You and Me, a nashville fanfic

This will be pure fluff.

Rayna felt herself float back to consciousness. For a moment, she lay quietly with her eyes still closed, feeling Deacon's chest rhythmically rise and fall under her hand. She smiled to herself, feeling his warmth, feeling her skin on his where her leg lay across his. She opened her eyes slowly. The day had dawned, but it was a gray light in the room. The weather report called for light snow around midday, not even an inch accumulation. She hoped that was true, because they had big plans that night.

Her eyes flickered over to her husband and she gazed lovingly at his profile, as he lay still sleeping. Her smile got bigger and she felt a radiant warmth spread through her as she watched him. It was their tenth anniversary, something she had wondered if they'd ever get the chance to experience. She still occasionally felt regret that she had waited so long, that she'd pushed him away for all those years, but she mostly just tried to be grateful. She had promised herself, long ago, not to dwell on the negative, to focus on the positive. She was with the only man she'd ever truly loved. More than thirty-five years after she'd met him – and fallen in love at first sight – he still made her heart flutter. He still just had to look at her and she would melt. Just brushing their hands together sent an electrical current racing through her. He was her everything.

####

He was awake and he knew she didn't know that. She'd told him once that she liked to watch him when he was sleeping, so he willed himself to keep his breathing shallow and regular. She liked to think she was as still as the night, but she couldn't help but slide her fingers ever so slightly across his chest. He wanted to smile, but forced himself not to. For so much of their life together, stretching all the way back to when they were teenagers, she had been in control, at least in their professional lives together. And, truthfully, even in their personal lives, because he'd been so out of control for so long. Someone had to take charge and it had fallen to her to do that. Even now, she was still the more visible face, to the public and to those they knew.

But he knew, in these moments, behind closed doors, in private times, that she put him up on that pedestal. She let him lead them in those quiet times, the intimate moments. He had to admit, when all was said and done, he was grateful that was his place to lead. As he thought about the creaminess of her skin, the smell of her, the feel of her, he couldn't pretend any longer. He opened his eyes and turned to her with a smirk. "Morning, baby," he said, his voice hoarse with sleep.

She smiled broadly, her eyes twinkling and filled with love. "Were you awake this whole time?" she asked.

He rolled onto his side, draping his hand and arm over her waist, brushing lightly against her back. "Nah, not the whole time," he said, with a soft chuckle. He already wanted her. Her skin felt warm against his, her hair was tousled from sleep, and her lips looked oh-so-inviting.

She leaned in and kissed him, brushing her lips against his, then hovered close, her breath soft against his face. He pressed his lips back against hers, then captured her lower lip gently with his teeth. She moaned softly as she opened her mouth to his, her tongue touching his. He sighed then and ran his hand up under her t-shirt, bringing his hand around so that he could tease her nipple with his thumb. Her moan got deeper and her tongue chased his, as she slid her leg in between his. She arched her back as he continued to tease her nipple, gently rubbing his thumb over and around as it got erect and hard.

When she slid her hand into the waistband of his pajama pants, he groaned, pulling his mouth from hers. Her eyelids fluttered open then and he could see her eyes were dark with desire. He moved his hand from her breast to the little shorts she was wearing, jerking them down around her knees. She did the same to him and they quickly kicked them to the end of the bed and he rolled her over on her back, entering her swiftly and forcefully. She made a noise that was a mix of satisfaction and intense need, pulling him into her and pressing herself against him.

####

After she had cried out his name with ecstasy and he had shuddered inside her with his own release, he rolled off of her and onto his back. After a second, they both laughed softly. She turned her head to face him and he looked back at her, a grin on his face. "Wow," she said. "I sure am glad there's no one here to hear us."

He laughed again and then reached out and touched her face with the back of his hand. "We got a big day today," he said.

She rolled onto her side and he did as well, facing her. She reached out and ran her finger over the barely visible scar on his chest. She never failed to wonder why they'd had to make such a ragged cut, that it wasn't straight and symmetrical. But it also always reminded her of how close she'd been to losing him and she was grateful for it, no matter how it looked. She sighed. "I just want to stay here all day long," she said wistfully.

He rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Me too," he said. "But it might not be a good idea for the girls to find us still in bed when they get here."

She smiled thoughtfully. "No, I suppose not." She rolled onto her back, her hand still resting against his chest. He threaded his fingers through hers. She looked up at the vaulted ceiling above them, the dark beams rising up to the pinnacle of the ceiling. She really loved this house. They had moved here when Daphne graduated from high school, telling everyone they were downsizing. It was still a large home, but cozier, nearly three-quarters smaller than the house she had raised the girls in. But it was big enough for family and friends and had a music room and recording studio, which Deacon had wanted. She looked back at him. "I guess I should get up. The girls are taking me for a mani-pedi later."

He lifted her hand to his lips and smirked. "Are you gonna get something sparkly?"

She grinned. "I might," she said teasingly. "It is a special day, after all." Just then her phone buzzed on the bedside table. Deacon let go of her hand and she rolled over, reaching for her phone. She frowned slightly as she answered. "Tandy, why are you calling me so early?" She looked back towards Deacon and made a face.

Tandy chuckled. "Babe, it's not that early," she said. "It's nine o'clock."

Rayna looked at the digital clock next to her side of the bed. 9:07. "Oh," she said, blushing a little. "It's just so dark still."

"Are you still in bed?" her sister asked, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Rayna avoided answering the question. "It's not like I have anywhere to be," she said.

"Oh, I understand. Having a little morning fun, are we?" She could still hear the laughter in her sister's voice.

Rayna frowned. "Shut up." She sat up then, pulling the covers up around her. "What's going on?" Deacon was watching her, his hands behind his head.

"A couple things. The Opry called and asked if you could perform this weekend. Friday and Saturday. The headliner spot."

"Of course. I'm always up for that." She mouthed 'Opry' to Deacon and he nodded.

"And we've nailed down four more venues for your tour."

Tandy and Bucky had been pulling together the itinerary for her small venue tour. She didn't go out on the road as often anymore and she put out albums less frequently. She had hired someone to run the day-to-day operations of Highway 65 and brought Tandy back to handle the financial side of the business. She had decided she was more interested in the creative side than the business end of things and her instincts had been proven correct. The label had blossomed under the new president, more successful than Rayna had ever dreamed it would be, while holding fast to her vision of nurturing artists, many of whom she was developing herself.

Deacon sat up and mouthed the word 'coffee' and she nodded. He then turned and got out of bed. Rayna found herself more focused on her husband's naked, and still attractive, backside, as he reached for his pajama pants, and didn't hear anything Tandy was saying until her sister called her name out loudly. She dropped her eyes and turned away. "Sorry, babe. What were you saying?" she responded. She watched Deacon walk out of the bedroom, still feeling a lingering heat inside.

Tandy sighed. "The Fox in Atlanta, the Chicago Theater in Chicago, the Taft in Cincinnati and the Ryman," she said.

Rayna smiled then. "Ooh, the Ryman. Wonderful. So how many stops do we have?"

"Twenty-two. Over four months."

"Hmm. That's a lot. No more than that, unless we add another month. Deacon and I don't want to be away all the time."

"I understand. But those are all popular venues and you always sell out there."

"True. Well, good work. Just have Bucky send me an updated tour itinerary."

"So, then. What do you have planned for today?"

Rayna chuckled. "Not a lot, actually. Especially since they keep saying snow."

"Snow flurries," Tandy interrupted.

"Yes, snow flurries. Anyway, the girls are coming by and we're going for mani-pedi's. And then, of course, we'll be at Deacon's place tonight."

"Oh, mani-pedi's. How wonderful. Tell those girls Aunt Tandy wishes she could have gone."

"I will. Now, I need to get up, since you've reminded me it's not so early after all. Deacon's got coffee going and I need a big mug."

"See you tonight, sweetheart."

