Connie

She closed the book she'd been reading to Yoby and looked over at him. He looked really sleepy, but his eyes were still open. "When's Chip get here?" he asked, his little voice sounding plaintive.

She looked thoughtful. "Soon. But it'll be after you're asleep." He pouted and she smiled. "I'm sorry, buddy, but he'll be here when you get up in the morning." She raised her eyebrows. "In fact, we're all going to work together tomorrow."

He grinned. "We are?"

She nodded. "Um hm." She had scenes with Judith and the Stella sisters and he had scenes with the actress who would be Deacon's new girlfriend. She'd been teasing him about that.

Yoby sighed. "One more please."

She smiled. "Okay, one more. But you need to close your eyes, okay?" he nodded. She reached for another book off the bedside table and opened it, beginning to read. "In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon..."

She walked into the nursery and checked in on Ryleigh. It was hard to believe her baby was 3 months old. She was sleeping longer during the night, which was appreciated. And she'd grown so much. She was still slightly behind other babies her age, but she no longer felt so tiny and fragile. She was a happy baby, cooing and making tiny laughing sounds. She was more alert, waving her hands and arms and legs around. And it didn't bother her at all that Ryleigh's main focus of attention was Chip. When she heard his voice, she turned towards it. When he crossed her sight line, she followed him with her eyes. It was beautiful to see.

She stood there a little while longer and then left the room, walking back down the hallway and then down the stairs. It was almost dark out, but the last glimmers of sunset were still visible through the trees. She went in the kitchen and took a bottle of wine out of the fridge. Setting it on the counter, she got a glass and then poured the wine into it. After putting the bottle back, she went and sat at the kitchen island, reaching for her phone. She smiled when she saw she had a text from Chip a few minutes earlier. Just landed. See you soon.

She picked up the phone and texted back. Can't wait to see you. And then a heart emoji. She had missed him and she was looking forward to hearing how he felt about how things had gone in LA. She took a sip of her wine and set the glass back down. She rested her elbows on the counter and clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them. When she'd talked to him the night before he'd felt hopeful. She knew him so well, though, and she knew he could get caught up in that and feel like he'd won. He wanted that so badly, she knew, and she wanted it for him. She sighed. You're a good man, Chip Esten, she thought. But you're a very impatient and sensitive one too. Just take things one step at a time. Promise me.

I'm not very patient either. She smiled to herself as she picked up her phone and looked at the time. She wondered how long it would take before he walked in the door. She was so ready for him to be home.

Chip

He'd pressed on the gas and pushed the speed on the highway. He'd never been one to drive slow, had always pushed the boundaries. He didn't do anything slow or just enough. He wanted it all and he wanted it now. As a result, sometimes he didn't always get what he wanted. But most of the time he did. The flight had been a little early and, at the last minute, he'd decided not to take his guitar to LA, which meant all he'd had to do was grab his bag from the overhead compartment and he was on his way to the parking lot at the airport. Which meant he'd get home faster.

Home. He smiled when he thought about that. it hadn't felt exactly like home when he'd first started staying there most of the time. It had been homey, for sure, and Connie was in it, which was the best part, but he'd still had that apartment and so it had felt more like a place where he stayed. Towards the end, before the first season was over and before he and Connie had gone back to LA, it had started to feel more like home. His things were in the house now, mixed with hers, mixed with Yoby's and now Ryleigh's. He and Connie had put the nursery together, choosing everything themselves. He had a room in the basement where he could store his guitars and a keyboard. It was a rental, but they had been able to make it theirs.

What really made it a home, though, were the people who lived in it. He never failed to wake up in the morning and feel grateful for the woman he shared a bed with. Shared a life with. Shared a family with. He had watched Connie grow a life inside her, a life they'd created together, who connected them irrevocably. It was still missing one thing though. It was missing Taylor, Chase and Addie but he was hopeful they were building that path so that they could all be a family.

That then made him think of the home he'd had for over 15 years. The house in Sherman Oaks, but the people who lived in it. That had been his home too. He'd made a home and a family with someone else and for a long time he'd thought that was what he'd been waiting for. It wasn't fair to say he hadn't loved Patty or been happy. Most of that was wrapped up in his kids. Eventually it had not felt like where he wanted to be for the rest of his life. Something had changed the day he met Connie. Something life changing. Something life affirming.

