There Was This Girl

Get That Man A Beer

Beth's POV

Few weeks later.....

I idly drummed my fingers on my steering wheel lost in my own thoughts feeling like my Jeep was on autopilot out to my cousin's house. Rollercoaster wasn't even an accurate description enough for my life here lately. True to his word, Brantley had made it back to Nashville that Tuesday pulling into my driveway at seven on the dot to take me out to dinner and conning the use of his label president's go cart track for a fun night. After a long kiss goodnight with a promise to take me to lunch the next day before he left for a west coast swing of his tour. Then Friday night had seen me getting conned into singing karaoke at Santa's Pub while Chase sat on his bar stool whistling and laughing. And so had been the last few weeks of my life when they both were not on the road.

Grant beat me to the door any time either of them knocked just so he could get first glance and flirt just a little to harass them. Even thought Grant chided me constantly, I knew I was sadly out of my league with both of these men. Crap they had rabid fans drooling over them and don't even get me started on the girl on TikTok that hyped up their hotness. I mean, she wasn't wrong.

Turning off the road, I pulled around the circle drive parking on the other side of the truck and Bronco parked there just as dark was settling in. I knew I didn't have long to explain what was going on with me before Grant rolled in spilling the beans. Hopping out, I jogged up the steps onto the porch pulling the door open and immediately tripping over a bag of duck decoys two steps inside. I let out a low growl wondering how my aunt put up with this over the years. After hearing my stumble, I heard bootsteps coming from the back porch as the door opened and I glared at my cousin walking to the kitchen no doubt to grab another beer. Looking over to see me, a wide grin split his face.

"Hey darlin,'' he said holding his arms out for a hug as I walked closer. I gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs making him grunt before wrapping my arms around him for a hug. He kissed the top of my head then pulled back looking down at me with studious green eyes. "What the hell was that for B?''

"Learn to pick your shit up Riley," I growled pointing towards the bag near the door hearing him laugh and stepping away from me to grab two beers out of the refrigerator passing one to me. I pushed his shoulder before following him outside to the back porch where the fire pit was already lit. "You need a damn keeper."

"Well you can always move in with me instead of Grant and be my housekeeper B," Riley chuckled giving me a wink as I lifted my hand flipping him off. There were three years between us so he had always treated me like a little sister. Why he was the one I ran to when shit went down with Cody. Riley took a sip of his beer then studied me. "Know I have been out on the road a lot here lately, but how have you been Beth. I can see something in your eyes that tells me something is bothering you. Everything okay?"

"Well..." I drawled nibbling on my bottom lip wondering what his reaction would be because Riley did have a tendency to be overprotective sometimes. He had almost killed Cody after finding out he put hands on me, more than once. I shuddered thinking about that and quickly tamped it down. I fidgeted with the label on my beer bottle knowing I needed to get this out before Grant, who had been in charge of stopping for pizza, came strolling in. "I've been kind of seeing someone."

"Good," Riley said with a smirking slumping down in his chair stretching his long legs out. "It was about time you started putting yourself out there. He a nice accountant or something? You know something stable. Someone that can ground you because face it B, you have been a little lost the last couple of years. I just worry...."

"Fuck off Riles," I growled glaring at him as he held his hand up in surrender. "I know my ability to pick men sucks but you don't have to be an ass about it. And no there are no accountants in my future."