Life at Best

Chapter One

I own Brynne, Julie, Kaleen, Kinsey, and all other characters you don't recognize!  I definitely don't own Junior or Martin!

This is the sequel to Whole Lot More, I would suggest you read that first as this picks up directly after that story and will probably not make much sense if you are not caught up on that story first, the link to it is right here:   https://www.wattpad.com/story/100685659-whole-lot-more

Without further ado, here is Life at Best...

Life at Best
Chapter One

It had been a long day.

Someone needed to remind him that getting completely blitzed was not a good idea when he had to go into work and actually be productive the next day.

You would think by now he would have learned that.

Oh well.

He walked into his house and smiled when he heard her humming, an array of smells assaulting his nose. She cooked him dinner! Well damn, she really was his kind of woman.

"Honey, I'm home!" he bellowed.

Julie laughed as she walked out of the kitchen, a cute little apron around her waist and a smile on her pretty, little mouth. "And you're early!"

"Well – a hungover Junior isn't exactly well received at the shop. They sent me on my way as soon as they were done with my ass because I was not any help."

"And did that teach you a lesson?"

"Not a damn one," he laughed, capturing her in his arms and pulling her mouth to his. "What are you making me woman?"

"You'll just have to wait and see. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower and change into something more comfortable, and by the time you're done, dinner should be too."

"What if I want to spend the next twenty minutes in the shower with you instead?" His mouth left her lips and trailed down her neck. He could feel the rumble of her laughter vibrate through her throat.

"Then dinner would burn, and you wouldn't want to waste a delicious meal, would you?"

"Well..."

"Dale Earnhardt, Jr. go get your ass in the shower," she growled, "And maybe we can pick this up later? Like after dinner?"

He looked in her eyes, the fire and passion he was sure was in his reflecting back at him. It was kind of crazy how alike they were, in so many very different ways. "I think I'm going to hold you to that, baby."

"Please do," she purred, "Now go. I have to go keep an eye on dinner."

She strutted back into the kitchen, knowing exactly where his eyes were and making sure she was giving him a show. Oh yeah, this night was going to be a long one, but certainly not for bad reasons.

*

The water poured over his body, washing away the tension of the long day. He couldn't help but think back to the conversation he'd had with Martin the night before.

"I feel like I always pick the crazies," Martin laughed, "Except Brynne. She was the one, she was perfect."

"I know what you mean man, trust me we both used to pick the crazies, how did we get so lucky this time around?" Martin shrugged. "Have you tried calling Brynne or texting her or anything?"

How had they gotten so lucky to find Julie and Brynne? With all the girls they saw on a weekly basis, all the pit lizards who made their way through pit road just looking for one crazy night with whatever driver was willing, how had they managed to find two down-to-earth normal girls who didn't care about all the money and fame?

He couldn't remember a time recently when Julie hadn't been by his side and didn't know what he was going to do when she finally told him she had to go back to Mississippi. He didn't want her to go back; it had been a great few weeks knowing that when he came home from work every day she was going to be there.

But it was inevitable that her life would eventually have to go on and she would have to go back home, leaving him here by himself. Even if she only had to go back for a couple weeks, it wasn't sitting right with him.

Unless she didn't have to go back, and would never have to.

He pulled clean clothes out of his drawer, pulling the velvet ring box out of his sock drawer. Pretty cliché that he had put it in there, but he couldn't help it. He flipped the box open and looked at the engagement ring he had bought – with Julie in mind – just a month ago.

Maybe now was that perfect time he'd been waiting for.

*

It occurred to her just how domestic this all was; her in an apron, making sure dinner was ready and waiting when he came home from work.

She'd never really been the domestic type, never really settling down and certainly never getting herself into a committed relationship. But she couldn't help it, everything about this felt right to her.

