Smokin Gun

Chapter Twenty: Part I

Stephanie's POV

I slowly made my way downstairs rubbing my bleary eyes and yawning. I had woken up to an empty bed and was shocked to see that it was eight in the morning. Carson was two months old and only woke up at night when he was hungry or needed to be changed. Finally! Sylo was his shadow. There were nights that I could look at the monitor on my nightstand and see him still laying by the crib until he was sure he was settled back in.

I smelled coffee as I shuffled into the kitchen and saw my favorite mug sitting by the coffee pot. I fixed my coffee then headed into the living room in search of my boys. I found Brantley sitting in his recliner with Carson sitting on his raised legs smiling up at his daddy. I stifled a laugh when he got a grip on his beard and tugged. Brantley winced slightly as he pried his hand loose. Little man had a grip. Sylo was curled up on his back sound asleep on his bed. I walked over and sat on the arm of the chair and grinned at them.

"Good morning handsome," I cooed stroking a finger on my son's cheek. I leaned down to kiss his forehead softly and felt tiny fingers try to curl in my sleep tousled hair. I felt a big hand stroke my back and I sat back up to look over at my husband. He had his lip poked out pouting at me.

"You forgot someone," he grumbled narrowing his eyes at me playfully. I rolled my eyes as I leaned over to brush my lips with his.
"Mmmmm.... now that's better. See little man, Mama does love me."

I laughed shaking my head as I took a sip of my coffee. Brantley took the mug out of my hand, taking a sip for himself then sat it down on the table by his chair. He shifted Carson to his left arm then used his right to pull me down in his lap. He got me settled then handed our son over to me. He had his chin on my shoulder making faces at Carson. I smirked to myself thinking oh if the fan girls could see his goofy ass now.

I had already given them enough to drool over a few weeks ago when we had gotten the newborn pictures of Carson back. One of my favorites of the two of them was a close up of little man curled up asleep on Brantley's back. He had stretched out on the floor of the studio and we had gotten a close up of Carson curled between the guns on his back and his little hand just happened to be resting beside by my initials on the right pistol.

I had posted that one while he had used the one of Carson sitting on his knees asleep. You could make out the holes in his jeans and Brantley had had his left hand resting on him showing off the tattoo on his wrist and hand while you could make out his biker rings where he was supporting Carson's head. We both had cracked up and the agreed to post the one of all three of us.

We had been dressed in matching dark blue jeans, gray t-shirts, and barefoot. I had turned his hat around backwards with a wink making him laugh. Carson had been on the blanket in front of us asleep in a red UGA onesie with his Lil Outlaw hat on. Sylo curled up beside him keeping a watchful eye. The photographer had cracked up when she read our shirts. Mine had said MAMA TRIED while B's had DADDY DIDN'T LISTEN on it. He had rolled his eyes and shook his head when Caroline had dropped them off.

I glanced at the clock then turned to look at Brantley with a half-smile.

"Baby, it's nine. Don't you have a Skype call with Scott and Mike at 9:15," I asked. I felt his chest heave with a sigh as he tightened his arms around me.

"Yea, I need to go grab a shower and head downstairs to the studio," he mumbled resting his chin on my shoulder. He turned his head burying his face in my neck rubbing his beard there making me giggle.

"B......." I got out between laughs. "Stttoooopppp......."

"Or what....." he rasped out before setting his teeth on my ear lobe. I turned my head to smirk at him.

"Or nothing Daddy," I said shaking my head and nodding my head at Carson. "This one will be waking up soon and you have a busy schedule today."
He laid his forehead down on my shoulder and groaned.

"Fuck," he muttered tightening his arms around me. "I know, I know. But they are wanting to finalize the last few details of the tour. Pick the next single and then plan a video. And rehearsals start next week. I at least got them to agree to do them in Atlanta so I won't have to leave you two sooner than I have to."

"I know baby," I said sympathetically as I pressed a kiss to the side of his head. I had already teased him the other day that I hadn't seen his hair get this long since our early twenties. Though he did like it when I ran my fingers through it.
"It's your job. We've got the new bus and I'll come out as soon as I can. Then I'll have Carson with me as well in a few months."
We had agreed to let him get a little bit older before taking him on the road. Brantley lifted his head and smirked at me.

"I hear this now but you can't even go to the grocery store without calling at least five times to check on him," he said laughing. "We are trying to have serious guy time and you bug us."
I reached over to tug on his earring making him yelp.

"Serious guy time my ass," I said rolling my eyes and smiling. "Yea, it consists of you, him, and Sylo curled up in our bed napping or kicked back in this chair."
He let out a loud laugh and we both sucked in our breath as Carson let out a whimper at the noise but settled back against me still asleep.

"Sleeps like the dead. Just like you baby," he whispered in my ear. I growled at him.

"Pot meet kettle. Which one of us had to have an airhorn blown near them to wake up," I whispered back with a smirk.

"Not fair. I had been playing in the state baseball tournament all that weekend and you insisted we just had to Jenny Mason's party," he said glaring at me.
"Mama is the one who woke me up for church that way. You and Kolby gave her the damn airhorn."

"Duh we had to go," I said with a grin. "Kyle Jacobs was home from college and there and he was sooooo hot."

I heard a growl and turned to meet my husband's steely glare with what I hoped was an innocent grin.

"Really baby, you have to bring up that douche bag," he muttered reaching down to pinch my ass through my pajama pants. "I broke his nose for making you cry two weeks later."

"My hero," I said kissing him softly on the lips. "I wound up with the way better man. Trust me."

"Damn right you did woman and don't forget it," he grumbled as he lifted me up to slid out from under me.
He stood up and stretched, the move making his already low hanging sweatpants dip lower giving me a glorious view of that V that drives all women crazy. He leaned down to give me one last kiss before turning to head up the stairs to our bedroom.

I pushed myself up and padded into the kitchen to make Carson's next bottle and take care of a few things. Sylo had woken up and was hot on our heels. I put Carson in his swing and pulled the stuff out for bacon and egg sandwiches. I had just finished putting them together about fifteen minutes later when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. I turned in Brantley's arms and handed him his and a bottle of water.

"Thanks sweetheart," he said as he placed a quick kiss on my lips then turned to head downstairs to the studio. I grinned as I picked my phone up. I started a group text with my mom and Mama Becky. I knew that once he got done today this would be his last free weekend before he got busy getting back in the swing of things.

If it hadn't been for Carson being born he wouldn't have been home this long. I grinned when I got a reply back from Mama Becky that she would be over here in about an hour to pick up Carson for the day and tonight with my mom getting him tomorrow. We'd pick him up from her and Daddy on Sunday at church.

The last few times someone had taken him for the night we both had been so exhausted we had showered, then curled up together, and crashed. I had been cleared by the doctor almost a month ago but anytime we had tried to start anything someone would come by, the phone would ring, or Carson would wake up. Brantley was convinced his son was determined to cock block him. I grinned mischievously as I heard my baby boy wake up, not tonight Daddy, not tonight.