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bloatedandalone04 · 1 year ago

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Greatest Fan of your Life

➪the one where you get your wisdom teeth removed and bradley takes care of you.

Warnings: fluff, mentions of a bad past dental experience, mentions of teeth being removed...because, you know, mentions of blood, anesthesia, use of an iv, mentions of not eating properly, reader is going through it, bradley being the best boyfriend ever, literally wrote this because i just had three of my wisdom teeth removed and needed some comfort

Word Count: 5.3k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡

You were nervously chewing on your bottom lip as you glanced up at the sign of the best dental office in San Diego. As you read over the sign a couple of times, Bradley reached over from his place behind the wheel and grabbed your hand. “How are you feeling?”

Tearing your eyes off the logo that resembled a tooth, you give him a weary smile. “I’m nervous,” you state the obvious in a quiet voice.

Bradley raised your hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it before rubbing soothing circles on your knuckles with his thumb. “You’re going to be fine, pretty girl,” he said in hopes to provide you with some much needed comfort. “I’m going to be waiting right here when it’s over, and then we’ll go home and I’ll cater to your every need.”

You give him another smile and lean over to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “I like the sound of that,” you murmur and he smiles back before placing another quick kiss to your mouth.

“Do you want me to go in with you?” He asks when he saw you reach for the handle.

“Please,”

And with that one word Bradley was hopping out of the Bronco and grabbing your hand as you both walked up to the door. He could feel just how tense you were and he wished there was something he could do to ease your nerves, even a little bit. He knew there was nothing he could say or do to help you, as having anything done to your mouth, from a filling to a simple clean, made you beyond nervous.

You had never liked the dentist, ever since you were a kid and they had to hold you down while extracting a tooth that was no good. They hadn’t given you enough freezing for it to numb properly, so you felt pretty much everything. Safe to say you never went back to that dentist office.

Maybe that was why you had waited so long to make an appointment to have your wisdom teeth removed. You were told back when you were twenty one that you should get them extracted as soon as possible, but that was ten years ago, and you still hadn’t booked the appointment.

You were fine, for the most part, up until a few weeks ago. You were barely able to chew tough foods because your gums ached beyond words, and you had resorted to drinking shakes to get you through the day. That was fine, until Bradley noticed you had lost a concerning amount of weight due to the lack of actual food you were getting into your body.

He went ahead and booked the appointment for you pretty much instantly after that. He had to sweet talk the lady on the other line, who was insisting that it should be you who was making the appointment, but she eventually gave in when he told her about your fear of the dentist.

Bradley still wasn’t sure how he had gotten away with that, but he was grateful nonetheless, even if you didn’t talk to him for the rest of the day after he informed you of your upcoming extractions.

While you were upset and scared, you were also glad you would be able to go back to eating solid foods in about a week after today.

That positive still didn’t help tune out all the negatives you were feeling.

As you walked up to the front desk of the office, you didn’t loosen your hold on Bradley’s hand once, not even when the lady behind the desk handed you a clipboard with papers you needed to sign since this was your first time in this office.

You both sat in the waiting room, and you were shaking so badly you were afraid your writing was so messy that you’d have to ask for a new page. With a nervous glance up at your boyfriend, he just pressed a kiss to the side of your head and took the clipboard from you, filling out your information for you. Most he knew off by heart, thankfully, and he handed it back to you so you could scribble down your signature at the bottom of the page.

It was only a few minutes after he handed the board back to the lady when your name was called. Bradley could tell that you were beginning to freak out once again, so he took your hand and walked with you over to where the procedure will be done.

“You’re going to be fine,” he assured you, his hands tilting your head up so he could press a soft kiss to your lips. “It’ll take an hour at the most, and then we’ll be back home.”

You just nodded and allowed him to kiss your forehead. “I love you,”

“I love you, too,” and he watched as you were guided into the room by the assistant.

You hesitantly sat down on the chair and kept your eyes on the blank wall in front of you. Off to your left were various paintings, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look over at them, despite them probably being there to calm down the patients. You were so nervous, you couldn’t even voice your opinions on the decor of the waiting room. This was by far the most elegant dentist office you had ever seen in your life.

The assistant took a seat next to you and began wiping down your forearm, and you began mentally preparing yourself for the eventual puncture of the IV. “How are we doing?” She asked softly. “Are you nervous?”

You give her a tight smile as she tosses the wipe into the trash can. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only a little bit,” she teased as the Doctor came in. “Your boyfriend mentioned that you have had some pretty tough times in the past regarding previous procedures. I want you to know that you have nothing to be afraid of. It’ll be over before you know it.”

You nod at her as the Doctor gently picked up the IV. “Hi, Y/n,” he smiled at you. “I’m Doctor Brown.”

“Hi,” you nearly whisper back.

He asked you the standard questions, like; are you taking any medication currently, are you a smoker, is there a chance you’re pregnant, when was the last time you had something to eat or drink. All that fun stuff you were barely able to answer.

“I’m going to insert the IV now, okay?” He asked and waited until you gave him verbal consent before gently piercing your skin with the needle. He looked at the fluid bag before sitting down on the other side of you and grabbing gloves. “I hear this is your first time with us, is that correct?”

You nod as he adjusts the chair so you are laying back. “It is,”

“And you have a reliable ride home?”

You nod again. “Yeah, my boyfriend,” you answer, wondering when exactly you were supposed to start feeling sleepy.

The assistant, whose name tag read Alia Clark, grabbed her own gloves as she asked, “What does your boyfriend do?”

“He’s in the navy,” you mumble with a small smile. “He’s an aviator.”

“Oh, wow,” she replied and smiled down at you before checking over your chart. “And what is his name?”

For some reason, that took you a bit longer to answer as you felt your eyes begin to feel heavy. “Bradley,” you were finally able to say. “His name is Bradley, but he also goes by his call sign, Rooster.”

“Rooster, huh?” Doctor Brown hums and you were only able to nod as you felt your eyes close.

“Don’t worry, Y/n,” you hear Alia say. “You will be back with Bradley, or Rooster, in no time.”

And that was all the assurance you needed before you let yourself fall asleep.

Bradley wishes he was able to stay in the room with you, but he knew he couldn’t, so he finally made his way back out to the Bronco once he saw the Doctor enter your room.

Once he was back behind the wheel, he sighed as he had an hour of time to kill.

He had taken the week off work, after informing Mav of your fear of the dentist. The older man seemed to have taken pity on you as he had no problem letting Bradley skip this week to look after you.

As he began to wait, he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to you, knowing you wouldn’t see it or read it until you were back home. You told him beforehand to take your phone away from you until the effects of the IV wore off completely, nervous that you would embarrass yourself if you were to go on it in your drug induced haze.

After typing out a sappy little message, Bradley ended it with a simple red heart before sending it, hearing the buzz of your phone from where it was on the center console.

He debated on whether or not he wanted to stay in the parking lot the whole time, or run out to the store to get some things that would help make the next few days easier for you.

He reluctantly chose the second option, as he knew you wouldn’t want him to leave your side once you were back home.

Bradley drove to the nearest store and bought a few packs of pudding, apple sauce, ginger ale, yogurt and even some more of those shakes you had been living off of, something he was still mad about as he hated the way you turned to practically starving yourself to avoid this appointment, before stopping by the pharmacy to pick up more painkillers.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the smallest bit excited to be the one taking care of you. Usually it was the other way around, with you being the one to look after him every time he returned home from his deployments. Whether that be with making him his favorite foods, giving him some much needed massages or simply just laying with him in bed for a few hours, it all made the welcome home much nicer than it would have been if he was still living alone and single.

This time he got to be the one to look after you, and he couldn’t wait to cater to your every need. He couldn’t wait to spend the whole week with you, even though you would most likely be miserable and uncomfortable due to the pain in your mouth. Still, he would do his best to make things better for you.

Your surgery should be over soon, so with twenty minutes left on the timer he set for himself on his phone, he drove back to the dental office and was back to waiting for you.

He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to go in and wait for you inside, or if they’ll call him to come walk you out, but he decided to go in a bit early, anyway, and wait for you in the waiting room.

Bradley remembered when he got his wisdom teeth removed, back when he was still a teen. He remembered just how uncomfortable he was during the recovery days, and how he didn’t really have anyone to look after him. He got his aunt to drive him there and home, and she stayed with him for a few hours after the surgery, but eventually had to return to her own home.

He had to stick to sucking on popsicles and protein shakes until he was feeling well enough to go back to eating normal food.

He was completely on his own back then, and he’d make sure that wasn’t the case with you.

A few minutes go by, and when he heard the assistant call his name, he paused the latest newscast that he was watching on his phone and pocketed it before standing up. “How is she?” He asked as Alia getsured for the lady behind the desk to ring up the receipt. “How’d it go?”

Alia smiled at his multiple questions as she watched him insert his credit card into the machine. “It went well,” she answered and gave him another smile when he slipped the card back into his wallet and took the receipt from the receptionist. “She’s just resting now, but is able to go home since most of the anesthesia has worn off.”

