Jo smiles as she picks up her daughter, sitting her on her lap. She looks across the porch at Riley as he's sitting on the porch swing, his guitar under his arm and a notepad on his thigh.

"Hey y'all!" Caleigh says as she rounds the corner on the wrap around porch.

"Hey!" Jo grins. "Where's the boys?"

"Oh, Beau spilled his snacks in the truck and Michael's cleaning it up."

"Bet he's pissed." Riley says, setting his guitar in the stand next to the porch swing. "Fifty six thousand dollar truck, I'd be pissed."

"Yeah, you poured that much money into the Blazer you don't even drive." Jo shoots back, not looking away from her daughters light brown hair as she braids it.

There's the sound of a small squeal and the crunching of rocks followed by heavy stomps on the wood porch.

"Mama." Beau says, wrapping his little arms around Caleigh's leg.

"Hey Beau." Jo says, smiling warmly at him.

He peels himself away from his mother and wriggles on the seat next to his unofficial aunt.

"Dani and Morgan are on their way. They should be here soon." Riley says as he looks at his phone.

He looks up when he hears giggling and squealing, his daughter and unofficial nephew are chasing each other around the yard.

"You know they're gonna end up together, right?" Caleigh says with a glass of lemonade in her hand.

"Don't say that." Riley says. "My little girl ain't-"

"Ri..."

He locks eyes with his wife and sighs with a subtle nod. He's never felt so overprotective before. He'd sell his limbs to keep his girls safe.

"Hey guys!" Morgan says when he joins them.

"Uncle Morgan!" The two kids squeal, racing each other to their obviously favorite uncle.

He laughs- cackles really- as he scoops the kids up, one under each arm. They let out uncontrollable giggles, Morgan included.

"Okay kids!" Jo says over the laughs. "Go wash up, it's time for lunch."

"Mama..." Lexi whines.

"C'mon, go wash up."

Morgan releases the kids from his grasp and laughs to himself. He's so excited to be a dad one day and these kids are great practice. The adults laugh as well, following Jo into the house for the promised home cooked meal.

+++

Riley is a mess.

His baby girl is starting kindergarten today and he can't take it. His little girl is growing up.

"Okay baby," Riley sighs, kneeling to look his daughter in the face. "You're gonna have the best day ever, okay?"

"Okay." She nods back, itching to get into the classroom to be with Beau and to make new friends.

He feels tears in his throat. "Come here."

"Daddy..." She whines.

"Give your daddy a hug right now." He says in a joking tone, making her laugh. She throws her little five year old arms around his neck, hugging him as tight as she can.

When she pulls back, Riley presses his forehead against her and she grins. "I love you!" She chirps.

Riley forces tears back. "I love you too, baby." He messes up her hair and smiles when she squeaks. "Hey, I'll see you at noon, okay?"

"Okay daddy!" She says as she races into the classroom.

He stands and watches her mingle with the other kids in her class, sitting down right next to Beau, brushing away a stray tear.

+++

Riley's there at noon, like he said. He's the first parent there for pick up.

"Can I help you?" The teacher asks, craning her neck to look up at Riley. "You here for pick up?"

"Uh, yeah. Lexi Green."

The teacher smiles. "Ah, that girl is a bubbly one." Riley smiles back. "I swear she made friends with every kid here in the first hour."

"Daddy!" He sees his daughter running toward him with open arms, dropping her backpack to the floor.

"Lexi Lane!" He says as he scoops her up, hugging her tightly. "So are we good to go?" He asks the teacher.

"You just have to sign out and then you're all set." She says, handing him a clipboard. "Okay, see you tomorrow Lexi!"

She waves back as Riley picks up her dropped backpack. She wanted a camo one, to be just like her daddy, but Jo talked her into a light blue one.

Once she's all buckled into her seat, she starts telling her dad all about her day, the smile her mother passed down to her practically cemented to her little face.

She said she can't wait to go back tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be an easier drop off for him.

Riley's been staying home more often than not. He's still putting out music but he's just not into touring yet. He doesn't want to miss a single thing in his daughter's life.

Not to mention leaving her with Jo while she's pulling sixty+ hour weeks again but he's totally fine with taking a break.

+++

The front door slams shut making Jo and Riley jump slightly on the couch. "Lex?" Riley asks, looking over his shoulder in time to see his fourteen year old storm up the stairs to her bedroom where she slams the door shut.

"You got this or you want me to get it?" Riley asks, looking up from his laptop.

"I got it." Jo says, patting his knee before she gets up.

She knocks on her daughter's door, her heart hurting at the cries she hears. "Lex?"

"Go away." She says in a broken voice.

"Alex, open the door." She does as she's told and wraps her arms around her mother's middle, crying against her shoulder. "What happened?" She asks, running her aging hand over her light brown hair.