Now, as he wound his way through the tree-lined streets in the neighborhood where he now lived, he couldn't wait to see her.

She was waiting when he walked in the door, dropping his bag on the floor. She squealed with excitement, a huge smile on her face. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her close. He kissed her, enjoying the taste of her mouth and the firmness of her lips against his. "God, I'm glad to be home," he said, when he finally pulled his lips from hers.

"I'm glad you're home too, babe," she said. she leaned back a little. "Do you realize we have not spent a night apart since you moved in here? Except when I was in the hospital. Until now?"

He nodded. "I do know. But now I'm back and I can't wait to show you how much I missed you."

She laughed. "I can't wait either. But don't you want to tell me how it went first?"

He acted like he was thinking about it, then smiled. "No. I don't think I do."

She was no good at pretending to be seductive, so she didn't even try. She took his hand and led him up the stairs. As soon as he shut the door to the bedroom, they stripped off their clothes and he chased her onto the bed. He grabbed her arms and gently pushed her down onto the mattress, as she laughed happily. He laid down beside her and then turned her face towards him. He lowered his head until his lips met hers. At first he just kissed her lazily, letting his tongue trace her lips until she opened them to his. As the heat between them built up, the kisses became more heated, their tongues chasing each other as he sucked on her lips.

He was already rock hard and throbbing. She rolled slightly towards him, rocking her hips. He thrust two fingers inside her, moaning into her mouth as he felt how warm and wet she was. He kept a rhythm going as he moved his fingers inside her. He was still kissing her, but they were both moaning. He felt her shiver slightly and he knew she was right on the edge. He slid his fingers out and then rolled on top of her. He lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes. She bit down on her lower lip, breathing hard, as he hovered above her.

She drew her knees up and then let them fall apart, still gazing into his eyes. She made a little noise then, her mouth slightly open. He couldn't wait any longer and entered her swiftly. She gasped and then lifted her pelvis towards him. He was still being a little gentle with her, but he pushed inside her quickly, knowing he wouldn't last long. She ran her hands up and down his back, moaning appreciatively, never taking her eyes from his. He started to move inside her, letting himself sink into her warmth. And then, suddenly, he couldn't wait. "Oh, god," he groaned as he emptied himself inside her with 3 quick thrusts. She let her eyes close, arching her back slightly and he could feel her pulsing around him as she made little moaning sounds. Maybe a minute passed and then she relaxed and opened her eyes.

She smiled. "I missed that," she said. "And you."

He kissed her. "Same." He ran his hand over her hair, smoothing it down.

"Will you tell me now how things went?" she asked.

He rolled onto his back and laughed. "No post sex cuddling first?"

She reached over and tapped his nose with her finger, then rolled onto her side, cuddling into him. "We can talk while we cuddle, can't we?"

He chuckled again, reaching for her hand. She threaded her fingers through his. "I thought it went better than I expected. But I think a lot of that is because we were in California." He turned his head to look at her. "So you were right about that."

"Of course I was right," she said, laughter in her voice. "Did you talk about them coming here next summer?"

He nodded. "I did. I didn't really get an answer, but she didn't say no. I already asked my lawyer to add it to the visitation proposal though."

She rubbed her thumb over his. "I hope it works out. And next summer is long enough away that hopefully they'll be open to coming." She pressed her lips against his chest. "I want it to work out for you."

"It would be for all of us, Connie," he said.

"I know. But it's mostly for you. And them." Just then they heard some noise from the baby monitor. She sat up. "Oh dear, she needs food so she'll sleep."

He sat up as well. "Why don't I go get her ready?" He smiled at her and then kissed her. "I know you like to get dressed."

She swatted his arm. "Shut up." But she smiled.

Connie

When she walked into the nursery, Chip was getting Ryleigh into her pajamas. As usual, she was flailing her arms and legs and making it difficult for him to get her ready. Plus the fact that she was hungry and fussing didn't help. She smiled as she stood at the doorway. "I wonder if she'll always be that way," she said and he turned to look at her.

"Probably." He turned back to the baby then. "Ryleigh?" he said, sounding a little exasperated. "You gotta stop fighting me." He finally got the last arm through the sleeve and then buttoned her up. When he picked her up, she was sniffling and looked unhappy. He kissed her on the cheek. "If you wouldn't fight me, you wouldn't be so unhappy, baby girl," he murmured against her cheek. Then he turned and handed her off. "I know you want mama," he said, as she reached out for Ryleigh.

