I moved back some, so Garrett would look at me. “Garrett, please don’t do this. It’s okay. I promise, it’s okay.”

He shook his head. “No, Emma, that was so irresponsible of me. I promised David…I promised him that I would be careful. We just…oh my God, Emma. What if you get pregnant?”

I smiled. “Then, it would be a part of God’s plan. Garrett, I’m here to stay. I love you more than life itself, and I’m not going back to Austin. I want to be with you—forever.”

Garrett looked at me with a shocked expression on his face. “What do you mean, you’re not going back to Austin?”

I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. I knew Garrett was about to be upset with me, but I didn’t care. “I saw the hurt in your eyes when you thought Philip and I were together. I vowed at that very moment that I would never be the reason you hurt like that again. I told my parents I was quitting school and coming back to Mason…coming back to be with the man I love.”

When I saw the tear slide down his face, everything in that one moment changed. We were meant to be together, and nothing would ever keep us apart.

“Can I ask you something?” Garrett asked as he pushed a piece of loose hair behind my ear.

Then, he ran his finger up and down my arm, and it felt like a million little pricks were stinging me everywhere he touched.

“Always,” I whispered.

“How many condoms did you get out of my drawer?” he asked with a wink.

My mouth dropped opened, and I slapped his arm. “How did you know I got them from your room?”

Garrett shrugged his shoulders. “Lucky guess.”

I smiled and pulled him to me as I slowly began to lie back. I reached over and grabbed the condom. “I was looking for the quilt when I found them. I finally asked your mother where you might have put the quilt I’d made you, and she just smiled and said it was in your truck.”

Garrett’s face turned to panic. “Did she see you getting the condoms?”

“No! Of course not.”

I looked down when I felt Garrett’s hardness pushing against me. When I looked back up, he was ripping open the condom, and I watched as he rolled it over his thick, long shaft. I shivered with anticipation and opened myself to him. This time, Garrett wasn’t as gentle, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. He told me to roll over and get on my hands and knees. It was much deeper this way, and I came almost instantly. Being with Garrett like this would forever be my favorite thing.

I rolled over, and right before Garrett came, he whispered in my ear, “Happy New Year, Buttercup.” As he came, he then whispered my name and told me how much he loved me.

Garrett dropped to my side and tried to catch his breath as I wrapped myself up in the quilt. Tonight was warmer than normal, and I was ready to sleep under the stars with the man I would love forever.

Garrett held on to me, and his breathing began to slow and even out. I found myself being soothed by it. I had never felt so at peace in my life.

I fell asleep and dreamed of white dresses, puppies, babies…and Garrett making love to me against the tree and then the barn.

I felt Garrett moving his hand down my face, and I smiled. I was just about to say something when he covered my mouth. I snapped my eyes open and looked at him.

He put his finger up to his mouth and slowly shook his head. My eyes grew bigger.

Oh God, someone must be coming! My parents! Oh. My. God. My father. Garrett better run if he wants to live.

“Em, don’t move. Stay perfectly still. Can you stay perfectly still?” Garrett whispered.

I swallowed hard and nodded my head.

He very carefully removed his hand from my mouth. “Don’t make a sound.”

I opened my mouth, and he looked at me.

“If it’s my father…run!” I whispered.

Garrett looked at me, confused at first, and then he must have understood what I’d meant.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. “No, it’s not that, but I do need you to be calm. Okay?”

“Calm. I can do calm,” I said with a wink.

When I felt him against me, I immediately began grinding myself against him.

He peeked down and raised one eyebrow. “Em, this is serious.”

I pouted. “What could be more important than you taking me against the tree?”

Garrett’s eyes darted over my head and then back at me. “The rattlesnake near us is kind of taking top priority right now.”

I smiled, but then it hit me. Did he say…rattlesnake?

“What did you say?” I said a little louder.

He held his finger up to his mouth. “Baby, I need you to very slowly start getting up after I get off of you, okay? Don’t make any sudden movements or loud sounds, or the snake will—”

Oh. My. God. He did say rattlesnake!

I pushed him as hard as I could, somehow managing to throw him onto his back, while I let out the loudest scream humanly possible. I was pretty sure my arms where flailing about as I jumped over Garrett before making my way to the car. I jumped into the backseat, and for some reason, I was still screaming. I watched as the snake took off in the other direction. Garrett got up and quickly wrapped the quilt around him. He turned and just looked at me. I let out another scream and then another, but each one got quieter and quieter.

He shook his head as he walked over to the car and opened the door. “Damn, woman, you left me out to burn.”

I threw my hands up to my mouth and started to laugh. “Garrett, I’m so…I’m so sorry, but I just panicked.”

“You don’t say?”

I bit down on my lower lip and felt the blush hit my cheeks when I realized I was still naked.

“I could have been bitten by a snake, and you just took off. Matter of fact, you pushed me out of your way and jumped over me in your escape.”

I slowly dropped my hands and looked behind him to make sure the beast was gone. Then, I remembered my dream last night where Garrett had taken me against the tree.

“Garrett?”

When he gave me that smile of his, I knew I could go forward with this. I pushed him back and got out of the car. Now that it was daylight, I could really see him taking in every inch of my body, and the lust in his eyes turned me on even more.

I lifted my foot and began running it up and down my other leg. “I do believe you promised to…take me up against that tree.”

Garrett dropped the quilt and grinned as I looked at him.

He pulled me to him and put his lips on my neck. “I do believe your exact words were that you wanted me to fuck you against that tree.”