"Sound check, Riley!"

He sighs as he stands from the couch he's been laying on, stretching and cracking his back. Riley picks up his mic and exhales heavily. He misses Jo a lot.

They haven't talked in three days and it's hurting his heart.

Little does he know, she's pulling up to the venue right now.

While he's in the middle of sound check, Jo slips in the side door to find Conner.

"Hey!" He says, approaching her. "Man, I'm glad you made it." She smiles back. "Okay, so he's on in an hour." She smiles again. "He's gonna be tickled to death to see you."

Someone calls for him across the stage and he excuses himself.

She looks around the place, her eyes going wide at how huge the arena is. She can't even imagine what it's going to be like filled.

It is a sold out show, after all.

"Joey?"

She turns and sees Riley looking back at her. "Hi." She says softly, a small smile forming on her face. Riley takes off towards her and wraps her in a tight hug, spinning her in a circle.

He laughs, tears in his chest. "Holy shit."

She's set back on her feet. "Surprise." He laughs again, squeezing her in another tight hug.

Riley grabs her hand and pulls her backstage to the area that's been labeled as his. He elbows the door shut and kisses her with such fire that it makes her head spin.

"Wait." She breathes as she pulls back. "I gotta tell you somethin'."

His stomach drops as he looks her over. "Okay."

She's been trying to figure out a good way to tell him and what better way than surprising him in his home state?

"C'mon, Joey. The suspense is killin' me." He says anxiously.

"I'm pregnant."

"Wh- what?" He laughs breathlessly, giving her a look that has more nerves building up in her stomach. "I thought you said you were pregnant."

"I did."

"What?" He pulls away from her. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah?"

A huge grin breaks out on his face which makes a relieved one show on hers. "You ain't fuckin' with me, are you?"

"No."

"Holy shit." He bear hugs her, his face buried in her neck. "When- how- when-?"

"I found out a couple weeks ago." She wipes fallen tears away. "And I've been wantin' to tell you but I didn't know how."

Riley giggles again. "I'm gonna be a dad."

"Yeah but don't tell no one yet. I don't wanna get shit on because we ain't engaged."

He nods. "You got my word."

+++

Riley groans when he kicks his boots off. He drops his bag by the door and tosses his keys, wallet, and dip can on the end table nearby. He hangs his hat on the hook next to the mirror Jo had picked out and smiles.

He makes his way up the steps to the bedroom he's now sharing with his girlfriend.

He cracks the door open, expecting to see her curled up in bed but she isn't there. His eyes go to the open bathroom door and he grins.

Quickly, Riley strips off his dirty clothes and joins her.

Jo lets out a surprised yelp, stumbling back slightly when she feels hands on her hips.

"You asshole!" She hits him in the chest. "You scared the hell outta me."

Riley laughs, leans down and kisses her then looks at her slightly swollen belly. He's absolutely upset that he missed hearing that baby's heartbeat for the first time, pissed that he missed all of that but relieved that he's home now.

He told his manager that he doesn't want to tour for months on end for a while and he gave him the okay.

Riley presses his forehead against his girlfriend's and grins again. "You should do maternity pictures." He whispers.

"I's thinkin' 'bout that." She responds. "But I wanna have some taken with you."

"Absolutely." He nods. "I'd love that."

+++

Jo is in the middle of having solo pictures taken. Riley is just in awe. He loves her so much.

He's seen on social media girls surprising their fiancé's, husbands, whatever, during a photoshoot with a pregnancy announcement and he decided to do something like that.

He's proposing today.

While her back is turned to him, Riley quietly steps through the field, his heart beating out of his chest as he gets down on one knee. The photographer tells Jo to turn away from the sun so she can get some cool silhouette pictures.

Jo turns, her gaze turning from the girl with the camera to her boyfriend on his knee in front of her.

She covers her mouth with a hand as tears spring to her eyes. "Ri..."

"Jo," He starts, licking his lips. "Ever since that day we were roommates on accident in college, I knew you were a different girl. You didn't take any shit from me and you kept pushing me to try different things. When you said you'd move to Nashville with me, I knew then. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I know we haven't had the easiest relationship in the world but if it was easy, it'd be boring. You keep me on my toes every second of every day and I love it. I wouldn't trade a damn thing for it."

He pops the box open. "Jo, will you marry me?"

She lets out a quiet choked squeak then nods, laughing as she holds her hand out. Riley slips the beautiful engagement ring on her small hand then wraps his arm around her, holding her close to his snap shirt covered chest, kissing her in that heart fluttering way he does.

She presses her forehead against his and laughs. "I love you too."

+++

"Hold on." Lucy says, popping her non wooden spoon holding hand on her hip. "You're back together with Riley?"

"Mama-"

"And you're engaged and also pregnant?"

"Mama-"

"Do not tell your father that you're pregnant, Josephine. He'll flip a switch and go animalistic on that Riley."

"You can't tell him either!" Jo says back as she sits at the table.

"Even though is a shotgun weddin', I will say that Riley came to visit us to ask for permission."

"He did?"

"Mhm." Lucy nods, stirring the pot that's steaming on the front right burner. "Your daddy and brother gave him such a hard time, that boy was sweatin' bullets!"

Jo laughs, her hand going to her slightly noticeably belly.

"I'm glad y'all got back together, though."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're genuinely happy." Lucy smiles at her second born. "You have this glow about you now and it's nice to see that again."

Jo smiles back. "Thanks."

"Well, call up them boys. I bet they's hungry now."

+++

"Married?" Sean asks, looking at his former best friend and current co-worker, Michael. "She's gettin' married?"

"Yep." He spits back.

He hates what Sean did to his friend. He hates how he treated Jo. He's so glad that she's with Riley again, she's been a totally different person since they got back together.

"I miss her."

Michael shakes his head to himself and exhales heavily. This jackass doesn't deserve Jo- he never did.

"I gotta go." Michael says, standing. "I got a plane to catch."

Sean sighs heavily as the door to the lounge shuts. He just found out that Jo is getting married to Riley.

That won't do.

He knows that he's the one for her.

No one comes close to Sean Stemaly.