The Ranger's Heart: A Clean Army Ranger Romance Book Three Read online

  She nodded. “Yeah. Where are we going?”

  Since his date had been ruined, the show had allowed him to plan this date. “There’s a theater doing a showing of Casablanca today, and I thought you might want to go see that.”

  Her breath caught. “Casablanca? That’s my favorite movie. How did you know that?” The other bachelors had taken her to nice restaurants, fancy shows, and the like. None of them had shown her they wanted to get to know her.

  He shrugged. “You mentioned it in that episode you did with the crunchy cornflake things. They were like rice crispy treats but made with cornflakes.”

  “I did?”

  “Yeah, you were really cute too. You got this dreamy look on your face, and you said most guys never wanted to go with you. I love that movie so…I thought we’d go together.”

  Gunner had really watched her videos. After finding out why he was on the show as a bachelor, she figured he’d lied about binge-watching her channel. Or at the very least, he’d skimmed them enough to know a little about her.

  Her heart pounded so loud her ears hurt. “I’d love that.”

  “Maybe some popcorn with Milk Duds and some malt balls thrown in.” He winked.

  Sophia gasped and then hugged him around the neck. That episode was one of the very last she’d filmed before agreeing to do the show. “You did watch my show. You watched all of them. I can’t believe it. I don’t know of a guy who has ever done that.” Not even Travis had done that.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he put his lips to her ear. “I didn’t lie about that, how beautiful you are, or how much I looked forward to getting to know you.”

  Tears threatened to spill. When had a man ever shown that much interest in the things she liked and loved. She’d always had to do what they wanted if she wanted them to like her. Leaning back, she lifted her gaze to his. “How did you find out about Casablanca playing nearby?”

  “I was looking for something to do with you. They’re showing it in black and white.”

  Black and white? She loved that the best. He’d found out things she liked? Planned a date for her around that? “You don’t know what this means to me.”

  “I’d watch Casablanca in black and white a thousand times if it meant I got the pleasure of seeing that smile each time.”

  Her heart was in full-on meltdown. The heat in her cheeks turned up a notch. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Gunner bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “We need to get going. We don’t want to be late.” He took her hand as he led her to the car.

  She was floating. At the hospital, he’d kissed her unlike any man had ever kissed her, and now he was treating her like no man had ever treated her. She’d totally misjudged him, and now she was going to spend the date looking at him in a whole new light. Gunner was someone she definitely wanted to get to know.

  The movie was just as great as the last time Gunner watched it. No, that wasn’t true. It was a hundred times better because he’d shared it with Sophia. She’d been adorable. Her eyes had lit up when she found out where he was taking her. That smile? Geez, it was a thousand watts, burning away the rest of the cobwebs stretched across his heart.

  “Thank you so much for the movie and dinner and everything,” Sophia said as their joined hands swung back and forth.

  After they’d eaten dinner—with extra security this time—they’d taken a walk. The director had scrambled to make sure the sidewalk wasn’t packed with people so the cameras could follow them and not lose them in the crowd. For a dating show, the crew could really take the romance out of stuff, but as they’d walked, it had been easier and easier to get it back.

  Especially when the night was warm with a breezy current and Sophia was perfect as could be. White slacks, a flowery blouse that brought out the green in her eyes, and wedge sandals which gave her enough height that they could look each other in the eyes.

  Gunner kissed the back of her hand. “Thank you for coming with me.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been on such a great date. I love that movie, and I haven’t seen it in a while. Experiencing it in a theater is so different than a television at home.” Her hair danced around her shoulders as she glanced at him.

  Even better were the theater seats that were extra wide. He’d pulled her over his lap and held her during the movie. He could have stared at a blank screen and been equally happy. She’d fit against him so well. It had given him a picture of what the future might be like with her in his life.

  “I could have watched grass grow as long as you were with me.”

  The apples of her cheeks turned a cute pale pink. “That’s sweet.”

  He pulled her to a stop, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead. “You’re sweet.”

  “You hardly know me.”

  “You’ve organized food drives for the local food bank. You’ve spent Christmas at the veteran’s hospital, giving out your homemade cookies.”

  Her lips slowly parted. “How do you know that?”

  “I watched your show. All of them. That one last Christmas, you asked your followers to do the same thing. You even put up a link so they could donate to Wounded Warrior.” He smiled. “I watched all of your videos.”

  “I guess I’m still in shock. No one has ever watched all my shows. Not the men I’ve dated.”

  Skating his fingertips along her cheek, he tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “To tell the truth, I wasn’t going to, but I was hooked after the first one. You were so, so cute, and that laugh of yours is even better in person. The way you get excited and your eyes twinkle. You’re…” he said, pausing as he took a breath. “Your joy is infectious, and I didn’t know I needed it.”

  She locked eyes with him. “The guys I’ve dated said I’m clingy.”

  He could tell there was more to it, but he’d wait for the whole story when she was ready to tell it. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a story of his own. “That just means they weren’t very bright.”