Ryleigh was still agitated and starting to cry, so she quickly sat down on the chair. She settled the baby in her arms and then opened up her shirt, guiding Ryleigh to her nipple. She latched on quickly and then started sucking. She sighed. This was still her favorite part of every day. She grabbed Ryleigh's little hand, holding it firmly against her chest. Chip slipped into the chair beside her, putting his arm around the back of the chair. Ryleigh turned her head a little so she could see Chip. She turned and looked at him too. "See? She always looks for you," she said with a smile.

He leaned over and kissed her. "It's not a competition," he said with a smile.

"Well, I know. I just love that she does." She leaned her head back against his arm, feeling Ryleigh tugging at her breast. She wouldn't be able to do this forever, but she loved that she'd gotten the opportunity to do it. she looked up at him. "Did you ever imagine this would be our life?" she asked.

He looked thoughtful. "Not this exact thing, but I was sure, pretty much from the start, that we'd be together one day." He smiled. "The first time we were together, I knew I needed it to be sooner rather than later. But this exact thing?" – he nodded towards Ryleigh – "not until a couple days after you told me you were pregnant. And then I never looked back."

"I was so shocked when I found out I was pregnant. It had never crossed my mind that at my age it was even really possible. I mean, I know women my age do get pregnant, but usually not without a lot of intentional help." She paused for a moment and looked down at her baby. "I hadn't really counted on us being anything more than a first season fling and I tried not to let myself get so emotionally involved, although you didn't make that easy. But when I found out I was pregnant, at first I just had to sit with it a minute, and then I came to the realization that I didn't want to do it without you. But I was afraid that was what would happen." He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled up at him. "I knew that if it did, it would be tough on me, but I knew I could handle it. I almost sort of hoped for that, because I knew it would change so many lives. And it did. It makes it hard sometimes to say this is what I hoped for, that I imagined it happening." She sighed. "There's a lot to fix, but I want to help you do that, if I can."

He pressed his lips against the side of her face. Once, twice, three times. Then he leaned his head against hers and she felt his breath on her neck. "It's been tough," he murmured. "I think you were right to make me go out there. It was good for me and the kids, but it also helped me understand what they're living with every day. Knowing I've got you though, makes it easier."

She smiled at him. Ryleigh stopped feeding then and made a little noise. She looked down at her baby and lightly scratched her chest, which made Ryleigh smile and make little laughing noises. She looked back at Chip. "Do you want to hand me a burp cloth, babe?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Let me take her," he said, holding out his hands. She lifted Ryleigh up and handed her to him, as he arranged the towel over his shoulder. Then he laid her against his shoulder and started rubbing her back. "Do you remember how tiny she was when she was born?"

She nodded. "I do. She seemed so fragile."

"And now she's so big." He smiled at her. "Everything turned out fine."

She nodded. "Everything's going to turn out fine."

They finally had gotten to the point where they were almost caught up with her scenes. It had been tough for her, filming scenes for episodes that had been completed without her as well as filming the current episodes. In some ways she felt busier than she had been the first season. Having an infant had made things exponentially more challenging. Even with Chip there, it felt like they were juggling too many things and there were times when she felt like they didn't see each other enough. When she knew they weren't seeing each other enough. He was doing a lot of filming without her. Their characters didn't have as many scenes together, as they went through the process of dealing with the aftermath of the accident and Rayna's hospitalization and their natural estrangement. Chip had set a pattern of going out to LA every three weeks or so. Yoby was talking more, showing some of the terrible twos, although her experience was milder, based on what her friends were sharing. Ryleigh was growing like a weed and was coming more into her own. She laughed a lot, or what she decided was laughing, and was mostly a happy baby. She had more hair and her eyes had seemed to settle into a blue that matched Chip's.

As they rode to the studio, both Yoby and Ryleigh were asleep in their car seats. Katie was sitting up front with the driver. She had pulled her script out of the diaper bag and flipped to the scene she and Chip were filming that day. It was one of her favorites so far in the series. Rayna was struggling with her singing voice and Deacon had found out about that and confronted her about it. What she loved about the scene was how it spoke to the relationship the two of them had, even during a difficult time such as the one they were experiencing. It spoke to the connection the two had, deep down underneath the hurt and pain and confusion and distance. They had both lost something in the accident, even beyond each other. They had each seemingly lost what defined them both. He knew what that meant to her, how much of her identity was caught up in her voice. And she too understood the significance of his injury. They both stood there, in Rayna's kitchen, and spoke to the thing that always drew them together, even when they may not have wanted it to. The music.

