Sleep While I Drive

~~

Zac Hanson loved New York City. It was filled with all the things he needed in his life: enough culture and museums to indulge his artsy side and just the right amount of excitement and electricity to satiate his twenty-two year old inner wild child. It defined him - wild and rowdy, yet cool and collected. It was his city and he had his finger on it’s pulse and he relished every throb.

But today it was fairly pulsating with nothing but pure, unadulterated traffic. He was currently sitting in his brother’s old BMW, coffee in one hand and the other pulling raggedly through his tousled hair. He’d dug a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment, the early morning sun reminding him he’d partied too hard the night before. But the club had been pumping and the women hot, so he figured it was worth it. He’d danced till 3am with a redhead from Manhattan and almost contemplated taking her home, but talked himself out of it and crashed instead.

Which is where he’d still be were it not for Taylor, his older and much more irresponsible brother. He snarled when he thought of his nice warm comfy bed and his spineless brother’s phone call at such an ungodly hour. After half-listening to Taylor ramble something about couch duty and the airport, he finally agreed just to shut his brother up.

So, he sat, muddled behind the same Mercedes he‘d pulled up behind a half hour ago, impatiently tapping a beat on the leather steering wheel. “Bout damn time,” he muttered, taking a sip of coffee as the traffic finally started moving. As he made the necessary left-hand turn that led to the interstate, he put his fuzzy mind to work trying to remember who in the hell he was supposed to be picking up.

Carter Ralston was the lead guitarist for some band that his brothers had been absolutely raving about the past three weeks. Zac had pretty much tuned himself out of the conversations; he’d much rather concentrate on his own music career rather that worry about jump-starting someone else’s. But, his brothers were high on the concept of signing a band to 3CG, so he figured he’d humor them. From what he had paid attention to, the guys seemed fairly decent, and their manager, Elizabeth, was Taylor’s ex, so at least he’d get the pleasure of seeing his brother squirm.

He smiled at the thought and merged in front of a red Suburban, it’s driver promptly honking the horn and giving him the finger. He returned it in kind and turned the radio up. As he tapped along to the song’s beat, Zac realized that he really had no clue who he was getting from the airport. Taylor had given him some half-assed description, insisting that Zac would definitely remember someone like Beth. Zac had figured himself to be around 15 or so the last time he saw her and, back then Taylor went through women like most men went through underwear, so he wasn’t sure if the image he’d conjured of her was the right one. Tay’s description hadn’t helped: She’s short and pretty and you’ll know her when you see her. She’s just Beth.” He figured there was more to the story, but with his wife nearby, Taylor was playing it safe.

“Must be something about girls from Georgia“, he smirked, maneuvering the BMW to make the airport exit.

--

A half hour later found Zac winding his way through the airport. He found he rather enjoyed being able to mindlessly stroll through the throngs of people, unhindered by fans or bodyguards or brothers. He found an empty place to sit and continued his people watching. The airport showcased another reason he loved New York: no other place more accurately displayed the vast diversity of the city’s people, especially the women. And since he and his longtime girlfriend had decided to call it quits, he was finding himself more and more intrigued by all the random varieties of New York’s finest females. It’d been a while since he’d had the freedom to peruse, so he decided to take advantage of it. And since he had no idea what this Beth looked like, he figured there was no better way to find her than thoroughly scout out all the possible contestants.

As more and more women passed before him, though, his perusing grew rather boring, and he found himself tapping out some random beat against his plastic seat, waiting yet again. It wasn’t until he saw a small entourage toting suspiciously guitar-shaped luggage that he figured he must’ve finally found the right girl.

Although, this girl was absolutely nothing like the image he’d created from what he’d thought were memories. He kinda figured she’d be thin and blonde, with that lofty air and wearing leather pants - kind of like Taylor. But this girl was most definitely…not. She was short and pretty, like Tay had said, long brown hair pulled up in a casual ponytail. She wore jeans and a UGA t-shirt and had a black messenger bag slung over her shoulder. She was talking on a cell phone and waved once she’d gotten close enough to recognize him. She closed her phone and grinned, offering him a perfectly sweet southern smile.

“Beth..?” He ventured, absently thinking that she was more than just pretty. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Zac…” she remarked, her face lighting up as she stopped in front of him, eyes not-so-discreetly roving him, and apparently appreciating what she saw. “You grew.”

Zac grinned, thinking he liked this girl already.

--

“You’ve been curiously avoidant all evening,” a voice remarked over Zac’s left shoulder. He was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a beer and watching the action in the living room. In the hour since he’d retrieved the band from the airport, they’d done nothing but talk music and production. He’d had about as much of Taylor’s smooth talking and cigarette smoke that he could stomach.

He shrugged and took a long swallow, watching out of the corner of his eye as Beth came around the table and sat down, placing her own beer on a napkin coaster. “Just not my scene.”

“Thought you were the music man,” she smiled, leaning back in her chair, looking just as bored as Zac felt.

“Thought you were their manager,” he retorted, cutting his eyes over to her, lips pursed over the rim of his bottle. She looked at him in mock surprise, but then grinned, Zac unable to keep his own lips from curling at one corner. “Sorry…”

“S’ok,” she smiled, “It’s not really my scene, either. Mainly, I just make sure Carter doesn’t blow all of Daddy’s money on a guitar or something.”

“You’re his sister?”

“Unfortunately.” Beth glanced over towards the living room, smiling when she noticed how excited her brother seemed. “Nah, they’re pretty good. I’m glad ya’ll are giving them a chance.”

“That’s Taylor’s gig,” Zac shrugged, spinning his bottle between his palms. “It’s cool, but I guess I’m more into my own stuff.”

“That’s cool,” she said, fiddling with the peeling wrapper of her beer bottle, the room threatening to descend into complete silence, save the blur of voices coming from the living room. “So…what is Hanson up to these days?”

“Not a whole hell of a lot,” he sighed, backing his chair from the table and getting up to dispose of his empty bottle. He pulled another from the fridge and popped it open against the counter ledge, the cap tinkling to the floor. “It’s not exactly been a priority of late.”

“That’s too bad,” Beth grabbed her bottle and stood, wanting to lighten his mood. “I’ve been anxiously awaiting a new album.”

Zac laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re a fan?”

“Of course,“ Beth said, her voice taking on a silly tone. “Ya‘ll bring out my inner teenybopper,” She chuckled, coming to stand beside him against the counter and taking a swig of her nearly empty beer.

“Was that before or after you hooked up with my brother?”

Beth almost spewed her beer trying to suppress a laugh. “Before,” she choked, Zac patting her back while trying to hold back his grin. She smacked him across the chest when she recovered, her own smile breaking through. “And I’d use that term very loosely. Our main connection was through his cell phone.” She took the last swallow from her beer, setting it behind her on the counter. “And I think by that time he was already pretty hooked on your sister-in-law.”

Zac nodded, his brow pursed in contemplation. Beth vaguely wondered if it had bothered him that she’d once dated his brother. When they’d first met at the airport, she’d immediately been attracted to him and she thought the feeling was mutual. They’d had a nice chat on the ride to Taylor’s apartment and she hoped to get to know him better.

“Besides,” Beth continued, coyly bumping her shoulder against his. “You were always my favorite.”

“Really?” Zac was amused, but had to force himself not to blush. He liked this girl. She had done absolutely nothing but make him smile since they’d met and that was a feat rarely accomplished by anyone these days. She was cute and funny, and for the first time since the break-up, he found himself wanting to get to know another woman. He turned to look at Beth and she smiled when their eyes met, relaying to him what he hoped was mutual interest.

“Hey, guys…” The overwhelming stench of smoke preceded Taylor’s voice into the small kitchen, Zac absently shifting a few inches away from Beth. “We’re gonna swing down to the studio then out to eat…sound okay with you guys?”

“Actually,” Beth interrupted before Zac could respond to his brother. “Zac just invited me to this place…um, club downtown…” she flicked her eyes up to his and he nodded.

“Yeah, a club…”

“…so I think we’re gonna go check that out…”

Taylor’s eyes swiped suspiciously from one to the other before he nodded and turned out of the room, hollering a see ya later over his shoulder.

Beth turned to Zac, eyebrows raised hopefully. “So, is that cool with you?”

“Hell yeah. You just asked me out on a date,” Zac joked, his trademark grin stretched across face. “That is definitely cool.”

--

“You’re a frisky little vixen, you know that,” Zac said, handing Beth a beer from the fridge, unscrewing his own with a cheeky grin.

“What?” she laughed, taking a much needed swig of the cool beer, letting it refresh her parched throat. They’d been dancing for the past three hours or so at a club downtown. They’d stopped by her hotel so she could check in and change, and Zac had introduced her to his favorite hot spot.

“You pull off that girl-next-door thing well,” he said, pointing his finger as he raised his bottle in a mock toast.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice coy with pseudo-innocence. She pressed the cool beer bottle to her cheek, letting it cool her warm, flushed skin.

“Put you on a dance floor and you’re damn dangerous,” he shook his head, a grin widening across his lips, his mind drifting back to the feel of her body moving against his, pressed tightly amid the throng of people in the sweaty club.

