Smokin Gun

Chapter Three

Stephanie's POV

I was curled up on Brantley's couch with papers spread out on one side and Sylo curled up on the other side. I had gotten a text from him on my way home from work that he would be in the basement working on a couple of songs so to just head over when I wanted and make myself at home.

I had run in and changed into a pair of black Pink sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt since the day had turned out much cooler than I had expected. Be good and cool for tomorrow night. I had gathered up my stuff and headed over to B's. I knew he would be up whenever he got finished.

I was so intent on the papers around me and listening to the movie I didnt realize I wasn't alone until I felt a scruffy chin drag along my neck causing me to jump which dislodged Sylo's head from my knee causing him to let out a disgruntled woof. Turning my head, I met the pair of laughing green eyes looking at me.

"Asshole," I grumbled before catching a whiff of the bowl of chili he had in his hand causing my stomach to growl. He laughed and rolled his eyes before handing me the bowl and glass of tea over the back of the couch.

"Woman, I swear you are always hungry," he called over his shoulder as he headed back into the kitchen. I moved carefully to sit the bowl and glass down on the coffee table in front of me before sliding down to put my back against the leather couch and pulling my knees up. I sat the bowl on top of them and dug in, moaning on the first bite. I heard a laugh and opened my eyes to grin over at B as he dropped down in his recliner with his own bowl shaking his head at me.

"What?" I asked with a grin. "I cant2 help it that your chili is so damn good." He rolled his eyes at me and smiled before we both turned our attention back to eating and the TV.

"I know I say this almost every time Steph, but Ashley Wilkes is a pussy. Why in the hell does Scarlett want him so bad? "Brantley asked with a laugh. I choked on the sip of tea I had just taken and coughed before answering.

"Because he and her first two husbands she could run right over. They couldn't handle her," I said with a laugh as I stood up to take my empty bowl into the kitchen.

"Sounds like to me she needs a good smack across the ass," Brantley said as I reached my hand out for his bowl as well. I snorted and rolled my eyes as I walked off.

"You're probably right," I said with a laugh. I heard him crack up as he reached down and pulled the lever to raise the foot rest of his recliner up and sprawling out.

Brantleys POV

A while later, I was kicked back reading some of the emails on my phone when I glanced over at Stephanie out of the corner of my eye. She had pulled her blonde hair up in a messy bun and slipped her reading glasses on. It pissed her off that she was needing them since she'd gotten older. She had papers scattered around that she was grading, her red pen between her teeth and was concentrating on something she was typing out on the tablet in her lap.

She looked so damn cute but I knew if I told her that right now she would roll her eyes at me and possibly toss a remote at my head. I smiled to myself remembering her as a feisty ten-year-old threatening to break my nose for taking the swing away from her. It was just something about that tiny blonde with pig tails getting in my face with an attitude that had just pulled me to her.

We have been inseparable pretty much ever since. She didn't speak to me for almost a year when my addictions had gotten really bad. Said she couldn't watch me slowly kill myself anymore. But she was the first one after Moma to visit me after I could have visitors in rehab. She was in tears and screaming when she called to tell me she had heard me on the radio for the first time. She had picked up the pieces and broken bottles after Amber had left. Almost had to bail her out of jail when she found out Jana had cheated on me.