She and Chip had practiced it the night before. He thought that Deacon was probably feeling responsible for that, just one more way he'd disappointed her and let her down. He also felt like Deacon wouldn't let her hide that she couldn't sing. it was the way the scene was written, but he had approached it from the perspective that Deacon would force Rayna to be vulnerable with him, the way he would have always done, because he knew he was the only person she would be that vulnerable with. As for Rayna, she felt like that's what her character needed, to be called out by the one person who understood her better than anyone else and would force her to say it out loud. She had gotten caught up in the emotion of it and he had smiled, telling her she needed to do that when they filmed it, sounding like she was going to break down with the emotions of it, but managing not to in the end. And then being in a place where she could provide comfort as well and they could share that sense of encouragement.

It was a pretty powerful scene and she was looking forward to it.

She looked over at Ryleigh and Yoby. Ryleigh always fell asleep in a car. It was something she hoped would always be the case. Yoby always fought it and she watched as he fought it then. His eyelids were drooping, but he'd jerk back, trying to keep sleep at bay. But he couldn't quite manage it in the end and she smiled as his head fell towards his shoulder. Tears unexpectedly pricked at her eyes and she breathed in deeply. She thought that she had probably never felt more satisfied and content in her entire life as she did right then.

Chip

He walked down the jetway to the plane, on his way home from LA. Connie had been right when she had suggested this. It had helped him feel more connected to his kids and it had improved the relationship. The kids had felt more comfortable talking to him about how they were feeling. Even though it made him sad to think that they couldn't do it in Nashville, he'd decided it didn't matter. Forcing things on them had not been the answer. He was glad they'd come, to meet Ryleigh, but for the time being he knew they needed the time with him in order to rebuild the relationship. Patty had been right too – the kids wanted this relationship with him and didn't want to feel they were choosing sides.

It had been a good weekend. He'd considered Connie's offer to stay at her house, but he'd finally decided it wasn't a good idea. It was her house and it felt like it wouldn't have been comfortable for the kids, even if she wasn't there. So he'd rented a house for the weekend that was near Sherman Oaks and they had stayed with him there. It had felt less like a weekend filled with things for the four of them to do and more like a normal weekend just being normal. It was the second time he'd done it and he could tell it had been the right plan.

As he settled into his seat, he thought that, as great as it had been to spend the weekend with the kids, he was also glad to be going back to Nashville. Going back home. Connie had texted him that morning to let him know he'd gotten an envelope from his lawyer's office, so he knew what also awaited him at home. He'd called her when he had gotten to the gate.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I didn't open it. It's addressed to you. But don't you think it's your divorce papers?" she said.

"Yeah, probably. Open it."

"You sure?"

"Open it."

She did, and confirmed it was divorce papers, so that was on his mind as well. Patty hadn't mentioned it, but then he hadn't really had any time alone with her. He would go home and sign the documents and that would be the end of nearly 22 years of marriage. It wasn't what he'd expected, back when they'd gotten married and had children. It wasn't even what he thought would happen after Addie's recovery, when it seemed as though they'd forgotten what it felt like to be something other than parents. He had to be honest with himself that there had been no acrimony, no fighting, just a distance. It was as though they'd been apart for 2 years and when they came back together, things were different. Things had changed. At least they had for him, deep down inside.

22 years was a long time though. No small thing. There was a lot of history in all those years and, being honest, a lot of love, support, and shared experiences. He supposed he'd been too flippant with that. With her. It wasn't insignificant. He'd had no crystal ball that weekend he'd left his family to move to Nashville. It was to be temporary, as it made no sense to uproot the family, if the show didn't make it. He remembered Patty telling him, when he got the role, that he couldn't have written the more perfect part for himself, and he'd known that was true. It was the role of a lifetime. A lead role, connected to one of the lead actresses. A chance to sing and play music and, if he was lucky, maybe to write music for the show.