He nodded and followed her back to where you were. She stepped aside as he entered the room and found you still laying on the chair, your eyes barely open as you stared blankly at the TV that was hung from the ceiling. “Hi, pretty girl,”

At the sound of your boyfriend’s voice, you look over and tear up. “I don’t look pretty right now,” you mumble and try to avoid moving the cotton pads that were stuck to either side of your mouth.

Bradley hushed you and quickly walked around the chair so he could press his lips to your forehead. Your mouth and cheeks were swollen, and he could see a bit of blood on your bottom lip, but other than that, he still thought you were the prettiest girl he had ever seen. “You do,” he said and grabbed your hand when you reached it out to him, careful to not touch the bandage from where the IV was inserted. “Mouth full of gauze and all.”

“You’re Rooster, I’m assuming?” Doctor Brown asked as he held a few pages of paper in his hand.

“She told you my call sign, huh?” Bradley shook his head while you avoided eye contact with him and instead decided to stare at the wall.

“She was the perfect patient,”

Bradley looked over at you and gently rubbed circles on the back of your hand with his thumb. “I believe it,”

Doctor Brown went over what exactly he and Alia did to you, before handing him a small bag that held antibiotics inside. The whole time you remained silent as you tried not to cry in front of the Doctor and assistant, squeezing Bradley’s hand whenever you felt the pain beginning to form.

“She should be okay now,” the Doctor finished with a smile at the two of you. “There should be no more pain from having them in. If there is still a bit of discomfort after about two weeks, come back in and we’ll check up on the healing process.”

“Sounds good,” Bradley answered and gently pulled you up from the chair. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” you mutter as he guides you back towards the exit, with him carrying most of your body weight. He led you back out to the Bronco and helped put your seatbelt on before he was getting in on the drivers side.

“I know this will be hard for you to do,” he began, checking you over once more before putting the car in reverse and beginning to back out of the parking space. He puts his right hand on the back of your headrest and gives you a teasing smile before continuing, “But I looked it up and Google says you shouldn’t talk too much. It might interrupt the healing process.”

Despite him really wanting to hear all the odd things you’d say in your daze, he didn’t want you paying the price later by having a sore throat.

You send him a dirty look and raise your brow, as if to say, really?

He just winks at you after taking off his aviators and reaching over to gently place them over your eyes, sacrificing his own in hopes you would appreciate the gesture since you had forgotten your own during your rush to leave this morning. It was nearing the afternoon, so the sun was shining down on the both of you, but he would deal with it to make you more comfortable.

He was right about you appreciating it, as you give him a closed mouth smile, your cheeks puffed out due to the gauze. “Tell you what,” he says as he pulls out onto the main road, his right hand instinctively reaching over to trace random shapes onto the skin of your thigh. He keeps his left one on the wheel as he glances over at you, seeing your eyes already on him from behind the glasses. “Once we get home and you rest for a few hours, maybe we can go out and get milkshakes if you’re feeling up to it. Might help with the soreness.”

You instantly perk up at that and nod, grabbing his hand and bringing it up to your mouth. Bradley held back a laugh at your attempt to kiss the back of his hand, your lips clearly still numb as you couldn’t seem to get them to move properly.

He just gave you a grin when you looked over at him in defeat.

The swelling had gotten worse as the time went on, and your throat was dry beyond words. Bradley had guided you towards the couch as soon as you got home, flipping the TV onto one of your favorite shows and making sure you were comfortable before he was leaving to tidy up the small mess you had made in the bedroom a few hours earlier, when you couldn’t decide what to wear and had thrown multiple articles of clothing onto the floor.

Within minutes he was back at your side, your head resting on his lap as you stared at the screen of the TV. Bradley ran his fingers through your hair as you both watched the show, listening to your uneven breaths as you fought back grunts of pain.

He looked down and gently held your chin in between his fingers, squinting down at you as you opened your mouth. “I think it might be time to change the gauze, baby,” he murmurs and you wince in at the thought of seeing the bloody cotton leave your mouth.

Bradley gently sits you up before reaching over and grabbing the bag from the dentist and pulling out a fresh set of gauze.

After damping them with water, he sets them aside before mumbling a quiet, “Come here,” and he watches as you lean towards him and slowly open your mouth. Bradley caresses your jaw with one hand and uses the other to slowly pull out the bloodied gauze. He does it one by one, murmuring a soft, “I’m sorry,” when he sees the tears form in your eyes. He places both pieces of gauze on the palm of his hand before handing you the clean ones.

He sits with you until you’ve successfully placed the new cotton into your mouth, and then stands up to throw away the blood filled ones.

Once Bradley returns back to the living room, you move over and give him space to sit down before laying your head in his lap again and trying to focus on the show instead of the throbbing in your mouth.

With your head still feeling fuzzy and the feeling of your boyfriend’s fingers running through your hair again, you give yourself a bit of relief and fall asleep.

When you woke up alone a few hours later, you noticed that Bradley had left the TV on and had also put your phone on the coffee table beside you. You could hear him doing something in the kitchen as you reached for it, and knowing him, he was probably making something to eat as his stomach was like a bottomless pit.

You sat up with a groan, still a bit groggy from the anesthesia, and unlocked your phone. Instantly, you were met with a couple of texts from your friends and family, and you smiled as you read them.

Mom: I heard from Bradley that it went well and you’re resting now. Call me when you’re feeling up to it. Love you x

Nat: I told you that there was nothing to be scared of. Have fun being stuck with Rooster for a week ;) Text me when you can!

But the one that had you smiling a little bit more was the one from Bradley.

Bradley ♡: I love you, pretty girl. I promise I will be there with you as soon as it’s done. I’m all yours for the next week, and after that.

You send him a heart emoji back, then realize that the gauzes are all soggy in your mouth, and you once again had to hold back a gag as you leaned over to put your phone back down.

When you bite too hard down on your cheek through the cotton, you wince and accidentally drop your phone onto the floor. It landed on the rug with a thud, and you heard the sounds coming from the kitchen stop.

Seconds later Bradley was standing in the doorway to the living room, a cloth in his hands and he was still chewing something as he asked, “Are you okay?”

You give him a thumbs up before pointing down at your phone.

He looks at it and shakes his head as he tosses the cloth back into the kitchen to find later, before crossing the room and picking up the device. “I knew giving you back your phone would be a bad idea,” he teased as he sat down next to you and gently ran his fingers along your still swollen jaw. “How are you feeling?”

You shrugged and blinked away the remaining sleep from your eyes. “Dry,” you said and wince at how raspy your voice sounded.

Bradley nodded, murmuring a quiet, “Okay,” as he pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “Do you feel like trying to drink something?”

You look up at him with a small smile. “Milkshake?”

He laughs and kisses your forehead. “We can go get milkshakes,” he says as he gently tugs on your lower lip with his thumb. “But first we need to change those again.”

You groan as he helps remove the stained gauze from your mouth again and wonder how he wasn’t grossed out by holding them in his hand. You supposed he’s seen and done worse, and he’s not exactly new to having your saliva on him.

He uses his free hand to grasp your chin between his fingers and tilts your head so the lamp next to the couch was able to shine somewhat into your mouth. “It doesn’t seem to be bleeding much right now,” he hums and stands up to toss the gauze away. “Do you want to see how it goes without them for a bit? Just until you get something into you. If it starts to bleed again after the shakes, I’ll help you put new ones in.”

You agree instantly, happy to be rid of the uncomfortable cotton for at least a little while. After he throws the used gauze out, he returns back to the living room with his keys and phone in one of his hands, the other free for you to hold as he held it out to you.

He pulls you off the couch and guides you back out to the Bronco, making sure to grab the bag that holds the gauze and meds that you would need to take afterwards. He knew it would be an early night as the medicine would most likely make you sleepy again, and that was why he waited until it was nearing eight before taking you out for milkshakes, so you could go back home and go to bed at a reasonable time.

Bradley couldn’t do much for your discomfort, but he could sure as hell keep your sleep schedule on track.

You leaned your head against the window as he drove into town, your eyes hazy as you listened to his quiet humming of the song that played on the radio. “I like your singing,” you murmur as you look at all the lit up shops that passed by. “You should do it more often.”

Bradley laughed from beside you as he pulled into the drive thru. “I sing all the time for you, baby,”

“I know,” you say and lift your head, looking over at him while he eyed all the flavors to choose from. “But I can never get enough of you, you know that.”

He lifted his hand and ran his knuckles along the bone of your cheek, admiring the way your pretty face looked in the dim lighting of the Bronco. “The feeling is mutual,” he grinned at you when you turned your head to place a kiss to the back of his hand. “What kind are you wanting to get?”

You hum as you lean over the center console, reading over the various flavors. “Strawberry,” you decide and run your nose along the sharp angle of his jaw. “Please.”

After ordering two shakes, and asking for a spoon, Bradley pulled into one of the many available parking spaces. He pulled off the lid of your shake and stuck the plastic spoon in it before handing it over to you.