“You liked it,” she shot back, lips lingering over the rim of her bottle.

Zac raised his eyebrows and shrugged, not denying that he had rather enjoyed himself tonight. It had been a while since he’d been out with a woman, and while he supposed this didn’t technically classify as a true date, it was close enough.

“Hope your girlfriend doesn’t mind…” Beth said, walking over to the kitchen table, casting a sideways glance at him. The presence of a possible girlfriend hadn’t crossed her mind all night, not with the way his hands had bravely roved her body as they danced, his breath hot at her ear as they grinded together. She remembered hearing though the grapevine that he was pretty attached to someone at one point and now that she realized she kinda liked him, she wanted to make sure she wasn’t just his weekend company. “Where is she, by the way?”

“School,” Zac swallowed around a large gulp that seemed to get stuck in his throat. “and she’s not.”

“Not what?” Beth hopped up onto the kitchen table, absently hoping Taylor’s wife didn’t mind.

“My girlfriend,” Zac moved to toss his empty bottle in the trash and took another from the fridge, then taking Beth’s cue and scooting himself onto the counter opposite her. “We broke it off a couple months back.”

“What happened? Mind me asking?” Beth inquired, hoping she wasn’t treading on fragile ground.

“We never saw each other anymore,” he shrugged and Beth got the feeling that it didn’t bother him to talk about it. “She’s at school. I’m here. We’d get together long enough to have a little ‘hey nice to see you sex’ and then she’d be gone. It just wasn’t worth it to me anymore.” He shrugged again and Beth inwardly cringed when he downed half the bottle, though she found his honesty incredibly refreshing.

“That’s pretty decent of you,” Beth remarked. “Most guys would jump at that chance. Girlfriend out of town, free sex, no strings attached.”

“Well, I guess I’m a pretty noble guy,” Zac smiled, his features indicating he’d rather put an end to that thread of conversation.

“You weren’t all that noble tonight,” Beth played back, wanting to lighten his mood, sliding off the table to saunter towards him. “Had your hands all over me.” She lowered her voice and glanced up at him through seductively flirting eyelashes.

“I didn‘t hear you complaining,” Zac smiled, his eyes surreptitiously washing over her. He kinda like the way her clothing was still slicked against her sweaty skin and his mind flickered back to the way she felt against him, warm skin beneath his palms, hips grinding to the heavy beat.

“I had a good time,” she admitted sincerely. “You’re a pretty fun guy to hang with.”

“I could show you around…the city, I mean,” he said, scooting off the counter to stand in front of her. “I actually am the inventor of the World Famous Zac Hanson New York City Tour.” His voice became a little silly and Beth giggled, the beer finally achieving it’s desired effect.

“I think I’d like that,” she said, purposefully reaching around him to place her empty bottle on the counter, Zac stiffening a bit at the close contact. He could smell the scent of her perfume, accentuated by the beer and sweat, and it made him feel dizzy, made his hormones spring into action and his fingers ache to touch her again. He felt like he might melt into a little puddle at her feet - a cute little Beth-shaped puddle. He smiled at the thought and allowed his eyes to meet hers and wasn’t surprised to see *something* there. It had been there all night, some semblance of want or attraction or affection. He didn’t know what to call it, but it was definitely there.

“I’m glad you told me about your girlfriend,” she said, tangling her fingers in the fabric of his damp t-shirt, gently tugging and coyly biting her lower lip. “Now, I don’t have to hesitate.”

“To do what,” he whispered, though her eyes and slightly hitched breath told him exactly what she wanted - the same thing that had been on his mind all night.

“This,” she breathed, reaching to touch her lips to his. When he didn’t object, she kissed him fully, sighing when he began to respond. He brought his hands to rest on her hips, pulling her closer, pressing his fingertips into her flesh. He kissed her thoroughly, the newness of discovery thrilling him to no end.

He trailed his mouth to her ear, his tongue delighting in the heady scent of her skin. “I’ve been waiting for you to do that.”

--

“You just know all the cool places,” Beth commented, squinting at Zac through the mid-afternoon sun, piercing her fork through a piece of Thai chicken. They were seated at an outdoor café, having stopped for lunch in the middle of their city tour. They’d already hit a few places - a quirky book store, a vintage jewelry shop, the farmer’s market - and he had a couple more places in mind for the afternoon.

Zac beamed back at her, chewing a bite of his own salad. “New York’s full of ‘em,” he said.

“I couldn’t imagine living in a city this big,” she marveled, her southern accent strong and pronounced. “I mean, there are more people here, on this street right now, than live in my entire town.”

“Seriously?” Zac scrunched his face, mentally picturing the logistics. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “I thought you were from Atlanta.”

“Well, we all say Atlanta,” she smiled. “But I actually live in Maysville. It’s this small town a little ways east of Atlanta. That’s where we grew up.”

“That must’ve been incredibly…” he paused in contemplation, searching for the right word that wouldn’t offend or hurt her feelings. He just simply couldn’t picture himself living anywhere that had even half the electricity of New York City.

“Boring?” she finished for him, chuckling when he looked somewhat embarrassed. “It can be,” she admitted, “but it’s slow and quiet and peaceful. And sometimes, that’s just all you need.”

Zac nodded, letting his mind drift to what it would be to live in a place like that. He tried to imagine not waking up to the sound of traffic and sirens, not having to deal with rush hour, not having to deal with his brothers - waking up and not having anything to do but just…live. He could see how it fit Beth. She was a picture perfect image of a southern belle. She was undeniably beautiful, there was no doubt to that. And everything about her was easy-going and calm. She was down to earth and it seemed like she had everything all figured out. It was probably a sweet existence, but it was one he knew he’d never fit into.

“Besides,” she grinned over the rim of her wine glass. “just gives us the opportunity to make our own fun.”

Zac raised his eyebrows and returned her grin.

--

“Are you lost, ma’am?” Beth turned at the deep male voice behind her, heart skipping a beat when she realized who it belonged to. A flush rose to her face, tingeing the tips of her ears. It’d been two days since she’d seen him and almost thought she’d kinda missed him.

“Why, yes, sir…” she decided to play along, giving herself an overly exaggerated southern accent. “Could you possibly tell me where I might find a Mr. Zac Hanson.”

“Tall, handsome fellow?” The man asked and Beth animatedly fanned herself with her hand. Zac grinned, thinking she looked every bit the debutante in her sundress and new Prada shoes.

“No,” she said seriously, Zac’s face falling into a mock sneer. “He’s incredibly cute, though, awfully sexy, even.”

“Then I know just where to find him,” he trailed off, Beth smiling as he accepted her into his arms for a tender embrace. “Whatcha been up to?”

“I went back down to the farmers market this morning,” she said, taking his arm when he turned and gestured down the hall. “Thought I might make you supper tonight - if Tay’s kitchen is free, that is.”

“That sounds kinda nice,” he said, stifling a yawn. “I am absolutely starving. I think I’ve eating my weight in junk food the past two days.”

“You look tired,” Beth commented, brows creasing as she noticed how pale he seemed. “I guess sleep wasn’t on the agenda either?”

“When the studio’s rocking, don’t come knocking,” he smiled wryly, but it did little to mask how exhausted he actually was. He was grateful that Taylor had actually taken some interest in their own band, but they’d nearly killed themselves, and each other, trying to get some tracks laid down.

“Zac!” Taylor’s voice boomed from the end of the hall, startling Beth. “Get your ass in gear, dude.”

Beth acknowledged him with a wave of her fingers, not failing to notice how the muscles in Zac’s arm had tensed once Taylor had appeared. He turned to Beth, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. “I’ll swing by the hotel and pick you up on my way home, okay?” He brushed his fingers against her cheek, hoping to swipe away the look of worry that had permanently attached to her features since arriving at the studio. He kissed her cheek and winked before turning and heading down the hall.

“Don’t work too hard,” she called after him, but he’d already disappeared.

--

Beth took a taxi to Taylor’s apartment, calling Zac on the way to let him know she’d decided to head on over and make sure it was cool if she borrowed the kitchen. After Natalie assured her that they’d be going out for the evening, Beth set about getting things ready for dinner. As she prepared, her mind kept drifting back to Zac.

He’d seemed different at the studio. The Zac she’d spent the past few days getting to know was cool and happy-go-lucky, with just the right size wild streak thrown in for good measure. He had his moments, but was for the most part, he was a laid back kinda guy. When she’d seen him at the studio, he’d seemed distracted and unsure, not to mention haggard. She hoped that a nice dinner and a couple glasses of wine would make him feel better. If not, she probably had a few more tricks up her sleeve. Beth smiled to herself at the thought and got back to her chopping.

Zac flung the apartment door open just as Beth was removing a casserole of stuffed chicken breasts from the oven. “Honey, I’m home,” he called from the entry and Beth grinned, not failing to notice how her heart seemed to jump a beat or two. He had set her world into a tailspin since arriving in New York. She’d never developed feelings for someone so quickly. She didn’t think she was falling for him - not entirely, not yet - but she’d grown to immensely like him and genuinely care about him. She found his every word fascinating, his every touch intoxicating.