It had not been without some trepidation on both his part and Patty's about him being away for so long. Not officially a year, but even with regular trips home, he'd be missing out on a lot. He had no idea whether one of her concerns was about him specifically. It had been a running theme for them, over the years, that his inherently friendly nature and his tendency to be a hugger got him scoldings and warnings from her. He knew that was his personality and he'd reminded her hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the years that it didn't mean anything in the grander scheme of things. It was the truth. Until he met Connie.

He'd been in Nashville nearly 2 weeks before they had the first table read. He'd spent several days in wardrobe and several more in the studio recording his tracks for the first couple episodes. He'd gotten his final script the day before the table read, along with the scene breakdown. He'd had to pinch himself to realize he really was going to be performing at the real Opry and the real Bluebird in the very first episode. It was true, he couldn't have scripted this better himself. He'd roamed the streets of Nashville, getting to know the city, immersing himself in the history and culture and the sound of the city. He'd been filled with excitement and gratitude for the opportunity. It had felt like everything he'd gone through up to that point had led him to this.

What he had not expected to happen to him was that he would fall in love. In the beginning he tried to push down his feelings, turn away from them. They had connected almost immediately. They had chemistry – that was apparent from the start. It was also apparent to him, quickly, that he wasn't the only one struggling with it. when he finally gave into it, he felt guilty. She did too. But it became overpowering and he no longer had the desire to fight it. He would willingly carry the burden of that, because he couldn't do anything else but be with her.

He had long since committed himself to her and to the daughter they'd brought into the world together. Now he would be able to officially make that commitment. It was what he wanted, although she kept telling him to be patient. That they had time. It might be true, but he didn't want to have to wait. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

They had not been able to stay away from each other. They'd tried but the pull was strong. It didn't help that there was the constant undercurrent of sexual tension between their characters. Having to play that out on camera just heightened the need between the two of them. The night he'd gone to her house and she had let him in had been the turning point. They still tried to pretend they'd had a choice, but they'd also both known they did not. He had stayed with her the night before they finished filming for the holiday break. There had been little opportunity to see her, but when she had asked him to stop by after Christmas, she had turned his world upside down. And hers as well. And now they'd come full circle.

He wished the plane could go faster.

Connie

She was kind of glad Chip wasn't working that day. He'd insisted on keeping Yoby and Ryleigh at home and she had decided it wasn't worth arguing about. They didn't typically fight, but this had felt like one. There was a chill in the air at home and it was beginning to wear on her nerves. After he'd signed the divorce papers, he'd asked her to marry him. It had been a sweet proposal, with him having dinner catered and then getting down on one knee with a ring. She wanted to say yes, but she thought they needed to wait. His feelings were hurt, she knew that, but it had just seemed too soon.

She pushed her plate away. "Babe, this was amazing." She laughed. "Definitely not our usual take out."

He smiled proudly. "I just thought we deserved it. Lots been going on this year and we're finally on the other side of it."

A tiny alarm bell went off, but she brushed it aside. She slid her glass towards him. "I think I'm going to have one more glass of wine," she said. "Just this once." She watched as he poured, then reached for the glass and lifted it to her mouth. He reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"I love you," he said.

She smiled. "I love you too." She watched then as he suddenly moved from his chair and went down on one knee in front of her. She held her breath. He pulled a small box out of his pocket.

"Baby, I don't want to wait." He opened the box and there sat a beautiful princess cut diamond ring. She felt overwhelmed. "Marry me," he said, looking at her hopefully. She couldn't speak and a tiny frown showed up between his eyes. "Connie?"

She sat back, crossing her hands over her heart. "I want to, Chip," she said, her voice sounding like a broken whisper to her ears. "But I think we should wait."

He snapped the box shut and scowled at her. Then he stood up and, slamming the box on the table, stalked off to the den. She was afraid she'd handled that poorly, so she got up and followed him. He was facing the fireplace. She walked up to him, but didn't touch him. "Chip," she said.

He didn't turn, but his voice was filled with anger. "So after all this, you don't want to get married? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," she said.

He turned to her and his face was dark with anger. "But you said no."

She shook her head. "I didn't say no. I told you I wanted to. But you're just starting to make some progress with your kids and I don't want this to set you back."

He rolled his eyes and walked back into the kitchen. "What difference does the timing make?"

"I think it can make a huge difference. You just signed your divorce papers a week ago. We know we're committed to each other. Why can't we wait a little bit?" She was disappointed that he didn't understand, that he wasn't thinking about the kids' reactions. He wouldn't look at her. "I do want to marry you, Chip. You know that. But it doesn't have to happen right this minute."

