More Than My Hometown

Maybe It's Time....

Chase's POV

I leaned against the bar upstairs at Jason's restaurant lifting my hand up to order a couple of shots that Kaydence had asked for to take the edge off of tonight. She was sitting at a big back table overlooking the dance floor with Brittany and Jason. My head was pounding from it all as I sipped my beer wishing I could take away some of the prying eyes off of her. Everything was trending after the brawl between BG and Morgan earlier. I don't know what set Brantley off but he'd had murder in his eyes. Then shock once he realized Kaydence was seeing all of it.

She was on the phone with her mama checking on Braxton when I came down to the bar. Letting myself slip into my own melancholy thoughts, I thought of the time I'd been in her shoes in a way having the woman I was crazy about up and leave me without a word. Three years later I still had no clue where Jacey had disappeared to. Kaydence had been a good friend talking me off the ledge a few times.

Guess that is why things developed into more between us because we understood what the other was going through. Near about killed me walking into that quiet house after a frantic Brittany called me because I was the only one home and Kaydence had called her freaking out. She'd been curled into a helpless ball clutching the one shirt Brantley left behind in the big walk-in closet.

I debated talking Kay into getting out of Nashville for a few days while Brax was with her mom. Something that didn't involve music and all that tagged along with it in the least. Hide both of our phones maybe affording her a little bit of peace. God knows she desperately needed it because more than likely it was going to be a shit storm for a while longer after tonight's fight. I pulled my phone out of my pocket with the intent of finding a place to do just that knowing her schedule was free when a voice at my elbow made me pause.

"I'll take a whiskey straight up," Morgan told the bartender then turned to look at me with a smirk. His face was already bruising from the hits BG landed along with stitches in his lip. The bartender sat the tray of shots down in front of me before turning to fill his order. He nodded at the shots then looked at me as I narrowed my eyes at him. "Looks like you could use those after tonight as well. I need the whiskey to kick in so my ribs will stop aching. That fucker packs a hell of a punch."

"Knowing your smart ass mouth," I growled my grip tightening on my beer bottle. While I believed Kaydence when she said nothing happened other than a hug backstage that night, it pissed me off that he provoked Brantley tonight dragging her back into this shit all over again. I wanted to pop him for that alone. "You probably deserved it. I should follow it up myself for dragging my girlfriend into this shit show all over again." I turned to walk away but his voice stopped me. I turned meeting his eyes head-on wanting to wipe that smirk off his face. "What did you say?"

"I said," Morgan said with a deep laugh giving me a wink and taking a long sip of his drink. "You're welcome for that by the way. Got to swoop in and look like the good guy while the husband showed his ass." I growled narrowing my eyes to deadly slits. What the hell was he talking about? He took another long drink before speaking again. "Worked out just like he said it would too. You know it only takes the right manipulation of a camera to make an innocent hug look like a hell of a lot more. Fucking genius let me tell you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I roared slamming the tray down grabbing his shirt in both of my fists shaking him. "You better answer me right now!"

"Chill the fuck out Chase!" Morgan said as I let him go pushing him back. He straightened his shirt taking his time answering me. "It was Cole okay. He was still pissed at how things shook out with him and Kaydence. Knew things were rocky with her and BG so he picked the perfect time to rock that boat for good. And now here it is she is on the cusp of getting divorced and you look like the good guy for being there for her. It is a win-win man."

"The pair of you are some despicable assholes," I snarled getting in his face then backed up grabbing the tray of shots. "You better hope I don't find either of you in a dark alley anytime soon. It won't be pretty. And stay the hell away from Kaydence!"

I stomped up the stairs heading back to the table. I paused midway closing my eyes trying to get my temper under control before Kay questioned me on what was wrong. I wasn't going to hide what I found out from her. Just wasn't dropping that particular bombshell tonight after the recent events. Pasting a smile on my face I made my way over to the table sliding the tray of shots to the middle.

Brittany gave me a wide grin then passed them out while I settled back into my chair wrapping an arm around Kaydence. She leaned back against me with a sigh after taking her shot. She turned her head pulling my lips down to hers in a slow kiss making Kasi whistle and Jason groan. A lime hit the top of my head making me flip him off. Kay pulled back giving me a look.

"What took you so long?" she asked biting her lip. There was so much vulnerability there just in that one look. I passed her a shot with a wink watching her toss it back and thinking about her pitching a fit to get out of that dress and heels earlier. Even though she had turned heads any direction she went in that red number, I knew she was more comfortable in the sundress and sandals she'd swapped it for before coming to the after-party. "Trying to get me drunk?"

"If it puts a smile on your face tonight then I aim to please," I said with a wide grin tapping her nose hearing a giggle. I turned my hat around backward then stood up reaching down to pull her to her feet. Brittany let out a loud whistle and laugh when I dipped Kay over my arm then spun her around before guiding her down the steps to the dance floor. Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin Something Right" came on as I pulled Kay into my arms feeling her sigh snuggling close to me. I tickled her sides making her through her head back laughing while I spun her around the hardwood floor.

Loved seeing the carefree smile on her face that she used to have. I turned her around so her back was against my chest while we slowly swayed to the music quietly singing off-key on purpose just to hear more of those throaty laughs. As the song came to an end, I dipped her back over my arm leaning down to gently kiss her not caring who was watching because when I broke it the heart-stopping smile I got in return was worth any hell I would catch. Our eyes locked until her goofy family broke the spell leaning over the banister near the dance floor applauding and cheering like lunatics. Kaydence gave me a wink before tugging me in that direction. At least she was smiling.

Meanwhile across town.....

Aaron's POV

I pushed my way through the back alley bar off a side street in Nashville with PJ in tow. I should have been expecting this call after tonight, but I'd really hoped I wouldn't get it. I ran a hand over my face feeling so damn weary of this whole situation. But walking away isn't what I needed to do because that is what it felt like everyone else was doing. Luke had been fit to be tied by the time the awards were over with because he'd been bending over backward to help. After his brawl with Morgan, Brantley had stomped out of the arena before I or PJ could stop him and lost track of him since then.

Until my phone rang about twenty minutes ago from an old friend. In between combing Nashville for the wayward asshole, I had been helping Kerri run interference over all the shit that went down tonight. Had gutted me seeing Kaydence's face when I ran up trying to pull BG off of Morgan. She'd begged me when it first went down to find out just who leaked those doctored photos that destroyed her already rocky marriage, but I'd let her down. Just let I let her down in my quest to get him sober. He didn't want to be and I was losing faith in even trying to fight him on it anymore.

Reaching the bar, I waved my hand to get the owner's attention who gave me a grim smile before motioning at me to follow him. We wound our way through the small bar to a back booth. I wish the sight before me would have shocked me but it didn't The ashtray holding a pile of cigarette butts sitting next to an empty pack of Marlboro Lights and a zippo that I knew Kaydence had bought him. A couple of shot glasses paired with a now empty fifth of Jim Beam. Then there was Brantley stretched out in the booth on the vinyl seat sleeping like the dead completely passed out. I turned meeting PJ's eyes.

"Go get my truck," I murmured studying the man in front of us pulling my phone out of my pocket to dial Keith. Guess it was time to put our foot down. Glad my bags were already packed. I'd have to think of some excuse to give Kaydence on why BG wouldn't be getting Braxton next week. Cross that bridge when I got there. "Time to come down with some tough love this damn idiot sorely needs."