She waited a good thirty seconds before she finally opened her eyes. She sucked in her breath and her eyes grew wider. She didn’t say a word. The smile that spread across her face was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen in my life. My fucking dick decided it liked it also. I moved and laid down next to her as I grabbed her hand and just looked up at the endless amount of stars. I never get tired of seeing this.
“It doesn’t even look real. I never knew there were SO many stars. There are millions of them!”
We laid there for I don’t know how long just talking about everything. Favorite movies, songs, singers, bands, you name it we talked about it.
“Gunner can I ask you something and please do not feel like you have to answer. ”
“Ellie honey you can ask me anything you want. ” I said as I kissed the back of her hand.
“Why don’t you ever talk about your parents?”
I sat up and ran my hand through my hair.
“Um, well…I don’t exactly have the best relationship with them. I haven’t talked to my father or mother in almost three years. ”
Ellie sat up and looked shocked. “WHY?”
I let out a small laugh. “Well shit where should I start. ”
“Gunner you don’t have to talk about this if it’s upsetting for you. ”
I looked over at her and my heart just swelled. I wanted to tell her about my parents.
“No, it’s okay Ellie. ” I took a deep breath and started talking.
“My dad is a drill instructor in the Army and he and my mother live in Lawton, Oklahoma. My dad and I had different ideas about what I should do with my life. I wanted to play football back here in Texas. My dream was to go to UT, play football for them and then help out Gramps with the ranch. My father’s dream was for me to go in the Army right after high school. Said it was the only way to make something of my life. He pretty much thought I was a loser for playing football and said I would never get anywhere in my life. After I told him I got accepted into UT and got a football scholarship he told me if I went to school in Texas he was finished with me. My mother never did really have the nerve to stand up to my father so on the day I graduated high school, he had my bags packed and he told me to leave. ”
“Oh my gosh Gunner how could your own parents do that to you? Have you talked to them at all?”
“No, not since I started UT. My mother called a few times the summer after high school. I was staying here with Gramps and Grams. But once she realized I was not going to back down…. well, I haven’t talked to her since that summer. Not even at Christmas. Don’t feel bad for me sweetheart. It’s really no different than your mother doing what she did to you all those years. ”
Ellie laid back down on the blanket and looked up at the stars. We sat there in silence for a few minutes.
“Do you want kids Gunner?”
My heart started beating a mile a minute. What if Ellie didn’t want kids? I had always dreamed of a little boy or girl I could teach to fish, ride a horse, learn about the cattle business. It was something I longed for. What if Ellie’s mother had totally fucked up her thinking of kids? I panicked for a brief second.
“Yes, I want kids someday. What about you?”
Ellie stared up at the stars and then smiled. She turned her head over and looked at me and that smile of hers just blew me away.
“Yes and I will love them unconditionally. ”
I let out the breath I was holding in.
Ellie wanted kids.
God how I hoped I was the one to make that another one of her firsts.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
Ellie……
Gunner pretty much held his breath until I said that I also wanted kids someday. I wonder what he was thinking. I actually saw him let out the breath he was holding when I said yes. Was he thinking he wanted to have kids with me?
I could only dream. The thought of having Gunner’s kids was too much to even think about. I could just see them now running around the ranch with Gunner chasing them. I bet he would make a great dad to our kids.
Oh wow…. where the hell did that come from? OUR KIDS??? I sat up quickly and shook my head. Fuck me why did I keep getting these thoughts?