Feels Like Home

by Kelly Elliott

  I got my wits about me and walked up to her. I reached over and turned the stove off, then took her hand and twirled her around. She laughed as I pulled her into my arms.

  “Keep singing,” I said as we danced together.

  I joined her, and it felt like my fucking heart exploded in my chest. The way we harmonized together was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard. I placed my hand on the side of her face and smiled as she sang the last few cords.

  Her cheeks turned pink, and she buried her face into my chest.

  “Christ Almighty, Bri. Why haven’t I ever heard you sing like that before?”

  She casually shrugged her shoulder. “I’ve sung around you before.”

  I shook my head. “No, if you had sung like that around me, I’d have dragged your ass to Nashville. Will you do me a favor?”

  “Of course.”

  “Can we leave the eggs?”

  She glanced back at them and nodded. “If you promise to feed me before we get on the plane. I’m starving.”

  I pulled out my phone and called Robert.

  “Come back and meet me in the studio and have someone bring breakfast tacos.”

  “Anson, what are you doing?”

  With a wink, I replied, “I’m putting you on a record with me.”

  She stared at me in disbelief. “What?!”

  Bristol

  WHEN I FINISHED singing the last note, I opened my eyes to find Anson, Robert, and Logan—who was a sound producer or something like that—all staring at me. I smiled because I wasn’t really sure what to do next, and honestly, the way they were all looking at me made me feel a little weird.

  After Anson and I danced in the kitchen, the next thing I knew he had me sitting in a booth, a song in front of me, and Robert and Logan behind the glass.

  Robert leaned forward and said into the mic that played in my ear, “I’m going to need you to sign a contract stating that I’m your manager.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. I’d sung the chorus to Anson’s new song “Memory Lane.” It had been the final song he’d played at the last concert in Nashville.

  Besides the chorus, Anson had highlighted a few other places in the song where he wanted us to harmonize. When he came into the booth with me and we sang together, chills moved across my body. At first, I told him he was crazy, there was no way I was going to sing on a record. But when he got in the booth and sang the song with me, I knew I had to do it.

  With the way he was looking at me now, I’m glad I did. It helped that Anson simply played the guitar and sang first, then I came in and sang, and then finally we sang together.

  “That was perfect, Baby. You can take the headphones off and come in here.”

  Logan sat down and concentrated while Robert and Anson started to talk about dates for Anson to finish up the European tour.

  It sounded like they were thinking of heading out on the road rather quickly.

  “Listen to this,” Logan said as he handed me headphones and gave two more to Anson and Robert. The song played back, and I gasped when I heard the two of us singing the first few lines together.

  “You own every piece of my soul.

  Though I’ve tried to move on…

  I can’t let you go.”

  I lifted my eyes and met Anson’s. He had the biggest smile on his face, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Christ,” Robert mumbled. “You two could have made me a fortune.”

  Anson laughed and rolled his eyes. Then he winked at me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

  “Just a few more tweaks, I think,” Logan stated. “Do you want any other musicians to come in and record?”

  “No. Let’s keep it organic like that,” Anson said.

  “You’ve got it, Boss.”

  Anson stood and reached out for my hand. “If you’ll excuse us, gentlemen, I’ve got to get my bride-to-be back to Texas.”

  One minute I was recording a song in Anson’s studio, the next, I was on a private plane heading back to Texas.

  I curled up next to Anson, fighting to keep my eyes open. I had no idea why I had been so exhausted the last few days. Anson hadn’t even woken me up in the middle of the night to make love to me, and he let me sleep in this morning. Something that I never did.

  I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved with a smile as big as Texas on my face.

  I sat on Mindy’s bathroom floor and stared at nothing in particular.

  Mindy cleared her throat and asked, “Are you convinced now?”

  I looked up and saw the pregnancy test and felt my stomach lurch once more. It was the fifth test I’d taken, and each of them read positive. The realization that I was pregnant hadn’t yet sunk in. Or I was too terrified for that. I was still trying to get used to the idea of being engaged, and now I was pregnant.

  Slowly, I shook my head. “I was supposed to go to the doctor’s to get on the pill, Mindy.”

  “Well, looks like you’re not going to need it now.”

  She pushed the home pregnancy tests I had taken out of the way.

  “Did you really not believe them when they said you were pregnant?”

  “No! We only had unprotected sex once! Once!”

  She grimaced. “I hate to tell you this, but that’s all it takes. And a guy’s sperm stays active for like five days or something. Plus, condoms aren’t a hundred percent effective.”

  I buried my face in my hands. “Why! Why is this happening now? We just only got engaged! Everything was…perfect.”

  She pulled my hands away from my face and looked at me. “It still is perfect. It’s just another part of God’s plan. It’s fate.”

  “Fate? Oh my God. Anson is going to freak! He has a tour this summer in Europe. He wants me to go!”

  “You can go. My God, Bristol, you’re pregnant, not dying. You even told me that it was okay to have fun before you have a baby.”