She set the dish on the counter and shed her oven mitts, swiping her hands on the back of her jeans. She went to the center island to pour Zac a glass of wine, but he intercepted, taking her hands and placing them around his shoulders, inviting himself into an embrace. Beth sighed and willingly accepted, noticing that he seemed to hold her tighter than he‘d had before. “It feels nice to hold you,” he whispered after a few minutes, Beth’s palm rubbing soothing circles over his back.

Beth felt herself slowly melting beneath his attentions. “Holding is good,” she said, raising one hand to tangle in the soft hair at his neck. “Kissing is…also good.” She felt Zac smile against her shoulder and he placed his lips there before pulling back slightly, his mouth eager for hers. He kissed her slowly at first, delicately, tenderly. Then his mouth began to move more ardently against hers, tongue separating her lips to thoroughly plunder her. He moved hungrily against her, backing her against the counter, surprising Beth with his somewhat desperate actions. He seemed needy, like he was searching for something he could only find in her kiss. Beth willingly surrendered to his ravaging, tangling her fingers in his hair, letting him take what he needed, what he wanted. She gasped a much needed breath when his lips left hers to travel roughly down to her neck, teeth nipping at the sensitive skin beneath her ear. “Zac…” He trailed his mouth into the dip of her shoulder, arms winding back around her, holding her secure against him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered after a few moments, taking a few slow breaths to compose himself before pulling away to face her. The adrenaline still pumping through his veins from his frustrating day at work had manifested itself in desire for her. He couldn’t think of a better outlet, but didn’t want to risk screwing up their budding friendship and lose that *something* that he was slowly discovering had consumed his whole world. “I got a little carried away.” He half smiled, his face flushed, both from slight embarrassment and from the heat being near her had elicited. “It just felt really good to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too” she smiled, realizing for the first time exactly how true that was. She had, in fact, missed him the past two days. She’d missed his infectious laugh and gorgeous smile. She’d missed that *something* that had been building between them, that feeling she couldn’t name, the one that kept growing each time they touched. She touched her lips lightly to his, Zac sighing when the shrill doodling of his cell phone resounded from his front pocket. “Go ahead,” she said. “Let me finish up in here.”

Zac squeezed her hand before opening his phone, walking into the living room to take the call. Beth finished pouring the neglected wine and went about gathering the serving utensils she’d need. She vaguely noticed that Zac’s voice had gotten louder, but by the time she’d placed the entrée on the table, he was downright screaming, strings of curse words flying from his lips. She felt strange about just stopping and gaping at him, but his timbre was hard to ignore.

“Damn it,” he yelled, slamming his phone shut, clenching it in his fist. “that fucking bastard.”

Beth wanted to go to him, not quite knowing what to say, but feeling the sudden need to comfort him. “What’s….”

Zac stormed back into the kitchen, harshly running one hand through his hair, the muscles in his arms taut, his eyes wide with anger. “I swear to fucking God…” he seethed, voice cracking, shoulders heaving as his lungs expanded to accommodate his adrenaline hungry body. “I can‘t do this fucking shit. Fuck this…”

He grabbed one of the wine glasses and slung it across the dining room, Beth jumping as the thin glass shattered against the floor, the cool red wine rivuleting against the dark hardwood. Her eyes grew wide and she watched Zac intently, trying to gauge his next move. Anger didn‘t fit him at all, his personality was too laid back and easy going. She wondered what could‘ve had him so irate. He just stood with hands stretched through his hair, eyes wide and gleaming. He was clearly in some sort of emotional turmoil; he apparently had been all day and the phone call just opened the floodgates. “Fuck. I’m sorry,” he said, turning from her, disgusted with himself.

Beth followed him into the living room, watching helplessly as he sunk into the couch, head in hands. She cautiously sat next to him, brushing a sweaty lock of hair behind his ear. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m so damn sorry, Beth,” he said, hesitant to meet her gaze. He’d hated getting that angry in front of her, but Taylor’s phone call had been the last straw. They’d been at each other’s throats all day and he just felt like he couldn’t handle it anymore. “I didn’t mean to…” He brought his eyes to hers then, the hurt obvious. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Hey, it’s okay,” she comforted, smoothing her palm down his back. “My mama’s china cabinet is less one very old and very expensive Victorian tea cup cause I got mad at Carter one time.”

Zac smiled at her comment, appreciating her attempt to make him feel better. “And she let you live?”

“I was grounded for the better part of ninth grade, but yeah. Daddy had mercy on me.” She stretched her arm around his shoulder. “It’s okay to let it out. Better than keeping it in…”

“I just…” he began, strangely moved to pour his heart out to her. He’d known her for less than a week and yet, he felt like he could tell her everything, and he felt like she’d understand. She was the perfect objective listener - she was the one person in his life who had nothing to gain from him. All of his other relationships, with women and otherwise, seemed to automatically adjust to the workings of the band. He felt a relationship with Beth would be just the opposite. “I just feel like I can’t take this anymore…dealing with Tay and doing all that business shit…It’s just…I’m so damn tired, and…” He paused, exhaling a deep breath, trying to keep a hold on his emotions. “I feel like I’m going crazy, like the world is spinning way too fast the wrong way and I can’t get off. I can barely hang on…”

His disheartened voice tugged at Beth’s heart. She hated seeing him feel so despondent. She could see the stress on his face, feel the tension in his body, and she wanted more than anything to take it all away from him. He was such a vibrant person, his personality was contagious, his heart full of good intentions. There was a beautiful soul waiting inside him, she knew; he just needed to find it.

“Hey,” she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder, waiting until he turned to her. “Come home with me.” Zac raised his eyebrows at the seemingly sinful invitation. “To Georgia, silly - to Maysville, where I live. You need a taste of something more simple. Something that doesn’t drag you down like all of this does.”

“You saying a need a little sweet southern comfort?” He asked, a smile twitching the corners of his mouth, his brain already swirling with consideration.

“I might can arrange that,” she returned his smile, entwining her fingers with his. “So, whaddaya say?”

*******

Zac tilted his head back, letting the rushing wind scream over his face. He closed his eyes, comforted by the sound of rubber on asphalt, Beth’s camaro rearranging the speed limit as they passed the Jackson County line. She’d picked him up from the airport an hour ago, Zac more than ready to begin his small town vacation. He’d pretty much dropped everything in New York, completely dismantling his schedule so he could come to Georgia. Beth had promised him a week of nothing but utter relaxation and peace. She said Maysville was full of magic and she was determined to show it to him. He looked over at her in the driver’s seat, the stray strands from her ponytail dancing around her face, and placed his hand over hers on the gear shift. Beth glanced at him and smiled, grateful she’d convinced him to come.

He’d done a considerable amount of thinking in the few days since he’d accepted her offer. Until he’d met Beth, he hadn’t realized just how much living in the city was beginning to get to him. It wasn’t until he listened to her slow, lilting accent telling stories of her small hometown, that he realized maybe he needed a change of scenery. He knew he needed some time away from his brothers and even the music, but he hadn’t considered how much he needed to take some time simply for himself. He’d gotten so tangled up in becoming who everyone else thought he should be, he’d lost sight of who he really was. He was hoping Beth might help him discover it again.

The camaro finally began to slow down, Beth downshifting as they came upon a fork in the main road. The cutoff to the left was a clay dirt road, the paved road continuing on towards the right. “So,” she said. “the road less traveled?”

“Absolutely,” Zac grinned and Beth wheeled over onto the dirt road, Zac noticing the faded street sign said Hope Haven Road. He shook his head, wondering how much more stereotypical the town was going to get. So far everything he’d seen absolutely screamed “small town south”. They’d passed trailer parks and massive moss-enshrouded oak trees guarding entry ways to plantation-style mansions, strangers helping strangers fix a flat on the side of the road, kids playing baseball in a empty field, an old rusted out truck carrying a horde of teenagers past acres and acres of fertile farmland. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t actually stepped into some fairy tale or a good Faulkner novel at best.

A half mile or so up the dusty road, Beth turned onto a grassy path, settling her tires in the two worn ruts. A few hundred yards or so back from the road sat a classically southern home, complete with a wrap around veranda and colonial columns. The landscape was stunning: the home sat nestled in an orchard of oak trees, the bright Georgia sky offering the perfect backdrop. “And here I was expecting a hundred acre plantation or something,” he joked, feigning disappointment.

“Oh, no, that’s my mama’s house. We‘ll go there later,” she grinned, pulling the car to the side of the house, two rather large dogs bounding out to greet it.

Zac stepped out of the car, shutting the door as he looked around. He could already tell this place was amazing and he couldn’t wait to start exploring. He slung his duffel over his shoulder and started around the car but was intercepted by four hefty paws on his chest, two wet tongues inspecting the underside of his jaw. “Introduce me to your friends?” he glanced back towards Beth.

“Dodge and Ellie,” she said, the dogs galloping to her when they heard their names. She leaned forward to greet them, taking her own licks to the neck. She shooed them back onto the porch so Zac could escape. “Hey, a woman needs protection out here in the country all by herself,” she explained.

“What will they do? Lick someone to death?” He swiped his hand at the dampness under his chin and Beth giggled.

