Never Gonna Be Alone

Frustrations

Brantley's POV

Feeling the ache in my body I slowly made my way down the slope to the shop or what I was constantly reminded was called the "Dawg House". My new phone beeped making me pull it out of my pocket looking at the notification prompting a smirk from me. It was letting me know that the security system for the house was armed. One of the few apps they would let me reinstall. I mean who in this day in age gets outlawed from social media or YouTube unless they are a kid in time out.

"Good girl," I murmured opening the door walking in hearing my shoes lightly squeak on the floors. Rubbing my good hand over my tired face, I wondered if I could get comfortable enough to sleep for a little while. I'd tried to encourage Kolby to go home to my sister in law that I now had but he refused. Dad's house was close enough if PJ or I needed anything and Steve too. PJ was the other patient at the moment which made me laugh. We were a grouchy pair on a normal day. Settling down on the couch I kicked my feet up trying to get my arm positioned on the pillow beside me where it ached a little less.

Closing my eyes, I thought about the haunted look on Maggie's face when she turned around seeing me standing there. There was this pull tugging at me to want to make that look go away. The quick search of my face for some kind of recognition that I couldn't give her. Yea, I had seen a few pictures that Jana showed me before Dad stepped in saying too much wouldn't be good. Reaching for my phone I gave in to the curiosity warring in my mind. Aaron had blocked me from searching for myself online but all it took was a little rewording and a photo popped up with a video link from when I proposed to Maggie. Seems I did it on stage at one of her shows. Kolby had told me she was an artist as well and after listening to Jana, a pretty talented songwriter as well. I wondered how I met her. But no one would tell me much.

Dad said he would tell me a little each day. Promised me that it wasn't that he was trying to hide anything, they were just following the doctor's orders to not overwhelm me. Fuck that, I wanted to know. I wanted to get my life that had abruptly been disrupted back to normal. Studying the photo a fan had taken of me down on one knee holding a microphone in one hand and a ring box in the other with a wide-eyed Maggie looking down at me made something tug at the edges of my mind.

It was a brief flash of me running to the front of my bus finding a pissed off looking PJ hovering over a form laying out on the bus couch. When I got closer I dropped to my knees in shock beside the couch realizing it was a bruised and bloody Maggie. Shaking my head, I wondered what happened but a throat clearing made my head jerk up.

"Boss," PJ scolded lightly as he sat his crutches to the side before flopping down in the chair near me with a heavy sigh. He shook a finger at my phone. "We have been together a long time man. Trust me when I tell you don't rush it because you may never get those memories back."

"I just want to fucking know," I growled clenching my hands in frustration. "There is a woman who I do not know sleeping in my house while I am down here. I am missing so much. I woke up thinking I was just proud of myself for moving on with my life after Amber and enjoying keeping my ass sober. Now its actually eight years after that. I had been engaged to Jana, enjoyed bachelorhood for a while, then apparently asked someone else to marry me. Why haven't we gotten married PJ? Is there some reason I have been dragging my feet?"

"Hell no," PJ said with a booming laugh rolling his eyes making mine narrow. "You know Maggie is it for you, Boss. She is your sunshine on a cloudy day man. You are not dragging your heels at all. Probably would have drug her to Vegas right after you popped the question if it wasn't for the fact you know she really deep down wanted a wedding. Both of your lives have been extremely busy that is the reason. But before you say it, y'all aren't too busy for each other. Quite the opposite in fact. Y'all have a three-day rule of going without seeing each other if possible." I looked at him intently then glared at his next words. "But that is all I am going into BG. You have heard enough for today. Get some damn rest. You can also say you couldn't sleep because your arm all you want. You are in tune with that woman more than you know and couldn't sleep til she stepped foot on this property."

"What the hell ever," I grumbled rolling my eyes. They were all so full of shit. "Don't know what you are talking about you asshole."

