Georgia

Chapter 27

Caroline

Opening my eyes I notice the room is dark except for the faint light coming from the muted TV on the wall. I look down to see Luke in the chair his top half slumped over onto the bed his head resting on his arm the other one out next to me holding my hand. He moves a little.

"You know that looks like a really uncomfortable way to sleep." I say to him as he opens his eyes.

He picks his head up twisting and stretching out his neck, "I'll survive. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just tired."

"You should be sleeping, it's late. Do you want me to leave? I can go out to the waiting room."

I let go of his hand so I can push myself over in the bed. "Come on country boy, there's room for you here." I say patting the bed beside me.

He climbs into the bed next to me, I lean forward so he can put his arm around me and I put my head on his chest. He smells so good, I've missed his smell. His touch, his kiss, I've missed everything about him. I could fall asleep like this, in his arms every night for the rest of my life.

"So I got a pretty interesting phone call this afternoon while you were snoring away."

"I do not snore!"

"You snore. Don't worry, it's pretty adorable."

"I don't but if did of course it'd be adorable. So who was your interesting phone call from?"

"Her name is Kerri Edwards. She works at a publishing company in Nashville. She was out at the The Stage that night and saw me and the guys perform. She wants to set up a meeting for next time I'm back in Tennessee."

"Oh my gosh, Luke! That's awesome. You're going to get signed, I know it."

"We'll see, we'll see. Uh...your dad come by earlier. He left that for you." He says pointing to a ring box sitting on the tray next to me.

I look over at it and smile, I know that box. I told him the way I feel about Luke is the same way he felt about mom and he understands, he gets it. I know that inside that ring box is my mom's engagement ring and their wedding bands.

Luke looks down at me, "Why are you smiling? What's in the box?"

"My future." I say. He leans down and kisses me. "You know what I could really go for right now?" I say looking up at him.

"Caroline Boyer there are people right outside that door!" he says pretending to be shocked.

I smack his chest lightly, "Oh whatever! That is so not what I was talking about."

"Sure it wasn't. It's ok, I am kinda hard to resist." He says cocking his head to the side and giving me a cute smile.

"What I was going to say was that I could go for a song from soon-to-be big time country music star Luke Bryan." 

"I think I can do that." He says wrapping his arm around me tighter, pulling me closer to him.

He starts to hum a melody and I immediately know it's the same one from the night we danced in the tree house. I close my eyes, my head resting on his chest as he starts to sing.

"I've got a pocket full of money
And pocket full of keys that have no bounds
But then I think of lovin'
And I just can't get you off of my mind"

I fall asleep to sound of his voice, his arms around me, my head rising and falling with the slow movement of his chest.

~~

I dream about Oak Harbor that night. It's different this time though. My dad is there a short gray beard covering his jaw. My mom sitting next to me her once bright blonde hair now light and thin, soft wrinkles around her pretty blue eyes. A noise from inside the house startles me. I look towards the door just as a small brown-haired boy with blue eyes comes barreling out running down the front steps. I laugh, looking after him confused, who is that?

He runs straight towards my dad. My dad kneeling down to catch him in a hug. They laugh as the little boy knocks him backwards and they both fall back on the ground. I look at the door again and Luke is walking out with a chubby cheeked toddler on his shoulders.

"City girl." He says bending down to kiss the top of my head before they walk out to where my dad is standing. He stops halfway down the path and turns, the little boy on his shoulders smiling and waving at me. Luke gives me a wink and one of his heart stopping smiles.

My mom reaches over and takes my hand, "I did good with that one didn't I baby?"

"You?" I ask still looking out at my dad, Luke and those two perfect little boys. The older boy holding a fishing pole out into the water while Luke stands by his side his arm across his back. My dad has the other boy in his arms spinning him around in circles, a huge smile on my dad's face as he laughs. The boys brown eyes lighting up every time my dad spins him faster.

"Sometimes these sort of things need a little help. Just a small push in the right direction. Like stumbling onto a peanut farm in Georgia or a being in a crowded bar in Nashville or having the motivation to drive 3000 miles across the country to get the girl."

I turn to say something to her but she's gone, the chair next to me empty. I look up towards the sky, smile and say "Thank you, mommy." Then I get up to go join my beautiful family out by the water.