America's Sweetheart

two | accents & alcohol

^^ Above is Colten Daniels ^^

Edited - 03.19.2022

"Gannon! Jude!"

  My niece and nephew grin and run across the yard. My sister-in-law hears my yell from the garden and calls for my brother before running over to me.

  "Ellie," Jude, my niece, calls adorably from the ground. She holds her arms up, gesturing for me to pick her up.

  "EL! I've missed you."

  I wrap my free arm around Brittney. Gannon pulls on my pants leg and holds his arms up as well. I squat down and pick up the other twin. I prop them up on opposite hips and ease into the house. I go into the kitchen and see my momma cooking dinner.

  "Well it sure does smell good, Momma!"

  "Baby Girl, you're back! Your daddy and your brother are out in the pasture. Why don't you go surprise them? I didn't tell em you were coming."

  "I'm gonna go change and I'll be back for dinner," I hug her and jog upstairs.

  When I get into my old bedroom, I put on an old tee shirt and some cutoff jeans. I quickly slip some of my old boots on and my black hat. I run out to the barn and see Angel's white head sticking out of her stall.

  "Hey, I've missed you. Wanna go for a ride?"

  I kiss her nose and open her stall before I tack her up and ride out to the gate. I open it and lead Angel through before making sure that it's closed good. I hop back on and we steadily make our way down to the creek, where momma said they were.

  "Rhett, give me that hammer," I hear my dad's voice say

  I ease up behind them and off of Angel. Rhett is the first to notice me and he smiles. I hold my finger over my lips and walk up behind my dad. I take his cowboy hat off and he whips around angrily.

  "Emma Lou! Baby girl," he stands and wraps me in a hug.

  I feel my brother hug me too and I smile. I'm home.

^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.

  After supper, Momma, Britt, and I went out on the front porch with a glass of wine. Momma sat in her rocking chair and Britt and I sat on the porch swing.

  "Okay, Pumpkin, it's time for you to spill. I see those gossip magazines in the grocery store. You're the opening act for somebody big?"

  I roll my eyes at my sister-in-law and sip my wine. I see my momma raise an eyebrow at me.

  "Alright. It might be Colton Daniels," I rush out and look down at my glass.

  "Colton Daniels?! The PBR champion turned country star, Colton Daniels?"

  I swirl the deep red liquid around in the thin glass. I hear both my momma and sister-in-law gasp along with a pair of boots running through the house.

  "I'll take that as a yes! Tell us everything," Momma says.

  Rhett bursts through the door and stares at me. None of us girls give him any reaction. His wife eventually waves him off and his shoulders sag and he turns and goes back into the house.

  "He's really handsome and sweet. He's charming and easy to be around. Oh, and his accent is so deep. He recognized my name from when I rode and started talking to me about the rodeo," I gush about a guy for the first time in my life and I feel the heat entering my cheeks.

  "Well, baby girl. It sounds to me like you're smitten for this young, handsome man. If I remember correctly, you always wanted a Johnny and June kind of love," she grins at me and swigs her wine.