A Bond Never Broken

Chapter 11

Luke's POV

It had been a week since I arrived at Caroline's house to meet our sons. It had been an amazing week. That is, of course until I woke up with the sunlight streaming through the curtains today. Where did it happen to hit? My face. Lucky me. I sat up slightly to check the clock. It read 6:38 am. I rubbed my face and turned on my side. I gently wrapped my arm around Caroline and closed my eyes with the intention of falling back asleep. After about ten minutes, I gave up.

"Craaap," I quietly groaned in the way Reba would in Reba.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and picked my pants off of the ground. I slipped them on and headed out into the kitchen. I like that her house was an open floor plan. Most things were on the first level, but the boys' bedroom and bathroom, guestroom, and a spare room were upstairs.

The aroma of coffee hit my nose as I entered the kitchen. Thank heavens Caroline had a set timer so it would be brewed. I had no idea where things were still and I needed coffee in the morning or else I was a horrific, moody mess the remainder of the day.

I opened a bunch of different cabinets until I found the coffee mugs. As I reached for a mug, I stopped and slowly put my hand down. Caroline had kept it; the mug I used back in college. The mug was camouflage and had Professional Country Man labeled on the front. I couldn't believe all of these years she had kept one of my favorite things. I figured she would be like any ex- obviously girlfriend now- and throw it all out to down the pain. Or at least give it to Goodwill. But this proved to me that my girl was different; you don't find a flower like that very often. But she was my special flower.

"Daddy, why are staring at the coffee cups?"

I turned around, a bit startled by Bo.

"I was thinking, buddy,"I answered him as I poured myself some coffee.

"About what?" Bo questioned deeper as he crawled up into one of the bar stools at the kitchen island.

"Wait, did you call me daddy?" I asked, shocked that I didn't catch it before -hand.

"Yeah, of course, I called you daddy. Why wouldn't I?" Bo tilted his head to the side.

I chuckled, "Don't you remember? You wanted to call me Mr.Bryan until you were ready to call me daddy."

I opened the fridge and pulled out some milk for Bo. I filled a glass half full and slid it across the island to him. Bo took a gulp, leaving a "milkstach" as he called it.

"Because, you're cool enough to be my dad now. You play ball with me, you race cars with Tate and I, you call me cool nicknames, you give me piggy-back rides to bed. Oh, and, you sing my favorite songs. You have a really cool voice daddy. I think that's cool. I want to to be just like you when I grow up!"

Bo hopped off of the bar stool and ran over to the large drawer next to the stove. He pulled out two big spoons and handed one to me.

"Come on, daddy!" Bo enthused as he ran across the kitchen into the living room. "Teach me how to shake it!"

I laughed as I joined him in the living room. "And how did you know I shake it on stage?"

"Because these older girls were squealing over your video and I want girls to scream at me." Bo responded with a cheeky smile.

I ruffled his hair. He was just like I was when I was his age- fawning over girls.

"Okay, Bo, first, hold your microphone up like this." Bo followed suit and paid attention. "Then, hold your belt buckle and twist your hips almost like this."