More Than My Hometown

This Town's Not Big Enough: Part I

Luke's POV

I was halfway up the stairs with determination to give my pillow some head when the slamming front door caused me to pause on the first landing with a wince. Maybe I shouldn't have turned down Jason's invitation to come over tonight. I turned seeing what appeared to be my irate wife stalking through the house. She started up the stairs muttering, okay cussing, under her breath shaking her blonde head. Looking up seeing me I became the focus of her anger even though I knew it wasn't my fault.

"Go down there right now Thomas Luther and beat his ass," she snarled shaking a finger at me the closer she got. I sighed knowing it wouldn't do a lick of good and she knew that. There were some days BG got so dark we probably could load the pistol for him. Stopping in front of me I saw the sheen of tears in her worried blue eyes. "I just don't understand. Why? I ask myself that a million times a day. He only looks halfway happy when Brax is here. Music isn't even doing it for him anymore. Have we really lost him this time?"

"Baby," I sighed pulling her to me hugging her tight. "He has to be the one to want to put the bottle down. None of us can make him. Lord knows we have tried and are trying."

"He needs Kay," Caroline muttered wiping at her frustrated tears. "But instead of taking the humongous chip off his shoulder, he is hell-bent on using whiskey to put a bandaid on bullet holes rather than call his wife. Can we just lock her in a room with him?"

"And have the coroner on standby?" I said with a humorless chuckle lacing my fingers with hers leading her up the stairs. "They would probably kill each other. Have you talked to Kaydence lately?"

"Yea," Caroline sighed walking into our room heading to the dresser pulling her jewelry before pulling out a set of sleep shorts. She turned to look at me while changing her clothes out. "Part of the reason I walked down to see Brax before heading to bed. I wanted to check on them both. Tugged at my heartstrings seeing Brax curled up on the couch sleeping contently on Brantley like neither of them having a care in the world. But PJ filled me in on how bad the last couple of days really were that Aaron sobered him up before he made it back with Brax." I pulled my shirt over my head then pulled the covers back watching Caroline go about her nightly routine. I understood her frustrations. We all had them watching two of our good friends going through so much hell because of each other. What came out of her mouth next slightly shocked me because Caroline had always been team Kay/BG. "Maybe she is better off with Chase. She doesn't doubt him caring about her Luke."

"Like she has with BG from the beginning," I finished for her as she climbed in bed curling into my side. "Yea I overheard that conversation. Brantley loves her I have never doubted that. But I just don't understand why he is being so stubborn. Plus, doctored photos aside, why in the hell would he think she would cheat on him with Morgan of all people? Yes, she released a song with him because it was a great fit but there is nothing there. Kay looks at him like a little kid compared to her since she is a few years older. It is just one big shit show right now baby."

"You aren't lying," Caroline said with a snort snuggling closer to me before yawning. "It is also exhausting. Britt did snap a couple of photos from tonight. Kaydence almost looked like her old self. I almost was tempted to forward them to the whiskey-drinking hermit in our guest house hoping to shock him into sobriety but knew it would make things worse."

"Next week at the awards is going to be a shock enough for him," I muttered getting comfortable wrapping my arms around her. "I think we all will be on our guard for that."

Kaydence's POV

Looking in the mirror at my reflection, I pulled in a shaky sigh on my quiet bus. The only noise was the running of the generator along with a couple of passing sounds outside. It was easier to get ready for the CMT awards here than at the house because it put me closer to the arena. PJ had assured me that Brantley's bus would not be here and they would be coming from Luke's instead. I refused to think back to the last time Brantley and I had walked a red carpet together. It had been forced smiles that after our argument right before leaving our hotel room in Vegas.