“Why? You need to. Fighting is good. It means that there is something to fight for. Don’t walk on eggshells around this woman because you are scared to lose her. Don’t be a doormat, Karson. That is just insane.”

“No, I won’t. I just don’t want to upset her because I’m insecure.”

“I get that, but you guys have been living in this honeymoon phase, and now that you two are apart, you are unsure of your relationship. That’s not good, Karson. You need to feel good about you guys twenty-four-seven,” she said and he nodded. Like always, she was right.

“Is he acting like a pussy again?” he heard his father ask.

“For fuck’s sake,” Karson muttered as his mother laughed.

“Leave him be! This is why he doesn’t talk to you. You’re an asshole. Jeez!”

“Man, I love you too,” his father barked at her.

“Love you more, sweetheart!” she called and Karson laughed.

“Thanks, Ma,” Karson said with a grin.

“Anytime, my love. Now do me a favor and call Lacey. Talk to her.”

“You don’t think that’s something I should do in person?” he asked, when subconsciously he was trying to prolong the conversation with her. While his mom was completely right, he really didn’t want to upset Lacey. Which again was something that was bound to happen. Man, maybe he was a fucking pussy. It was all Lacey’s fault. She did this to him.

“Stop trying to drag this out. FaceTime her and fix all your uncertainties before you do something you’ll regret. Like retire or drive that girl away with your insecurities. Because, while you haven’t voiced them, one day you will, and it will be a clusterfuck of crazy and she’ll run the other way. Communication, Karson. Communication.”

“Okay, Ma,” he agreed. “I’ll call her once I’m done talking to you.”

“Good, and I promise you, it’s going to all be fine. You two are meant to be together.”

“I’m glad you think so because her family doesn’t agree.”

“’Cause they are jackasses.”

“Jackasses you’ll be breaking bread with at Thanksgiving.”

“Why on earth would we do that?”

“Lacey invited them.”

“I thought she was a smart girl,” she said and Karson smiled. “Oh well, the sooner, the better, I guess. It will be awkward, but they are family.”

He nodded. “Yeah, yay for in-laws.”

“Yay, indeed,” she said with a laugh. “But I did get a beautiful daughter-in-law out of it.”

Karson grinned as he slowly nodded. “Yeah, you did.”

“One you’re about to call.”

Shit.

Biting the end of her pencil, Lacey eyed her drawing while trying to decide if she liked it. It was a white lace scallop-edged bra that tied in the front and around the neck. The panties were scalloped too with matching ribbon ties at the sides, but what made the set was the design of the lace. It had big peony flowers in it with little touches of smaller ones. She tried to imagine it in black, maybe teal or purple, but the white was the one that stood out the most.

Yup, it was a keeper.

Setting it to the side, Lacey smiled for the first time in five days. She had been so stressed with Karson leaving and working her ass off that she hadn’t been able to draw, but when she woke up that morning, she had the urge. So she found herself out on her patio, wrapped up in one of Karson’s big sweatshirts and his big sweatpants with a blanket wrapped around her and a hat on her head with her pad on her lap.

She felt productive, finally.

After doing lots of moping and cleaning, she’d finally decided to take a shower last night and now felt a little more like herself. She still missed Karson more than words could describe, but she was able to go back to her daily routine. It helped that he called whenever he could and sent her cute little messages and also that she hadn’t worn anything but his clothes. While yes, they drowned her, she felt closer to him and it helped. So she was going to stick with what worked and didn’t make her want to commit herself to a mental hospital.

It was all her fault though. The moping and the cleaning and not showering. Elli had invited her over twice this week, and even Reese had Facebooked her about getting together, but for some reason she came up with an excuse for why she couldn’t do anything. It just wasn’t the same. They weren’t Karson, and they sure as hell weren’t Rachel or any of her friends back home. It was just hard. She wasn’t sure why, but she just didn’t want to do anything. The fact she was drawing was a surprise.

Maybe it was the start she needed to get back to herself. Should she go to the wives’ dinner to watch the guys play? It didn’t seem as horrible as it had sounded when Elli invited her. Maybe she could go and really get to know the women. They truly were nice and cared for Karson. They didn’t know her and didn’t have to be nice to her, but they had, and because of that, she should give them a chance. She needed to start to set some roots in Nashville and make friends. It would be ideal, and maybe then she wouldn’t feel so alone since Rachel wanted nothing to do with her and her husband was off playing hockey.

Yeah, she’d go. It would be good for her. It was time to put Karson’s clothes up and put on some of her own. It was time to spread her wings and make Nashville home. Happy with her decision, she worked more on her drawing with a grin on her face. She couldn’t wait to tell Karson she was going out tonight. He would be happy for her and excited that she was getting out. She knew he was worrying like crazy about her, and maybe this would ease his worries and her own.