Where I Belong

“Tessa…”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She lifts her head and turns toward me, her eyes giving away exactly what she’s feeling. “Okay?”

I nod. “Okay.”

We finish packing up my room in silence. I know when she’s ready to talk about it, she’ll open up. And she knows that I’m here whenever that time comes.

My aunt is taking care of selling my mom’s house for me, allowing me to stay in Alabama during the process. Ben and I will be making a trip to get the rest of my things soon, but to be perfectly honest, I have everything I’ll ever need. I never imagined moving back to Ruxton, but now I can’t imagine not living here. This was always my home. Wherever he was.

After loading my stuff into my Jeep so that I can take it straight to Ben’s after the concert, Tessa and I head over to the field. Ben somehow managed to snag tickets to see Luke Bryan. Lawn seats, which allows us to park in the field overlooking the stage and sit in our vehicles while we enjoy the music. I spot Ben’s truck after weaving in and out of the crowd and park next to it, watching as he jumps out of the bed and walks over to my door.

“Hey, baby. You all packed up?” He opens my door for me and I hop out, waving to Reed who Tessa is making her way toward.

I take his hand and let him lead me to the back of his truck. “Yup. Everything’s in the Jeep. Your sister’s not too happy about it.”

He stifles a laugh as he drops the tailgate down. “Like that would stop me from moving you in with me. Here. Up you go.”

I climb up into the back of his truck, spotting the pillows and the blankets spread out for us. I turn to him with a wistful smile. “Am I getting lucky during this concert?”

He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my bare shoulder. “I’m always prepared, angel. My girl seems to be a bit insatiable lately.”

“You’re like a dirty little boy scout,” I add, hearing Tessa’s laugh get louder behind me. I turn in Ben’s arms and spot her walking over toward us with Reed.

“Hey. I’m really glad you guys worked your shit out. You sucked as friends,” Reed says through a teasing smile.

I flip him off over Ben’s shoulder and he throws his head back with a laugh. Just as Tessa opens her mouth to speak, another truck pulls up alongside Ben’s and catches her attention. “Oh perfect. He couldn’t have gotten lost on the way here?”

Ben’s chest shakes with laughter against my back as his hands splay across my abdomen. “We’ve been here a thousand times. I doubt he’d get lost.”

Tessa’s body goes rigid suddenly and I turn my head to see why. Luke isn’t the only one emerging from his truck. A tall, leggy blonde is at his side as he joins the group, stopping just a few feet short of Tessa and Reed.

He shifts his gaze from Tessa to Ben and myself. “Guys, this is Brandie. Brandie this is… everyone.” She waves her delicate hand, the one that isn’t currently roaming freely over his chest. Luke wraps his arm around her waist. “We’re going to head closer to the stage. We’ll catch up with you guys later.”

As he walks away with little Miss Handsy, Tessa slams the tailgate of the truck up and startles the three of us. “Well, she seems lovely. He’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel now, isn’t he?”

Reed shrugs once. “I don’t know. She’s pretty hot.”

She glares at him and he steps back a bit. “Yeah, she’s really got that street corner look down. And could her name be any more whorish?”

“You’d think that if her name was Mary,” Ben says. “Stop being jealous, Tessa. You broke up with him.”

She waves him off and grabs Reed’s hand. “Whatever. Let’s go get several hundred beers. You guys want any?” she directs toward us, her face still tense with bitterness.

“I’m good,” I say, looking back at Ben who is situating the pillows and spreading the blanket out.

“Me too,” he adds.

Tessa and Reed disappear into the crowd. I turn around just in time to see Ben reach through his back window and pull out a picture frame. He smiles at me and sits down on the blanket with his back against a pillow. He reaches for me with his free hand. “Come here, angel.”

“Whatcha got there?”

He pats the spot between his legs and I sit with my back against his chest, drooping my arms over his legs. He places the frame in my lap. “Don’t cry,” he whispers against my ear.

I tilt the frame up and look at the drawing. Three figures, undoubtedly drawn by Nolan, depicting our family. My family. He even labeled me as Pwincess Mia Mommy. And the tears come instantly. I can’t help it. “Your artistic skills are horrendous.” I reach up and wipe underneath my eyes as he laughs against me. “God, he is the sweetest, isn’t he? Can we hang it up at your house?”

“Our house,” he corrects me. He presses his mouth to my hair again. “Don’t cry, baby.”

I open my mouth to tell him I can’t not cry at seeing our first family drawing but he wipes every word from my vocabulary when he places a small box in my lap. You know, the kind of box that every girl recognizes. I gasp softly, holding the frame tightly against my chest while my eyes stay glued to the box.

His steady hands open it. “Do you know how much I love you?”

I nod and clutch the frame harder, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. I blink them away and focus on the ring that he’s holding between his fingers. “As much as I love you,” I choke out.

“No, angel. No one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you. I got you beat there, I’m afraid.” He motions for my hand and I place it in his, allowing him to slip the ring on my finger. “You’re my best friend, Mia. I want you every day, for the rest of my life. I will always cherish every moment you give me. Marry me, baby.”

I’m nodding and whispering “yes” before he even finishes. And then he’s turning me and cradling me against his chest, worshipping me with kisses all over my face. “Thank you,” I say against his lips.

I feel them curl up into a smile. “For what?”

I kiss along his jaw up to his ear. “For being at the bar that night. For being the guy that you are. For giving me Nolan.” I pull back and cradle his face in my hands. “Can we have more babies?”

He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it. “Can we start right now?”

And then I’m on my back, his body covering mine. I laugh against him as he brushes my hair away from my face. “We’re in the middle of a field.”

“Don’t care. Nobody can see us anyway. Look how high up we are.”

“Yes, but I’ve been told I’m rather noisy,” I tease as he kisses my neck. He grunts once and nips at my sensitive skin there. “I love you.”

“Love you.”

“I want lots of babies.”

His head comes up and he smiles widely. “Lots.”

He shifts his weight and lays his head on the pillow, pulling me so I’m lying against his chest. And we stay like that long after Tessa and Reed return. Long after the concert starts and ends. Until we’re the only vehicle left in the field. He makes love to me under the stars, his tenderness breaking into a wild frenzy when we both need it. It’s perfect. And I’m right where I belong.