A couple of days later I paused on the front step of my own house looking at it like it was an enemy holding a bundle of sunflowers in my hand. Kolby thought it would be a good idea to get some of the crew together for a cookout since I was getting restless. He'd told me he extended the invitation to Maggie since she was leaving the day after tomorrow for a week run on the west coast. PJ grumbled it would go a long way if I did something nice. Hence the flowers in my hand. We had done our best to make ourselves scarce from each other the last few days.

My plan was to put them upstairs on the bed since she was out with Mama. There was this crazy ass sunshine theme apparently I had when it came to her which is why PJ mentioned these flowers. Bitched the whole time though when I made him hobble in the store after them since it was his idea. Taking a fortifying breath, I headed into the quiet house making my way up the stairs. As my foot hit the first step, an envelope of the hall table caught my eye. It was purple with Maggie's name on it but no return. I left it sitting there but something about it tugged at me and I wasn't sure why.

Making my way up the stairs I turned right heading towards my room. Well, guess it wasn't just my room anyways. I'd looked around the day I came home noting the feminine touches throughout the house along with dust where some photos had been removed no doubt by Mama because of my memory. I understood why they were doing what they were but it was pissing me off. Pushing the door to my bedroom open I paused seeing the light grey comforter on my bed instead of the camo one that used to be there.

Okay well, yea there was some changes. Stepping closer to lay the bundle of flowers on the bed to make sure Maggie would see them, I thought about grabbing a few more clothes while I was here. I was lost in my own thoughts about the changes in my house while making my way into the closet. I didn't register I wasn't alone until I collided with another body. A yelp sounded from both of us as they bumped my broken arm and a floral smell invaded my nose.

"Aghh!" Maggie yelped losing her balance from our collision. I thought quick enough to wrap my good arm around her waist yanking her to me to keep her from going ass over tea kettle. Looking down the ache in my arm became the furthest thing on my mind as the ache traveled south. Here she was pressed against me in nothing but a towel that she had a death grip on looking up at me with wide green eyes. My mind may be fuzzy on details but I sure as hell didn't forget what it felt like to have a nearly naked woman pressed against me. Her hair hung in a wet curtain over her shoulders while her skin was flushed from the heat from the water. I momentarily got distracted by her plump kissable lips. Maggie's voice is what pulled me back to reality. "Brantley?"

"Ummm..." I stammered realizing she was still flush against me and I was quickly having a reaction to it. Be so easy to hook a finger in that towel making it drop to the ground. I dropped my arm so fast stepping back that Maggie stumbled a little. She let out a low growl at me pursing those gorgeous lips at me in anger. Seen that look from her a lot in the last week since I woke up. Either that or utter devastation. She had dark circles under her eyes. Shoving my good hand into my jeans pocket I cleared my throat trying to keep my eyes above her head and not notice the swell of her breasts peeking over the top of the towel with drops of water sliding down that I wanted to trace with my tongue. Dammit, think of dead puppies B. Grandmas in their underwear. "I'm sorry darlin for barging in. I thought you were gone with Mama."

"I was," Maggie ground out. "But she brought me back early since I got sick. With everything going on just haven't felt well."

"You okay?" I asked concerned. I may not remember her but I was a human being after all. I got a curt nod in return. Okay, she was pissed it seemed. "Well, I will get out of your way. I was going to grab a couple more hoodies out of the closet but I'll grab them later. You still coming down later since we are grilling?"

"I told PJ I would," she said throwing her shoulders back. "I'll bring you some more clothes if you want when I do. Don't worry, I'll be fully dressed by then so you won't be uncomfortable."

"It wasn't that Maggie,'' I muttered feeling like an ass. "I didn't know you were here. But I appreciate you bringing me some stuff later. I...Um... well I guess I better go."

"Might as well," Maggie grumbled pushing past me heading towards the bathroom. And what does the damnable woman do? Drops the damn towel giving me ample view of a curved ass and long legs. I almost swallowed my tongue before she disappeared from sight. "Hope you enjoyed the view BG. Not like it isn't something you haven't seen before."

I hurried out of there as quickly as I could knowing I was in for a world of trouble with that woman regardless if I knew who she really was or not.