Brantley's POV:

I was still fuming from Alex's words in the garage when Ryan crossed the finish line, leading the pack, Chase coming in a very close second. I was happy for them, I really was since they both had the best finishes of their careers at this particular track this weekend, but I just wasn't feeling the party that I knew was going to happen after the post-race things were done. All I wanted right now was to load my family up and put this place and that son of bitch as far behind me as possible before I changed my mind and gave him the beating he deserved. The problem was, I knew that Delaney was going to want to be there to help congratulate Ryan on his win and to rub it in Chase's face that he had been one-upped by his best friend.

So, because I loved her and only wanted her to take the best and happiest moments from this race, I fought the urge to drag her away from the track.

"I'd know that set of broody shoulders anywhere." said Luke, one of my closest friends and fellow musician from behind me, forcing me to tear my eyes away from Delaney and the kids as they stood in the winner's circle waiting for Ryan to make his way there.

"I didn't know you were here." I said, giving him a big bro hug before turning my attention back to Delaney.

"Funny, I knew you were." he said with a shit-eating smirk on his face.

"And how's that?"

"Well, when a tattooed biker type starts slinging punches in the garage and the one he punched just so happened to be the ex-husband of a driver, it doesn't take long for word to travel." said Luke. "Good job by the way. From what I heard, he had a whole lot more coming than what you gave him."

"He damn sure did." I said.

"Also heard he's going to be singing soprano for the foreseeable future thanks to Chase's wife."

"Yeah, make my balls hurt just thinking about it."

The two of us fell silent then, watching as the crowd got bigger. In the distance, I could hear what I assume was Ryan's car making its way to the winners circle.

"I'd like to meet her BG." said Luke after a while. "I'm sure Caroline would too."

"So Care can corrupt her? I think not." I said, feeling a smile spread across my face for the first time since the altercation in the garage.

"You're right." said Luke, laughing. "Anyway, are you coming or are you gonna watch from here?"

Luke and I had just made it to the winners circle and I had just lifted Braylin into my arms as I wrapped my other around Delaney when Ryan's Menards car came to a stop in front of us. Everyone around us began to hoop and holler, all of them happy for Ryan. Ryan was just unhooking the steering wheel when I saw Layla and Rayna come up to the car. Ryan pleased a blistering kiss on her lips before breaking it and climbing out of the car. The crowd really went wild then, especially when Rayn stood atop the car. Confetti started to fly and champagne began to spray. And once again, I found myself smiling.

Alex might have been the only bad thing about this weekend and that was perfectly fine. Being here with Delaney, watching Ryan win, and hanging out with some good people were just a few things that I would carry with me for a long time. But the one thing that would stay with me no matter what was that it was at this place, at this track, and on this weekend that I had admitted my feelings for the woman I loved. And for that, I would never regret a thing that happened here.

Delaney's POV:

It was late and all four kids were sleeping soundly in the back by the time we made it back to Jefferson. So when Brantley suggested that the kids and I stay at his place tonight, there was no way that I was going to deny him. Truth was, even if it hadn't been late, I didn't want to go to my parents and sleep alone in a bed when I could stay here with him and wake up snuggled in his arms.

Brantley made quick work of unbuckling Barrett and Brylin from their seats while I gently woke Chloe and Colton so they could walk into the house.

"Why are we staying here?" said Chloe sleepily.

Before I could come up with a response, Brantley turned and looked down at me from where he stood three stairs above me. His eyes never left mine as he said "because I want the two of you and your mama to think of this as home."

"Wh-what are you saying, B?"

"I think you know, babe."

"B–"

"Mama, I think Brantley wants us to move in," said Chloe.

Leave it to my seven year old to wrap her head around what Brantley was asking before I could. Then again, she didn't understand what moving in with Brantley meant. She didn't understand that moving in was a major step in our relationship. She didn't understand that people in town would start talking, that rumors would spread, and that they would all say that Brantley and I were rushing into this. But most importantly, she didn't understand that the last man I had lived with had broken my heart in the worst way possible.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," said Brantley. The tone of his voice had my eyes locking with his and I had to hold onto the banister to keep from falling. "We don't have to set anything in stone tonight. It's been a long day, its late–"

"Yes." I said, letting the words that had been on the tip of my tongue fall from my mouth before I could second guess what I was saying. When he looked at me and smiled, I gave him the same answer again.

