Middle of a Memory

Chapter 3

Cole looked at his wife. Delilah forced a smile. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Baby, you're ghost white and burning up. You're goin back to bed."

"Cole..."

"Don't Cole me, Lila Marie. Get your butt back in the bed." He pointed at the bedroom.

"But it's Mall of America! I've been lookin forward to this." She pouted.

"I know you have, darlin but you're obviously sick. Do you want me to get Luke to make you go back to bed?"

"What are you gonna do about clothes?" She sneezed into a tissue.

"I'll take Cheryl with me." He turned her back towards the bedroom and gave her a push. "I'll even buy you something pretty but you have to get back in bed and stay there."

"Fine." She huffed back into the bedroom with him following. She climbed back into her gray Georgia sweats and slid back into bed.

Cole smiled. She looked pitiful with her nose red and stuffy. Her hair was piled on top of her head and she wasn't wearing any makeup.

"I'm gonna send Hunter for meds."

"K. Think he'll bring me some soup?" She asked.

"Yes. I'll make him." He dropped a kiss onto her head. Her eyes were closing before he stood back up. "I love you. Text me if you need me."

"Love you too." She mumbled.

Cole shut the door to the bedroom and exited the bus. Cheryl was coming off the crew bus. "Hey, Cheryl, you up for shoppin?"

"Sure, where's that pretty wife of yours?"

"She's sick so I made her stay in bed."

"Poor thing."

"Yea, Lila hates being sick. You literally have to make her take medicine and take it easy. She'll push herself until she can't stand up."

"You'll take good care of her..." Cheryl smiled.

Mike turned on the camera as they entered the mall. Cole walked around for a bit before going into the Urban Outfitters.

He tried on a few shirts causing Mike and Cheryl to laugh. After he got what he wanted they stopped for lunch. Then the hit up the jewelry store. Mike zoomed in on Cole's face.

"Whatcha buyin?"

"Somethin for my pain in butt wife. She's sick and upset she couldn't come with us. So I told her I'd buy her something pretty. Something to cheer her up and make her smile."

"You're a sucker for her aren't you?" Mike asked. Cole smiled into the camera. "Yes. But as any man will tell you, Luke Bryan's baby sister is gorgeous and she's all mine so I want to make her happy."

Cole looked at the lockets. He settled for a diamond and white gold heart on a simple white gold chain. "This should put a smile on her face. I'm gonna get her a little something else but that I'm not gonna show ya. You'll have to wait to see it."

Delilah was sniffling when Luke boarded the bus with the chicken noddle soup. He tapped on the bedroom door. "Lils?"

"Come in." She croaked out.

He peeked in. "Oh baby sister. You look horrible."

"Thanks. I feel worse." She rolled her eyes.

"I got you some soup. Cole said you wanted some. He also asked Hunter to go get you some meds." He tossed the plastic bag onto the bed and handed her the soup.

"Thank you." She put the soup on the table and opened the bag. Hunter had gotten her Theraflu and some cough drops. There were also a couple of bottles of water and couple of cans of Sprite.

"Tell Hunter thanks."

"I will. Listen I'd stay and keep you company but I have an interview. You ok by yourself?"

"Yes. Cole should be back soon."

"K. Text me if you need anything." Like her husband had done, Luke kissed her head.

She ate the soup and took some of the medicine Hunter had gotten her. She laid back down on the bed. Before she knew it she was out again.

When Cole returned from the mall he looked in on her. She was sleeping. He kissed her forehead. Her fever was gone but she was still pale and sniffling. He smiled and put the small box on the pillow next to her before leaving to go to sound check.

A couple of hours later she woke. "Cole?"

She spotted the box. She sat up and picked it up. There was a note. "You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. I said I'd buy you something pretty. I love you."

She grinned and opened the box. Inside was the heart. "Because you have my heart." A small note taped to the inside read.

She blinked back the tears that were filling her eyes. He was good to her. Too good sometimes. It hadn't been easy. But somehow some way they had made it. She didn't know how she had gotten so lucky but she thanked God every day for sending Cole to her.

Delilah was had just come in from the gym when her phone dinged at her. It was a text. She tossed her keys onto the counter. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the beautiful picture attached to the text. "Meet me here tomorrow. Don't tell anyone."

She smiled "I'll be there by 4."

"Better be." Came the response a few seconds later.

She wiped her eyes and ran up the stairs to start packing. She hadn't seen her husband in four days and was missing him like crazy. She pulled a suitcase from the closet as her phone went off again. She glanced down at the display. She slid her finger across the screen. "Hello?"

"Hey. What are you doin?"

"Oh nothing. Just got home. Cleanin..."

"Cole isn't back yet?"

"No. He's still in Orange Beach. Then it's off to New York. Why?"

"Just wondering if you wanted some company?"

"As good as that sounds I'm beat and all I want is food, a bath and the bed with a movie.... Rain check?"

"Ok. Call me later?"

"Sure."

Delilah tossed the phone onto the dresser and began pulling clothes from the closet. She zipped the suitcase and grinned. She wasn't telling anyone where she was going. She went downstairs to put the suitcase in her Jeep. She started dinner and cleaned up after herself. The house was quiet. She missed the noise and mess of Cole being home. She knew he was working so she couldn't complain too much. But it didn't make missing him any less hard. She had enjoyed spending time out on the road with him but she had a business to run and needed to get home after a couple of weeks.  Now he was surprising her with news of his own.