Best of Me

Chapter 38

Brantley POV

Well today is the day we all surprise Bells, I told her that she needed to dress up today that I had a surprise for her. She's getting ready now and it's a good thing because we will be pulling into Juniors place in about 15 minutes. Justin and the band are all in the trucks but Bells and I are still on the bus.  The last few days and nights have been wonderful, I love her so much and I have tried to show her just how much.
   As we start to pull in the driveway that goes to his main house I walk to the back. She has on a pair of ripped up Capri and a lace halter top that shows off her shoulders. She's gonna drive me crazy all day. I ask if she's ready and she tells me she has to slip her sandals on. As she sits on the bed I pull out a black bandana and tell her I have to cover her eyes. She agrees but doesn't like it.
I pick her up and carry her off the bus and up to the door of Juniors house. He's waiting on me and I set Bells down and look around at all the people she loves. She's either gonna hate me or love me I'm not sure which but I ask her if she's ready and she nods. So I take off the blind fold and everyone yells "SURPRISE HAPPY BIRTHDAY" all she does is stand there with her mouth open, looking from them to me and back. That is when I see her mom and a man who I am assuming is her dad step forward and hug her. She starts crying and so do they, Bells pulls back and grabs my hand and pulls me close and said," Mom, dad, I want you to meet Brantley Gilbert my boyfriend. Brantley this is my mom Jessica and my dad Robert McCoy. I hold my hand out to shake and her mom pulls me into a hug and whispers Thank you. I shake her dads hand and he pulls me in for a bro hug and tells me we have to talk. I just nod my head.
    Once that was done everyone else came forward, Junior, Amy, Kelley and her family, and then Chase to hug her and wish her happy birthday. Junior told us that lunch was ready to make our way to the back patio and fix a plate.
   As we made our way to the food tables, Chase came up behind me and said,"you know you have to face the men in her life today all at once"
I replied," yeah I know man and I plan on it cause I love her and I'm not letting her get away"
   He nods and walks off. Bells looks at me and said," How did you pull it off?"
  I replied,"It wasn't me it was Chase and Junior"
    At that time Junior stood up and said," You all know that we are here to celebrate Iz and her birthday after 7 years of not being able to celebrate I thought it called for a damn celebration and I know that Jessica and Robert thought so too. So with that being said enjoy today there is food and games and the pool and of course later we can go down to Whiskey River. Make yourselves at home. Now Iz, since you haven't accepted presents for the last 7 years from any of us we had some making up to do. So as you will see there is a stack for when you get through eating."
    We eat and catch up with everyone and Bells mom and dad ask all the questions that you ask your daughter's boyfriend. I answer and when her dad said," What are your intentions with my daughter"and gave me the cold glare, I knew that he and I needed to talk alone. I motion my head and we both get up and Bells stands up in protest and her mother tells her to sit down. Bells looks lost so I kiss her on the forehead and tell her that I will be back in a little bit that I need to talk to her daddy.
   I follow Robert down to the fence line and he said," What are your intentions with IsabellA?"

"I love her and I want to marry her Mr McCoy, I know that we haven't known each other all that long but I got to know her as a friend first. We talked for hours on end while we worked on the bus going from place to place. I wanted to talk to you and your wife and get your permission and blessing before I asked her. I know that there have been a lot of changes in her life lately but I want to think they have been good changes. I said.

  "Well Brantley I don't know that I am okay with giving you my blessing. That's my little girl, my baby and we just got her back to herself after 7 long years. But then I think that if it wasn't for you we wouldn't have her back. You have made her whole again. I can see that she loves you and I see that you love her. And to be honest that is hard for a dad to admit. I don't have to give you my blessing cause she is 30 years old but I will cause I know that you make her happy and from what everyone has told me, you would do anything for her and that is all I ever really wanted for my baby girl. So yes you have my blessing." Rober said.

"Hell Robert couldn't you have made him sweat it out a little?" Chase asked as we turned around.
  Chase and Junior stood there and I looked at them and said," do I have your blessings as her older brothers?"
   Junior said," I fell in love with Iz when she was born and I held that pink bundle for the first time. I was 13 and I promised her that day I would always be her guardian and I have done that. I knew that Brady and Chase would be so overprotective it would drive her crazy so I was her friend and guardian. She's happier than I have seen her in a long time so yea you have my blessing."

Chase said," I knew that night that we saw each other again. I saw how you looked at her not with lust but there was something else in your eyes even then BG. She lit up that day you walked off the bus in a real smile, one that came from within her and radiated. I hadn't seen that since before Brady died. At that moment I knew she had found what she had been searching for, her other half. So even though I wanted to kill you this last week, I give you my blessing cause you didn't give up even when she thought the worst and wouldn't let you explain, you were there for her on one of the worst days of the year. So yes I give you my blessing cause I know that Brady would."
 
   "Thank y'all I promise to make her happy and love her until my last breath although I will probably make her mad too. I love her and it was hell that week without her. I promise to protect her with everything that I have." I tell them.
Robert tells us that we need to head back before she comes out and gives us all a chewing. The guys laugh and I chuckle knowing that he is right cause about the time we make it around the corner of the patio I see Bells get up and tell her mother that she has sat there long enough that it was ridiculous she was 30 years old and she was going to rescue me from those crazy men in her life.  We all stop and laugh and she turns around and sees us. I wink at her then raise my eyebrow and she comes running to me and I have to catch her. She holds me close and says," I love you are you okay"
I just whisper in her ear," I'm fine Bells, you know I love you too baby"
   We then gather around and watch as some get in the pool and the rest just talk. They are all catching up on the last 7 years. I listen to the stories they tell and the band asks questions and I look around and know that Bells is my future.