Brantley gave me the biggest smile before turning and continuing up the stairs. I watched as he went into Braylin's room and put her in bed before making his way to Barretts and doing the same with him. When he stepped back out in the hallway, pulling Barrett's door closed softly, he looked at Chloe and Colton. "You two will have to share a room tonight but first thing tomorrow, we can get busy cleaning out this room and my tour room so you each have a room of your own. That sound okay with you two?"

"Can we decorate them however we want? 'Cause I like my tractor room at Pop Pop and Gigi's." said Colton.

"If tractors are what you want, then that's what you will have." said Brantley.

"And I can have mermaids?" asked Chloe.

"Sweetheart, if you want mermaids, I will make sure you have a room full of them." Brantley said.

Chloe ran over to Brantley, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him with everything she had in her. Colton followed suit, hugging Brnatley tightly. Tears pooled in my eyes and I noticed that they were pooling in Brantley's as well.

"I love you, Brantley," said Chloe. The tears that pooled in my eyes streamed down my cheeks unchecked. Those tears flowed even faster when Chloe added "I'm glad you and mama are in love."

"And how do you know that your mama and I are in love?" asked Brantley, his voice cracking.

"Because mama told us that love makes a person smile bright and that it makes you happy. And mama is happy." said Colton.

"You're right." said Brantley, holding out a hand for me. I took it and he pulled me into him. His eyes were locked when mine as he spoke even though he was talking to the kids. "I do love your mama. I'm madly in love with her. So in love with her that I can't imagine a life without her and the two of you in it."

A sob escaped my lips upon his words. But not the sorrowful sob that I'd had when I found out about Alex and his cheating. No, this sob was one of pure joys and the tears that streamed down my cheeks were just a representation of the depth of my feelings for this man. I don't know what I did to deserve this man, but I was damn sure thankful for him at this moment. And I knew that wasn't going to ever change.

*****

Brnatley and I went down to the kitchen to get something to drink while we waited for Chloe and Colton to fall back asleep. The things he'd said to the kids were still with me, giving me that floating-on-cloud-nine feeling. As we stood in the kitchen, both of us sipping from our bottles of water, I tried to wrap my head around the fact that tomorrow, I was going to have to tell my parents that I was moving in with a man that I had been seeing for such a short time. Would mama think I was rushing things? Would daddy want to have a conversation with Brantley about his intentions with me? And as much as I hated to admit it and knew that he didn't have a say in my personal life, I couldn't help but wonder how the news of me moving in with Brantley was going to affect Alex.

Alex... the asshole that should have no power over me but was still part of my life whether I want him to be or not.

"What's on your mind, baby." Said Brantley, pulling me from the thoughts and questions filling up my brain.

"Honestly?"

"Always, babe." he said, placing his bottle of water onto the counter and pulling me into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and tucked my head beneath his chin. "Talk to me."

"I was just thinking about Mama, daddy, and Alex."

"Babe, I'm fine with you thinking about your parents, but I can't lie and say I'm okay with you thinking about that douchebag."

"Oh, it's not in any sort of romantic way." I said. "I was just thinking about how he was going to react when he finds out that you and I will be living together. I know that I shouldn't have to worry about that, and honestly he doesn't deserve for me to consider his feelings, but–"

"You don't want to make things harder on the kids." said Brantley, finishing my thoughts.

"Exactly."

Brantley moved his arms from around me and lifted them so that they were cupping my cheeks. His green eyes locked with mine and he held my stare, not saying anything for a few moments. He lowered his lips to mine and poured so much love into the kiss that I forgot all about what I had been talking about.

"We'll figure this out," said Brantley when he broke the kiss. "We will take things as they come, try not to overthink, anything, and I will be as civil as possible when it comes to him because no matter how much I hate the fact that you are linked to him for the rest of your life because of the kids, there's nothing that I can do about it. So, as long as he doesn't start any shit and he isn't disrespectful to you, I will do my best not to knock his lights out. Sound like a plan?"

"I can live with that."

"Good," said Brantley. "And I can live with you."

He lowered his lips to mine once more. This time, when the kiss took a turn in the heated direction, he didn't stop it. This time, he lifted me into his arms and carried me up the stairs and to his bed where he made slow, passionate, love to me.