Smokin Gun

Chapter Twenty-Six: Part I

Brantley's POV

I took a deep breath as the plane reached altitude and looked over at my wife. She had been pale as a ghost ever since I told her we were going to talk. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to her as she did the same. I placed my hand on her arm stilling her motions making her freeze. Stephanie slowly turned to look up at me and my heart cracked at the tears there.

I stood and grabbed her hand pulling her behind me and sat down on the leather couch across from us. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. I turned to the side pulling my leg up and faced her. We just looked at each other for a moment. Each of us unsure on who needed to start.

"Sweetheart, I'm......," I said.

"B, I'm so......," she said at the same time and then shot me the first tentative smile I'd had from her in days. "You go".

I reached over and placed my hand on hers squeezing them gently.

"I'm sorry for some of the things I said the other night. I would have been a little calmer if I had known what was going on," I said slowly.

"I know," she said quietly looking over at me. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I knew it would be a fight and like an idiot I thought it would be easier to not say anything. I really was focused on hanging out with the girls and seeing Tyler play. B, can I ask you something that has been bothering me lately?"

"Baby girl, you know you can ask me anything?" I said looking at her in concern.

"If I hadn't gotten pregnant with Carson, would we be where we are today?" she asked me softly looking down at her hands. I sighed. I knew this question would be coming one day. It wasn't a matter of if, just when. I traced a long finger over her engagement ring and swallowed deeply.

"Yes, we would sweetheart. Things shifted between us after the CMT awards a few years ago. We both had stopped dating at that point, we've talked about this. After I got back on the road later that June, I bought this," I said tapping the ring.

" I didn't know how long it would take me to get the guts to ever say anything but I wanted to be ready when I did. When I came home that following April on break, I had planned on asking you to go on the road with me when school let out and make you realize we had been pretty much dating for the last year. But then I overheard you talking to Kolby that night and then you went out with Michael. I didn't want to push you and then lose you. I opened my mouth once before and fell flat on my face."

I lifted my eyes and looked at Stephanie who had tears streaming down her face. I scooped her up to place her gently in my lap and she buried her head in my chest.

"B, it wasn't that you fell flat on your face that night. You were so messed up when you got there, and as much as I wanted to believe what you were saying. I just couldn't," she whispered. "I had been watching the door all night long waiting on you to get there. One, because it was my birthday and two, well deep down I wanted you to get me out of there."

"Baby why even go to that point in the first place?" I asked. I couldn't help it. I had too. She pulled her face back and looked up at me.

"Why Jana, B?" she said looking deep in my eyes. I sighed and nodded my head. I knew what she meant. We both had just been settling because we thought we couldnt have the person we really wanted.

"Getting that picture broke my heart you know?" she said blinking back tears. I gave her a curious look.

"Baby, what picture?" I asked tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and studied her.

"The one of you two right after you proposed," she said glaring at me.

"I didn't send you any pictures Stephanie," I said shaking my head. "I may have been pissed off about Chase at the time but I wouldn't have done that to you."
I heard my wife growl then realization hit.

"Ohhhh that bitch," Stephanie snapped. "I'm gonna break her nose, again."

I pulled her closer and kissed her head. "Easy killer, I think there have been enough punches thrown for a little while."

"What do we do to fix this B?" she asked settling her head onto my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her tighter. Felt so damn good to have her back in my arms after the last few days.

"We dont put us on the back burner of our lives for starters," I murmured stroking a hand up and down her back. "Baby girl, you are my saving grace. I can't lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere B," she said sitting up to look at me. "I promised til death do us part remember?"

"That you did darlin," I said giving her a soft smile. "You are stuck with me baby girl. "
She rolled her eyes playfully at me.

"I've been stuck with you since I checked yes to being your best friend at ten years old," she said smiling at me. I studied her blue eyes for a minute looking into them deeply.

"I'm so sorry Stephanie Lynn," I said softly.

"For what B?" she asked scanning my face for what I was about to say.

"For taking so long. I should have buried my fears and made a move way sooner than I did. Sometimes I wish our lives were different and.....".
I was stopped with her putting a finger to my lips before sliding her hands onto my face to cup my cheeks.

"Stop baby," she said looking into my eyes. "As much as some of our past is ugly and hurts, we wouldn't be the people we are today. And I am so damn proud of the man and father you have become. This is the path God laid out for us. I'm the light in your darkness, the Bonnie to your Clyde and your forever partner in crime. We wound up where we were supposed to be."

I slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her lips down onto mine letting myself get lost in the kiss as I deepened it pulling her tighter to me. After a minute, I broke the kiss and looked at her.

"Promise me something," I said giving her a knowing look. "That you are going to talk to me. I'm never too busy to listen to you honey. Please don't forget that. I may be your husband now, but I was your best friend long before that. I'll do the same. I think since adding being parents to our plates we've let us take the backseat. Well, not anymore ok. We get to that point you better call me out on it if I don't first."

"I promise," she said nodding and stretched her legs out to curl up on my lap. I leaned back against the side of the couch and sunk down a little to let her get more comfortable.
" I've slept like shit the last few nights without you in bed with me."

"Not alone darlin, that couch is comfy but I didn't have you to snuggle with," I mumbled.

"How bad is it going to be when we get to Nashville?"  she asked quietly playing the rings on my right hand. I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"I don't know darlin," I said as she looked up at me. "Seeing as we aren't going to Nashville."
She pushed back to look at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Then where the hell are we going B?" she asked. I placed a soft kiss on her lips and grinned.

"Well, I've been told that apparently you still have to date your wife from time to time. That has been mandated by Scary Blonde one and Two. Britt really has gotten that ear tug down babe, quit teaching her shit," I muttered as my wife laughed.

"We didn't exactly date honey, "she said smiling. "Well we didn't call it that anyhow."

"Agreed, so we are getting out of town for a few days. Before you freak it's close enough we are able to get back if Carson needs us, but Mamaw Becky has warned  she's got him so as long as it takes to get us back on track," I said smiling back at her.

"I repeat where are we going B?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at me. I tugged her down against me with a smile.

"You'll see. I won't have to worry about food and your little history loving heart will be satisfied. And pretty sure the room has a hot tub that I have lots of plans for baby girl," I said kissing her lips deeply. "I suggest you catch a nap."