  I shook my head and tried to figure out how in the hell this was all happening. Two days ago I was sitting in Anson’s recording studio singing a song for a damn record, and now I was sitting on my best friend’s bathroom floor freaking out because I found out I was pregnant while trying to get on birth control pills to keep from getting pregnant.

  “It’s going to change everything. Anson isn’t going to be able to be in Comfort full-time. I know that. I was fine with that. But now a baby. How often will he be able to see the baby? How much of this am I going to have to do alone?”

  I buried my face again.

  “Oh my God! I’m already complaining! What in the hell is wrong with me?”

  Mindy laughed and peeled my hands back once more.

  “Listen to me, Bristol. It’s going to be okay. I know this baby wasn’t planned and the timing is off. But it’s happening, and y’all will figure it out. You’ve got plenty of time to do so.”

  I nodded. “I know. I know.”

  With a deep exhale, I stood and leaned against the sink. “And I am honestly over-the-moon happy that I’m pregnant with Anson’s baby. I am. But is he going to be happy?”

  She laughed. “He’s going to be so freaking happy. Trust me.”

  “Our future is so up in the air. I mean, yes, we’re getting married, but we just told our folks yesterday. Anson’s still trying to work things out with his father. And now we’re throwing a baby into the mix.”

  My shoulders dropped as my head fell back. “I just wanted to spend some time with Anson. Now I’m going to be fat and sick all the time.”

  “Um, excuse me? Is that how you see me?”

  Laughing, I grabbed her hands in mine. “No! Of course not.”

  I took a deep breath and got back to the point. “Anson mentioned the record company wanted three more albums. We’ve both followed his career—you know how much time he needs to travel to promote them.”

  “That was then, this is now. He’s made a name for himself. He’ll probably have more of a say on his tours.”

  I nodded. �
�Yeah.”

  “You’ve got all of us here. Me, Drake, your folks, Anson’s parents. Irwin and Ida. There’s a whole load of people who are here for you.”

  My chin shook. “I know. I know. God, this isn’t even about that. I wanted more time with him. Just him. Us. Alone together. Is it selfish of me to want Anson all to myself?”

  “No, Sweetie, it’s not selfish at all.”

  “What do you think he’s going to say?”

  Mindy shrugged. “When does he plan on going back to Nashville?”

  “He hasn’t said. He went to the ranch today to try and talk to Carl again.”

  “Well, maybe this baby will bring those two together. Carl must not be that mad at him still if he’s letting him work the ranch. Nick told Drake he thinks Carl is beyond happy Anson has been there, but he knows it won’t last. So he’s trying not to show his feelings.”

  “I know how he feels. Ugh, no! I can’t think that way. I knew what it was going to be like when we got back together. I need to wipe all this foolishness away and put my big girl panties on.”

  “He’s not going to the moon. And he already told you he can live here pretty much full-time.”

  I smiled and sheepishly looked up at her. “With all this baby stuff, I haven’t had a chance to tell you what all happened in Nashville.”

  “Please, I’m so sex deprived I cannot hear about how amazing your sex life is.”

  With a laugh, I shook my head. “No. It’s not that. Anson had me sing on his new single.”

  Her eyes went wide with shock. Then a huge grin appeared on her face. “It’s about damn time he heard that voice of yours! Drake and I always said you had the better voice.” She winked.

  “It was scary, but at the same time so much fun. I can’t wait to hear the finished song.”

  “Are you going to sing on any more of his songs?”

  “Oh no!” I said as I waved her off. Then we both looked at each other and laughed. “I totally would if he asked me to!”

  “If you ask me, you sing better than Lindsey Ashton.”

  “You’re only saying that because I’m your best friend.”

  “That and you’re single and knocked up. We have our own club!”

  My mouth dropped open before we both fell into another fit of laughter.

  Anson

  TEXAS IN LATE spring was not something I could honestly say I missed. I picked up a hay bale and tossed it onto the back of the trailer where Nick grabbed it with forks. We were taking it to the north barn to store for when the summer drought started. It was almost a promise there would be a drought.

  I stopped at the sound of someone coming up on horseback. Taking off my cowboy hat, I wiped away the sweat that was nearly pouring in my eyes.

  My father rode up on a horse with George saddled up and trotting alongside him.

  “You able to take a break and go for that ride we keep missing out on?”

  I smiled and looked back at Nick. He nodded and said, “I need a break anyway. It’s damn hot out for the last week of April.”

  “Thanks, Nick.”

  My father handed each of us a bottle of water, and I drank the damn thing down all at once.

  He chuckled. “I only brought the one for each of ya.”

  “No worries, Dad. That hit the spot.”

  I tossed the empty water bottle in the floorboard of the ranch truck then walked over to George. I swung up on him and followed my father.

  “Figured we’d check this part of the fence line while we ride.”

  “Sounds good,” I said.

  For a few minutes, we rode in silence. Then he cleared his throat.

  “Do you have a ranch in Nashville?”

  I turned to look at him. Surely he had talked to my mother or Grams about my house. They’d both been there. So had Granddad.

  “I know you have the house there, you mother told me about it. Sounds nice. I wasn’t sure if you had anything else.”

