ABC/CRAIG SJODINIt's week three on The Bachelorette and only 16 sexy suitors are left vying for Emily Maynard's attention in her hometown of Charlotte, N.C.
First up for the one-on-one date? Chris, the 25-year-old sales director, who Emily revealed has been on the top of her list "since day one."
And in standard dramatic Bachelorette style, Emily made her man work for their meal, but that was hardly the biggest shocker at dinner.
Emily had no qualms taking her relationship with Chris to new heights—literally. After Chris received a note from Emily with the message "Love is a steady climb," he and Maynard proceeded to hop into harnesses and climb the wall of a building to have a romantic rooftop dinner.
Things couldn't have gone better for the couple until Chris dropped a bombshell—he's only 25-years-old. "I didn't know you were 25. Really? Have you told me that before?" Emily said with a clear sense of discomfort, before revealing her concerns:
"Hearing that Chris is 25 was a little scary for me. I feel like that is maybe a red flag. He has to realize that this a package deal and I come with a young daughter."
But the young man proves he's wise beyond his years—reassuring Emily that he's ready for a family and ultimately receiving the coveted rose. He even manages to snag a first kiss while dancing and cuddling with Emily during a live country band performance! How sweet!
Of course, Chris wasn't the only one put to the test, Emily brought some of her closest girlfriends to grill a dozen dudes—namely Charlie, Alejandro, Alessandro, Stevie, Ryan, Sean, John, Michael, Doug, Jef, Travis and Tony—and discover who really is husband material.
The two who fared best? Sean and Doug—and Emily tells Sean he made a great impression on her friends. Doug later opens up to Emily, revealing that his dad passed away from epilepsy and he was in and out of foster homes for much of his life. Before giving away the group date rose, Emily also had a heart to heart with Tony, who has been having trouble being away from his son.
Emily explains to Tony that she understands where he's coming from and ultimately decides to send him home, saying that she couldn't bear to keep him away from his son if she wasn't completely sure that she could see herself with him. She then tells the remaining men about her decision before presenting Sean with the group date rose.
Up next? Arie receives the second one-on-one date card which reads "Love is a wild ride" and the duo ventures to Dollywood in Tennessee. Emily is overwhelmed with happiness when her idol, Dolly Parton, takes the stage and performs a song written for the two of them. "I could die. I could die," Emily exclaims as Dolly takes the stage. "This is like the best moment of my life." The two then share a "wild ride" for Emily's first roller coaster adventure.
Later at dinner, the conversation revolved around Arie's past relationships, particularly his last girlfriend who had two children. Arie shares how close he felt to his ex's kids and reassures Emily that he's ready for a commitment. The sweet-talk and kiddie-loving certainly won Emily's heart—Arie snagged a rose and several kisses on a carousel ride at the end of their date.
Cue the cocktail hour as Emily dons a beautiful gold dress for the final rose ceremony. She takes a moment to speak individually with Kalon and things get awkward when he expresses hurt over not being picked for a date, "I love it when you talk, but I wish you would let me finish," Kalon said. Ouch!
The craziness continued as Travis decides to get rid of the egg named Shelly that he's been toting around since day one and he lets Emily shatter his unusual companion. Next, she speaks with Alessandro and he reveals he doesn't have a lot of experience with kids, but says he's willing to make a "compromise." Not the best move, Alessandro, Emily confesses that she sees it as an "honor" to be Ricki's dad before sending Alessandro packing. Two down!
The last causality of the night? Stevie. "It sucks and it hurts…she obviously saw more in those guys than she did in me" he says as he walks out.
Things are really starting to heat up for Emily and her men—hit the comments to sound off on your early favorites!