He just shook his head then and walked towards the back door, then out to the garage, slamming the door behind him. She just stood there and, when she heard him start his car and open the garage door, she closed her eyes, feeling tears. She knew she could give in, come up with a compromise, but she didn't want to do that and risk ruining the progress he'd made. She was sure that when he came back, he'd have cooled off.

But he hadn't. She was in bed when he finally came home. She was still awake and she laid there quietly, wondering what he would do. He'd gotten undressed and crawled into the bed, but he turned his back to her and didn't say a word.

It had been 3 days and they'd hardly spoken. She'd taken the approach of just acting as though it hadn't happened. She still talked to him as though they were carrying on a conversation, ignoring his silence. She didn't mention the proposal again, knowing he'd need to figure out in his own mind what he wanted to do about it. She didn't want it to go on too long, but she was going to give him a little space to come to the right conclusion.

She walked over to Rayna's kitchen set. She had 2 scenes that day, both in the kitchen. One with Will Chase and the one she was getting ready to do with Judith. She watched as the crew set up the space and, as she was standing there, Judith came up beside her. "Hey there," she said.

She turned and smiled. "Hey." She put her arm around Judith. "I'm so glad I'm working with you today," she said.

Judith smiled. "Me too. So, did you bring Ryleigh with you?"

She shook her head. "Chip isn't working today and he volunteered to keep both kids at home. I'm not sure he knows what he's in for, but he was kind of insistent."

Judith chuckled. "I guess he likes playing daddy, huh?"

She nodded. "He really does. He's really the perfect dad for little ones, because he loves to play." She unexpectedly got a lump in her throat, thinking about that. He did love to play. He and Yoby would build things with his blocks and push his trucks around. They could stay at a park for hours sliding down slides and swinging and he never got tired of it. And he'd get down on the floor with Ryleigh during her tummy time and get her squealing with baby laughter. She really hated having disappointed him.

Luckily she and Judith got called to the set, so she was able to focus on something else.

Chip

He had put Yoby down for a nap and now he was settling Ryleigh in her crib. She hadn't quite fallen asleep yet, although her eyelids were drooping, so he stood by the crib, watching her. She was 4 months old and she'd changed so much from the day she was born. She was a happy baby most of the time. The pediatrician told Connie that Ryleigh had caught up to other babies her age, which had been a relief. Although her problems, after she was born, were relatively minor, it still was comforting to know there were no long term issues. She definitely brought a lot of joy into their lives and had bonded them closer together than ever.

He frowned then. It was things like that that made him irritated that she wouldn't just say yes to his proposal. Even if they kept it a secret. What's the harm in that? Why does she have to be so damn literal? He shook his head. Even though she had said before she didn't think they needed to rush into anything, he'd been angry that she'd said no to him. Kneeling down in front of her with the ring and she said no. Oh, he knew she said that wasn't a no, but how could it not be? The ring was in a drawer and not on her finger. She hadn't said the words 'yes, I'll marry you'. Again, she'd said that wasn't what she'd said at all. She was putting him off. And he was still pissed about it every time he thought about it. She was acting like nothing was wrong, but that wasn't true and it was pissing him off that she was just moving on like nothing had happened. For the past three nights, he'd slept with his back to her and she'd never even reacted to it.

He looked down then and saw that Ryleigh was asleep, so he quietly left the room, pulling the door almost closed as he did. Then he hustled down the stairs and into the kitchen, setting about making coffee. She was working that day and he'd convinced her to let the kids stay home with him. They would distract him from brooding, something he'd done too much of over the last few days. When the coffee was ready, he poured a mug, and then went into the den. He didn't want to watch TV and he didn't want to read. Or look over his script the next day, since his scenes were with her. He decided to call his sister, thinking he could use a friendly ally.

He picked up his phone and tapped on Cathy's work number. "Hey, big brother," she said when she answered.

"Hey yourself. How's it going?"

"Same as always. What's up?"

"Maybe I just wanted to call," he said.

"Well, maybe, but that's not normally the case. Are you working today?"

"No." He was already irritated and thought maybe she hadn't been the right person to call after all.

"So is everyone at home?"

"No. Connie's working."

"Oh, so you're bored."

"No, I'm not bored. The kids are here." He shook his head. "You know what? Maybe I just need to go."

