All They Wanted (Wanted 5.6)

Ari sighed then said, “All right, that’s enough sappy shit, let’s get moving. I’ve got pork chops calling my name.”

My stomach growled and everyone started laughing. As we walked off, Jeff reached for my arm and held me back.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“So what really happened?” he asked with one brow arched.

I pulled my lower lip in while taking a deep breath. With a shake of my head, I replied, “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

The look on his face told me he might have already known.

He shook his head and glanced over to the rest of the gang. “I knew they were different.”

My eyes widened as my eyebrows lifted. “They were different all right.”

As we started to walk, Jeff let out a chuckle. “Although, I really would have loved to have seen Gunner’s reaction when Grant put the moves on Ellie. That would have been priceless.”

Looking up at Jeff, I asked, “You knew?”

He laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Dear sweet, Heather. When will you learn? Jeff knows all. He is wise. He is smart, and let’s not forget, he is handsome as hell.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. As much as I didn’t think I wanted to be on this trip, I quickly realized that there was no place I’d rather be.

The fire popped as I held Ellie in my arms while Josh, Ari, and Heather told us how they came to the conclusion that Alison and Grant were swingers.

With a shake of my head, I grunted. “If I had turned around and saw that, I’d probably had killed the bastard. Fucker talking to Ellie like that.”

The vibration of Ellie’s chuckle moved through my body. “I still can’t believe it. I mean, what sick kind of person would want to sleep with pregnant women?”

“Hey!” Ari and Heather said at the same time.

“I take offense to that. I may be pregnant, but I’m still sexy as hell,” Ari said with a wink.

Jeff raised his beer up and said, “I agree with that one hundred and ten percent.”

“I swear, it took everything I had not to punch that guy’s lights out,” Josh stated.

With a tip of my baseball cap, I replied, “You’re a better man than me, Josh Hayes, ‘cause I’d have ripped his throat out.”

Ellie glanced up at me and shook her head. “You’re a lover, not a fighter.”

“Not when it comes to you, Ells.”

Her smile lit up her face. “I love you,” she said as she reached up for a kiss.

I twisted my cap around and gently kissed her lips. “I love you more, sweetheart.”

“Well, as much as I would love to sit around this fire and talk, this is the last night I have with my wife before we head back home. I’m getting me some sex.”

Ari laughed as she slapped Jeff on the chest. “You still stink! There is no way I’m letting you near me.”

Jeff cupped Ari’s face within his hands. “Baby, no amount of stink can keep you away.”

Scrunching her nose, Ari said, “There is … trust me, baby. There is.”

“Gunner?”

The sound of Ellie’s voice filled my dream.