His Best Friend

Chapter 26- Finally!

I had known he would ask me eventually, but it didn't make it any less of a surprise now. That explains why my jaw dropped as he asked. Until finally I was able to speak,
"You already know my answer." I paused before continuing, "Of course, I'll marry you, Hunter." As I took everything in, my memory flashed back to the day we'd met at the age of 5.

"Momma?"
"Yeah, Ryleigh?"
"What's that music coming from outside?"

"Oh, that music. That's coming from the neighbor's house. I think their son plays a few instruments and writes songs. At least that's what his mother told me."
My mother decided then that it would be a good time to introduce me to that family. So, we walked next door and she knocked on the door.

"Hi, Lynette. I thought it was time we introduced our kids. And besides, Ryleigh spends all her time inside anyway. Maybe if she has a friend she'll venture outside of our house."
Mrs. Hayes led us upstairs to the bedroom that I could now tell was where the music I had heard was coming from. She opened the door and said,

"Hunter, there's someone to meet you." He stood up, holding his little guitar and walked over to his mom.
"Ryleigh, this is my son, Hunter."
I walked over to him, staring at the guitar and said, "You play guitar?"

"Yeah, a little," he said shyly, staring down at his shoes.
"So do I. Can I see yours?" He handed it to me without saying anything and I began to strum the first tune that popped into my head. It's funny, looking back now, my mom thought introducing us would get me to not spend so much time in my room by myself. But after meeting Hunter, we become best friends and were constantly playing and writing music together in one of our rooms.

The next thing I remember after coming back from my flashback is Hunter leading me offstage and saying,
"You alright there, Ryles? You seemed out of it for a few minutes. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just remembering back to the day we met. The day my mom brought me over to your house and your mom introduced us."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that. I was so shy and nervous meeting you."
"So was I. But music helped us both get over that."
"Yeah, and we've been best friends ever since."

He then slipped the ring he had bought for me on my left hand, as I said,
"Yes, now, go back out on that stage and finish the show. Give the fans the best night of their lives and then come back to the bus. I'll be waiting for you."

He rested one hand on the back of my neck and the other around my waist as he kissed me before walking back out onto the stage while I headed back to the bus.

The moment I got on the bus, I called Layla to tell her the news. I swear I thought we were both going to go deaf in one ear from all the squealing we both did. After we finished screaming, I collapsed down on the bed and said,

"I still can't believe it. I think Emmy is the only other person who has no idea of what just happened. And the only other one who was as clueless about the true meaning of our trip here."

Emmy's POV:

Once my momma came back onto the bus and immediately went into the back bedroom, I could hear her squealing on the phone with Aunt Layla. Grammy took me backstage then. As we walked there, she told me that while my Dada knew that Momma was here, he didn't know that I had come to the venue too. So I was going to surprise him. Since I started talking I've always called his bandmates, my 'uncles'. And since we always see them, they're just like family. Once we got to where I could see Dada on stage, I toddled over to Uncle Steve's drum set until the song ended.

Hunter's POV:

I handed my guitar to a crew member, who got ready to hand me my next one, until I saw my daughter standing by Steve's drums. I bounced over and scooped up the now beaming toddler. I walked over to center stage and the microphone and said,

"You all remember my daughter, Emmy, right?"
The fans all at once said, "Hello, Emmy!"

She shyly waved to the crowd and buried her face into my neck.
"Emmy, do you want to help me with the next song?" Hesitantly, she looked up at me, until I continued, "I know you know my song, 'Wanted', right?"

That got a big smile out of her as I set her down on the piano bench. Her tiny fingers found the keys and began to play what Ryleigh and I had been teaching her. I knew she wouldn't want to sing anything, so, as she continued playing, I began to sing.

As soon as the song was over, I picked her and carried her back over to where my mom was standing offstage. Her head was resting on my shoulder. Squealing when Mom started to take her from me, I whispered in her ear, "I'll come see you when I'm finished this show. Only 5 more songs." That seemed to calm her, and she let her Grammy hold her while I walked back onstage.

Ryleigh's POV:

Within the next week, Layla came up to our cottage in Knoxville to help me plan the wedding. We are planning an August 14th date, and it's March now. That leaves us 5 1/2 months to finish the planning. Hunter will be finishing out the last of his planned concerts and then returning back home to Louisiana with us in mid June. Layla and I have already picked out my dress, a tight fitting lace dress. It has a skin colored sleeveless top that makes it look strapless.

A/N: Hunter and Ryleigh are finally getting married!!
And a sweet flashback moment from when they were 5...
Pic with this chapter is Ry's wedding dress...