Playing with fire

Take a Little Ride

"Thank you for lunch Ms. Becky, it was amazing. I can't remember the last time I had a homecooked meal" I said as I pulled my jacket on. 

"Now honey, just call me Mama, everyone else does.  And thank you, stick around and I just may teach you my son's favorite recipe." Brantley raised and eyebrow at that.

"Mac and cheese?  That can't be that hard" i replied.

"You don't understand, mama don't give her recipes out to anyone, anyone" Kolby replied. "Ive been trying to get her recipe for cookies for years and she won't give it to me."

"Boys, these are sacred, and I only given them to women who are family, or who will be family."  Mama replied crossing her arms across her chest and smiling. 

"Mama Becky, I appreciate the offer, but I uh"  I stammered i didn't want to tell her I wasn't family because i wasn't.  "Raegan, you are family.  Honey, I see how my son looks at you.  There is a reason you reconnected that night, and not just because of your job. You have made him happier than all the years he was with miss snobby britches Jana, or the princess herself Amber. He was never as relaxed as he is with you. Plus he has that kindergarten crush look on his face."

I got butterflies when she said that. I hadn't felt like I was a part of a family for a long time, I missed it.  I finally felt like I was a part of one, and it scared me a bit.  But I can't let myself get too caught up though, could I?  I mean he did disappear after our night together, but did go to almost stalkerish lengths to find me after all.  Could he really have those type of feelings for me? 

"Rae, earth to Raegan. You're in your head again. Mama loves you, she never offers to cook with anyone. She wouldn't let Jana or Amber in her kitchen. She loves you."  He explained  and grabbed my hand and led me outside to the Harley. "We got a long day ahead of us, we gotta head out.  Love you Mama" Brantley proclaimed.  "Bye Mama Becky, I'll make sure to see you for a cooking date before I head back to Lexington."

"Love you guys!  Brantley Keith, keep her safe, I like this one!" He nodded and smiled that panty melting smile and fired up his  bike.  I snaked my arms around his waist and scooted in close to him.  I loved how he smelled, leather, musky, and all man.  Being close to him was my favorite place in the world, and I was so happy and thankful that PJ tracked me down, and that EP had made it to me.  My life had been turned upside down since that day when I opened that email and heard his heartfelt voice coming through the speakers.  

We rode for what seemed like hours down 441 toward Milledgeville.  I looked up and seen that we were crossing the bridge to Lake Sinclair just as the sun was setting.  It was beautiful, like something out of a movie.  He pulled off the highway and down a road toward the lakeside, he stopped once he got to a secluded spot  far enough away from every one fishing.

I stared out over the water for a bit after we parked, still on the back of the bike, thinking about how much my life had changed since he came back into my life like a hurricane. Seeing how much his mama's approval of me meant to him melted my heart, he was a mama's boy-and not your typical sissy live at home in your mama's basement til you are thirty way-that was Kolby. I wish Daddy could have met him, he would have liked him, and they had so much in common, music, motorcycles, and other small things I've noticed since I've been down here.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours? You look a million miles a way" he said as he reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. His touch sent electric shocks all the way down to my toes. I looked up into his eyes, and it was almost like he saw into my soul. 

"I was just thinking about my dad and how much he would have liked you.  Being around your mama today, feeling like I was a part of a family again made me miss him.  The only family I've got now since he was killed is Sara" I replied trying to hold back tears, but one slipped from the corner of my eye. 

He reached up and wiped it away, then cupped my face between his hands.  "Baby, you are family" he said then lowered his lips to mine.

  He kissed me like his life depended on it, with more emotion and passion than I had ever felt before from a kiss.  I'm not sure who broke the kiss first, but there we stood, sunset in the background, when he said something that caused my world to change even more than it already had, "I love you." Three little words, but I knew that was something he held sacred. He wasn't the type to put his heart out there, he was "Mr.  Single-for-life" after what Amber pulled.  "I love you too, B."