“Come on,” she smiled, looping her arm through his. “Let me show you around.”

Beth’s house was truly spectacular. It had been restored to reflect the era during which it’d been built, right down to the original hardwood flooring and claw foot bathtub. It had it’s share of modern conveniences, particularly in the kitchen, but Zac felt as if he’d stepped back in time. He imagined at any moment, Beth would step around the corner wearing some fabulously frilly hoop dress and he’d slide his musket out of the way to dip her backwards for a forbidden kiss. He grinned at the thought and followed her down the upstairs hall, taking in the family photos that lined the wall.

“This is the guest room,” she said, opening a paneled wooden door. Zac followed her in, chunking his duffel at the foot of the bed. The unspoken sleeping arrangements had been in the back of his mind all day. He knew he wouldn’t have a problem sharing her bed, but wasn’t clear how she felt about it. The queen sized bed dressed in a light blue chenille bedspread offered an answer. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Just one question,” he proposed, turning to her. “Am I close enough that I can come running to your rescue should some bad guy try to prey on you way out here in the country?”

Beth smiled, then shot back. “What’re you gonna do? Lick me to dea…” She trailed off when she realized her double entendre, waving her hands in front of her, clearly embarrassed, stuttering to clarify what she meant. “That’s not..“ Zac only laughed and took her in his arms, sealing her explanations beneath a kiss.

--

“So, there’s magic out *here*?” Zac asked, swiping at the long arm of thorny vine that reached out to brush his cheek. “You sure?“ They’d been walking on her so-called trail for a good fifteen minutes and so far all he’d encountered was trees. And bushes. Thick scraggly underbrush grabbed at his pants legs and the soles of his shoes had long since turned black with thick, mucky earth. Whatever it was they were looking for, he wasn’t sure they were gonna find it out here.

“City boy” He heard her mutter from her position a few strides in front of him. He started with a smart-ass retort, but realized she was probably right. It had been a while since he’d been this acquainted with nature. The last time he’d truly been in the woods had been long before the band thing had come along and his ideas of roughing it had definitely changed since then. His outdoorsy adventures of late had mostly consisted of a few tents, a few beer and the comforts of a truck still within sight.

He marveled at the way Beth seemed to be so comfortable with her surroundings. He knew she’d been living in the city for awhile herself, but it didn’t seem to affect they way she made her way through the dense forest. She never once flinched as the spidery wisps of some bush tickled her bare shoulders or got spooked when some far-off animal called to another. She was calm and comfortable, like she belonged. Like it was home.

“We’re almost there. Don’t worry,” she assured him.

Zac slapped at a mosquito that pinched the back of his next and cursed under his breath.

“Actually Zac,” Beth stopped in front of him and turned around, her features incandescent by the streaks of moon that managed to filter through the thick tree tops. “the magic is all right here,” she tapped her fingers lightly over her heart, a wistful smile playing across her lips.

Zac stared at her incredulously, “So you mean I’ve walked through all this mud and mosquitoes for a bunch of…”

“Bullshit..” she nodded, her face splitting into a teasing grin. “Sorry…” she shrugged and chuckled and Zac huffed, a toothy grin rising to belie his anger.

“You’d better…”

“Ruuunnnnn,” she screamed and turned tail, pushing her sneakers into the softened earth beneath her, her heart rate escalating with the thrill of an upcoming chase.

Zac tore out after her, his face plastered into a grin. The wind rushed through his hair and his shirt sleeves, billowing them out as he made his way through the woods, suddenly not caring about the twigs that scratched his face or the sloshes his shoes made as they slapped through a puddle. He followed Beth around trees and rocks, not pausing to consider that they’d gone off the path. The cool night air filled his lungs and his head, making him feel empowered, like he was floating, like he was alive. Like he was free.

He came to a screeching halt when he realized Beth had stopped, hands on hips, shoulders heaving with the need for air. “What is it?” He panted, resting hands on knees beside her to catch his breath.

“We’re here,” she breathed and for the first time Zac took notice of their surroundings. She’d stopped on the banks of a small creek that wove it’s way through a clearing amidst the trees. The water was rushing slowly over and under an assortment of rocks, rubbed smooth by years of the gentle press of the water. An old tree had fallen across a little ways down and the water bubbled and gurgled there, a sound he found immediately soothing. To say the place was beautiful was a vast understatement. He’d never seen anything like it.

“This is amazing,” he whispered, careful not to disturb the sereneness. Beth only nodded, taken with the calm and quiet. Zac watched her eyes taking in the scenery, watched the memories pass through her as she stood still beside him. He could picture her as a little girl, sitting on the banks with her dad and a cane pole, giggling with delight when he pulled a fish from the clear water. And then as a precocious teenager, snuggling with a young lover in the one place no one would find them. He smiled softly, bitter sweetly, wishing his own set of memories had contained a place like this. “I can see what you mean. It’s…magic..”

She turned to him then, a twinkling of unshed tears in her eyes, and a serene smile curving her lips. “This isn’t the magic…not yet…” she whispered.

“Whaddaya mean…?” He asked, but she’d already toed off her sneakers and slipped one foot into the cool water. She placed her other foot cautiously in front of her, testing the sand beneath the water, making sure it was still firm enough to cross. The water rose to her calves and he found himself mesmerized with the way it lapped against her skin. He couldn’t help but let his eyes rove over her, enchanted by the way she seemed so peaceful, her thin form silhouetted against the dark backdrop of the night. The moon rose a bluish sheen over her skin, making her look strikingly ethereal.

She stopped and turned to him and Zac couldn‘t remember seeing anything so beautiful. “Come on.”

He shed his own shoes and followed her into the water, trying not to flinch as the cold liquid soaked the denim of his jeans. She reached a hand to him once she’d made the other bank, and Zac took it, sliding his palm against the warmth of hers and smiling when she didn’t let go even after he’d stepped out of the water. He realized that this side of the creek was clearer than the other; they were still in the woods, but a blanket of grass covered the ground instead of the mud and underbrush that littered the other side.

Beth gently uncurled her fingers from his, fingertips lightly grazing his palm, and lowered herself to sit a few feet from the water‘s edge. Zac’s eyes never left her as she lay back against the soft cushion of the thick grass, her hair fanning out behind her and her eyes gleaming with that unspoken “something” that had been between them since they’d met. “Lay with me…” she whispered, her breath almost palpable in the stillness.

Zac swallowed around the lump in his throat, not failing to notice the sudden jump his heart had made. He sunk to his knees beside her, feeling entranced, feeling like the whole world had stopped to encompass only this moment, feeling like everything was now moving in slow motion. He situated himself on the ground beside her, reaching one arm behind head and letting the other rest against the cool skin left bare by her sleeveless shirt. Her eyes were waiting for his and when they found each other, she glanced upward, signaling him to follow.

Zac raised his eyes to the blackest sky he’d ever seen. And standing out against that deep velvet were thousands, or maybe millions, of the shiniest twinkling diamonds - more stars than he ever knew existed. And they were right here, so close he could almost touch, shining just for him and the girl who lay still beside him.

He lay in awe for what seemed like forever, amazed by the sheer beauty of something so simple as the night sky. He’d looked upon that same sky dozens of times from the balcony of some hotel or another, but it had never managed to look like this. The sky looked so vast and eternal, mysteriously holding all of life’s secrets, yet almost tangible, like he could reach out and pluck one of those tiny diamonds and hold it in the palm of his hand. And maybe he could, he reasoned. On a night like this, anything seemed possible.

“So, this is your magic?” he asked, his voice a breath hesitant to disturb the serenity of the night.

“Mmmhmm,” she sighed, entwining her fingers around his once more.

--

Zac awoke late the next morning feeling more rested than he had in months. He was sure the luxurious bedding in Beth’s guest room might’ve had something to do with it, but he knew it was mostly the time they’d spent down at the creek. They’d lain in the grass for a good hour or so, just watching the sky and being lulled by the gentle sloshings of the creek. She’d rested her head on his shoulder after a while and his fingers had found purpose sifting through the fine wisps of her hair while they lay there. He found himself comforted by the gentle rise and fall of their breathing, the way it had seemed to synchronize and drown out anything else that might dare to interrupt the tranquility they’d found. The cool night air filled his soul with a clean calm he truly appreciated and the closeness of her body to his filled his thoughts with things he hadn’t hardly expected.

A far away rumble of thunder had roused them and they’d reluctantly removed themselves from each other’s arms, Zac offering his hands to pull Beth to stand. They’d walked the long way home hand-in-hand until the first drops of rain fell, pattering the leaves and tingling their already cool skin. They’d broke out in another run then, Zac following as Beth led the way, feeling the whole while that he was still floating, that her magic was still carrying him. By the time they’d finally made it to the house, the storm had already blown over, leaving thick, sticky air in it’s wake.

She’d placed a gentle good-night kiss on his lips at the foot of the stairs and he’d watched her walk up, his eyes appreciating the view and his heart appreciating the peace she’d shown him. He’d slid into the guest bed shortly after, his mind feeling lighter than it had in a while.

