A small town baker. The resident bad boy of Jackson County. The push and pull. Words said like "yea we're done" or "moving on". But do you ever really? Or are you ever really that far gone? From the Friday night bleachers to those Sunday pews. All t...
I let out a laugh shoving a worried Sadie out of my front door. I heard a crash making me look over my shoulder into my living room with a wince. A giggling Ryleigh along with a growling Sylo currently had Brantley pinned to the floor doing their level best to keep him down. I hugged Sadie one more time pushing her into Luke's waiting arms as he headed to the truck with her. I shut the door leaning back against it a smile twisting at my lips at the scene before me. Ryleigh's giggles really were contagious as the infectious smile on her face. When Luke had mentioned wanting to take Sadie on a surprise trip for her birthday, we had jumped on the chance to keep Ryleigh. She was usually in the bakery at least once a week after school helping me or Stephanie with orders. If B was home she tagged along with him if he wasn't busy when he dropped by.
"Hey Ryleigh," Brantley drawled pulling my attention towards him. He smirked up at me as I walked closer. Uh oh, I thought as a long finger pointed at me. "Miss Suzie is highly ticklish. Let's get her."
"Yes!" Ryleigh squealed with glee making Brantley's hat fall off her head as she jumped up. I took off running with a yelp hearing the thunder of feet along with the scrabbling of claws chasing after me. I was in for it now. That was how the rest of the night went. Lots of laughs. I would be scrubbing my kitchen for days to get all the flour from the war Brantley and Ryleigh'd had. But worth it because of the look of pure joy on her little face.
Later that evening, I slowly reached for my phone on the coffee table to snap a picture for Sadie of the view I was seeing from the other end of the couch. Ryleigh was curled in a ball in Brantley's lap sleeping soundly. I'd offered to go lay her down when she first started drifting but he had quickly waved me away. There was no moving for me now at least until we went to bed since my own personal guard dog was holding me down. Spoiled ass even had his own bed in the back of the bakery.
The next night consisted of us getting a first hand dose of handling a sick child. I knew Sadie would freak out but I quickly explained Ryleigh had eaten too many cupcakes when I wasn't looking. The worry and sheepish look on my boyfriend's face proved he had said yes even after I said no. Later that night with the newest princess movie playing on the tv, I met Brantley's eyes over the top of Ryleigh's sleeping form with a smile.
"What?" he asked with a quiet chuckle shifting her head on his shoulder reaching over to toy with the ends of my hair.
"I can see right now," I muttered softly giving him a wink. "If we ever have kids I'm gonna have to be the mean on."
"Says who?" Brantley asked rolling his eyes as I laughed. "Okay. Okay, you probably are right. I would be the total pushover." I nodded leaning down to kiss him softly. When I pulled back he bit his lip looking at me. "That something you want eventually?"
"I do," I answered softly making his smile widen. "In time yea I can see that happening."
November 2014
Brantley's POV
I grabbed the bottle of water Susanna had asked me to get weaving my way through the crowd at the Big Machine afterparty. I could see the fatigue in her eyes knowing she had been busy up until flying out late last night to meet me in Nashville for the CMA's. She and Stephanie were working with the extra staff they had hired for the upcoming holiday season. I was glad that she was delegating more just so she could get a break. Knew she did it to free up time to travel with me. I'd rearranged things to be home or come home more if she was busy.
We'd found our balance on making things work since getting back together. Something that I wished Luke would see that he needed to do more when it came to Sadie. Finding her talking to Kate and Justin, she flashed me a grateful smile as I handed it to her. She'd been less nervous walking tonight's red carpet than she had been for the CMT Awards in June. I still laughed at Sadie telling me about her reaction burying her face in her hands during my performance worried I wouldn't nail the back flip I had done.
"Here baby," I murmured in her ear passing the bottle while wrapping my arms around her. "You okay?"
"Yea B," Susanna answered nodding. "I promise I'm okay. I may sleep the entire way home tomorrow, but I am okay."
"Well I would say if you weren't going home to be elbow deep in pumpkin pies," I teased her earning me an elbow to the ribs. "we could skip town for about a week. Go somewhere warm."
"Hmmm," she sighed as I leaned down kissing her feeling her body relax against mine. "Can I get a raincheck for after Christmas because it does sound like heaven."
"Deal," I promised her as a voice sounded behind us.
"Ahhhh," Scott, my label president, said as he got closer. He leaned down giving Susanna a kiss on the cheek. "There is the lovely baker I was looking for. I stole some of the cupcakes off BG's bus a while. You have an inane talent darlin. My wife was raving about them for weeks. Where did you study?"
"Ummm," Susanna said with a laugh. "My mama and my granny's kitchens. Had plans to study in France for a while but when my business took off there just was never time for it."
"My wife wondered if you ever had," he said with a wink. "Just some of the flavors you used. Listen, I know from what BG has said this is a hectic time of year for you but think I could get you to squeeze in a cake for my wife's birthday?"
"I think I could whip something up," she said with a grin. "Tell me what you had in mind."
Late February 2015
"Dammit Brantley Keith!" Susanna yelled as I hauled ass down my stairs knowing I was in for an ear tug if she got her hands on me right now. "Carl told your dumbass to not sleep on your back last night!! I just bought those sheets too!"
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Skidding into the kitchen on my bare feet, I debated pulling out my phone ordering flowers or cookware at this point to get out of trouble with my girlfriend. A snort had me jerking my head up seeing Kolby sitting at the table munching on muffins that Susanna had baked last night. I glared at him only succeeding in making him laugh harder in between bites. I threw my hand up flipping him off wincing a little at the pull on the tender skin of my back. I'd be lucky if Susanna didn't nail me with a wooden spoon in the middle of my newest tattoo just for meanness.
"Shut up," I snarled sitting down beside him slapping his hand away from the last chocolate chip one. "I can't help what I do in my sleep."
"When are you just going to finally ask her to move in?" Kolby asked raising an eyebrow at me. "I mean Susanna spends more time out here now anyways. Why not just bite the bullet?"
"I plan on it," I said dropping my voice glancing towards the doorway making sure Susanna was out of earshot still. "Our anniversary is coming up in May. I plan on asking her a very important question then."
"No shit," he said with wide eyes as I grinned at him. I truthfully didn't want to wait that long but just seemed like the perfect time. "Good. She is the best thing that has ever happened to you bro."
"You just love the fact you get free cupcakes," I snickered feeling his hand squeeze my shoulder."Wanna go ring shopping with me before I leave for tour rehearsals next week?"
"Damn right," Kolby laughed as we both gulped at the stomping footsteps coming down the stairs. To be so little she could get her point across. "As long as you survive the wrath of Suzie Q. Better find something to appease her."
Know this is just a filler chapter in some ways but trying to move them on along bahaa. Hmmmmm a ring was mentioned......