  The corners of her lips quirked up. “I think you’re just flattering me.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not. When you’ve spent years afraid of being wanted, it’s a nice change of pace to have someone willing to climb over the walls you’ve built. Most people run from that.”

  “Maybe you’ve stopped building them so quickly.”

  Gunner smiled. She had a point. From the moment he met her, he’d struggled to maintain any sort of distance. His mouth was on autopilot most of the time, and if he was honest with himself, he hadn’t wanted to build walls. “Maybe.”

  Cameras were circling them like vultures. He’d thought he’d never be able to not care that they were watching his every move, but he didn’t. Just like in the emergency room, it felt like they were only two people around.

  He traced the outline of her lips with his fingertip, and as he reached the corner, he bent down and kissed her. The same all-encompassing need for her hit him as before. He couldn’t hold her tight enough, taste her lips enough, or want her more than he did in that moment.

  As he deepened the kiss, she circled her arms around his neck, clinging to him in what felt like an equally desperate attempt to be as close as possible. He slid his hands into her hair, cupping the back of her head, and held her still as they continued to kiss.

  When she softly moaned, whatever chains he’d been using to keep from falling for her were snapped in half, and he was free-falling. There wasn’t another woman on earth he wanted or would ever want. For the first time since he lost Bella, it felt like his heart was beating again.

  Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers as they both struggled to breathe. “I’m not entirely sure where to go from here.”

  “I wouldn’t object to being kissed some more.”

  Chuckling, he leaned back to find her face flushed. She’d never been more appealing than right at that moment. He rubbed his thumb across her rosy cheek. “I could kiss you a million years and still be thirsty
for more.”

  “CUT!” Candace came out of her chair and approached them, a smile on her face so wide it was a wonder she didn’t need pain medication because her cheeks were aching. “Seriously, there isn’t a woman alive that didn’t just faint.”

  Gunner exhaled and buried his face in Sophia’s neck. “Please don’t think—”

  She slipped her fingers into his hair, kissed the side of his face, and set her cheek against his. “I don’t.”

  He pulled back and locked gazes with her. “I will never tell you another untruth. Ever, and I will do whatever it takes to restore your trust.”

  “I believe you.”

  A smile stretched on his lips. Every minute he spent with her, it felt like another stitch in his heart was made. It had been so torn in two for so long, and to finally have hope that maybe, just maybe, it could be whole again made him happier than he’d been in a long time.

  Chapter 16

  It had been two long weeks since Gunner was released from the hospital and they’d had their one-on-one date. The molten-lava kiss they’d shared in the hospital was nothing compared to the mind-blowing kiss they’d shared at the end of their date. It had been the best date she’d ever been on.

  First, being taken to see the black-and-white version of Casablanca was amazing, and just as the lights had dimmed, he’d pulled her across his lap and held her the entire movie. Even better, he’d kissed her temple from time to time during the movie. Then dinner afterward was filled with interesting conversation about his family, the small town he grew up in, and a little snippet of his time in the Army.

  Since then, her time had been limited, and she’d been instructed to tone it down a little during their interactions. They didn’t need it to look as though she’d already picked one of the bachelors when there had been a little more than seven weeks left.

  They’d had a single one-on-one date in that time because they’d played flag football and he’d won the MVP. Spending the day with him had been amazing. He was kind and sweet, and they’d kept the conversation light. Mostly about family and where they grew up.

  For her, their movie date had changed everything. She touched her fingers to her lips, recalling the kiss, the bruised feeling of her lips for hours after, and how much she’d wanted more.

  “Did you want to go on the carousel?” asked Justin. He’d won the last competition and a one-on-one date with her. They’d started the day eating breakfast on the beach and were finishing it at the pier.

  The man looked great too. A checkered button-up, jeans, and cowboy hat. His cologne was incredible. If only she could stop comparing him to Gunner. Something she shouldn’t be doing on a date with another man. A man she was supposed to be giving a fair chance.

  She blinked and nodded, pulling herself to the present. “I’d love to.” With Gunner. She nearly groaned as the thought popped into her head. What was her problem?

  Tomorrow would be the fifth elimination ceremony. The first had been opening night, and Blake had been the second, though there had been no ceremony with him. The third ceremony had been to reveal whether she kept Gunner of not after their movie date. Of course, she chose to keep him. For the fourth, she’d sent Riley home without having a ceremony either. The letter writer had exposed him as a player, which caught her completely off guard because she would’ve never guessed that, and honestly, there were no sparks between them to begin with.

  Christopher was her first choice to go, but he was playing the part of the show villain well and keeping ratings up. Him and his snide comments about Gunner. He was snobby too. Always talking about his travels and his money and how nice his home was. Maybe some women liked that, but she wasn’t impressed at all.

  Which left Landon and Justin. One of them was going home tomorrow. Landon was sweet and funny. Justin was warm and protective. Had Gunner not shown up, the decision would’ve been even harder because both men had their positives. Both were easy to like. How did you choose between two guys who were completely different and yet completely wonderful?