"No, no, no, don't do that," she said. "So, we're looking forward to all of you coming for Thanksgiving. And the kids coming from California. That'll be great."

"Yeah." He didn't want to continue small talk. "I asked Connie to marry me."

There was a brief pause. "You did? Congratulations!"

He scowled. "No, no congratulations. She said no."

"What? Surely you aren't serious. Does she just not want to get married or is it something else?"

"She says she does. Just not now."

"Okay, so that's not really no. You know, I really didn't realize you were planning to do this right away. I mean, you just got divorced."

"It wasn't like I was saying we had to do it right away. But I wanted to, you know, make sure she knew I was committed to her."

"I think she knows that." She paused. "Why did she say not now?"

He huffed a little. "She thought we should wait longer because of the kids."

"Well, that sounds smart actually. You're making some inroads with them. Why undo all of that?"

"We didn't have to tell anyone."

She started laughing and he got pissed. "Seriously, Chip? You're the worst at keeping secrets. At some point, Thanksgiving weekend, you'd get all full of yourself and tell everyone. You know I'm right about that."

"That's not true." Although it wasn't out of the realm of possibility, he had to admit.

"Of course it's true. Connie's a very smart, astute woman. She's got good instincts. You should listen to her. And thank god you have her and that she wants to be there. You know she's not saying no, Chip. Why are you being all petulant?"

"I'm gonna hang up."

She laughed again. "That's fine. But don't be mad at her. Tell her she's right. Kiss and make up. It'll happen." She paused. "She's not going anywhere. You can wait."

He hated when his sister was right.

Connie

She hesitated before she walked in the house. She'd ended up having a good day at work and she wasn't sure what kind of mood Chip would be in. He seemed to be a little extra stubborn on this one and it made her wonder if maybe she should just give in and say yes and just not wear the ring. She really didn't want to do that though and she was afraid he'd spill the news inadvertently. Even worse, he could do it at Thanksgiving and the kids could overhear and possibly undo all his hard work. She wasn't going anywhere, so she was fine with waiting.

She sighed and opened the door, walking into the kitchen.

"Mom!" she heard Yoby call out. "Mom's home!" She waited and he came barreling around the couch, she knelt down and scooped him up when he ran into her arms.

"Hey, buddy, how are you?" she said, rubbing her nose against his neck. She looked up and saw Chip approach the edge of the kitchen. She couldn't tell anything about his mood. She looked back at Yoby. "Did you have a good day with Chip?" she asked.

Yoby grinned. "Yes!"

"What did you do?"

"Blocks! And trucks! And lunch."

She smiled. "Lunch, huh?" She gave him another hug and stood up, looking at Chip. "Is Ryleigh awake?" she asked.

He shook his head. "She's asleep."

She nodded. "Well, good. I think I'm going to go change and I can peek in on her." She headed for the stairs and she patted his arm as she passed him. "Thanks for taking them on today." She jogged up the stairs and headed down the hall. She stopped at the nursery and opened the door slightly, checking on Ryleigh. She was still asleep, so she headed for the bedroom to change into something more comfortable.

She was in the closet and when she turned around, she flinched a little when she saw Chip standing there. She watched him walk up to her and then he took her in his arms, holding her close. "I'm sorry, baby," he murmured. "I don't know why you put up with me."

She let her arms slide around his back. "I don't know either, sometimes," she said. "Maybe it's because you're so handsome."

He gave her an apologetic smile and kissed her on the forehead. "You were right," he said.

She leaned her head back and smiled. "What was that?"

"You heard me." He tried to hide a smile.

"I'm not sure I did, actually."

He grinned. "Okay, you were right."

"Of course I was," she said, laughing. "You just need to listen to me up front. It'll save you a lot of anguish. And pissiness."

He gave her a look. "Hey now." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too. And you know I'll marry you, right? You'll know when the right time is."

He did, too. He asked her at sunset on a beach in California in late spring and she happily said yes and let him slide the beautiful ring on her finger. His relationship with his kids had greatly improved and had culminated in Taylor's announcement that she was coming to Nashville to attend Belmont University in the fall. As a blended family, they were continuing to take positive steps forward. It had been a winding road for them to get to this place, but she was looking forward to the rest of the journey with him.

This isn't quite the end. One more chapter, a few years in the future, to see how things worked out for these two.