Hard To Leave - Riley Green

- 16 -

The night was ruined as soon as Riley sat down across from Lina in the restaurant. It wasn't her getting wine drunk and weepy, no.

It was the way the waiter was treating her.

The look he gave Riley as he pulled out the chair for her make him get unexplainably angry.

He didn't want to propose out of spite- to show some stranger that they were together.

If he's gonna propose, it's going to be the right time.

Hell, he had a romantic boat trip planned after dinner too but that got canceled because the capitan had some family emergency.

Lina has been quiet ever since and Riley knows- he knows was going through her head.

He's gotta find the right time soon or else... he doesn't even want to think about what would happen.

He doesn't want her to feel like he's doing this so she's happy.

No, he wants to to do this right.

"Hey, babe?" Riley says quietly from the threshold of their bedroom door.

"What?" She huffs back, drying her face off after washing it.

"What're you doin' this weekend?"

"Welp. Nothing."

He nods to himself then silently leaves, shooting a message off to Twig to clear his weekend.

+++

"Riley Green, where the hell're you takin' me?" Lina asks, leaning against the door of Riley's truck as they pass the state line. "Bama?"

"Surprise." He says with a small smile. "Figured it'd been a while since you been home." Lina grins as she looks down at her hands while she fidgets with her rings.

How can she be mad at him now? He's said how many times that he doesn't want to go to Alabama again but here he is, taking her home.

It's a couple more hours until they hit Jacksonville limits and she's honestly excited to be back home.

She can't wait to bug her little brother and momma again.

The two pull off the road to a gas station and Riley hops out to refuel while Lina heads inside to grab a bottle of Coke.

She picks one up and then starts walking around the ma and pop store, looking around.

"Lina?"

She jumps slightly, dropping her bag of chips. "T- Tommy, hey. What's goin' on?"

"Just y'know, gettin' lunch." He awkwardly shows her the bag of chips and foil wrapped sandwich in his strong hands. "What're you doin' home?"

"Missed everyone." She can help herself as she checks him out.

Damn, he's in her favorite work jeans of his and a dirty, grease stained work shirt with his work boots and a Carhartt hat on his head.

Tommy looks her over and he can't help the smile that form on his face. She's got those tight jeans on, a white tank top and her boots on.

"Um." She trails off into a small blushy giggle. "You look good, Tommy."

"You do too, Lina."

He gives her one more look as he heads out the door, that panty dropping smirk on his face. He feels a pair of eyes on him as he hops up into his shitbox to eat his lunch.

Riley.

Lina returns to Riley's truck with a bright smile. "Here ya go, darlin." She says, biting back a schoolgirl like giggle as she slides into his shotgun seat.