Page 44 of Until Easton

"I'm right here, babe!" Carter exclaims with a teasing smile

"Sorry." Lulu turns red as she leans her body into Carter's side. He murmurs something into her ear then kisses her temple.

"Well, I'd like to say I'm sorry for cutting this evening short, but I'm not," Easton announces. "I haven't seen my girl in a week, and I'm taking her home."

"No worries, man." Carter and Lulu stand. "We're heading out too."

"Are you guys still coming by the house to say goodbye before catching your flight tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we'll be by around noon," Carter says.

"Great." Moving in, I give both Carter and Lulu a hug. "We'll see ya'll tomorrow then."

When we arrive back at the ranch, Easton pulls his Bronco up in front of our house, which we officially moved into four months ago. Knowing I would never want to leave the ranch or my grandfather, Easton proposed the idea of us keeping our roots right here in a place of our own. It was also his idea to have the house built by the lake. It's a two-story log cabin, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The cabin faces the water, with a wrap-around porch on the bottom level of the home and a terrace we can access from our master suite on the second floor. I love how the house is partially hidden by the trees and tall bushes. Every morning, I wake up, step outside and breathe the crisp scent of the water and listen to the mocking birds singing in the nearby trees. At the end of the day, I sit on the porch swing with Easton, and watch the colors in the sky shift from variant hues of reds and oranges, then those colors slowly fade into a deep indigo as night falls. Lying in our king-sized bed, we sleep beneath stars and moonlight visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire front side of the house.

It took a lot of convincing on Easton's part for me to allow him to pay for everything, but at the end of the day, I realized he wanted to build a life together.

Easton's help did not come with terms and conditions. It only came with love. His exact words were, "Loving you means I want to make all your dreams come true. In return, I will be making my dreams come true. So, let me do this not only for you but for us."

So, I did.

He built us a home we can one day make a family in, hired a team of people to come to the ranch, and built the most beautiful barn I have ever seen. He fixed the Inn and added a ton of new amenities to the rooms. Connelly Ranch is now thriving. Business is booming, and because of that, we were able to hire an entire staff.

Now, the details with the Inn and ranch were worked out between Easton and my grandfather. My grandfather is a stubborn and prideful man, so I wasn't surprised the only way he would agree to let Easton fix the place up if he could pay him back. Easton was not happy, but because he respected the hell out of the man and knew how important it was for him to be able to pay him back, Easton agreed.

I can also admit, Easton was correct. If two people love each other enough, they can make anything work without having to sacrifice the things they care about the most. I still play a significant role in running things here at Connelly Ranch, but I also split my time and travel with Easton and his band. Getting to know that side of his life has been an experience, and I've had to learn to adjust to certain things, like how passionate some female fans are. Luckily, Easton has never given me a reason to doubt his feelings for me, and that part of his lifestyle no longer gets under my skin.

Jumping down from the Bronco, I begin jogging toward the house. When I'm halfway down the stone walkway, I stop and peer over my shoulder, then proceed to peel my dress off and toss it to the ground.

Easton stops short when he catches sight of me standing in front of him in nothing but an emerald green thong, a matching lace bra, and my cowboy boots. "It's a nice night for a swim. Care to join me?"

EASTON

One year later

It’s hard to believe the amount of time that has passed since Becca, and I met. Many things have changed in my life, yet so much is still the same. I sold my apartment in Nashville and Becca and I went on to build a life together on the ranch, in a home nestled amongst the strong Oak trees by our lake. Everything that happened with Mallory is where it should be—in the past.

I still travel, playing shows across the country, and Becca travels with me every chance she gets. We balance our lives between the road and home. Still, my favorite place is with her on the ranch.

I used to think falling in love was never going to happen. I wasn't ready to be vulnerable. Not until Becca came into my life. Giving someone a map of all your flaws and putting faith in them not to abuse the power you've given them is a huge step. Becca loves me despite my imperfections.

We don't always agree. She's still as feisty and headstrong as the first day we met, and I'm sure I test her patience from time to time. Yet, at the end of the day, love is still there, waiting for us. Becca is the fire in my veins and the air that I breathe. I can't imagine my life without her in it.

Tonight, East of Addiction is playing to another sold-out crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana. Like many times before, we start to play the intro into the first verse of our song Addicted To You, and as I’m singing, I look out into the audience and see everyone singing along to the song. The natural high I always get courses through my veins, and it feels like I’m about to explode. It never gets old. I hope it never does. And there, in the sea of people, I find the love of my life standing center stage, looking up at me with stars in her eyes, and my heart skips a beat.

For a moment, emotion catches in my throat as my eyes fall on her round tummy, and I smile. Becca is pregnant with our first child. I wouldn't have any of this if circumstances hadn't brought me to Connelly Ranch, but I've ended up right where I'm supposed to be. If there is one thing I've learned in my life it's to embrace the unexpected.

I swear, aside from kissing Becca, the best part of my day since she’s been pregnant is getting to hear the baby’s heartbeat using one of the at-home devices.

Being on stage and getting to play our music is incredible, and I thank God every night for allowing me to live out my dream with my best friends and Becca at my side, but it doesn’t compare to being a husband and soon to be daddy.

I hit that last note and smile at my wife. Becca married me two months ago. At first, she was stubborn and wanted to wait until the baby was born, but I wasn’t having it. Becca was going to have my last name before our baby arrived.

I spared no expense giving Becca the wedding of her dreams. We held it at Connelly Ranch. Swollen belly and all, she was beautiful walking down that white carpet, in her white gown, with her grandfather at her side.

There, on a crisp fall day, beneath the stars, amongst friends and family, we pledged our love for each other.

I bring myself to the present and move closer to the edge of the stage. I keep my eyes on Becca, and the rest of the arena fades into the background.