Cherished (Wanted 4)

Ari rolled her eyes. “Pesh. I can’t even begin to argue with you on that one. That child is worse than his father with his grand ideas.”

Ellie laughed and nodded toward the pool. “Look at those three.”

I turned and saw Colt with Maegan and Taylor. He was showing them something that had both of their attentions.

“Good Lord, my son is a player at ten years old,” Ellie said.

“That’s my boy,” Gunner said as he walked up behind Ellie and wrapped his arms around her. “Three boys up against six girls. I think he’s doing pretty good since he has two all by himself.”

Ellie slapped Gunner on the arm.

“Oh, come on, Ells…give me some sugar stamps.”

“Go play with the other daddies.” Ellie kissed Gunner quickly on the lips.

Scott, Jeff, Brad, and Josh were all walking up from the barn. Gunner grabbed a football and threw it to Josh, who jumped up and caught it.

“I want to play!” Will, Luke, and Colt all yelled as they ran up to the guys.

“Hey, we want to play, too,” Grace said as she put her hands on her hips.

Alex walked up next to Grace and did the same thing. “Yeah. We want to play, too.”

Will came up to Alex. “You can’t. Alex, you’re a girl, and you could get hurt.”

“Aww…he’s worried about her getting hurt,” Ellie said as she looked at Heather.

Heather smiled and shook her head. “I swear, I think Will has a crush on Alex. She is all he talks about.”

Gunner walked up. “Don’t be silly, Will. Alex is my daughter, and she’s as tough as any ole boy. Ain’t that right, sweetheart?”

He held up his hand, and Alex slapped it.

“That’s right, Daddy,” Alex said with a smile.

Colt stomped his feet. “Dad, for once, can the girls please just sit out a game? Grace, Alex, and Libby are too good of players.”

Josh and Jeff both smiled as Gunner let out a laugh.

“Well, son, you might actually learn something if the girls play,” Gunner said.

Grace held up her hand. “No…it’s fine, Uncle Gunner. If Colt is afraid of being beaten by a few girls, then we are more than happy to sit this one out.”

“We are?” Libby, Alex, Lauren, and Taylor all said at once.

Maegan did a fist pump and started to walk away. “Yes! I hate football.”

Amanda busted out laughing. “God, it kills Brad that Maegan hates football…that she hates any sport really.”

“Oh, gesh, if Grace ever told Jeff no to football, I think he would curl up into a ball in the corner somewhere and cry his eyes out,” Ari said as she put cheese on some of the burgers.

Ellie and Heather both laughed.

“Same here. Gunner would resort to bribing Alex in some way or another,” Ells said.

Heather went back to cutting tomatoes. “I’m just glad I have a daughter who can throw a football, and she still stops to make sure her hair is pinned up to her expectations.”

As the day went on, more football was played, and more screaming girls ran by as Colt chased them with a garden snake in his hands.