"See you then." Rayna disconnected and then got out of bed. She found a robe and slipped into it, tying the sash around her waist as she headed for the kitchen.

####

Deacon had just poured two mugs of coffee when he felt Rayna's hand slide around his waist as she tucked herself up against him. He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her. "Morning," he said and kissed her.

She rubbed her hand on his chest and smiled up at him. "Thank you for making me coffee, babe," she said. "You really are the best husband."

He picked up a mug and kissed her on the forehead, handing her the coffee. "I know," he said, with a grin. She smiled back at him before taking the first sip of her coffee. "So what did Tandy want?" he asked.

"We're doing the Opry Friday and Saturday. Headliner spot." He nodded. "And they've added four dates to the tour. I can't remember now where, except for the Ryman, but we should get an updated travel plan from Bucky."

He frowned slightly. "More stops? I thought we was taking a slower path this time."

She took another sip of her coffee, nodding. "We are," she said. "I told her we didn't want any more unless we went out another month."

His frown deepened. "I don't wanna go out longer."

She reached out and rubbed his arm. "I know."

"We miss too much when we're gone, Rayna," he said, still feeling a little irritated.

She smiled at him indulgently. "We have plenty of down time in between stops, babe, so that we can come home. We aren't going to miss anything important."

He turned from her and picked up his coffee, taking a sip and then working his lip for a moment. It wasn't that he didn't like being out on the road, especially with Rayna, but he liked being close to home. Especially now. He knew she did too, but she also still had the itch to perform and be in front of crowds. As she'd told him many times, she still wasn't ready to hang up her rhinestones. "I guess," he said, finally. "It's just that I'd like to be here for all of it."

She leaned against the counter next to him and he looked at her. "I'm sorry," she said, compassion on her face. "I know you do. And we will be here, for all the important things. We have already." She reached out and ran her hand over his chest. "I'll tell Bucky we have enough though, okay?"

He looked at her for a moment, seeing the understanding on her face. He nodded then. "Yeah," he said. He walked over to the sofa table in the den and picked up one of the pictures, looking at it intently.

"Babe, you want some breakfast?" she asked, after a moment.

He set the picture down and turned back to her. He smiled. "I was thinking I could take you out for breakfast," he said.

She screwed up her face. "I'd really rather that you'd fix your famous scrambled eggs," she said. She smiled at him with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Plus I'm not really ready to get dressed yet."

He grinned. She always knew exactly the right thing to say. He walked back to the kitchen. "Alright then," he said, planting a kiss on her lips. "Scrambled eggs and then a little late morning fooling around. Sound good to you?"

She laughed and put her hands on his hips. "If I wasn't so hungry, I'd skip the eggs," she said, with a wink.

He kissed her again, lingering just a bit. "I better hurry then, huh?" he asked and she nodded happily.

####

Rayna was standing at the window in the bedroom, wrapped up in her terrycloth robe, her hair still damp from the shower. The flurries had started up again, lazily falling but not sticking to the ground. As she felt Deacon's arms wrap around her from behind she smiled and leaned her head back against his chest. "Mmm," she murmured. "That was really nice."

She felt his breath at her ear. "Nice?" he asked. "That's it? Just 'nice'?"

"You know what it was," she said, with a laugh. She reached up with her hands to grab his arms and sighed deeply. "The snow started up again." She paused for a moment. "Do you remember how we got snowed in, right after Daddy kicked me out of the house?"

He chuckled. "I do. I think it was the first time we spent the whole day in bed."

She laughed. "Well, at least until Vince busted open the door." She snuggled into him. "I remember feeling so embarrassed that he caught us like that. I mean, I did not want to get out of that bed."

He hugged her close. "I still don't," he whispered in her ear.

She turned in his arms, wrapping hers around his waist, looking up at him. "Back then, when we were teenagers, did you think we'd really end up being together?" She looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you think it would last?"

He sighed. "I thought one day you'd see through me," he said. "You'd figure out I was a no-good kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Not good enough for someone like you. I kept waiting for you to walk out of that crappy apartment I was living in then."