He watched you carefully as he sipped on his own shake, holding back a laugh at how puffy your face is. Of course, you saw him shift out of the corner of your eye and turn to him with a raised brow. “Sorry,” he grinned and set his shake down in the cup holder. “You look like a chipmunk.”

You just shake your head at him and slurp on the spoon, waiting until the cold substance dripped down your throat before saying, “You’re laughing at me,” you state and hear him snort and cover his mouth. “I’m in pain and you’re laughing at me.”

That just made him laugh harder, and you found yourself smiling at the sound. “I’m sorry,” he says and reaches over to gently caress your swollen cheek. “You still look as hot as ever.”

You roll your eyes and bring another spoonful of the milkshake to your lips. “Liar,”

“I mean it,” he promised, running his fingers over your jaw in a feather light touch before pulling away. “You’re the sexiest chipmunk I’ve ever seen, baby.”

When you laugh loudly, you wince immediately after, and Bradley quickly decides that you’d most definitely be a lot more comfortable at home.

“Alright, I think we should get going. Are you okay to…eat that while I drive?” He asked as he sipped on his chocolate shake. You wave him off and take a much smaller amount on the spoon, knowing that Bradley would go off on you for spilling anything in his precious Bronco, but you also knew he’d wait until after you were feeling better. The thought had a warm feeling spreading all over your body, as did his next words, “Okay, we’ll head home. You should take one of the antibiotics, first.”

You agree, and he holds your shake as you take the pill into your mouth. After rummaging around in the back with his free hand, Bradley hands you a warm water bottle, and he puts a reminder in his head to put the bottle in the fridge once he got home.

“Okay?” He asked when you took back your milkshake.

You nodded and have him a half smile, “It’s probably going to make me tired,”

“I know, that’s a good thing. You should be pretty tired by the time we get back home, and then you can go to bed and sleep off a bit of the pain,” he pointed out as he put the Bronco in reverse. Before he actually started moving, he gave you a serious look. “Do not spill that shake, pretty girl.”

You laugh quietly and give him a side glance as you sipped a bit of the milkshake from the cup.

“I mean it, baby,” he was only half serious in his warning as he started the short ride back home, one hand on the wheel while his other one held his plastic cup. “That cute face will only get you so far.”

You just shake your head and lean over to press a kiss to his cheek that you couldn’t feel yourself do. Your lips were still numb, so you were really trying to be as careful as possible with not spilling your milkshake.

Luckily, you arrived back home without letting a drop hit a single spot in the interior of his Bronco, and Bradley gave you a chocolate tasting kiss as a reward as he led you back up to the house.

Once you were in your room, he helped dress you in one of his shirts and sweats. After concluding that the bleeding had stopped, he decided there was no need to shove move gauze into your mouth, as that would most likely make it start to bleed again.

He pulled back the covers and sat down next to you, smiling down at your emotionless face and tired eyes. “You doing okay?” He asked as he brushed away some of your hair.

“Yeah,” you mumbled, taking his hand in yours and trying to kiss it. He just grinned at your attempt. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Bradley leaned down and kissed your forehead gently. “I always will, you know that,” you nodded as he pulled away and stood up. “Do you want an ice pack for the night? Might help with the swelling.”

After thinking about it, you nod and wait for him to return back into the room with the ice pack. He wrapped it in a dish towel and gently placed it against your jaw before stripping down into just his boxer briefs.

He settles down in bed behind you, hesitant to touch you at the moment in case you needed space. When you just laughed quietly and grabbed his hand so you could wrap his arm around your waist, he inched closer to you and allowed you to rest the ice pack between his shoulder and your jaw. He was glad he put the towel around it, but he also wouldn’t have minded having to feel it unwrapped against his bare shoulder. He’d suck it up for you.

“I love you, pretty girl,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“I love you,” you mumbled back, snuggling closer to him as the effects of the antibiotics began taking over your body.

As Bradley held you while you slept, he felt glad that he was the one you wanted to look after you. He loved you beyond words and he felt as though this was the beginning of his attempts to even out the balance in your relationship. It was you who constantly looked after him, and though he loved it, he also felt guilty that there weren’t many occasions where he was the one who looked after you.

After spending the day taking care of your every need and being the one person you wanted to see you vulnerable, he decided that after this he would put more effort into showing you how much he appreciated and adored you.

He was ready to move onto a new chapter in his life with you by his side, if the small box tucked away in his box of collectable cards was anything to go by.

All he had to do was hope you’d say yes.

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beyondthesefourwalls · 2 years ago

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Remember You Even When I Don't (11-Epilogue)

Summary: A training accident, the doctor had told him. A nasty one that led him here, laying in a hospital bed with a splitting headache and an inability to remember the woman sitting beside him. What he did know, though, was that you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and you felt important to him. That, as it turns out, would become an understatement.

Words: 2.2K

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw/Reader (no use of y/n, so can be read as unnamed oc)

Warnings: angst, hospitals, memory loss, language, suggestive themes, smut

Notes: The end of an era! I hope you all enjoy.

A special shoutout to @roosterforme and @mak-32. Em is the one who encouraged me to make the one shot this was originally supposed to be into a full length story, and without these two constantly encouraging me, I promise this wouldn't be half the story that it turned out to be. Love ya, ladies!

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As it turns out, your first wedding had been a quick, private affair. The judgment the two of you received from moving as quickly as you did had made you decide early on in your engagement that a big, pompous wedding wasn’t for you. And really, you didn’t care about any of that anyway. The rumblings of a potential deployment or change of station had you moving even quicker and on a Wednesday afternoon in late summer, the two of you were married by a justice of the peace on the National Mall in DC, the Washington Monument in the background. You had wild flowers threaded through your hair and a lacy white dress and there were tourists in the background of almost all of your pictures. Despite all of that, it was still categorized as one of the best days of his life, but the second time would be different.

Bradley wanted you to have everything you ever wanted this time, but you had been insistent that there was no need for a grand event. Wedding venues with short notice were hard to come by in San Diego and you didn’t want to get married on the beach. When Mav had suggested his hanger, you had lit up at the idea. The next few months had been a whirlwind of ordering catering and finding flowers, constructing arches and finding tables and chairs to rent and stringing twinkle lights from the ceiling - so, so many twinkle lights. But it had all been worth it once he saw the awe on your face as you walked around the open space the night before your vow renewal. The hanger was almost unrecognizable, and even though the ring was already on your finger, he couldn’t wait to marry you here tomorrow.

You don’t sleep apart the night before, but he leaves early that morning to meet Mav and the rest of the guys from the Dagger Squad. You’ll be spending the morning with Nat and Coyote’s wife and a few of your other close girlfriends, and the kiss he gives you in the doorway to the garage is long and slow.

“We’re getting married today,” you whisper against his lips.

“Again.”

You laugh at his response, getting lost in his kiss. His phone dings in his pocket and he knows it’s the groupchat asking where he is, not for the first time. He pulls away from you reluctantly.

With a sigh, he slips his ring off his finger and hands it to you. Your nose crinkles in protest, but you do the same with yours. He sees how you flex your fingers the moment you do, not used to being without them.

“I still don’t get why you want to exchange rings again,” you mutter without any heat. Bradley kisses your forehead, lifting your left hand to his and then placing a kiss to your ringless finger. You shiver despite yourself and he smiles.

“Because I want to enjoy putting it back on you, Pumpkin.”

There’s really nothing you can say to that, but you roll your eyes fondly anyway, pressing forward for one more kiss.

The morning and early afternoon go by quickly. He plays a round of golf with the guys and then they all help him with ensuring his surprise for you is completely good to go for the next day. He steps back at one point, watching as his friends, his family, work and laugh together, genuinely happy to be here for this day, for him and the two of you, and feels his heart swell. Sometimes it’s still hard to believe that this is his life.

He doesn’t wear his dress whites like he did the first time. Instead, as afternoon fades away and guests start arriving, he changes into the blue suit you had told him was your favorite. He forgoes the tie, leaving the top button of his white shirt undone, and the early spring sun is just starting to set as he takes his place at the end of the makeshift aisle. His breath catches in his throat when you finally appear at the other end.

It feels like it takes you forever to make it to him, but when your hand finally slips into his, the nervous energy that had been building in the last hour fades back into the normal excitement he always feels in your presence.

“Hi,” he whispers.

“Hi,” you whisper right back, the moment just for the two of you, “fancy seeing you here.”

“Isn't it? You come here often?”

Your smile tugs into something of a smirk, and your eyes flash with mischief, “Just twice now,” you say, “hoping we don’t have to do this again anytime soon if we can help it.”

Bradley can’t help the laugh that he lets out, uncaring of all the people watching them from their seats, waiting for them to get started. He likes that you’re in a place where you can tease him about this now.

“I’m not going to make a habit of this,” he assures you. You squeeze his hands, and he knows that combined with the bright smile on your face, it’s your way of saying that even if he did, you’d be there at the end of the aisle walking toward him every time.