She pulled the chicken out of the oven, placing it on the table and grabbed plates and all the utensils to set the table. The lights were dimmed; she had lit a candle in the center of the table. When she slipped the apron over her head, she stood in the kitchen in her little black dress. She was pulling out all the stops tonight.

"I could get used to this," she murmured, knowing that was easier said than done, because no matter how much she loved Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and wanted to stay in North Carolina, her real life in Mississippi would soon have to become her reality again.

"Dinner's ready!"

She heard him as he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Smells good baby and you look great!" Julie twirled playfully, showing him the front and back of the dress. "I personally think it would look even better off, though," he all but growled in her ear.

Julie giggled and smacked his chest, "That's for later baby, remember? Let's enjoy dinner now!"

He sat down at the table and began to nervously play with the box in his pants pocket, trying to figure out when would be the perfect time. Was he even ready to do it? This was definitely the most he felt like he could settle down, ever. And he certainly wasn't going to let a good thing go because he was scared to commit.

He remembered her telling him she had never really thought of settling down either. We can get through it together.

They began eating, casual conversation filling up the time between their bites, but he wasn't really paying much attention to what she was saying. His mind was going a million miles a minute; he had so many thoughts spinning through his head. What would he say? What would she say? What if she said no? Then what was he going to do? Certainly not propose to anyone ever again!

"Dale?"

"What? Huh?"

"How was your day at work?"

"Okay. Long. I can't help it, anytime I'm there all I want is to be home with you, because I know that eventually there is going to come a day where you have to go back home and I'll be coming home to an empty house."

Julie sighed, "I don't want to think about that day..."

It's now or never.

"Then don't..."

"Okay? I won't..."

"Don't ever."

"Eventually I'm going to have to think about it and it's going to become a reality..."

"But what if you don't?" His hand fell on the box and he slid it out of his pocket. "What if you don't ever have to go back to Mississippi? You could stay here with me, for the rest of our lives..."

"What?" Julie asked, on the verge of a nervous breakdown wondering where he was going with this. If he did not ask her what she had a feeling he was going to ask her, she just may have to hit him.

He slid to his knee in front of her, "Baby, ever since I've met you it's been the best time of my life and I honestly don't want to have to worry about coming home and not having you here. My dog loves you; my friends love you; my niece loves you; my family loves you and I love you. Boy, do I ever love you. And I want to love you forever, and I certainly want you to love me forever. I've never even remotely thought about settling down with no one before, so this is a first for me, and just the thought of you saying no makes my hands get all sweaty and makes me feel sick, but I can't go another day wondering when you're going to have to go back. I need you here with me always. So, Julie will you marry me?"

Julie's mouth dropped open. She could not believe that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was on one knee in front of her, confessing his undying love for her. This had only ever happened in her dreams; she had never thought it was possible that it could ever become a reality.

And to think, it all started off with an instant message. She was so going to have to kiss the ground Brynne walked on, or do everything in her power to make sure her best friend ended up with the man she loved with all her heart, who also happened to be this man's best friend.

"Um Julie?"

She snapped out of her reverie, "Huh?"

"I'm pretty sure I just asked you to marry me like five minutes ago, and you still haven't answered me. And honestly, you're making me a little nervous right now."

Julie laughed, "I'm not going to say no! Yes! Of course, yes! I'll marry you!"

He let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding, stuffing the ring on her finger, and grabbed her body off the chair she was sitting on, hauling her down to him. He definitely kissed the breath right out of her.

***

The beginning of this story is going to start with a lot of Junior and Julie's wedding preparations, but Brynne and Martin will pick up from there!  There will be plenty of #babymamadrama, maybe even some girl fights, making up, tears, laughter, love... I always knew I wanted to do to Martin and Brynne what happened in Whole Lot More simply because I had *SO MANY * plans for them in this story!!  I have quite a few chapters written ahead of myself in this story but I'm going to keep writing ahead of myself and keep posting around once a week like I have been so I can stay ahead of myself!  Until then... let me know what you think :)