Lexie knew she fucked up when she work up in a hotel in Reno, Texas on the last week of summer with a wedding band on her finger. What she didn't know was that she messed up not only her life, but that of her husband's AKA Coach Valentine, the new basketball coach for Iowa Park High School, where she was a senior. The universe has a way of proving you wrong when you think things can't get any worse.

A/N: First person to tell me what song I referenced in this chapter gets the next one dedicated to them. Also, my first reviewer gets to ask for a plot twist for this story or a theme for my next.

Chapter three

"Okay, so, what about your family?"Jaimie asked as they neared the county line, "Any siblings?"

"My older brother left after high school. We message on Facebook, but that's about it. My little brother has stayed in jail since he was 15. My little sister just turned 3. She was an accident on my dad's part. My parents went through a... A separation a few years ago. It only lasted about six months, but it was long enough for some crack whore to spit out Melly. They put her in my moms arms when she was three days old and she's been hers since. Dad works all the time and mom watches Melly. Mom wants to go back to work when she starts school. She hopes I'll have settled down by then and will be content to stay at home and watch the kids when Melly gets out of school."

"And you? What do you want?" he asked.

"I'd thought about going out to Galveston, maybe take some college classes. There's nothing in particular I want, but being a stay at home Mom isn't it, not yet at least. I want a decent job. I don't want to just... Stay in this little town and become nothing. I want to be able to say I did something other than spit out babies. Not anything great, just... something, you know?"

He nodded," yeah, I know what you mean. I joined the army my senior year in high school, but turns out I have flat feet. Dunno why, but it means I can't do jack squat for our country. So I started college earlier then I planned."

"That sucks."

He shrugged," not much I can go 'bout it. Just gotta move on."

The 'Welcome to Iowa Park- Home Of The Hawks' sign shown green in the mid-day sun as they made it into town.

"You wanna go to your apartment or you wanna come home with me?"

"Hm," she pondered with a smilf on her face," home. That sounds nice. Let's stop at my place and I can pack my things. It won't take five minutes. I don't have much. Most of my stuff is still in storage at my parents place."

"Why'd you leave home if they live in town?"

"Not easy to meet guys when you have two over-bearing parents," she shrugged.

"I had one boyfriend my sophomore year. I'd decided to give him my virginity, but my Mom came in and started throwing stuff at him, threatened me if I ever saw him again. I didn't date him anymore but I moved out because she just got worse and worse after. I lost so many friends because of her particular brand of crazy. She's even barred from the high school because she did too much damage to the windows in the entryway."

"Wow," he gasped, turning into her apartment complex.

"So, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to her about you for a while before she meets you. I don't want to shock her. She's like a cougar when it comes to her kids."

"I think I'll take your word on it. This the place?"

"Yup," she nodded," wanna come up and meet the roomie? She's cool."

"Sure," he agreed, pulling off his seat belt as he opens his door. He followed her up the stairs and into the apartment. The white walls contrasted with the dark greens and browns that span across the living and dining room. He looked over to his left to see the same blond from the night before necking with his best friend, who was still in his boxers. He grinned when they walked in.

"Lexie!" the older woman squealed," let me see the ring!"

Lexie held her hand out and examine the ring herself for the first time.

It was simple, gold-plated with seven little diamonds across the top of it equidistant apart and inlaid in the ring.

"Oh, it's so beautiful! How'd you find that at night?"

Jaimie smiled," it was the first ring my dad gave my mom when they got married. They didn't have much money but he bought that, then bought her another for their five year anniversary. She pawned it to leave my dad, but he gave me this one when I graduated college. Said that he gave this to the love of his life and wanted me to do the same whether as a wedding ring or a placeholder in her jewelry box."

"Well, I don't have a jewelry box, so I'll just wear it," she joked, fingering the string wrapped around the back of the band to make it fit.

"I'll get you another one when I find the right ring to rival your beauty, so it might take a while," he promised.

The roomie squealed.

"Oh, how romantic! How'd you snag such a romantic guy on the first date?"

