Ones That Need Me Got Me

I'm Seeing The Pain

Kate's POV

I took a sip of my wine watching the crowd gathered around my daughter's kitchen and dining room to celebrate her birthday. Couldn't believe my baby girl was thirty-three. Time had flown. I smiled watching my grandkids goof around with Scott. They were the light of our lives after Presley. I hoped I might get at least one more grandchild before I got too old to enjoy them. The twins had been off ever since Presley and Chris's engagement. Bailey was very vocal about how much she didn't like it while Bowen just kept quiet. While they had tolerated their parents dating this threw a wrench in their family dynamic.

Becky and I both had watched how heart broken Presley had been when she left Brantley moving back home. We'd seen the writing on the wall of it coming for some time before that. Just had prayed it wouldn't come down to it. But he had done what he needed to do to make things right. The pair of them had figured out what they needed to do for the kids. I watched the smile on my daughter's face as she brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. It didn't meet her eyes at all. Chris leaning down to kiss her cheek made me tamp down a sigh. He was totally oblivious to things or just didn't care.

I had tried not to laugh at the look on his face when she opened her gift from the twins earlier. A pair of aquamarine earrings along with a ring with the stone being slightly larger than her engagement ring. Wonder who helped them pick that out. She was listening to some story Chris was telling Eli about a patient.

Brantley was standing to the side holding Tinsley muttering something to Kolby that made his brother crack up laughing. Presley narrowed her eyes their direction but focused back in on Chris, who's hand kept sliding lower and lower cupping her ass very possessively. A move that I had never seen before from my laid back future son in law.

"I swear," I muttered shaking my head. "It's like he is marking his territory."

"Well if he is," Ashley snickered elbowing my lightly. "He is the equivalent of a tea cup poodle trying to tangle with a pit bull. I mean can he get any more possessive today."

"If he does I am afraid Brantley's face is going to be permanently fixed in that glare," Becky said from my other side with a snort. "She hasn't been able to take two steps without Chris being glued to her side." She sighed reaching out to squeeze my hand. "Why did we have to raise the two most stubborn children on the planet?"

"Got us our precious grandbabies," I said with a laugh making her wink at me. I noticed Kolby point towards Chris making Brantley almost drop Tinsley as he cracked up. Presley's head whipped their direction. Lord, this wasn't gonna be good if they kept up. "I almost hit the floor when she called to tell me she said yes."

"Kolby had to patch a hole in my garage door because she said yes," Becky grumbled rolling her eyes. "He got mad after leaving here then just shut down about it after that."

"You know she was on the road a few weeks ago," Ashley whispered already knowing that I knew. Becky's jaw dropped slightly then a smirk spread across her lips.

"Oh she was," she chuckled. "Do tell. And I doubt you are meaning she went out of town with Chris either."

"Nope," Ashley sighed rolling her eyes. "I thought it might help. But she was in tears when I picked her up and Brantley looked about the same. I don't know what happened. But Bailey is on a mission to do no good. Wants help. Little stinker played their song earlier before everyone got here."

"And?" I asked feeling a smile tug at my lips. Chris was like the least romantic man I had ever met in my life. Heck he asked Presley to marry him on the couch. Brantley's had been ten times sweeter hands down.

"They were dancing in the kitchen with the kids hiding on the couch watching when Eli and I snuck in," Ashley said then narrowed her eyes. "Until Doctor Douche came back." She paused in her explanation seeing Presley hold a finger up stopping Chris. Eli must have seen a look in her eyes as she pushed away.