You Can't Handle Her

Chapter 11

Brantley's POV:

As we walked out of the airport in Atlanta, Lacey paused. Her eyes widened and she latched onto my arm with both hands. I looked up from my phone and saw the boys. They really went all out. At least a dozen of my biker buddies stood around, rowdy and loud, and their bikes all rumbling loudly. Two of them were unloading my bike from the back of a pick up. I grinned when they spotted me. "Welcome home superstar!" Was all I heard. I grabbed Lacey's hand and tugged her over with me. "Lacey, these are the boys. Snake, Ace, Big Mike, over there is Crazy Dave, this is my brother Kolby, this is a cousin of mine Hank, Monkey, Red, and this is Yankee. Boys, this is Lacey James. Don't scare her." I warned them. "Boss where the hell'd you find her? Arent you dating some slick little shit?" Ace said easing a bushy eyebrow. I looked at Lacey, and tugged her into my side. She shocked me when instead of freezing up, she grinned wide and snuggled in even closer. "Not anymore." She smirked and shrugged. Lacey patted my stomach and smiled up at me. The boys all whooped excitedly. Snake handed me my keys, and I sighed happily. I missed riding. "What say we take a ride Miss James? You game?" I asked her. She smiled widely. "I can ride with you?!" She asked excitedly. I nodded. "Unless you wanted to ride with Crazy Dave over there..." I teased her. She looked at the guy and quickly shook her head no. I didn't blame her. He looked like Steve Buscemi gone bad. Great guy, but not exactly a poster boy for mental stability. I swung a leg over my bike and sat, stroking my hand over the tank. "God I've missed ya ol girl. Climb on sugar. Let's roll boys!" I told the bike, then Lacey, then the crew. Lacey hopped on like a pro and we took off, she giggled and squealed the whole way home. When I broke off from the pack, and pulled into my driveway, Lacey gasped behind me. When we walked towards the house, she finally spoke. "This is your house? This is.. This is amazing. It's so open, and spacious. My God it's so beautiful out here! So peaceful!" She smiled wide and took a deep breath of fresh air. "Welcome to the south darlin." I grinned and we headed inside. Momma had come over and cooked a full spread, so when the front door opened she called out "I'm in the kitchen, got all your favorites waitin on ya! Don't dawdle Brantley Kieth." I laughed at that. Lacey smiled. We headed into the kitchen and I walked over to my momma, who was elbow deep in mixing something. I kissed her cheek and hugged her "Hey Angel, this all smells so good. Momma, this is Lacey James, Lacey, this is my momma, Becky Gilbert. Don't let her size fool ya, she may be little but she's a firecracker." I grinned. Momma swatted me and I jumped back. Lacey laughed. "It's so great to meet you Ms. Becky, you raised one hell of a son." Lacey smiled at me. I winked at her and kissed her forehead as I passed her to put my duffle up. "Well darlin he definitely tried to make me gray, a real hell raiser that one. But I think that he grew up good. He's a good man." Their conversation trailed off as I made it to the utility room. When I came back to the kitchen, Lacey was perched on my island, a plate in her hands, and momma was steadily adding to the plate. "Brantley's got some size on him, so we gotta get some meat on your bones little one, heaven forbid he roll over you. Why, you'd be plumb stuck!" She smiled wide. Lacey nodded quickly, holding out the now empty plate for more. Momma happily refilled it. "It is pretty funny to see us next to each other. My ex was... Significantly smaller than Brantley. So I'm not used to all that, I'm not quite sure what to do with him honnestly." She grinned bashfully. Neither woman had noticed me standing in the doorway. "Feed him, let him ride his motorcycles, and just be honest with him. Can I ask you something dear?" Momma said. Continuing when Lacey nodded. "Do you care about my son?" She asked bluntly. Lacey set her plate aside, and wiped her hands. "So much that it terrifies me. I haven't known him very long, but I know he's this incredible man, who makes me feel... So so much. When I'm with him, I feel safe. Protected. Like I matter. I don't feel like a shiny new toy he can flaunt to his friends. I don't feel like 'Lacey James, famous superstar'. I feel like Lacey. Myself. Brantley makes me feel like nothing in the world can hurt me. Except him." When momma frowned, she explained. "I'm falling a lot harder and faster than I should be. I don't know what'll happen when this movie is finished, but the possibility of never seeing him again? I can't... I just.." She trailed off with a sniffle. Momma held her cheeks and hugged her close. I made my presence known than. "Everything ok?" I asked feigning cluelessness. Momma nodded. "Girl talk." She explained and Lacey smiled at her greatfully.