  “Nah. I’m actually going to sell my house and buy something a little farther out into the country. Something smaller—the one I have in Belle Meade is too big.”

  He nodded but didn’t look my way.

  “You seemed to have picked right back up here on the ranch, which is why I was wondering if you had a place back home you worked.”

  “This is home, Dad.”

  This time, he did look at me. “Is that so?”

  “Yes, Sir. Didn’t take me long to figure out how much I missed this place. How being here puts my soul at ease.”

  I watched him as I spoke. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Dad, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I’ll understand if you say no.”

  “From what I can tell, you don’t need money, so that can’t be it.”

  With a grin, I rubbed the back of my neck. “No, Sir. I don’t need money.”

  He glanced my way and smiled at me for the first time in six years. My heart felt like it grew bigger in my chest.

  “What is it then, Son?”

  I could hear my heart pounding as I drew in a slow, deep breath and then exhaled.

  “I’d like to build a house on the ranch. I haven’t talked to Bristol about it yet, but I thought if you were willing to let me have a stab at running the ranch a bit more, it might be best if Bristol and I lived here instead of Bristol’s house in town. I don’t think she’ll disagree with it, but it would be at least a year out—maybe by then she’ll have someone helping her manage the tea room, and she won’t have to be there so early each morning.”

  My father brought his horse to a stop and stared at me.

  “Run the ranch?”

  Christ Almighty, my heart was pounding in my ears as I looked back at him.

  “Not full-time, of course, I know you’re still a part of it. But I’d like to start learning more from you that so when you retire, I’ll be ready. If you still want that.”

  “You want to run the ranch? This ranch? Here in Comfort?”

  I chuckled. “Ah, yes, Sir. The family ranch. This one right here in Comfort.”

  “What about your singing career, Anson? I mean, I’d love for you to come on board, Son, but how often would you be gone? I’m assuming weeks at a time.”

  “Actually, no, Dad. I had to fly back to Nashville last week because the record company wanted me to sign a contract to give them three more albums.”

  I saw the pride in his eyes, and it made me feel damn good. But I also saw the disappointment in there as well.

  “Robert, my manager, told them last Monday I wasn’t interested in signing the contract.”

  His mouth fell open. “Son, why would you do that? Why would you walk away from that dream?”

  “I’m not walking away, Dad. I’m taking a step back from that part of my career. I’ve actually written quite a few songs that other artists have used that have gone to number one. I’ve made a name for myself as a songwriter, not just a singer.”

  “Yes, I know. You won that song of the year award for the two-girl group. They recorded it, but you wrote the song.”

  I nodded, feeling my emotions start to get stuck in my throat. Not only had Bristol been following my career—apparently, my father had as well.

  “Yes. Writing songs has always been one of my favorite parts of this journey. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every moment of the last six years. Well, most of them, anyway. It took me coming home to see what I loved more. Bristol and this ranch. You, Mom, Grams, and Granddad. I want to raise my kids here, not on some tour bus. Here. In Comfort. On this ranch.”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

  “How…what…I mean to say is, what does Bristol think about all of this?”

  “I haven’t told her yet. I wanted to talk to you first. If you’ll have me, Dad, I’d like to come home.”

  Tears filled his eyes, and I felt my own burn as I tried not to break the dam of feelings I’d kept inside t
he last six years.

  “Son, you haven’t been the only one who…who made a mistake. I acted like an old fool by pushing you away, and I lost out on six years of you in my life.” He looked away and shook his head while he wiped his tears. Then he focused back on me and said, “Having you here, in Comfort and living on the ranch…hell, nothing would make me happier, Anson.”

  My cheeks ached from smiling so damn big.

  “Should we get off our horses and hug or something?” I asked.

  He scoffed and wiped his tears away once more. “Hell, no, we’re cowboys, Son. Cowboys don’t cry. Or at least, they don’t let anyone see ’em cry. And they certainly don’t hug, for fuck’s sake.”

  I lifted my arm and wiped my damp cheeks off with my shirt while I laughed. “Understood, Sir. Understood.”

  “But a father and a son would probably get off the horses and do just that.”

  I slid off my horse, and so did my father. I walked up to him, and he grabbed me behind my neck and pulled me to him. For the second time in my life, I let my tears fall free and I cried like a damn baby. This time, though, I wasn’t alone in a hotel room in Nashville.

  I was in my father’s arms.

  I was home.

  Tonight was poker and Bunco night. Granddad had texted me three times to remind me about it, and Bristol texted twice and called once trying to figure out a way to get out of it.

  “Honey! I’m home!” I called out as I walked into Bristol’s house. I couldn’t help but laugh. Zeus, the little traitor, came running up to me.

  “Oh, sure, now you come running, but when I wanted to take you to the ranch today, you picked the tea room. The tea room, dude, really?”

  “Wise choice on his part,” Bristol said as she walked around the corner from the kitchen. “AC all day and countless women petting him and telling him how handsome he is.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ve had that job, it’s not that fun. But the pay is pretty damn good.”

  Her mouth fell open, and she smiled as she hit me on the chest. “Those days are over. No women are allowed to…pet you…again.”