Never Gonna Be Alone

Between An Old Memory and Me

Maggie's POV

Resting my chin on my knees, I blindly stared out into the dark night as the bus rolled along the interstate heading towards home. If it was even my home anymore. Guess I would find out when I got there. The last couple of days had been rough. The few interviews Kerri wasn't able to reschedule for me of course asked about Brantley. No one knew about his memory loss yet thankfully but I was sure someone would slip soon. Kolby text me this morning after yet another sleepless night to let me know they were heading home with Brantley. That he was going to stay with him and PJ for a few days. I reminded him that Hannah needed him too so don't stretch himself thin.

Wiping at the tears forming in my tired eyes, I wondered what I would be facing when I got home. There had been a lot of animosity coming from Brantley when I last saw him even though I tried to logically tell myself that it wasn't my Brantley at the time. He was just reacting to what he thought was going on. Can't deny that for a good reason or not, it cut me deep to see Jana walk in. Keith swore to me it was only because he thought it was 2013 and he was still engaged to her. That she even brought me up several times trying to help him remember me. My engagement ring caught my eye making tears fall a little harder thinking back to the night he proposed to me.

I finished the song passing off my guitar to the roadie with a smile reaching for the bottle of water he passed me. The next one I was about to sing wasn't something I recorded myself but I still sang it. Hearing me sing it in the middle of writing, Cole sent a video to Luke who immediately thought of a recent American Idol runner-up that was set to make her mark. I agree it would suit her voice perfectly. I remember the excited yell when I dropped by the studio when Gabby was recording it. It was going to be her next single. Sitting the bottle of water down, I stepped behind my microphone taking a deep breath before singing. There was no doubt in my mind when it came to B, I had one of the good ones.

He's a phone call to his parents
He's a bible by the bed
He's the t-shirt that I'm wearing
He's the song stuck in my head
He's solid and he's steady
Like the Allegheny runs
He knows just where he's going
And he's proud of where he's from

One of the good ones
He's one of the good ones

A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look one
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones

You'll know him when you see him
By the way he looks at me
You'd say he hung the moon
I'd say he hung the galaxy
Nobody does it better
Oh the way he pulls me in
I've known a couple bad ones
But they all led me to him

He's one of the good ones

A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look one
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones

We should all find us one
They're out there, minus one
Some of the good ones
Yeah I got a good one

A love me like he should one
Like he wrote the book one
The kind you find when you don't even look
Anybody can be good once
But he's good all the time
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine
He's one of the good ones
And he's all mine

As I sang the last note, I heard the crowd pick up their yelling making me blush. It was something that no matter how long I did this, I didn't think I would get used to it. But a throat clearing had me whirling around with a gasp at what I saw. My microphone dropped hitting the stage with a rumble of feedback while my hands flew to my face. Down on one knee, microphone in one hand, open ring box in another was Brantley looking up at me with a wide smile on his face. So much love in his eyes.

I shook my head clearing away the memory of feeling like I was his everything when I noticed we were turning off the highway onto the paved driveway. My hands shook as I pushed to my feet grabbing the bag I'd packed earlier. More than likely I would gather a few more things before just heading either home to my parents' or to Nashville until I needed to leave again. Even if I was welcome in what was my home, it may be too tough to be here. I felt like part of me was missing and I didn't know how to get it back because it was out of my control. Mama reminded me to keep my faith.

After realizing Brantley didn't know who I was, I just told them to stay home. I knew she wanted to lay eyes on both of us to make sure we were okay. Cole made me nap yesterday before the show because he knew I hadn't been sleeping. Feeling the bus stop, I took a deep breath heading to the front waving goodbye to James my driver wishing him good night or heck it was almost morning. I stepped out into the chilly predawn pausing to look up at the silent house in front of me.

I mentally berated myself thinking Brantley would be standing on the porch eagerly waiting on me to be home. I mean why would he. Right now he had no damn clue who I was. With a shiver, I stood staring up lost in thought for a few minutes even after the bus pulled away leaving things quiet. A throat clearing behind me caused me to jump whirling around. I felt my heart race at the sight behind me.

"I see you made it back okay," Brantley said gruffly while standing there in sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. His left arm in a sling with the black cast poking out. I bit my lip unsure of what to say. He took a couple of steps closer then stopped himself looking more unsure than I ever had seen him. "Listen Maggie. I know my head is all jumbled up right now, but I also want to try and be the man my parents raised me to be. I get I have no clue who you are, but you know, from what I am told, everything about me. That since we are engaged this is your home too." I blinked away the tears nodding my head gently. Just seeing him look at me differently made the exhaustion I was feeling even worse. He jerked the thumb on his good hand behind him before shoving it into his pocket. "You take the house. It is only fair for right now. I'm gonna bunk down in the man cave or whatever it is. At least until we figure some things out."

"Dawg House," I said quietly making his eyes narrow at me while I wiped at my cheeks. "You and the boys call it the Dawg House complete with all the toys down there. Y'all had so much fun putting it together. Lots of fun nights down there since we, I mean you finished building it."

"Well I'm lucky the recliners in there are comfy," Brantley said with a wry laugh looking down at his feet. "Ko is snoring like a freight train in the bunks, so I wound up on the couch. Little easier to get up and down."

"Sore?" I asked clenching my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching for him. To actually make sure he was okay. Luke telling me he was in an accident played over in my mind when I closed my eyes along with the words "get out". "Listen B, if you need the house, I can go to your mama's for the day then head out to my parents' place. Or back to Nashville. Caroline or Cole would let me crash with them. I just..."

"No,'' he said lowly shaking his head cutting my ramble off. "I'm plenty comfortable. When I do sleep. The arm is aching like a bitch." He gave me a crooked smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Must be time for more Tylenol. I'll let you get inside and get settled. Kolby grabbed me some clothes earlier so I should be good for a while. I guess just let one of us know if you need anything."

"Okay," I said softly before reaching down to pick up my bag turning towards the house. I stopped in my tracks when I heard him say my name. I looked back over my shoulder at him seeing those intense green eyes studying me but unsure of what he was looking at. "Yea?"

"Make sure you lock up okay,'' Brantley reminded me before turning to walk away. "Can never be too safe."

With those words, he disappeared in the misty dawn heading down the slope to the Dawg House. I clenched my jaw tight to keep from calling out after him or even worse sleep down there myself just so I could be near him. I knew what the doctor was saying. He had even talked to me over Zoom explaining what I needed to do in regard to Brantley's memory. We didn't need to overwhelm him with too much right now. His memory could come back on its own. I just prayed it did but this space felt like a million miles between the man I loved and me.