A soft knock at the bedroom door roused him from his thoughts and he threw back the covers, reaching for the boxers he’d shed the night before. He ran his fingers through his hair, knowing it wouldn’t do any good, and pulled the door back. Beth stood before him, a soft yellow sundress complimenting her cheery smile.

“’Morning sunshine,” she grinned, her eyes twinkling with amusement, probably at the late hour to which he’d slept. “Sleep well?”

“Hey, yeah…” he smiled sheepishly, his fingers tunneling through his hair again, still to no avail. “It’s kinda late, isn’t it?”

“A little,” she grinned, “but I’ll let you slide…this time.”

“Wait, we didn’t have to be up at dawn to feed the chickens or something, did we?” He feigned fright and Beth laughed.

“No,” she chuckled, reaching out to teasingly poke his shoulder. “But you do have to be up by lunch if you wanna go eat at my Mama’s.”

“The best fried chicken this side of the Mississippi?” he ventured and Beth nodded, proudly. “Gimme ten.”

--

“And this is Grandpa’s study,” Beth continued, opening a pair of thick paneled wooden doors to reveal a small room that occupied the northwestern corner of the Ralston family home. The room was comprised of one wall of windows, while the other three held nothing but floor to ceiling bookshelves. Zac walked in, amazed yet again by something this house held. Beth had been giving him the grand tour and he immediately decided this was his favorite room by far. The dark wood flooring and high ceilings that graced the rest of the house continued into here and the rooms mahogany furniture and thick rich drapes only added to it’s homey, secluded feel.

He stepped further into the room and ran his fingertips along one shelf of books, his eyes skimming the titles. They were lined in neat rows, some thick and narrow with covers of muted greens, burgundy and golds. Some were broad and leather bound, some obviously new and others so old their covers were tattered and the spines split at the seams. He reckoned most of the books lining the sturdy mahogany shelves probably belonged to her grandfather, maybe even his grandfather before him. His eyes situated on a red leather bound set of around a dozen books or more all bearing the name Ralston on the spine, a testament to the fact that not only the house held all their family memories.

“Your family history is so full of…history…” Zac mused, letting his fingers graze the books thoughtfully.

“Yeah, and it’s all right here, in this room..” Beth walked in behind him, her own sense of awe evident on her face. “Grandpa made sure of that. He‘s collected books since he was a child. There are some that are more than a hundred years old.”

“Can I?” He asked, indicating a rather large twill-bound book. Beth nodded, giving her consent and Zac pulled the heavy tome from it’s shelf, running his fingertips appreciatively over the worn cover, tracing the gold leaf lettering. He carefully lifted the cover and found that the pages inside were yellowed with age and obviously fragile. He silently read a few lines of text, his eyes warming as he realized they were familiar.

“He used to have a big wooden rocking chair in here,” Beth said, her voice softening wistfully as she spoke of her grandfather. “It swallowed me, it was so huge. But I’d sit in it and he’d reach as high as the sky and get a book for me.”

Zac turned and shared her smile. He could see the memories passing before her eyes - they were bittersweet, he could tell, but he knew she treasured them. He once again found himself wishing that he had an image like that to hold onto, some book he could open and discover wealths of information about all the Hanson’s who came before him. What he knew of his family’s past had been condensed into two scrapbooks his mother had put together. Anything past those he just hadn’t had time to discover.

He realized how odd it was that he’d never thought of these things before - never wondered about his family’s past, never even imagined he’d want to lie on the bank of a creek in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night, never realized how much he enjoyed sitting down to a dinner table that wasn’t in some restaurant with a bunch of people who weren’t near strangers - never realized any of this until he met Beth.

“What was it like growing up with all these books?” He asked, curious and trying to lighten the mood.

“Made me the nerd I am today,” she grinned, folding herself into the leather chair that had replaced her grandfather’s aging rocker. She tucked her legs beneath her and her voice became serious. “Will you read to me?”

“Yeah?” he questioned, his eyes meeting hers, the presence of that connection not lost to either of them. Beth nodded, and gestured to the matching leather chair that sat opposite hers. Zac moved to sit, opening the book to the page his finger had been holding. He cleared his throat and Beth smiled, both at his nervousness and the fact that he seemed to understand the significance of this for her.

Zac’s voice was smooth and strong as he began.

“You’ll have to thank your Mama again for me. That supper was awesome,” Zac remarked, slipping his hands into the front pockets of his shorts. He and Beth were strolling through her mother’s backyard garden, the sun starting it’s descent into the horizon casting an array of purpley orange over the usually snow-white magnolia blossoms.

“And the dessert?” Beth looked over at him, a smile twitching the corners of her mouth. She’d slipped into the kitchen and helped her mother prepare an old fashioned banana pudding while Zac explored in the study.

“Eh…” Zac made a so-so motion with one hand and Beth smacked his chest, her eyebrows raising in mock incredulousness. “It was wonderful,” he said, sincerely, taking her hand and raising it to his lips in a gesture that was nothing short of genteel.

“Thank you,” she said shyly, not failing to notice the heat that rushed to the tips of her ears and the slight increase her heart rate had taken. “You have fun in the study?”

“Yeah. That place is amazing,” he said, his eyes lightening with excitement. He kept her hand enclosed in his as they walked toward the archway that separated the garden from the rest of the yard. “There’s actually a couple titles I wouldn’t mind borrowing…to read while I’m here…if that‘s okay…”

“Yeah…sure…I don’t think Grandpa would mind” she smiled, her eyes drifting to the waning sun, the child in her flickering back to the memory of eight year old Beth on the front porch the evening her mother had told her that Grandpa had went to live in the sky and how from then on she always thought of him whenever the sunset turned the clouds orange.

“And I wanted to thank you for that - the tour…the study…,” he said. “And for last night…at the creek. That was something else…”

“Well, you showed me around New York, so I figured it was the least I could do,” she smiled.

“Yeah, but this was different,” he began, turning to face her, his eyes growing dark and serious. He let his thumb tenderly brush the back of her hand and Beth felt her skin warm in response. “You shared your special places with me - things that mean a lot to you, to who you are. New York is just where I live. It’s not special, it’s not even home. Not like this…” He gestured around him, his eyes shining in the waning light. “This house, this town…hell, the whole sky down here belongs to you.“ He raised both hands toward the night sky, the first tiny diamonds beginning to peek through.

“It’s home,“ Beth shrugged. She felt a pang of sadness for Zac: all of these things she took for granted were things he’d never experienced before. She felt the same urge she’d felt that last day in New York - to show him her world, to let him see that there was peace for someone so haggard, so jaded, that there was a place for souls as beautiful as his. Only now that she’d shown him, she wanted to let him in.

“But, it’s more than that. It’s like, it’s a part of you. I don’t have that. I don’t have anywhere that I belong. Not like this…”

“You have me…” Beth whispered, raising her fingertips to smooth a lock of hair behind his ear. She searched his eyes for permission she knew she didn’t need and then tenderly touched her lips to his. Zac responded, closing his eyes and welcoming her mouth against his. He moved one hand to rest on her hip, drawing her closer as the kiss deepened. She entangled her hands behind his neck, fingers sifting absentmindedly through his air as his own hands discovered the quite warm skin left bare at the small of her back.

Beth let her body meld against his, not caring that they were standing in the middle of her mother’s garden and she could still vaguely hear the creaks of the back porch rockers. Zac sighed as she stood on her toes to enclose her arms tighter around him, her body suddenly aching to feel more of him. Beth returned his sigh when Zac slipped his tongue against hers, a low moan escaping his throat when she responded.

Zac felt his insides beginning to tremble and realized that a lot more was going to be blossoming than Mrs. Ralston’s magnolias if they didn’t stop. The thought made him blush and he smiled against her lips. Beth smiled back and gently pulled away, their eyes meeting, both sets gleaming with much more than just the light of the full Georgia moon.

--

“Iced tea?” Beth offered Zac a tall glass as she made her way around the coffee table with her own glass. They had left her parents’ house an hour or so earlier and decided to spend the rest of the evening making use of the one anomaly in her otherwise vintage home: the big screen television. They’d picked up a few movies on the way home and they sat on the large weathered coffee table alongside the small stack of books Zac had borrowed from the Ralston’s study.

“Thanks,” Zac took the glass and sipped, delighting in the cool, crisp liquid. He had promptly decided, after eating in the Ralston kitchen, that iced tea was his new favorite drink. “You’re parents are pretty cool.” He commented, watching Beth settle on the couch beside him, leaving what he thought was an inordinate amount of space between them.

“Yeah, they’re great,” Beth elaborated, leaning forward to place her drink on the table. “They’ve always been really cool and supportive and, of course, spoiled us rotten.”

“You? Spoiled? I‘d have never guessed…” He feigned shock and grinned, Beth responding by sticking her tongue out.

“I’m just a firm believer that I should have whatever I want,” she explained simply, as if it just were that easy. She grinned to let him know she was joking, but Zac figured that whatever Beth Ralston wanted was pretty much what she got.

“Yeah?” Zac slid one knee onto the couch so he could turn and face her. “What do you want?”

“You mean right now?” She asked, voice lowering and eyes peering at him somewhat seductively. He promptly blushed, his mouth stretching into a slow smile. “Or like, in life?”