The officiant clears his throat, asking if you were ready to begin. As the man starts the ceremony, you send Bradley a wink, and he bites the inside of his cheek to stop the giddy laughter bubbling in him at how damn happy he is to be here.

He doesn’t take his eyes away from you the entire time, wanting every single moment ingrained in his brain forever; every smile, every word, every tear, everything. He doesn’t make it through the vows without crying, and neither do you, but you hold his hand the whole time and wipe away some of his tears with the pad of your thumb. When it’s your turn to speak, he thinks his heart is going to burst out of his chest as you read the words you had written to him.

When it comes time to slip your ring back on your finger, it feels like you’re completely alone out here on this runway. He doesn’t exactly remember doing this before and it feels like the first time and he vows that no matter what happens, he’ll never, ever forget it.

You’re both practically vibrating after that, a smile so wide his cheeks are starting to hurt that’s reflected on your face, too, and he doesn’t hesitate when he’s finally given permission to kiss you. He dips you as the small crowd cheers loudly in the background. He can barely kiss you because of how much the two of you are smiling, but you more than make do.

“I love you,” he promises, an oath he’ll never break. You caress his face as he holds you.

“I love you too. Every part of you, sweetheart.”

—---------

He wakes you up early the next morning. Your face crinkles in protest and you move to burrow back under the safety and warmth of your blankets. With a soft, fond laugh, Bradley pulls the covers away from you completely.

“Baby,” you groan, “it’s not even light outside yet. We barely even just fell asleep.”

You’re right. It had been almost midnight when the two of you finally slipped away from the reception, the party still going strong. It was after two when you finally went to sleep, both of you basking in the afterglow and pressed against one another, and it was only nearing five now. “I know,” he says, rubbing your bare hip gently, “but you gotta wake up. I have a surprise for you.”

You crack an eye open at that and he chuckles again. “What kind of surprise?”

“Get up and I’ll show you. Dress comfy. You can sleep on the way.”

“On the way?”

He winks at you, standing from the bed and walking toward the door, already dressed and ready to go. You call after him, wanting to know where you’re going, but he makes his way down the stairs without a word; he knows the curiosity will keep you awake and moving.

You join him in the kitchen a few minutes later, dressed in leggings and your favorite oversized Eagles sweatshirt. He’s struck for a moment, remembering how beautiful you were to him that first day in the hospital in the same outfit, when he didn’t remember you but he knew you. It seemed like so long ago and it blew him away how far you’ve come together in just six months.

You fall back asleep almost as soon as he pulls out of the driveway, tucked against his side in the Bronco. Music plays quietly from the radio but it’s the sound of your breathing that really keeps him company during the drive back to the hanger in the desert. You stir awake when he puts the vehicle in park, looking around with tired, bleary eyes.

“Are we here to clean up?” you ask through a yawn as Bradley helps you out, closing the door behind you. He shakes his head, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as you walk toward the building. He stops right before the runway becomes visible, looking down at you.

“I thought maybe we could watch the sunrise together.”

You raise an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. “We couldn’t do that from our backyard?”

A grin tugs at his lips and he shakes his head. “Not from the clouds, we can’t.”

You only look confused for a moment before realization hits you and you gasp loudly, suddenly looking wide awake. “It’s ready?”

“It’s ready,” he confirms. “What do you say, Pumpkin? Want to be the very first passenger?”

He laughs when instead of responding with words, you squeal and grab his hand, taking off running toward the other side of the building. His newly finished, flight-ready Cessna is there waiting in the lightning of the early morning. He was starting to see the faintest hint of orange in the skyline and knew time was of the essence.

He helped you into the aircraft carefully and climbed in behind you. He went through the necessities easily, knowing that Mav had already done all the mandatory preflight checks when he brought the plane out before dawn.

He slips your headset on you with a fond smile, tracing your bottom lip with his thumb. He double checks your seatbelt one more time, stealing a kiss before straightening in his seat.

“You ready?” He asks. You nod rapidly. With a deep breath, he begins to ease the four seater forward. Within moments, the two of you are airborne, leveling out with the clouds. The sky is beginning to streak with pinks and shades of orange and hearing you gasp in awe at the view from this high up is added to his list of favorite things, all alongside other memories of or with you.

“Do me a favor?” he asks after a few minutes of silence. You pull away from watching the sky out of the window, turning your head toward him instead.

“Anything.”

He’s already smiling, so excited to show you. “Look inside your wedding band for me.”

Your eyebrows knit together, but you follow his request anyway, slipping the jewelry off your finger and holding it close to your face to look on the inner surface. You let out a small gasp when you see words that hadn’t been there before.

You turn it as you read, the inscription taking up almost the entire surface of the inside of the ring he had originally given you years ago. He had managed to find someone to do a same day service to make sure it was done and ready from the time he left the house yesterday to the time he said I do in the evening, and the extra charge was worth the way your lips parted and your eyes filled with tears.

“Do you like it?” he asks, wanting that validation even though your eyes, always so expressive, conveyed just how much you did. Instead of answering right away, you leaned over, straining against your seatbelt to press a quick kiss to his lips, mindful of the fact that he was still flying the plane.

“I love it. I love you.”

You study the ring again, pinching it between your thumb and pointer finger of both hands to avoid dropping it, treating it like it’s something precious because he knows that, just as he views his, to you it is.

He had accepted that he may never get all of his memories back. He may live with tingles in his brain and flashes of remembrance, living with unknown gaps for the rest of his life. It had frustrated him at first, but he had made peace with it. He knew that no matter what, you’d be here beside him, filling in what he was missing and making brand new memories along the way. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, it was the way he felt about you; it wasn’t something he had ever been able to truly forget. He planned on making sure you knew that every single day, and if he was ever not there to tell you, the words resting against your finger would do it for him.

Remember you always, love you twice.

-----

Series Masterlist :: Spin Off One Shots :: Main Masterlist

Notes: What a journey this has been!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate every single person who has commented, reblogged, or liked this little story of mine. I hope it was everything that you wanted it to be. I'm so sad that we're already at the epilogue, but I'm so excited at potentially writing more for these two! I have a few one shots in the works for their story before Bradley's accident. If there's anything specific you'd like to see, please feel free to drop in my asks or inbox.

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callsigns-haze · 6 months ago

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Short love: Chp 18

Summary: The is about widowed father Bradley Bradshaw who enlists his brother-in-law Jake Seresin and childhood best friend Robert Floyd to help raise his three daughters, eldest Donna Jo Margaret (D.J for short), middle child Stephanie and youngest Michelle in his San Diego home.

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Warning: Fluff, flirting

With a shared vision in mind, Jake and Y/n roll up their sleeves and dive into the renovation project with gusto. The attic, once a neglected space filled with dusty boxes and forgotten treasures, is soon transformed into a bright and spacious bedroom, complete with multiple functional areas.

Together, they brainstorm layout ideas and design concepts, drawing inspiration from magazines, online resources, and their own creativity. They envision a space that is not only stylish and modern but also practical and versatile, catering to their various needs and preferences.

The first step is to declutter and clear out the attic, sorting through years of accumulated belongings and deciding what to keep, donate, or discard. With determination and teamwork, they tackle this daunting task, motivated by the prospect of creating their dream bedroom.

Once the space is cleared, they begin the renovation process, starting with structural improvements such as insulation, flooring, and walls. Jake's handyman skills come in handy as he handles the more technical aspects of the project, while Y/n lends her creative touch to the design and decor.

They install large windows to let in plenty of natural light, creating a bright and airy atmosphere. They also add built-in storage solutions to maximize space and organization, ensuring that every corner of the room is utilized efficiently.

As Jake focuses intently on drilling the wooden plates into the walls, Y/n watches with a mixture of amusement and admiration. She can't help but chuckle as she sees him maneuvering the drill, occasionally getting stuck or encountering a stubborn spot.

"Need a hand there, handyman?" Y/n teases, her laughter filling the room.

Jake looks up with a playful grin, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "I've got this under control," he insists, determined to conquer the task at hand.

But as he continues to drill, a particularly stubborn spot causes the drill to jam, and Jake lets out a frustrated sigh. Y/n can't help but laugh at his predicament, finding his determination endearing.

"Maybe I spoke too soon," she quips, moving closer to offer her assistance.

With a grin, Jake accepts her help, and together they work to free the jammed drill and continue with the task. As they work side by side, their laughter fills the room, turning the mundane task of renovation into a fun and memorable bonding experience.

As they continue renovating the attic, Jake and Y/n find themselves knee-deep in paint cans, power tools, and endless to-do lists. Despite the occasional mishaps and setbacks, they tackle each challenge with determination and a sense of adventure.

One afternoon, while attempting to install a new light fixture, Jake finds himself tangled in a mess of wires, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tries to decipher the instructions. Y/n watches from a safe distance, stifling a giggle as she sees him struggle.

"Need any help there?" she offers, trying to suppress her amusement.