"Hey!" Jaimie's friend whined, "I can be romantic!"

"Willis, shut up, you're just here for the sex," she chastised.

"Then you shouldn't make it so good, Amilea," he groaned, pulling her down in his lap as she squealed.

"You two are disgusting. I'm getting my stuff, Mia. Jaimie wants me to move in with him."

"Already packed," she yelled as they headed down the hall.

Jaimie almost dropped his jaw when he saw the bareness of her room. On the bed sat a back pack, a suite case, a laptop bag, and one cardboard box. The rest of the room was stripped bare.

"This is it?"

"I like to travel light. The box is out of season cloths and the suitcase is in-season."

"Don't most girls like purses and make up and shoes?"

"I have a stick of eye liner, one purse, formal and tennis shoes. I'm simple."

"You deserve the world," he grumbled, picking up the back pack and box.

Lexie sighed and grabbed the laptop bag and the suite case before following him out the door.

"I'll have my address changed Monday, Mia, just hold my mail."

"No problem, Baby Girl. See you at work!"

The house was gorgeous. Lexie didn't think she could have dreamed up a more perfect house. The front yard was shaded by a pecan tree that sat in the corner but covered 2/3 of the yard. Two peach trees lined the North side of the house. Along the front side of the wrap-around porch was four red rose bushes placed symmetrically on either side of a memorial stone that stood level with the stone railing on the porch in the shape of a thick oak tree.

'Here lived every member of the Oak family, who lived here before this town was even established and will remain long after.'

"My grandfather owned the farm behind the property here. He sold it when the tornado in 79 tore Wichita Falls apart to help pay for disaster relief for the families who needed it. The place was falling apart. Now it's an emu farm."

"We used to drive by to see the emus as kids. It was always a field trip when we went riding to see all the exotic animals around town."

"Then you'll love this," he chuckled before whistling loudly.

It was silent as death for a moment before out of no where came a large 12-point buck with red tags on both antlers. She gapped when he came right up to Jaimie, who pulled a peppermint out of the glove box and tossed it to the deer, who caught it and munched happily.

"Lexie, this is Rocko. Rocko, this is Lexie, my wife. Now, I know she's not Grams, but I kinda like her."

Jaimie reached out and grabbed her hand, placing it on the buck's forehead. Said buck snorted and rubbed his head against her hand, begging to be petted.

"He's beautiful," she gapped.

"Grams found him when he was just a new baby. His Mama got hit down on the curve and he was wandering in the street. She lured him with peppermint until he came into the corral on the back side of the property. She got him in the stable, and fed him, brushed him, and cared for him until he was old enough to fend for himself. Grams put those tags on his antlers to dissuade anyone who wanders around from hunting him, though he rarely leaves the property or the farm. The owners have agreed that he will be safe there. He stays in the stable at night."

"That's amazing. I always loved animals. My mom keeps cats, and Dad's got a dog that guards the house and plays with Melly, but Mom never let me get anything exotic after my brother killed my goldfish on purpose."

"Why?"

"He thought it was my fault he didn't get to have the puppy he wanted, so he took Goldie away from me. Only problem was he hid her in his dresser, without taking her bowl. He said that I could have her if I could find her before she died."

"That's horrible. Poor fish."

She shrugged, rubbing the deer's head again.

"That's how he is. He's in prison for assault on an elderly right now because the old man next door wanted something my brother stole back."

"Did he ever hurt you?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"A time or two, but nothing more than what siblings do to each other."

He took both her hands in his and turned her towards him as the deer walked off.

"You know I would never ever lay a hand on you, right?"

She nodded.

"You don't seem the kind of man who'd hurt a woman. But just so you know, Jaimie Valentine, that if you ever do hurt me, my uncle Bill's the undertaker's son and he'd be more than happy to put you in an unmarked grave."

"Good to know," he chuckled before kissing her forehead," now, Mrs. Valentine, you ready to see your home?"

She smiled.

"Yeah, I'm ready."