“Yeah…what do you wanna do with your life?” He was sincerely curious and stretched his arm out on the back of the couch, opening himself up to listen. “Other than be an adorably fabulous southern debutante, that is.”

Now, it was Beth’s turn to blush. She bit her lower lip and looked off towards the stairs, eyes flickering as her mind truly thought about his question. “I dunno…” she said after a few moments. “I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do, or who I’m supposed to be. I just know that, whatever it is, I wanna be happy. Really, truly happy, ya know?”

“Yeah…” Zac paused, his voice wistful, tinged with what Beth thought was almost sadness.

“What about you?” She urged, wanting to know what about his life had him feeling so downtrodden. He seemed like the boy who had it all and she couldn’t help but wonder what was missing.

“I don’t know…” he whispered, and this time Beth was sure it was sadness that tinged his deep tone. “I used to think that music was everything I’d ever wanted. It was all I thought about, all I dreamed about.” He paused, his voice trailing off into a sigh.

“And now…?”

“And now, it does nothing but disappoint me,” he said simply. “Somewhere along the way it turned into this big ugly monster and it started eating away everything else that was important to me - my free time, my relationships, my freaking childhood…”

“So you’ve started hating it…?” Beth reasoned, her voice a mere whisper careful not to fracture his fragile confessions.

“Pretty much,” he admitted, taking a deep breath, suddenly feeling like a weight had been lifted from him, his brain finally accepting the realizations he’d tried so hard to dismiss. “So, now, I’m just plain ole Zac Hanson. And I don’t have a damn clue who he is…”

“I think he’s a pretty cool guy,” Beth smiled, entwining her fingers through his where they rested on the back of the couch. “And I think there’s beautiful, peaceful soul inside you somewhere, Zac. You just need to let yourself find it.”

“I think I do know what I want, right now…” he breathed, his eyes focused so intently, Beth imagined he could see right through her.

“What’s that?”

“For you to kiss me again.”

--

“Beth? Hey…Beth?” Zac stood at the foot of the stairs, staring upwards into the complete and total darkness it seemed Beth had gotten lost in. “Elizabeth…” he sing-songed, but still no response. A sudden thunderstorm had erupted and knocked the power out, abruptly halting what had become a rather ardent make-out session on the couch. Zac’s shirt had long since been shed and his fingers were deftly working on the buttons of hers when a loud clap of thunder and then the corresponding pop of lightning had plunged the room into total darkness.

He was only slightly disappointed when Beth had stopped the attentions of her mouth on the base of his neck to mutter something about checking the alarm. She’d reluctantly untangled herself from him and stepped carefully around the coffee table and then the couch to make her way up the stairs. She’d told Zac to sit tight and she’d return with some candles. He’d been waiting for what seemed like fifteen minutes or so when he became worried that something must’ve went wrong and decided to go look for her. After stubbing his toe on every piece of furniture the living room held, he decided he’d better hold off on the stairs.

“Bethie…” he called again and then she appeared at the top of the stairs. She held a candle carefully in front of her as she walked down, Zac’s eyes following her every move. He found himself mesmerized by her yet again, the light from the candle gleaming across her features reminded him of the way the moon had shone on her at the creek. He had the crazy notion that maybe light had been created solely to shine upon her, giving her the appearance of the angel he was sure she was. And then the even crazier one that if she was the angel, then he was definitely the one who was falling.

“Sorry it took so long,” she said, her voice breathy in the stillness causing the candle to flicker between them. “Couldn’t find a light.”

“Everything’s okay?” he asked, finding he absolutely could not take his eyes from her. She was captivating. This fascinatingly simple girl in this perfectly simple little world of hers was taking his breath away, turning his world completely upside down. “I got worried.”

Beth smiled at his thoughtfulness and Zac felt himself crumbling. “There’s something I wanna show you.”

“Okay,” Zac smiled, then suddenly frowned. “Don’t tell me the house is haunted or something…” he joked, hoping it masked the sudden seriousness he felt. He was afraid that if he didn’t lighten the mood somehow, every emotion he owned was going to come spilling forth and he’d be powerless to stop it.

“No…not that I know of anyways…” she said, as if the thought had just occurred to her, eyes flitting to the freeform shadows the candle light threw on the walls. “There’s just one good place in this house to watch a thunderstorm.”

“Where’s that?”

“My bedroom…” Beth said, her eyes purposefully meeting his and not failing to notice the flash of that *something* that went through them. Zac swallowed thickly and nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.

Zac followed her, staying close enough so that the candle lit his path, but far enough behind that he gave himself some time to think. The thought that the invitation to her bedroom insinuated much more than just watching the storm kept spinning through him, tightening his chest and making his head swirl with equal parts anxiety and desire. He’d long since accepted the conclusion that he liked her, even wanted her, and if she even so much as hinted that the feelings were mutual, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to help himself. And as much as that thought thrilled him, it also scared him to death.

They reached the top of the stairs and turned right, Beth disappearing through her open bedroom door. Zac took a deep breath and followed, immediately enshrouded with the light scent of jasmine once he’d crossed the threshold. She’d lit a couple of candles when she was upstairs earlier and they threw small flickering shadows at her nightstand and bureau, their light scent wafting through the still air. Beth placed her candle on the dresser and motioned for Zac to follow her towards a set of French doors, She opened them both and the smell of impending rain rode in on a light breeze, lightly fanning her hair behind her. Zac saw that the doors led to a balcony and when Beth stepped out, she turned, her smile beckoning him to follow.

The view from the balcony was nothing short of magnificent. It opened to the backyard and gave an unobstructed view of the woods and a brilliant expanse of pure, unfiltered night sky.

“The day I came to view his house, before I bought it, there was a storm,” Beth began, moving to rest her hands against the balcony railing. “I stood here and watched it and that was all it took. I knew I wanted to live here.”

“I’ve never *watched* a storm before,” Zac walked out onto the balcony and stood beside her, his eyes searching the sky, seeing nothing but slowly moving dusky-dark shapes he figured were clouds.

“It’s breathtaking,” she sighed, tilting her face to accept the slightly cool breeze that had begun to filter into the thick air. Zac watched her with a curious smile. He loved how she always looked so peaceful, like everything was always right, calm and serene. He vaguely wondered if his own life would ever be like that. He wondered if he’d ever find that kind of peace for himself.

“Yes it is…” he whispered, fingers reaching to smooth the tiny wisps of hair that had blown across her eyes. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss her and never stop. He let his fingertips lightly brush her cheek and she turned to him, eyes fluttering.

Beth smiled, trying to recover from the sudden flush his touch had elicited. From the second they’d entered her bedroom, her pulse had been on overdrive, fluttering with anticipation. And while it was a feeling she welcomed, it was also one she wanted to savor. “Let’s sit.”

Zac watched her settle into one of the lounge chair that occupied the balcony and then rested himself in the other. The rumbles of thunder had gotten closer together and the flashes of lightning more frequent and he knew the storm was almost upon them. “Tell me about the storm.”

“It’s fascinating to watch. From here you can see it from beginning to end,” she began, Zac following her gestures. “You can see the clouds begin to gather in the west, piling one on top of the other till they’re strong enough to rage.” Zac swallowed, his eyes moving from the sky to Beth, then back again. “Then they’ll march eastward, separating and gathering, until they encompass the whole sky. Then the thunder and the lightning will start - low and rumbling at first, then brazen and strong.”

As if on cue, a close flash of lightening struck, washing the entire sky a brilliant shade of bluish white. Zac listened intently, loving the way the words were each wrapped so delicately in her soft accent. “Then, the closer it gets, the more intense everything becomes…” Beth continued, her voice withering in the sudden onset of wind, her hair blowing back, spilling a rash of goose bumps down her back. “The wind starts bending the tree tops, then rattling the windows. It brings the clouds in. And all of a sudden they’ll burst, right in the midst of a torrid streak of lightning. And when the cool rain meets the hot, sticky air, it sizzles.”

“Damn…” Zac whispered, his voice filled with awe, at her and the surrounding electricity he could fairly feel palpitating in the air. Yet, with a storm beginning to rage around him, he realized his insides had never been more serene.

“It’s something else,” Beth agreed, watching the clouds shift around each other, illuminated by silent outbursts of lightning.

“I wasn’t talking about the storm,” Zac said and Beth shifted her eyes to his, finding them gleaming with longing. He was absolutely sure he wanted her now. He wanted to immerse himself in her, surround himself with her purity and peace. Beth felt her breath began to catch and swallowed around the lump that had gathered in her throat, the emotions thick in her chest matching the ones she recognized in Zac’s eyes.

The first fat drop of rain landed on Beth’s bare shoulder and she glanced upward, breaking the connection she and Zac held. That drop was followed by another and another, pattering on the wooden railing and tinkling against the windows.

“We should go in,” Beth said, brushing her hands against the tiny drops on her arms, their coolness raising a rash of goose bumps across her warmed skin. “Once the wind gets in it, we’ll be soaked.”