Jake grumbles in frustration but eventually accepts her offer, grateful for her assistance. Together, they work to untangle the wires and install the light fixture, laughing at their shared clumsiness and enjoying the camaraderie of working together.

Another day, they decide to tackle the task of painting the walls, armed with brushes, rollers, and plenty of drop cloths. But their ambitious plans quickly take a comedic turn when Jake accidentally spills a can of paint, sending a cascade of white paint splattering across the floor.

Y/n's eyes widen in disbelief as she surveys the mess, but before she can scold him, Jake bursts into laughter, realizing the absurdity of the situation. They spend the next few hours cleaning up the mess, turning the ordeal into a lighthearted paint fight and making memories in the process.

Despite the inevitable hiccups and mishaps, Jake and Y/n press on with their renovation project, fueled by their shared determination and love for each other. With each coat of paint applied and each piece of furniture assembled, they inch closer to transforming the attic into their dream space, creating a home that reflects their love, laughter, and unique bond.

Jake looks up from his work as Y/n enters the room, her eyes sparkling mischievously as she approaches him, a small item hidden behind her back. He furrows his brow, curiosity piqued by her secretive demeanor.

"Hey, Mr. Handyman," she says smiling and kicking her feet.

"What do you have there?" he asks, unable to contain his curiosity.

Y/n smiles mysteriously, holding the item out of his reach as she teases him with a playful gleam in her eyes. "You'll have to wait and see," she says, her tone teasing and coy.

Jake chuckles, leaning in closer to try and catch a glimpse of what she's hiding. "Come on, don't leave me hanging," he pleads, reaching out to try and snatch the item from her grasp.

But Y/n deftly sidesteps his attempts, dancing out of reach with a playful laugh. "Not yet," she says, her smile widening as she revels in his curiosity.

With a grin, Jake sets down his tools, determined to uncover the mystery behind Y/n's secretive behavior. He follows her playfully around the room, determined to discover the surprise she's hiding. And as they laugh and tease each other, their bond grows even stronger, fueled by the joy of their shared antics and the love that binds them together.

Jake's eyes widen in astonishment as Y/n reveals the positive pregnancy test hidden behind her back. For a moment, he's speechless, the weight of the moment sinking in as he realizes the significance of what she's showing him.

"Is this...?" he begins, his voice barely above a whisper, unable to fully comprehend the news.

Y/n nods, her eyes shining with unshed tears of joy as she confirms his silent question. "We're going to be parents," she says, her voice trembling with emotion.

A surge of overwhelming happiness washes over Jake as he wraps his arms around Y/n, pulling her close in a tight embrace. He presses a kiss to her forehead, his heart bursting with love and excitement for the new chapter they're about to embark on together.

"We're going to have a baby," he murmurs, his voice filled with wonder and awe.

As they stand together in the newly renovated attic, surrounded by the promise of their growing family, Jake and Y/n share a moment of pure happiness and anticipation for the journey ahead. With their love as their guide, they're ready to embrace the joys and challenges of parenthood, knowing that they'll face them together, hand in hand.

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ranchevents · 1 year ago

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cadoutsourcingservicesindia · 6 months ago

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delshideout · 1 year ago

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thecoastersaloon · 1 year ago

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placidca · 7 months ago

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callsign-magnolia · 2 years ago

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I Hope You Dance // Ch. 41

MATURE CONTENT (18+)

A/N: This is cross posted to my Wattpad, so if this seems familiar that is why!

TW: Mental abuse, emotional abuse, slight physical abuse, death and loss.

Description: When Caila meets Rooster, sparks fly. But, she's already married, to a man who she thought loved her, and won't let her go. Rooster will fight for her, he just has to convince Caila to fight for herself.

Word Count: 7.0k

Chapter 40 | Masterlist

It was a warm and sunny day in San Diego, perfect for viewing venues. I pulled the Bronco up next to Penny’s Porsche, her and Mav leaning against it and talking. “There she is! The Bride-to-be!” Mav yelled as I got out, wrapping me up in a hug. Once he let go, Penny hugged me. “So, how’d you find this place?” She asked, turning to look at the victorian home in front of us. “Passed it on the way back home from looking at that last hotel.” She nodded as we walked onto the porch. I caught sight of the Kingston Estate as I sat in traffic coming back from the last venue I checked out. When I looked online they had a garden in the back, as well as a hillside that gave you a view of the ocean, perfect to get married in front of. We walked inside as a woman in a suit walked up to us. “Hi, you must be Miss Motley.” I nodded, shaking her hand. “I’m Margaret, will your fiancé be joining us?” I shook my head. “He’s currently deployed. He’ll come back in April.” She smiled and nodded. “Well here. These have our package options, we offer catering, a photographer and videographer, and we can even make your cake in house.” I raised my brows as she went over everything they did, and the prices on the sheet weren’t that bad.

“Now let me show you the ballroom.” “Oh, can we actually see the garden and the outdoor space first?” She nodded, having us follow her outside. We walked out a large set of gorgeous french doors, leading into a large open space. “Now this is where you would have the ceremony outside. We supply chairs as well as an archway that you can decorate as you, please. If it is too windy that day, we can move it inside, but hopefully we wouldn’t have too.” It was so open and spacious out here, the grass was soft and green, and you could smell the flowers from the garden when a breeze blew by. “You think Bradley will like it?” I turned to Mav who nodded. “Oh yeah, this is something he’d enjoy.” I smiled, nodding. “Okay, let me show you the garden.” We followed her around the corner and all kinds of flowers in many different colors invaded my vision. “Oh wow!” Penny gasped as we walked around. Rows on rows of flowers were everywhere, and there was even a small pond with fish inside. “I really really like this.” The smile wouldn’t leave my face and my muscles were aching. “Would you like to see the inside now?” I nodded and we followed behind her. “Okay, this is our main ballroom.” She opened the double doors to reveal a large room with white and black tiled floor. Tall windows allowed for the sunlight to pour in which made the room seem so warm.

“This is where your reception would be. We provide tables, chairs, a screen for pictures or videos, and space for a band or DJ. We can decorate however you wish. A lot of people these days like the bright neons, but we do have some warm yellow lights that we can hang.” I nodded. “Warm lighting for sure, I’m not a fan of a club element at weddings and neither is Roo.” She nodded. “We have a list of bands and DJ’s that have worked with us, and we recommend as well.” I nodded, just amazed at the room. “Against this wall here we have the bar. You don’t have to use it but if you do you have the option of an open bar or guests paying.” I nodded still mesmerized by the room. The gold chandelier hung over the center of the floor, the morning sunlight bouncing off it. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to our bridal suite and our grooms suite.” We followed her up the grand staircase, the windows showing a beautiful view of the ocean. She took us to the right, towards the groom’s suite, swinging the door open and allowing us into the large room. There was a pool table, a wet bar, a large bathroom with a shower, darts, a large couch and a few chairs and a tv. “There is a bedroom through here, many grooms decide to stay here the night before.” She opened the door to see a smaller bedroom that had a queen size bed. I nodded, as we looked around. “We also have a large closet with a steamer for tuxedos.”

It was nice, nicest I had seen yet and the best price for what we were getting. “Now, the bridal suite.” I was excited to see this, almost skipping behind Margaret on the way over. She swung the door open, and I gasped. Everything was white, bright and beautiful. Tall windows like the rest of the house with sheer white curtains around them, plush white carpet, a wet bar, tv, a living room set up, and a few vanities spread throughout the room. “The bathroom has everything the groom’s suite does, as well as a king-sized bed in that room.” We walked over and it looked so plush and soft, white blankets making it look crisp and clean. “Here we have a hook that you can hang the dress on, a lot of women love to have pictures of just the dress. These are bow windows, and they look beautiful at any time of day, and they make for great pictures.” The excitement was building in my chest. “What do we think?” I asked, turning to Mav and Penny. “Rooster is obviously going to like whatever you like,” Mav said as he tossed his arm over my shoulder. “But I genuinely think he will love this.” I nodded as Penny stepped up next to him. “This screams you guys. It’s classic but not super formal, I can see you guys getting married out there.” I nodded and we followed Margaret down to her office.

“So, what do we think?” I nodded. “I like it, a lot. It’s just screaming at me, but I do have to talk to my fiancé before I book anything.” She nodded, clicking around on her computer. “Okay, well we book out fast and far. When do you talk to him next?” I looked at my phone, looking for the date. “Tomorrow actually.” She nodded, looking up at the clock. “I have four more couples who are looking today. If they all book with us, this can book us out another five months because we already have stuff booked for next year.” My face fell at her words, I was worried we wouldn’t have the short engagement we wanted. “Is there any way I can hold a spot?” She pursed her lips, looking at her computer. “I’m not supposed to, but I’ll tell you what. The next available day we have for a wedding is Saturday December thirty-first. If you put down a deposit on that day, I won’t let anyone else book it. You can talk to your fiancé and call me, but if you don’t call me by Monday, you won’t get that deposit back.” I nodded, whipping out the cash I kept in case I found a venue. “If you do book on the 31st and hang around till midnight there will be fireworks.” I smiled as I handed her the money, nodding. “Thank you so much, Margaret.”

