Middle of a Memory

Chapter 2

April 2014

Delilah was loading the dishwasher when Cole came in. He looked pissed. He took his jacket off and hung it on the hook. He opened the fridge and got a beer. He slammed the door before sitting down at the counter and twisting off the cap. She raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything until he put the bottle down.

"Problem?" She asked softly wiping off the counter.

"Fuckin media....I swear to...."

"Stop." She gave him a look. "What happened now?"

"They printed another story about how I married you because you're Luke's sister and I was tryin to get my foot in the door..." He took another pull from the bottle.

Delilah finished wiping off the counters before speaking. "You know you can't let them get to you..."

"It's kinda hard not to, Lila. It's in my face. Every time I turn around there's another story." He snapped.

Again she raised her eyebrows but this time she crossed her arms. "I get you're pissed off, Cole, but don't come home and take it out on me. I didn't write the damn thing and I didn't tell them to write it. I'll be upstairs folding laundry when you calm down and decide to talk to me like a rational person."

She left him sitting at the counter and went upstairs to their bedroom. She was sitting cross legged on the bed folding towels twenty minutes later when he came in. He stood in the doorway and watched her for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry."

"For?" She looked over at him.
"Takin it out on you. I know you didn't write it or tell them to write it. It just pisses me off that they can write that crap and then the fans read it." He came into the room.

Delilah finished folding the towel in her hand and placed it on the stack in front of her. She smiled softly. "I know it does, honey. But there's nothing we can do. We just have to ignore it." She picked up another towel and started to fold it when he snatched it from her. He crawled onto the bed and grabbed her legs. He pulled them out from under her. She squealed as her back hit the mattress. Cole leaned over her. "What are you doin?" She laughed.

"I'm about to distract myself from the media. In fact there are two of them parked in front of our house right now." He murmured against her neck.

"Oh really?" She ran her hands over his back. "How are you gonna do that?"

"Oh you know." He grinned for the first time and pulled his shirt over his head.

"I'm folding clothes...."

"It can wait." He kissed her mouth. She lost herself in his kiss until the ringing of his phone caused her to sigh. "You better get it. It might be Kerri."

"It is." He pulled away and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Hey, KP. What's up?"

Delilah went back to folding the laundry. She went into their bathroom to put away the towels. Cole was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was listening to something Kerri was saying. She put away the clothes and climbed back onto the bed beside him. She ran her hands over his back and he grinned. "Yea. I know. I..."

She kissed his neck and felt him shiver. "Stop." He mouthed with a smile.

She shook her head and pressed kisses to his jaw. "Kerri, listen I will be there. I promise. Lila too. But right now I just need..."

Delilah was tracing circles on his back and it was getting hard for him to think. "Yea I hear you...ok... I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, KP." He hung up and tossed his phone onto the floor. He snagged his wife around her waist. "I was on the phone."

She was laughing as he pinned her to the bed. "And?"

"You were making it very hard to concentrate on what Kerri was sayin." He nipped at her bottom lip.

"I'll repeat...and?" She ran her hand down his back.

"You know you can't do that when I'm on the phone, Lils....."

"Are you goin to punish me?" Her blue eyes darkened at the thought.

"Maybe..." He unsnapped her jeans and shoved them down her legs. "I should but I think maybe....I'll just love you instead."

Afterwards she was wrapped in his arms under the sheet. "That's the kinda distraction I could get used to." He kissed her head.

"Me too.... I'm gonna go down and start dinner...." She sat up.

"Oh no you don't..." He pulled her back down beside him. "We'll order in. I don't want to leave this bed."

"Well in that case..." She pulled hishead down for a kiss

Cole loved her slowly and thoroughly before she snuggled against him. "I'm sad you're leavin in two days. I've enjoyed havin you home."

"I know. But I'll be back in two weeks."

"It's just hard when you've been home for a while then you leave." She whispered.

"I know, baby. I'm gonna miss you. Gonna miss this." He kissed her head. "But I have an idea."

"What?"

"Let's go out tonight. Just you and me. We'll get dressed up and we'll go have some fun."

Dinner was amazing. Just the two of them. Lost in their own little world. "Why don't you come out with me? Luke would love havin you out there...."

"Cole..."

"Don't you dare say it's my world, Lila. It's your world too. I want my wife there. I want to see you side stage..."

"What about the store?"

"Hannah can  handle it for a couple of weeks. Caroline's here... she's been wanting to take a more active roll in the store..."

"She has." Delilah agreed. "I'll call her tomorrow and see if she's up to it."

"That's all I can ask for." He kissed her fingers. "Now let's go home and eat those brownies I know you've been hiding from me."

"HEY! How do you know about my brownie stash?" She laughed.

"Because you're not as sneaky as you thought." He grinned and made the right towards their house.

"You better not have eaten them all, Colden Rainey!"