Zac nodded, his heart beginning to pound in his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was the thrill of being so close to such a storm or because of the sheer intensity with which he wanted to be close to Beth. He hadn’t wanted to be with someone in such a long time and wasn’t sure if he’d ever wanted anyone as much as this. He wanted to be close to her, to be a part of her world. His mind kept drifting back to what she’d said about his soul, and he knew it was true. His was at peace - when he was with her.

He followed her in, closing the French doors behind him. The room had once again become bathed in darkness, the wind erasing the candles as it dispersed the scent of the outdoors throughout the room. Beth made her way to the bedside table, fumbling through the drawer until she found a match. She lit the jasmine candle once more and blew out the match, holding back a sigh when she felt Zac’s fingertips gently reach for her. She turned to him, his fingers trailing softly down her arm.

“Should I go?” he questioned, his eyes holding fast to hers, the connection all at once undeniable and fierce.

“Do you want to?” Beth asked, searching his eyes for an answer she hoped she already knew.

“No,” he breathed, his voice a mere gasp beneath the fury of the storm raging outside.

“Then stay.”

--

Beth awoke to the soothing sound of dripping rain. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek and she turned over, a slow smile smoothing over her lips as she drew the bedspread around her. She relished the quiet soothing rhythm of the raindrops before slowly opening her eyes. Her forehead creased when she noticed the other side of the bed was empty, but instantly relaxed when she realized the French doors were open.

She sat up and slid from the bed, bringing the sheet around to cover her. The room had become cool, the telltale sign that a summer storm had swiped through the stifling humidity. She padded over to the balcony, one hand holding the sheet cinched above her breasts, the other keeping the loose end from dragging. She found Zac standing in his boxers, elbows resting on the balcony rail looking out at the horizon. She stood for a moment just watching him, savoring the warmth, the tingling she could still feel lingering beneath the surface.

“You didn‘t tell me about this part,” he said, drawing her from her reverie, his voice slightly graveled with sleep.

Beth stepped out onto the balcony, through the rain still dripping from the overhang, her bare feet lightly splashing the shallow puddles. She stood beside him, smiling when he absently closed the space between them, touching his bare shoulder to hers. “Which part?”

“The calm after the storm…” he said simply, his eyes washing over the clearing sky. Beth followed his gaze, noticing the streaks of night peeking through the thinning clouds, a single star already shining through. Everything was eerily still: the trees only gave a gentle rustle, their leaves laden with raindrops, a couple of crickets called to one another in the woods, the hushed breathing of two lovers filling the air with it’s sweet exhilaration.

“It’s surreal…,” she said, tightening the sheet around her chilly frame. “…how something so big and powerful leaves such gentleness in it’s wake.”

“I feel peaceful,” he said sincerely, turning to her. “that sereneness you were talking about. I can feel it inside me.” He gently brushed her cheek, his touch more loving and purposeful now. Beth smiled, bringing her hand to enclose his. “I feel it when I’m with you.” Beth brought his hand to her lips, lightly brushing his fingertips.

Zac cupped his hand gently beneath her jaw, bringing his mouth to close over hers. He kissed her sweetly, more assuredly, letting his tongue gently graze hers. Beth sighed at his attentions and he slipped one hand down her bare back, fingers tangling in the fabric resting at her hip. Beth slipped her arms to his waist, relishing in the way his skin warmed beneath her touch. “Make love to me, Zac” she breathed at his ear, his mouth a sweet press on her neck, his hands searing her even through the thin sheet. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to be with him, to feel him inside her again.

Beth led the way back into the bedroom, Zac’s palm resting gently against hers. Her heart suddenly leapt when he spun her to him, smiling when his mouth pressed hotly against hers. She sighed as he smoothly maneuvered her backwards, her calves finally brushing the soft chenille of her bedspread. He slipped his lips from hers, bringing his palms down over her shoulders, pushing the sheet softly to the floor, his eyes following as she was slowly exposed to him. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, thinking it was true in more ways than one. His mouth found her skin again, his lips brushing along her collarbone. Beth flushed beneath his touch, his hands sliding along her ribs, artfully searing the underside of her breasts.

Zac guided her to lay back, the sheets still warm from where they’d lain, and settled himself over her, letting his mouth find purpose at her breast, Beth arching beneath him from his tender attentions. His mouth trailed slowly down across her stomach, his tongue languidly tasting her smooth skin. Beth slipped her fingers through his hair, steepling one knee against him, his delicate teasings working to fuel the fire his mere touch had started. Zac kissed the inside of her knee before situating himself over her, his mouth hovering a breath above hers. Beth drew her hands along his shoulders, cupping one gently behind his neck, bringing his eyes to hers. The passion she saw there was unmistakable, flickering in tiny swirls of desire and longing, an extension of the want she could feel fairly pouring from his body. But there was something else; a…depth she’d never noticed before, something raw and honest and free, something she felt an inextricable connection to, something that made her chest explode with feeling.

Beth’s eyes fluttered when he slipped inside her, Zac’s gaze holding steady, not willing to sever their connection. His mouth rested a whisper from hers as he began to move, each union drawing him closer to that completion he’d only felt since she’d came into his life. Beth responded, opening her body and soul to him, letting herself be fully immersed in the feel of him touching her, surrounding her. Her mouth drew instinctively to his, taking him in in a kiss so potent it nearly took his breath. Zac had the vague realization that his entire world had condensed to encompass only this moment, only the sensation of undeniable connection to the girl who moved beneath him, and the revelation that he suddenly felt like this was where he belonged.

Beth’s whispery breath at his ear and the slide of her calves along his side drew him close and he slowed his motions, wanting to savor the perfection of her body fitting so magically with his. He feathered kisses down her jaw, his tongue tasting the sweat-tinged skin beneath her ear, a long shuddering sigh escaping her throat as his relentless teasing finally drew her over the edge. He absently smiled against the curve of her shoulder when she shivered beneath him, her chest gasping for wonton breath. “Oh….Zac….” she breathed, her head swimming in the sheer perfection of him.

“Bethie…” Her name fell from his lips as he let himself finally succumb to her pleasures, her palms soothing circles across his back as his body tingled with powerful release. He nuzzled the underside of her jaw when he rested himself against her, his body sated and finally content. Beth held her to him, relishing in his security as he moved to enclose her in his arms.

*******

Beth stretched and leaned back on her elbows, enjoying the sun warming her bare skin, her eyes squinting to rove over Zac’s tall form, afraid that any second he was going to plunge headfirst into the deep end of Mr. Miller’s pond.

“I thought you knew how to fish,” she called, a wry grin dancing on her lips. He was standing precariously on a moss-coated old log, trying to get his line free from whatever beneath the surface had entangled it.

“This…” he struggled, tugging on his spinner, a rivulet of sweat dripping down his cheek, the muscles in his arms straining. “…isn’t fishing. This is too damn much like work.”

Beth giggled, and started to get up to help him when the line finally jerked free, sending Zac tumbling backwards, his sandaled foot sinking into the muddy bank keeping him from falling flat on his ass. She walked over to him, grinning at the curse words that fell in rapid succession from his lips. He stepped out of his slimy shoes, leaving him in just a pair of denim shorts and baseball cap.

“Let me see it,” Beth squatted down by the tackle box, grabbing the end of his now bare line, preparing to refit it with the appropriate tackle. “You oughta know how to do this yourself, ya know?”

“How do you figure?” Zac squatted across from her, intently watching her pick the correct weights and floats.

“Cause you’re a boy,” she said. “This is a boy thing to do. I should be sitting over there sunbathing, not daring to get my hands dirty, while you bait *my* hook.”

“Hey, I’m a city boy remember,” he reminded, handing her a hook to knot at the end of the line.

“No you’re not,” she smiled, biting off the excess line with her teeth before winding the reel to set the length. “You’re a country boy at heart, Zac. You just don’t know it yet.”

“I’m beginning to think that’s true,” he said a few moments later, watching Beth effortlessly cast her line into the water, the thump of the weight sending tiny circles of ripples over the surface. They’d walked around to the other side of the pond, stepping carefully through the almost knee high grass.

“What’s that?” she asked, keeping her voice soft the way her father had taught her so as not to ‘scare the fish away’.

Zac raised the spinner behind his head and cast, not as smoothly as Beth had, but it landed in the water so he considered it a success. He sat down beside her, eyes watching the spot where his line met the water, waiting for the tell-tale tug that indicated he’d hooked a fish. “About me being a country boy,” he said, keeping his own voice low. “I like it here. It feels good here.”

Beth smiled warmly, absently winding her reel, thinking about how wonderful the past week had been. She and Zac had spent their days exploring her old haunts and finding new adventures, then relaxing in the quiet of her backyard hammock, relishing in the calming brushes of wind that feathered against their skin, soothed by the symphony of faraway crickets and cicadas. Then when night fell, they closed themselves away in the seclusion of her bedroom, each night a new, gentle exploration of each other. They’d made love till dawn, Zac’s touch eliciting emotions and intensities like she’d never known. Beth felt herself blush at the memories and shook herself from the reverie.

“I’m thinking of sta---” Beth’s shriek interrupted him, Zac startling as she pointed animatedly to where his line lay in the water. Just as he noticed the weights bob under, he felt a tug on the line.