As we got outside, I couldn’t help but do a little dance. “Ah! I found a venue!” Penny and Mav laughed. “It’s really great, Magnolia.” Mav said and I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped me. “I know, and I can’t wait to talk to Rooster about it! I’m gonna go home and email him all the info!” They smiled as I got into the Bronco, tearing down the road, joyful as ever. I was surprised when I got home to find a small SUV in the driveway and an older woman standing on the porch. As I pulled in, she turned to me, her facial expression being unreadable as she did so. “Hi, can I help you?” I asked slowly, a little nervous as to why she was here. “Is Bradley here?” She was snippy, rude even. “No, he’s not. But I’m his fiancé, can I help you?” Attitude was dripping from every word as I crossed my arms over my chest and my hip popped out. “You-you’re the fiancé?” She asked, pointing a chubby finger at me. “I am. And you are?” My eyebrow raised as she seemed to huff. “I’m his aunt Matilda, but he calls me Tilly.” So this was his aunt Tilly, I haven’t seen pictures but she was not what I was expecting. “Well, why don’t you come in and I’ll make lunch.” I said as I walked by her, unlocking the door. She seemed a little stunned at my actions but soon turned and followed me.

The dogs were happy I was home, but they were even more excited that Tilly was here. “Oh! Oh! Good doggy.” She said slowly backing away from Dahlia. “Dahlia. Bed.” She slowly turned, ambling over to her bed before flopping down on her side. Sadie had herself propped up on Tilly’s leg, expecting attention. “Sadie.” She got down, looking at me with a side eye before crawling into Dahlia’s bed and curling up next to her. “I’m sorry. Everyone is so used to them that I forget that some people aren’t fond of dogs.” She seemed to calm down once the dogs did, her shoulders visibly relaxing. “Mangy mutts.” She muttered, making me stop, and turn around. “I’m sorry?” She gave me the fakest smile I had ever seen. “Beautiful dogs.” I huffed, getting fed up with this woman already. “Thank you. Bradley has quite the relationship with them, especially Sadie. The little one.” She followed me into the kitchen, a confused look on her face. “Oh no, my Brad Brad is scared of dogs.” I cringed at ‘my Brad Brad’, pulling out some chicken to cook. “Mm, no he’s not. At least if he is he has an odd way of showing it seeing as the dogs’ sleep in the bed with us.” I was getting frustrated wit her. She shows up to our house, being rude and acting like she knows everything.

“Sleep with you? Do you live here?” It sounded incredulous. I nodded as I pulled out some veggies. “Yes, I do. Bradley and I share a house, a bed. We live together and we love it.” She scoffed, leaning back from the island that she leaned on. “In this house? My sister’s house? Which doesn’t even look like her house anymore! Bradley would never make these changes so I can only assume you pushed it on him! Disrespecting my sister and brother in laws memory!” I slammed my knife down, turning to her as she jumped in surprise. “Shut up! The renovation was Bradley’s idea and yeah, I had some input, but for the most part this was him! And disrespecting their memory?” I stormed back out to the living room, pointing to the pictures placed around the house. “Does this look disrespectful to you? Putting pictures of them and Bradley around the house so he can always see them? I dug these out, making sure that they had a special place in this house.” I stormed over to the fireplace. “Their wedding picture, this is Bradley’s favorite and I wanted him to be able to see it whenever he wanted. So don’t come into our house and start talking shit about how we’ve done things.” She seemed taken aback by my words.

“I can’t believe you would talk to me like this! Bradley wouldn’t stand for it!” “Oh, I know all about your relationship. How you shamed him for following his mother’s wishes and all but abandoning him at seventeen. You’re a piece of fucking work and at this point, you’re not welcome in my house.” She was shocked at my words. “I told him not to marry you! You broke his heart too many times! I don’t trust you!” I laughed as I swung the front door open. “I don’t give a fuck if you don’t trust me. Bradley knows I’m not going anywhere. Now, leave.” She huffed before walking outside. “I’ll just come back when he’s home. I had some stuff to give him anyway.” She was fuming as she stormed towards the car. “Well then see you in April, he’s deployed.” She glared at me before huffing. We stared each other down for a minute before she sighed. “Can I at least leave this stuff here? It’s the rest of his mom and dad’s stuff that was at my house.” I pursed my lips. I couldn’t let my feelings towards her keep Roo from getting stuff that means a lot to him. “Of course.” I helped her tote everything in before setting it in the living room. “Thank you.” I nodded at her. “I’d never stand in the way of what he wants.” She sighed, standing up straight. She turned towards the door, grabbing the door handle and swinging it open, gasping when she saw Maverick standing on the other side with his fist up. They stared at each other for a moment before she spoke up. “Pete.” There was so much malice in her voice, it almost made my skin crawl.

“Matilda.” There was just as much venom in his voice. “What are you doing here?” She asked, her hand on her hip. “He came to discuss wedding stuff with me. He’s been a big help since Bradley is deployed.” She huffed, looking up at him. “You will never be able to replace Nicholas.” Mav seemed shocked, so I stepped in. “Okay. First off, he’s not. Rooster asked for him to assist with the wedding while he was gone. No one could ever replace his dad and Maverick is not trying to.” “You don’t know what he did while my sister was sick.” It was taking a lot to bite back my anger at this point. “You mean like how he took care of Bradley while you bitched about Carol’s wishes?” I asked as I took the door from her. “You don’t know anything!” She yelled. “I know enough. Now, please leave. I don’t want to have to force you out.” She stormed past Mav, almost knocking him over in the process. “Have a nice day, Matilda.” Mav yelled after her. She just gave him the middle finger before tearing out of the driveway. We just laughed as I let him in. “Why was she here?” He asked and I motioned to the boxes. “She wanted to drop the rest of the Nick and Carol’s stuff off for Roo. I don’t know what’s in here.” I said as I walked over and opened the top box, gasping when I saw what was inside. “Carol’s wedding dress.” Mav looked at it as tears sprung to his eyes. I grabbed the pile of tulle on top, lace lining it on the outside. “This is her veil.” It was soft and Mav helped me pull it out completely. “I forgot how long it was.” He chuckled before wiping his cheeks. “You think Rooster would let me wear it?” Mav seemed surprised by my question, but a soft smile graced his features. “I think he’d love that.”

Mav originally came over to retrieve a pair of shoes Penny had loaned me, and he stayed to help me hash out a few small wedding details. It was nice to spend this time with him, I’ve known Mav my whole life, but since being out here he really feels like family. The next morning, I sat at the island, my computer in front of me as I sipped my coffee. I emailed Rooster all of the information on the venue yesterday in hopes he got to read it, and now we were about to finalize a few decisions on this call. I opened the kitchen windows while I sat here to let the warm breeze in as well as listen to the waves crash on the beach just out back. The call was loading, all Rooster had to do was pick up on his end. After a few minutes, the constant swirling circle on the screen disappeared and the face of my handsome fiancé replaced it. “Hey, pretty girl!” The screen was a little grainy but I could tell his smile overtook his face and his eyes had a certain glimmer to them. “Hi honey!” I said excitedly. “How’s your morning?” I smiled, picking up my laptop to show him the windows. “I have the windows open, there’s a warm breeze, and I can hear the waves crashing on the beach. Perfect for a Sunday morning!” He gave me a dopey smile, resting his face in his hands. “God, I love you.” I giggled as I sipped my coffee. “I love you too.” I grinned. “So, I did get to look at the venue and the pictures look amazing.” I nodded excitedly, grabbing the paperwork. "It’s even more amazing in person! They have Bridal and Groom’s suites so if one of us wanted to stay there the night before, we could. The ballroom is beautiful, with room for everything. The gardens are magical almost, I figured we could sneak in there right after the ceremony for a few minutes. Just to take a breather and be with each other for a minute before we dive back into the madness.”

He nodded, listening intently to me. “I think that’s a great idea.” I nodded, writing it down. “Okay, so she told me she would hold the one available date they had if I put down a deposit. I can call her after I talk to you, and if we want it it’s ours, and if we don’t she said she would refund us. She’s not supposed to do that but she’s making an exception.” He nodded. “So, what’s the date?” I sighed, not sure he would be on board with it. “December thirty-first.” I bit my lip, staring at him. “Of this year?” I nodded. “Book it! Take it!” He yelled out, making me giggle. “We wanna get married on December thirty-first of this year?” He nodded, and I jotted it down on the notepad in front of me. “I know it’s not the shortest engagement like you wanted, but I’m excited to get to marry you this year.” I shook my head. “I’ll wait a hundred if it means I get to marry you in the end.” His hand flew to his chest, clutching his heart as he leaned back. “It’s so sweet, I’m gonna die.” I laughed as I looked at the paper with notes I took with Mav last night. “So, you know how we were trying to figure out a second color for the wedding?” He nodded. “I was talking with Mav yesterday and I mentioned that, and he had quite the idea.” He raised an eyebrow. “What about Navy and Champagne?” He raised a brow in surprise. “Mav came up with that?” I nodded. “Sure did.” He chuckled. “I’m impressed, and I really like those color ideas.” I nodded. “So, JJ is gonna be the ring bearer.” I nodded, my bottom lip jutting out. “He’ll be able to walk by then.” Roo mimicked my face before laughing. “I don’t know how you can look so cute like that.” I shrugged with a grin at his words.