  “Do you come here a lot, being that you live in this area?” Justin asked as he took her hand in his as they strolled to the ride.

  She shrugged. “Uh, no, not really. I don’t have a lot of time. I do love coming here when I get the chance, though.”

  They got to the ride and found their horses. It took a lot more choreography than normal because of the cameras. In order to help catch their conversations, they’d been hooked up with small lapel mics.

  “Have you ever been here before?” Sophia asked.

  Justin nodded. “Once when I was a kid. I think I was maybe ten.”

  “Do you get to travel much now that you have a ranch?” She’d found out on a previous one-on-one date that he’d left his brother in charge of the ranch while he participated on the show.

  “Not as much as I’d like. But then again, I don’t particularly like leaving my ranch.”

  Another topic of conversation they’d had. How would it work if they decided to pursue a relationship? Not that she had any intention of that, but there were still a little more than five weeks left of the show, and she had to pretend the other bachelors had a chance.

  “What would happen if I chose you? How would we make that work?” She’d not asked that yet. Not outright.

  He shrugged. “I’ve not thought that far ahead, really. We’re just getting to know each other.”

  Sophia had to give him that, and he was being honest, which was a point in his favor. “That’s true.”

  “At least, I hope we continue to get to know one another.”

  That little hint-hint wasn’t lost on her. She had no idea yet. Her date with Landon the day before had been much like this one. Fun, enjoyable, and easy.

  Neither Justin nor Landon was Gunner. To be honest, she didn’t know as much about Gunner as she wanted. The one thing she’d noticed was that he hadn’t tried to kiss her since their movie date. It made her wonder if it was just that moment or if he didn’t want to share something like that with the world, especially since the director had made it sound like he’d only done it for the show. She leaned toward the latter because the electric attraction for him had certainly not changed even in the slightest.

  The music on the carousel slowly faded, and it slowed. Instead of stopping, though, it just continued at a snail’s pace. “Justin’s sweet. Justin’s nice,” a male voice came through the speakers. A guy was doing this?

  Sophia looked at Justin, and his face had paled. She’d thought of all the guys, the letter writer wouldn’t have anything on him. What could a rancher from Arkansas have to hide?

  “He’s been telling nothing but lies. Just how long has he been ranching?”

  “Not you too…” Sophia said.

  Justin hung his head. “I said the ranch had been in my family, but I bought it after my leg was crushed. I just wanted to have more roots. I am from farmers, though, but they lost it not long after I was born. I didn’t think you’d be too impressed if you knew my family had lost everything.”

  She slid to the ground at the same time he did. “Then you really didn’t know me at all. I would have thought it was impressive to take land that was nothing and turn it into something.”

  “I’m so sorry. I thought a white lie wouldn’t be so bad. I swear I’ve not told untruths about anything else.”

  “I understand wanting to make a good impression, but you should have just told the truth from the beginning.”

  Over to the side, Sophia could see the crew scrambling around. The director hadn’t called cut yet, so she assumed they were supposed to keep going. From the looks of things, though, they were working to find out who and where that voice had come from.

  Justin took her hand in his. “I know. I wish I could take it back.”

  She stared at their joined hands, wondering if she could trust him again. Lifting her gaze to his, she said, “Just don’t lie to me again, okay? Tell me about your ranch. The real story.”

 
They left the carousel and strolled to the beach as they talked. She really did like Justin. There weren’t the zaps of electricity she had with Gunner. And she definitely couldn’t picture herself kissing Justin. Or if she did, there was no way it would be as incredible as kissing Gunner.

  “I bought the ranch not long after I lost my leg. The home was in terrible condition. It had been abandoned some ten years before. I picked up the whole property for a song, and I’ve spent my time and energy since making it into what it is now.” He patted his back pocket and then sighed. “I don’t have my phone or I’d show you pictures. Never thought I was that attached to it.” He laughed.

  Sophia grinned. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been twiddling my thumbs at night in the cottage, but that’s awesome. See? You could have said that. That’s impressive. Did you fix the house up or did you start from the ground up?”

  “I fixed it up. It wasn’t a historical home, but it had good bones, and I didn’t like the idea of just bulldozing it.”

  “That’s really interesting. I hope I get the opportunity to see it.”

  One corner of his lips twitched up. “Me too.”

  “Cut,” Candace called. “Okay, guys, we need to wrap this up. We’re going to have Justin escort you back to the ceremony home, and you two can say goodnight from there.”

  When they reached the car, Travis stepped out of the limo in his chauffeur uniform. It didn’t matter how many times she saw him in it, she still had to hold back a snicker. He caught her gaze as she got in the limo and narrowed his eyes. They knew each other too well, and no doubt he knew exactly what she was thinking, which just made it that much more hysterical.

  Justin followed her in and sat next to her. “You have a twinkle in your eye.”

  Sophia chuckled. “I think that’s just the lighting.”

  Slipping his arm across her shoulders, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I do need to ask if you think you’d ever be able to forgive me for not being completely honest in the beginning.”