“Reel it in, reel it in,” she laughed, Zac scrambling to get his bearings. He rose to his feet, concentrated reeling as he went, eyes not leaving the water until he’d pulled the fish to shore, Beth cheering him the entire way. He reached into the water to pick up his catch, a nice sized catfish, and held it up with a cheesy grin.

“That was so cool,“ he said, examining the fish, the wide grin stretching fully across his face, his eyes lighting up at his achievement. Beth paused a moment to watch him; he was like a little kid, so innocently happy with such a simple thing. It warmed her heart to see him like that, such a far cry from the tired, jaded man she’d met in New York.

“Awesome,“ Beth congratulated him with a kiss, her palm resting on his bare chest. His heart was thumping madly, fueled by the excitement of catching the day’s first fish. “Now, we just need a few more and *you* can cook us supper.” She playfully poked his chest.

“What?” Zac’s face scrunched in mock incredulousness. Beth grinned and turned to retrieve her pole from the ground, getting set to re-bait the hook. “Hey, I’m the man. I’ll catch the dinner and you can cook it.”

Beth laughed, a hearty, wide laugh that echoed around the pond. “Alright country boy,” she grinned, offering him the squiggly piece of live bait she held between her fingers. “Your call.”

--

“You’re an amazing cook,” Zac commented, his voice beginning to gravel as the hour grew later. His body was tired from their day at the pond, his shoulders slightly sunburned, muscles aching. They’d managed to catch four more fish, which Beth had fried up once they got home.

She sighed against him in the hammock, her fingers swirling patterns across his stomach, the motion of the hammock and his closeness lulling her into a sweet contentment. “It was the least I could do,” she said, “since you did catch *all* the fish.”

“Well, I wasn‘t about to get shown up by a girl,” Zac laughed, thinking of how clumsy he’d been when he first picked up the pole. It had been so long since he’d gone fishing, he’d almost forgotten how; he’d definitely forgotten how peaceful it could be.

“You did good,” she smiled, entwining her fingers with his and tilting her head back against his. A soothing quiet descended as neither spoke for a few long moments, Beth content to lie in Zac’s arms, mesmerized by the night sky and the gentle caress of his fingers through her hair. “What’re you thinking about?” she whispered.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Absolutely nothing. And it feels damn good.” Beth softly giggled, but understood what he meant. He paused a moment, his fingers slowing their motions, his voice low and sincere. “I never imagined I could feel like this again.”

“Like what?”

“Like myself,” He said simply, Beth raising her eyes to his. “I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, Beth.” He swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. “I feel…real, ya know? Like I can just be me and it‘s enough.”

“You‘ve always been enough, Zac,” she said, her voice confident with sweet assurance. “I’m glad you finally realized it.” He smiled, brushing his lips against her hair, honestly thinking about her words, his mind playing with the one thought that had been at it’s forefront the past few days.

“I, um…I’m thinking about staying…for a while,” he said, Beth’s eyes suddenly raising to his, filled with slight surprise and gleaming with the tiniest hint of pure elation.

“Here?”

“With you,” he whispered, his gaze holding steady to hers. “Beth, you’re the reason I feel this way. You make me feel so…free. I’m not ready to let that go yet. I can‘t picture myself going back right now.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, turning to prop on her elbow so she could study him more intently, his admission nearly stealing her breath.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice strong with resolution, his warm eyes holding fast to hers, relaying depths more than his words ever could. “If you got a spare bed for a washed-up musician, that is.”

Beth grinned, Zac’s fingers brushing over her cheek, admiring her smile and the perpetual light her eyes always seemed to carry. He found himself once again deeply aware of that connection that resided between them. Even after spending the past week in her home and in her bed, he found that it was still there, still strong and blossoming with every touch. He wasn’t sure if he was falling in love; he just knew he’d never felt anything like it before.

“I bet I could scrounge something up,” she smiled, her fingers lightly tickling his stomach. Zac gently stilled her motions, enclosing her fingers within his, bringing them to his lips for the sweetest caress, his eyes fluttering closed as he savored the moment.

“Thank you,” he finally whispered, his breath palpable against her palm, Beth smoothing her hand along his cheek. “Thank you…” he mumbled again, his mouth against hers, his words lost in the stillness of the night.

--

The next morning Zac Hanson found himself on a plane to New York City. He knew he’d have to go back sooner or later to tie up some loose ends and he figured it was best to go with sooner. He wanted his brain free of any possible complications. In the seven short days he’d spent in Georgia with Beth, he’d grown to thoroughly appreciate the simplicity of the country. He was thriving on enjoying life, beginning each day with a fresh new outlook, taking his sweet time and savoring everything.

Especially Beth. She’d become the one thing in his life that made perfect and complete sense. She challenged him and cheered him on, made him think about things he’d never thought of, afforded him experiences he’d never thought he’d have. And she’d kept a smile perpetually attached to his face. She’d never pushed, pressured or demanded; never wanted anything from him that he wasn’t fully willing to give. She’d allowed the old Zac to come to the surface - the wild and free one, the one who still dreamed and thought anything was possible, the one who loved without fear.

He smiled when he thought of the way he’d left her this morning. She’d awoken him early with a kiss, her mouth swirling beneath his ear. She’d slid herself over him, settling astride his hips, her lips trailing up to his own. “Gotta make sure you don’t forget about me,” she’d whispered, her tongue drawing indulgent licks which he eagerly returned, assuring her that forgetting was an absolute impossibility.

She’d fallen back asleep by the time he’d left and he’d left a gentle good-bye kiss on her temple, slinking quietly down the stairs and out the door. He’d taken her old truck to the airport, shattering the dawn when it roared to life in the yard, grinning when it sent him bouncing around as he flew down the washboard dirt road.

Isaac was waiting when Zac walked through the gate, sitting alone in a hard plastic seat, seemingly unnoticed by anyone. Zac smirked when he saw his brother, apparently uncomfortable by the lack of attention.

“Damn, dude, bout time you came home,” Isaac joked, offering Zac a quick handshake and relieving him of one of his bags.

“Miss me?” he grinned.

Ike shot him a smirk and kept walking. “Listen, man, you gotta get in the studio. Carter is dying for you to lay down some background vocals.”

“Sure,” he nodded, chunking his bag in the trunk of Taylor’s BMW once they got to the parking lot. “I think I can swing that before I head back.”

“Yeah, dude, they are freakin’…head back?” Isaac stopped, hand on the door handle. “What’d you mean?”

“I’m going back,” Zac said simply, opening the passenger side door. “To Maysville…with Beth.” He got in the car, leaving Isaac staring into the empty space he’d left.

After breaking the news to Taylor back at the studio, Zac had resigned himself to the leather couch and watching his oldest brother freak out. Isaac was pacing, unable to wrap his mind around that fact that Zac was leaving New York “When are you going back?” then, “How long are you gonna stay?”, followed by, “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

Zac only rolled his eyes at his older brother, unable to keep a chuckle from rising in his throat at Isaac’s antics. Taylor waved his brother off, waiting until Isaac left the room before sitting in the leather chair opposite Zac.

“So, you guys are, like, together,” Taylor began, running his hand through his hair when Zac nodded. “Do you love her?”

“I don’t know, Tay,” Zac answered honestly, his brain testing the question for perhaps the millionth time the past few days. “But I think I’m going to.”

“Wow,” Taylor responded, pausing to consider his brother’s words. “Damn, that was some vacation.”

Zac laughed, a genuine smile stretching across his lips, one Taylor didn’t fail to notice. “She’s something else, man. The whole damn place is something else. I mean, we were kissing in like, midnight of the garden of good and freaking evil or something. Like something from those romance novels Jessie reads.” He paused, steeling himself with the truth his next words would hold. “And then I woke up beside her the next morning and…something changed. I changed.”

“You’re not *leaving* us, are you?” Taylor asked, his voice quiet and real, the full realization of his brother’s admission sinking in.

“No, of course not,” Zac laughed away the seriousness of the moment. “But..”

“But, you’re gonna go with her…”

“I think I owe it myself, Tay,” he said, his eyes warm and sincere, their depths asking his brother to understand. “I wanna find out if there’s more to me than all this,” he gestured around the studio.

“Well…then, good luck, man,” Taylor said, standing to offer his brother a hug. “If that makes you happy, then go for it.”

“Thanks, Tay,” Zac said, sincerely, breathing a sigh of relief, secretly grateful his brothers were being supportive.

“And don’t worry about Ike,” Tay said as they made their way out of the studio, his voice growing wry. “He’s just pissed no one recognized him at the airport.”

--

Beth was standing in the kitchen washing the few dishes she’d used that morning when she heard the tell-tale rumbling of her truck in the yard. She turned the water off, bracing her hands against the sink, heart beginning to flutter in her chest. She heard Dodge and Ellie yelping from the porch, then the slap of the screen door against it’s frame.

“Beth?” His voice reached her from the entry and she stepped through the kitchen door, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Their eyes met and Zac smiled, thinking she was ever the angel, the sun from the kitchen windows casting it’s eternal glow behind her. She smiled, taking in a deep breath of fresh, sun-filtered air, heart fluttering at the sweet sight of him. “I’m home.”

~~