“I considered asking Amber and Kim if Anita and Isabella could be flower girls.” He sighed. “The only thing is, Anita is super shy. How’s she gonna act if all these strangers are staring at her?” I pursed my lips. “I had thought about that. Maybe have Jake sit up in the front row, that way if she gets overwhelmed, she can run to him. These ceremonies can be long for kids, so I don’t really expect them to stand with us. They can go sit in the front row if they want.” He nodded. “I considered having Jake be a groomsman.” I raised a brow. “I know you guys are getting on a lot better now, but I didn’t expect that.” He shrugged. “We’ve been emailing back and forth while I’ve been deployed, and we’ve just been getting closer.” I nodded. “Either way, he’ll be at the end of the aisle if Anita gets overwhelmed.” He nodded. “You know, I joked with Coyote, Bob and Payback that they would be flowers boys.” I laughed out. “I think Harvard, Yale, Fritz, and Omaha would be a better fit for that. I was gonna ask Coyote, Bob and Payback to be groomsmen.” I pursed my lips. “Who says we can’t have flower girls and flower boys?” He laughed. “We’ll work that out closer to time.” I nodded. “Okay, so I think that’s it. We will figure out food, flowers, photographers and everything when you come home.” He nodded. “But I was thinking we could do the engagement party not long after you get home. Do you have an idea of when you’ll be home?” He shook his head. “Just April. That’s all I know.” I nodded, my smile falling slightly. “Well then, we’ll just plan it for the first weekend in May to be on the safe side! Penny offered up the bar for anything we needed, and I may take her up on that for this party.”

I looked up, to see he had that dopey smile back on his face. “You’re so cute when you talk about our wedding.” A laugh escaped me, loud as I threw my head back. “You’re so cute with that dopey smile on your face.” He chuckled as Dahlia padded over, propping her legs in my lap so she could see the computer. “What is it? You hear daddy?” Her large nose almost covered the screen as she sniffed it, very confused as to why she could see and hear him but he wasn’t here. “Say that again.” I raised a brow. “What? Daddy?” A large grin grew on his face as mine heated up, the blush creeping up my neck. “Rooster, you’re nasty.” He shook his head with a laugh. “I mean, I was the one thinking about how when we have kids that’ll be my new title. You’re the one who made it dirty.” It’s like someone turned up the heat, I started feeling even hotter at his words. “Speaking of daddy.” I said as I reached behind the computer, grabbing the stick. I held it up, showing him the bold negative in the tiny window. “Wait, did you think you were pregnant?” I nodded. “I had the flu this past week and some of my symptoms could’ve been pregnancy related. Natasha was the one who suggested I take a test.” He sighed, leaning back. “I wanted to talk to you about it though. I think we should stop trying.” His face fell in surprise. “Not permanently. Just until after the wedding. I don’t wanna have to move our wedding around if I do get pregnant because I’m not walking down the aisle with a baby bump.” He nodded, still looking sad. “I also don’t think I’m ready to give up flying yet. My eye doctor told me I’d be lucky to fly after thirty-five anyway, and I want to do it as long as I can.” He bit his lip, looking down at his hands that were folded in front of him. “I forgot about your eyesight deteriorating.” I nodded. “I’m just not ready to give it up, Roo.”

“And I’d never ask you too. But if we did have kids, we would make it work. But I agree, maybe we should stop trying until after the wedding.” I nodded with a sigh as I propped my head on my hand. “So back to condoms, and I’m gonna get on birth control. I have a gynecologist appointment in a few weeks, so I’ll ask then.” He nodded. “Sounds good, pretty girl.” He looked just behind his computer sighing. “One minute.” I pursed my lips. “I love you, and I’ll see you on our next call. One more and then you’re home.” He nodded. “I know, I can’t wait.” I bit my lip. “You know when you come home, we’re gonna be in bed most of the time.” He nodded. “Oh, I know, trust me. It’s all I think about some days.” I smiled at him. “Bye, Roo. I love you.” He gave me a big smile, leaning back in his chair. “I love you too, pretty girl.” With that the call ended. A few tears slipped from my eyes as the call ended. “Fuck.” I muttered, wiping my eyes. Dahlia whined as she propped her head on my leg. “I know, baby. I miss him too.” I said as I pet her head and played with her ears. “Okay, now to call and confirm the venue.” The words alone made my excited. I paced the kitchen as I called Margaret who was ecstatic that we were booking for the thirty-first. As soon as I hung up, it settled in me. I was actually getting married to Bradley Bradshaw. The excitement was so much, I thought my chest would burst open. “I’M GETTING MARRIED!” I screamed as I danced around the kitchen. “I’M GONNA BE MRS. BRADHSAW! FUCK YEAH!”

That week I called mom, telling her we had a date and a venue, which she raved about. Almost more excited than me. I told the rest of the team the date, and they were excited as well. “We should grill out to celebrate.” Payback said as he stood from his seat. “We can do it at my place, tonight. I have all the food.” They nodded. “But we’re cooking. You shouldn’t cook for your own party.” I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m a-okay with that.” After we all finished our hops for the day, we went to the locker rooms, showering and changing into more comfortable clothes before heading out. “We’re all gonna drive back to our places and just ride in one car, so we’ll be behind you.” Payback said and I nodded. “Well, Coyote, Bob and Phoenix rode with me this morning.” Jake said just as I pulled the Bronco door open. “Well, if any of y’all wanna ride with me, you’re more than welcome too.” Phoenix immediately crawled into the backseat as Bob took passenger. “I see how it is.” Hangman huffed as I cranked the engine. “I love you, baby.” Phoenix said, blowing him a kiss. We pulled out and off base, taking in all the warm air that whipped around us. As we went down the road, Hangman passed us, blowing his horn as Coyote waved from the passenger seat.

“Guess they’re gonna wait in the driveway.” Bob chuckled. “Nah, we have a key. Rooster gave it to me just before he left for Texas. It’s on Hangman’s key ring.” I nodded. “They’ll probably let themselves inside, raid my cabinets for anything to cook.” The rest of the drive was spent with the radio filling the silence between us. Some seventies station Rooster keeps it on. As we pulled into the driveway, we saw Hangman and Coyote standing on the porch, staring at the front door. I furrowed my brows, getting out and grabbing my bag. “Figured you two would’ve been inside already.” As they turned around, I saw the door was open. “Did you open that?” Jake shook his head. “It was open when we got here.” My heart was racing. I probably didn’t shut it all the way, that had to be what happened. I stepped onto the porch reaching for the door handle when Hangman stopped me. “Hey, Magnolia, you don’t wanna go in there.” I furrowed my brows in concern. “It’s not pretty and the police are on their way.” My heart was thumping around in my chest. “Hangman I need to go in there. My dogs are-“ I stopped, realizing how quiet it was. “Oh my god.” I dropped my bag and shoved the door open. There was glass everywhere, pictures were smashed, the teddy bear Rooster sent me for Valentine’s Day was shredded and all over the floor. “Dahlia?!” My voice cracked, worried I was gonna walk up on my dog dead in the floor somewhere.

But I was relieved to hear a deep bark from the kitchen. I sprinted over, tossing open the laundry room door and there they both were, safe and sound. “Hi girls.” Tear rolled down my cheeks as I bent down, both rushing to me. “What happened? Huh?” Dahlia licked my face as Sadie nuzzled into my hand. “Okay, come on.” They both turned for the living room, but I caught their attention and sent them out back so they wouldn’t step on the glass. “They’re okay.” I said as I walked back through the living room. There was so much glass everywhere, it looks like all the windows in the house broke. “Who the hell would do this?” I asked to myself as I walked over to the mantle. The pictures of Goose and Carol, and pictures of my parents were fine. But any picture that involved Bradley and I were destroyed. “Magnolia.” I turned to where Phoenix had walked over to the piano. She was crouched on the floor, swiping some glass away. I walked over, careful not to step on any frames on the floor. “Dammit.” I muttered as more tears streamed down my face. I bent down next to her picking up the frame with my pregnancy test in it. The test was gone, and the frame was destroyed, the picture was scratched up from the glass. I wasn’t upset anymore, I was angry. I stood up, rushing up to the bedroom, seeing the same thing in there. Pictures were destroyed, the bedding was ripped apart, even a few of his Hawaiian shirts were ruined. I quickly rifled through my jewelry box, seeing that all the jewelry he gave me was still there.