She cries, her body shaking. Jo sits with her on her bed. "Why do they have to be so mean?"

"Who?"

"The girls at school. They're pretty and boys notice them-"

"Stop that right now." Jo says in a soft yet stern voice. "They're insecure so they have to make other people feel bad. They're jealous because you do whatever you want without second guessing it. You have the confidence they wish they had and by hurting you, they feel better about themselves."

Lex nods, wiping her cheeks. "Come back downstairs when you're ready, okay?" She nods again. "Okay." She kisses the side of her head then leaves her room.

Riley's in the kitchen when Jo returns to the ground floor. "She okay?" He asks, looking over at her.

"Just girl problems." She waves him off. "She'll be down soon." Riley looks his wife over then nods.

A few minutes later, Lex joins them with her bright smile on her face. She gives Riley a hug, her cheek pressed against his chest and his chin on the top of her head.

Sure, Jo feels left out sometimes because of how strong their bond is but when they found out they were having a girl, her first worry was their relationship. In her mind, she thought Riley would want a boy to do boy things with but Lex is a mini him.

She looks just like Jo but acts just like Riley.

She's gonna be breaking so many hearts when she's older.

+++

"You gotta date for the prom yet?" Jo asks as she sits at the table next to Lexi, sewing up a hole in one of Riley's jeans.

"Not yet. I've been waitin' for Beau to ask me."

"As friends or..?"

Lexi blushes slightly. "As dates, I think. But I dunno, Mama. I don't wanna make things weird. I mean, he's my best friend."

"Oh I get that." Jo nods, using her teeth to cut the thread.

There's a knock on the front door. "I'll get it." Lex says, needing a mini brain break from studying. "Beau." She says, surprised. "What's up?"

"Lex, I wanna ask you somethin'." He says, a smile on his face.

He's holding a sign that says 'I've been hunting for a prom date. You game?'

She laughs at the poster. "That's so cringy." She says, crossing her arms as she leans against the door frame.

Beau laughs too. "I know." He sets it down then stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Well?"

"Yeah." She throws her arms around his neck.

"What's this?" Riley asks, standing behind Lex.

"Daddy, you know- you know Beau." She says, quickly pulling away from her best friend.

"Why're you here?"

"Daddy..." Lex mutters, looking up from the porch planks.

"Askin' Lex to prom." Beau responds.

"Oh." He nods, crossing his arms as he leans against the door frame.

"Riley, leave the poor kid alone." Jo says with a small smile. "C'mon." She takes his hand and pulls him back inside to give the two teens some privacy.

Beau looks past Lex and sees the top part of Riley's head poking past the small window of the door.

"Your dad is glaring at me." He mumbles, looking back at Lexi.

"You're lucky that's all he's doin'." She smiles back. "But yeah, I'll go to prom with you."

He breathes out a sigh of relief and pulls her in for a hug. "You wanna go get somethin' to eat?"

"Sure. Lemme go change real quick." She presses a sweet kiss to his cheek then opens the door.

"Hey Aunt Jo, Uncle Riley." He says somewhat awkwardly from the threshold of the door.

"Beau, come in!" Jo says, her arm around her nephew's shoulders. "Look at you, all grown up."

"You interested in my daughter?" Riley asks, his arms crossed over his chest, his biceps look so good.

"Uh..." Beau trails off nervously.

His Uncle Riley hasn't made him feel so intimidated before, he's not sure why he's feeling like this now.

Probably because Beau is into Lex, more than friends interested.

"Ready?" Lex asks when she returns to the ground floor.

"Where're y'all goin'?" Riley asks.

"Probably just to that diner off Franklin." Beau shrugs, his hands tucked in his front pockets. "Unless- unless Lex has somewhere else she wants to go."

"Nope, that's perfect." She takes his arm and starts to the door. "Bye." She says as she pulls him out the door.

"Have her home by midnight!" Riley shouts after them then shuts the door.

Beau and Lex race to his truck where he opens then closes the door for her. He scurries to the drivers side then hops in.

Once he's buckled up, he cautiously backs down the long gravel drive and out on the road.

+++

"Oh my goodness." Jo says when she steps back. She takes in her daughter looking absolutely beautiful face with her hair pulled back, loose waves framing her face. "Oh my goodness." She repeats, her hands folding together and resting under her chin.

"Mama..." Lexi says, looking down at the silver heels peeking out from under the deep red dress hem.

Jo follows Lexi down to the living room where Riley is watching an Atlanta Braves game.

He looks over his shoulder from the couch and his jaw drops at the sight.

"Holy shit." He says, standing. "You look just like your mama. You look beautiful."

"You okay?" Lexi asks in a teasing tone.

"Hush." He jokes back.

After they get some pictures taken, there's a polite knock on the door.

