or are you a city girl?” he asked as he bumped his arm into my shoulder. Good god all this contact was driving my libido insane.

“No…I’m NOT a city girl. Well, I mean I am ‘cause I grew up in Austin and all. I want nothing more than to get away from Austin and live in a small town with lots of land and have a beautiful ranch style home and go outside every morning and feed the chickens. I want to hear nothing but nature. No cars, no horns, no freaking people blowing their damn cigarette smoke in my face. I want to be able to look up into the sky and see the millions of stars every night. I’ve never seen what a true night time sky looks like with all the stars. I would love that.”

I stopped at the side door to the school and looked back at Gunner. He was standing there with a huge shit eating grin on his face. I tilted my head to look at him. What the hell was he thinking? He sure did seem happy. Huh….I noticed as soon as I started talking about wanting to live in the country he dropped my hand.

Gunner cleared his throat and just shook his head. “Shall we get this over with sweetheart?” He asked as he held the door open for me. I would NEVER get tired of this. Ryan never once held the door open for me or opened the car door for me…..nothing. Gunner was a complete 180 from Ryan.

“YES! One step closer to my new life as a college student!” I said as we headed down the hall way.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gunner …….

DOGS! Labs….Chocolate labs……Chocolate labs name Gus….OH holy shit this was not working anymore because all I could think about was the damn dog Ellie wanted…...my Ellie…….

I walked down the hall following her to her locker and tried to keep my dick from getting any harder but it was a fucking chore. I couldn’t believe my ears when she started saying she wanted to live in the country. I felt all the air leave my lungs. I dropped her hand that I had not even realized I was holding and just stood there. Listening to her describe the life I wanted. The life I wanted with…...her. That was it. I know Jeff said I needed to give her time and be patient. Fuck that. It was on. I was going to do everything in my power to win Ellie’s heart. Starting right now.

I had to keep my eyes everywhere but on her. She kept leaning over and that fucking skirt kept creeping up farther. Holy shit she had a nice body.

Okay…ceiling…look at the ceiling, look at the other lockers…..dogs……Chocolate lab dogs name Gus running around the ranch with Ellie and a little brown haired girl chasing after it.

Wait!!! What??! Where the fuck did that come from? Oh my god….what was happening to me? I’m standing in a damn high school day dreaming about the ranch and Ellie having my child and a fucking lab named Gus!

It is getting hot in here…….

“Gunner? Are you okay? You look like you feel sick. Are you feeling okay??” Ellie said as she took the lock off of the locker door and bent down to pick up the bag she packed.

“Um, yeah yeah…I feel fine Ells. Here let me take that. Is this it? Where are all your books?”

Ellie handed me the bag filled with just a few notebooks, stuffed animals and a few odds and ends in it.

“Oh…Ari turned them all in for me earlier today when she turned in all of her books. She wanted to get here early so she could get it done and then work on her Valedictorian speech. I think she is pretty nervous about it. Are you sure you’re okay?” Ellie asked as she looked me up and down.

I really wanted to tell her no, I was soooo not okay. I was day dreaming about uprooting her life, moving her out to the middle of nowhere and oh yeah….getting her pregnant with my kid.

Deep breaths Gunner….deep breaths.

“Sure yeah…..I’m okay! I think it is just really hot in here. Isn’t it really hot in here to you? Alright if you’re done let’s blow this Popsicle stand what do ya say?” I said as I tried to get some feeling in my legs again.

“YES! Let’s get out of here!” Ellie said with a huge smile on her face.

Shit, there went my heart. We headed back out to my truck and I tossed her bag in the back seat with her other stuff. I opened the door for her and helped her get in. I would never get tired of seeing that blush creep up her cheeks every time I did this. She deserved nothing less than to be treated with the upmost respect.