I sighed, looking around the room. It was absolutely trashed and I had no idea who could’ve done this. I walked downstairs, running my hands through my hair. “This has to be tied to Aaron somehow.” Phoenix tossed her arm over my shoulder, pulling me close. “You think so?” I nodded quickly. “If any random stranger did this, that big ass tv would be gone, all my jewelry would be gone, hell they probably even would’ve taken the dogs! But all things relating to Bradley is destroyed. A few of his shirts are torn upstairs and someone shredded the bedspread. I’m just glad I managed to put away all the stuff his aunt brought over the weekend. If it was laying out, who knows what they would’ve done if they found that stuff.” I heard a car pull up and groaned. “Is that the cops?” Jake nodded as he walked outside. “What did she bring?” Bob asked, using his foot to sweep some glass away from the door. “Mostly stuff of his and his parents. His mom’s wedding dress was in there.” I heard a low whistle and turned to see the same two officers that showed up the night I saw someone sneaking around. “Miss Motley.” They nodded at me, looking around. “So, what happened here?” It was obvious but I knew it was a question they had to ask. “We showed up and the door was open, we peeked inside and saw the place was trashed.” Jake said as the officers wrote it down. “I came home and walked in and saw everything, I’ve walked the house and our bedroom is trashed as well.” They nodded. “If you guys can wait outside, we’re going to do our own walk through.” We all nodded, walking outside as they went around the house.

“Oh my god.” I groaned as I stood in the front yard. “I can’t believe this.” It felt like one thing after another. “I’m just trying to figure out who could’ve done this for Aaron if it was him.” I shrugged. “He has so many connections, and he’s in a federal prison, so he’s probably got some free reign. I’m sure he’s gotten a hold of someone.” Jake nodded. “It’s just so violating. This creep went through the house finding anything to do with Bradley and I, and destroyed it.” I sniffled, trying to keep the tears at bay. Bob came over, hugging me tightly. “You think they took that pregnancy test?” Phoenix asked and I shrugged as I leaned back on Bob. “I don’t know. What would they want with an old positive pregnancy test?” Just as I said that the two officers came out, a manila envelope in hand. “Okay, we haven’t found any clear evidence of who did this. We have a crime scene unit coming in to dust for fingerprints and things like that. But we did find this, it was under one of the pillows on your bed.” He handed me the envelope, and I popped it open. I felt sick to my stomach at what I pulled out. Black and white photos of me leaving the house, out at the hard deck. Rooster in the Bronco, even of him pulling the airstream. There were a few of us through the windows, one of him carrying me inside after the Halloween party. This guy has been watching us for months, and that scared me.

“This person seems to have been watching you for months.” Jake snatched the stack of photos, flipping through them, his face tensing more and more with each photo. “Once the CSI team gets in here, they will take a while to go through everything. We are going to go around and ask your neighbors if they saw anything, once the team is done then we will let you back in.” I nodded. “And what about after? She has some creep stalking her and you’re just going to leave her here all alone?” Jake snapped. “We will have an unmarked patrol car parked out front of her house for a few nights, see if we see anything and we will be making rounds through here during the day.” The officer nodded. “Damn right you will.” “Okay, you’re walking away.” Phoenix said, taking his hand and pulling him over to his truck. “Now do you believe me when I say someone has been creeping around my house?” I asked. “I'm sorry. What?” I squeezed my eyes shut at Jake's voice. “Yes and we'll do our best to catch this guy.” I nodded. “Look, my suggestion would be to go and get some food. We’re gonna be here a while.” I agreed and gave the officer my number before turning and getting in the cars as Payback and Omaha drive up. “Change of plans, we’re going out to dinner.” Payback nodded before I turned. “As soon as we get to the restaurant you’re spilling everything.” Jake snapped before opening the jeep door for me. I just nodded, not wanting to argue. There was a fire in his eyes that almost scared me. I had never seen him this angry and I never want to again. I got in, Bob joining me and we took off for a restaurant. We arrived at some Mexican place that smelled divine and that's when I realized how hungry I really was. Once we got inside and sat down, that’s when the grilling started.

“Does Rooster know someone’s been sneaking around the house?” Hangman’s questions triggered everyone else’s questions. ‘What?’ ‘When did this happen?’ ‘Should someone stay with you?’ I was grateful for their concern but I didn’t want everyone worrying about me. “No he doesn’t, and I would appreciate it if no one tells him. I’ll tell him when he comes home, cause I don’t want him worrying about me while he needs to be focusing on his mission.” I didn’t eat him to be distracted. Distractions cause accidents. “You’ve been keeping too many secrets from him.” He huffed and I scowled. “I’m telling him everything when he comes home.” Hangman crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You could’ve told him at Christmas.” I scoffed at the thought alone. “Yes, because on Christmas, after he proposed I was supposed to say, ‘Hey, by the way, your buddy Buck pinned me to the wall and kissed me and I got into a fight with him after.' No, we were enjoying our time together.” I snapped. “Look, just promise me you’ll tell him eventually and we will all make sure you’re taken care of till he comes home.” Everyone agreed, giving me soft smiles. “Okay. I’m gonna look into getting a security system as well.” Everyone agreed that was a good idea.

We had a good dinner, even had a few drinks before we went back to my house. They apparently found some finger prints but it would take time to run them through the database. Once they left I went back inside to the mess. It was now seven o'clock, and I knew I wouldn’t have this all cleaned in an hour. “Want our help?” Bob asked, leaning against the door frame. I just shook my head. “No, it’s not your responsibility.” He scoffed and I looked at him in surprise. That’s very out of character for Bob. “It’s not yours either. Someone forced their way in here, it’s not like you made this mess yourself. So let us help you.” I sighed but reluctantly agreed. Soon everyone came in. Halo helped me clean up my room while everyone else cleaned downstairs. “Whoever did this really hates Rooster.” She said as she yanked the bedding off. “Either that or they were paid to destroy everything relating to Rooster.” I said as I looked at his shirts. I wasn’t sure if I had the sowing skill to fix them. I just hoped and prayed they weren’t some of his dad’s. Halo helped me make the bed, making sure the new sheets and bedspread we put on was nice and clean. Once that was done we went downstairs to see everyone cleaning up the last of the mess. “I um, kept all the pieces of the bear he sent. I didn’t know if you’d wanna try and fix it.” I nodded. “I’m gonna try, I’m also gonna attempt to sow some of his shirts back together. My mamaw taught me well but it’s been years since I’ve had to sow anything.” She nodded before everyone plopped down onto the couch. “It’s getting late, I’m sure y’all wanna go home and get in bed.” Everyone just shook their heads. “We’re not leaving until that officer shows up.” Fanboy said and I nodded, opting to sit between Coyote and Phoenix.

I held the shredded bear in my hands, realizing I couldn’t tell what pieces attach to which. Tears sprung to my eyes as I stared at it. Phoenix ran her hand through my hair, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Let it out, Magnolia.” Her words were like an earthquake causing a dam to break. Sobs racked my body as my cheeks got soaked with salty tears. Coyote pulled me down to his shoulder as Natasha adjusted herself. Her arms wrapping around my torso and her head on my chest as Javy held me close. “Why me? I just want to live my life and people keep messing it up!” I sobbed. Javy shushed me as Natasha squeezed me. “I know, I know and I’m sorry.” Her own tears covered doused my shirt as she cried with me. After about twenty minutes I had calmed down and the officer showed up. “I’m officer Watson. I will be parked just a few houses down.” He handed me a business card. “That has my direct number on it. If you hear anything, see anything you can call me, and I will come running.” I nodded. He seemed nice enough, but he also seemed young. “Thank you.” He walked back towards his car, and I turned back to everyone. “Well, now, we will leave you.” Fritz said as he stood, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’re all going to keep our phones on tonight. So, if you need us, you can call.” I nodded as he squeezed e one last time. Soon everyone went outside except Hangman and Phoenix. “Are you sure you’re gonna be, okay?” He asked and I nodded. “I still can’t believe they didn’t believe you.” I sighed and nodded.

“Well, I had a manic episode, and I was hallucinating from lack of sleep. I’m just glad they seem to now.” He nodded. “You sure you’re gonna be okay?” Phoenix asked, taking my hands in hers. “I’ll be fine. If I need you, I’ll call.” She nodded, hugging me tightly before stepping outside. “We’re a phone call away.” Hangman said before hugging me as well. Once they left, and I shut and locked the doors, I noticed how dark and eerie the house could be. I let the dogs out one more time before double checking that all the doors and windows were locked. Once I did, we went upstairs and got ready for bed. As I laid there, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but think how this creep touched my bed, how he destroyed it simply because Rooster and I share it. When I realized I wasn’t gonna sleep much that night, I grabbed my phone, pulling up my email. Quickly I typed out a very short email to Rooster. ‘I love you, and I can’t wait for you to be home.’ Once I sent it, I felt a little better, but not enough to make me sleep. “You’ll let me know if you hear anything, right Dahls?” She just huffed as I ran my fingers down her spine. “Atta girl.” With that, I laid there, hoping for sleep, knowing it may not come.

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