"Beau! Oh, look at you." Jo smiles, letting him inside. "Caleigh! Michael!" She grins even wider at her friends.

She hasn't seen them in months; Michael's been insanely busy in the studio and Caleigh's been slammed at work.

"Hey y'all!" Riley grins too, hugging his old friends.

Beau and Lexi share a look and start to sneak to the door. "Hey!" Riley shouts, stopping them in their tracks. "Have her home by one. If you ain't back by one, you're gon' be in big trouble, Missy."

Lexi rolls her eyes playfully. She knows all she has to do is give him puppy dog eyes and she's off the hook. "You got it, sir." Beau says, his hand on the small on Lexi's back.

"Have fun, babies." Caleigh says, kissing her son on the cheek then Lex on the forehead. "Not too much fun." She winks then grins at the shared blush.

+++

Lexi is bored.

She didn't really want to go to prom but the idea of dressing up and being her best friend's date really gave her motivation.

Beau is talking to some of his friends while Lexi is sitting at a table looking too pretty to be alone.

He walks away mid sentence and joins her. "You bored?"

"No, not at all." She answers. "Are you?"

"Kinda." He admits.

"C'mon." She stands and grabs his hand, pulling him out to his truck parked in the gravel lot.

As soon as she's in the shotgun seat, she kicks her shoes off. She glances at Beau as he walks around to the driver's side but she slides over.

"Whatcha doin', Lex?"

"I'm drivin'." She states. "I don't wanna go home yet."

Beau laughs and heads back to the other side of the truck. "Where to, Lexi Lane?"

"The stars." She whispers back, throwing the truck into first gear then moves her way up to fourth, tearing down the two lane road.

Beau grips the edge of the bench seat, his heart in his throat.

The tires screech when she takes a turn then they come to a halt.

"The hell-?"

"Get out." She says, hopping out.

Beau watches her take off into the darkness. Slight worry kicks in when he can't see her anymore and he races after her.

"Lex?"

"Boo!" She shouts as she comes from behind a tree. Beau yelps and stumbles, loosing his footing and sliding down the slight hill. She laughs hard, doubled over with a hand on her belly.

Beau throws her over his shoulder and carries her down the hill to the dock.

She's set on her bare, mud covered feet, the moonlight reflecting from the lake highlighting her face perfectly.

Beau clears his throat, trying to muster some confidence to kiss her. He leans in and she copies him.

Their lips finally meet but the kiss is short lived when she pushes him off the dock and into the water.

"Hey!" He shouts when he resurfaces.

She gives him an ornery grin she got from her dad and leaps off the dock.

Lexi gasps when she comes back up then laughs. "This is what I'm talkin' 'bout!"

"Your dress is gonna be ruined, Lex!"

"So? It's not like I'm gon' wear it again." She shoots back, pulling the hair tie out of her updo to throw the soaked waves into a messy bun.

He holds his hand out and pulls her close, smiling as her arms wrap around his neck. His hands rest on her waist.

She runs her fingers through his dark hair and smiles before she leans down and kisses him.

+++

Lexi gives Beau a shy wave as he drives off.

She turns and opens the door, her soaked dress clinging to her body.

"I said two."

Riley stands from the couch. "Did you get caught in a rainstorm or somethin'?"

"Uh, no." She sets her shoes down by the stairs. "We went swimmin' and lost track of time. I'm sorry daddy." She juts out her bottom lip slightly, her blue eyes looking up at him.

"Just- just get upstairs and go to bed. I'll- We'll talk in the daylight." He kisses her forehead and sends her up to her room.

+++

Beau and Lex have been officially dating since the prom.

That was over a year ago.

Right now, Beau is making his way to the Green residence to talk to Riley and Jo while Lexi is at school, college.

They're nothing going to Ole Miss and they got an off campus apartment together but he's ready to take their relationship to the next level.

He knocks them adjusts his snap shirt, making sure it's still tucked in in the back.

"Beau! C'mon in." Jo grins, hugging his daughter's boyfriend. "What're you doin' home? Everythin' okay at school?"

"Yeah, yeah." He nods, sitting on the couch across from Riley and Jo.

"Is my baby girl okay?" Riley asks, leaning forward with elbows on his knees.

"Yeah, she's doin' good." He nods again. "Actually, I wanted- I wanted to ask y'all somethin'."

"Better not be what I think it is." Riley mutters.

"I wanted to ask y'all's permission to ask her to marry me." His cheeks go pink.

Riley exhales heavily, running his old hand through his graying hair. "Son," he starts, rubbing the back of his neck.

Beau gets visibly tense and nervous. "I love this girl with everythin' I've got. She is the light of my life. I'd- I'd do anythin' for her."

Riley looks at Jo who looks back with teary eyes. "Son, you got our blessin'."