"You know that never mattered to me," she said. "I heard you play the guitar and sing and it touched something deep inside me. I knew then. You'd always be part of my soul."

He breathed in and nodded, his eyes filled with emotion. "It was the same for me. All I wanted then was to make you laugh, hear you sing, see you smile. Make you happy." He sighed. "And then I screwed it up."

She frowned. "Don't say that. We figured things out. We stayed together."

"Not like this."

She breathed in. "But, you know, what you said when we got married. That we were friends. And that the friendship and the music got us through." She smiled. "I think it's good we had that, you know? I mean, I wish it had been different too, but I'm glad we figured out how to make that work. I think it showed we had what it took for the long haul. Don't you?"

He raised her hand to his lips and brushed it with a kiss. "I guess. But I wish I hadn't…."

She pressed her hand against his chest to make him stop talking and smiled up at him. "It turned out just right. We're together now, the way we were always meant to be. And for the rest of our lives. That's all that matters."

He breathed in, his eyes dark with emotion. "I love you, Rayna Jaymes," he said. He leaned down to kiss her, sliding his hands down her back and pulling her in closer. She moved her hands up to his face as she kissed him hungrily.

When he finally let her go, she took a deep breath. "You still give me butterflies, babe," she whispered. She brushed her lips against his. "We need to get dressed," she said reluctantly. "It won't be long before the girls are here." His face brightened up then and she smiled. She knew what he was looking forward to and, truthfully, so was she.

"Let's do this," he said, with a grin.

Deacon and Rayna were sitting in the den. She was reading a magazine while he looked over some reports from the club. Rayna had looked up once or twice to gaze out the floor to ceiling windows and saw the light flurries continue. She felt a sense of relief that it wasn't more than that. It wasn't unusual in Nashville for a prediction of flurries to turn into a full-on snowstorm. She was looking forward to spending time with her girls, who would be arriving any minute, in addition to the private event that night at Deacon's club, so she was glad the forecast had been spot on this time.

"Hello!" came a voice from the kitchen.

Deacon looked up. "She's here," he said. He took off his glasses and laid them, along with his papers, on the coffee table. He got up and hurried out of the room.

Rayna took off her own glasses and turned to watch him with a smile on her face. She knew he'd be back, so she stayed put. Sure enough, he came back with a huge smile on his face and a baby in his arms. He pointed at Rayna and looked at the baby. "Look, Daisy, it's Nana," he said. Daisy clapped her tiny hands together and squealed.

Maddie and Daphne followed him in. Maddie shook her head, smiling. "He barely noticed us," she said with a grin, waving a finger between herself and her sister. "He snatched Daisy out of the carrier before I even set it down."

Rayna laughed. "He's been waiting for her all morning," she said, getting up from the couch. She first grabbed Daisy's little hands and nuzzled her face, making the little girl laugh, then went to hug each of her daughters. She was proud of her girls. Neither one had ended up exactly as she'd thought they would, or as they probably thought they would. After the emancipation and then trying to get released from her label, Maddie seemed content to keep a low profile. She and Deacon had been surprised at that, but encouraged her to do what she loved. Which turned out to be songwriting. She wrote with songwriters around Nashville and was a frequent participant in songwriter rounds in town. The career she'd been promised, back when she was sixteen, never materialized and, once she'd accepted that, she seemed happier.

Maddie had met Daniel Rose, an entertainment lawyer, during the difficult, protracted uncoupling from Lennox Hill. He was a summer intern at the time, but they had hit it off immediately. Rayna and Deacon both liked him immensely and had watched the young man really challenge their daughter to grow up and be the responsible person she had believed she was. He had grounded her in a way they had thought wasn't possible. They were thrilled when he asked Maddie to marry him after he'd graduated from law school. The young couple lived in a cute renovated bungalow in the heart of East Nashville and eight months earlier had given them their first grandchild, Daisy Virginia Rose. The happy little girl with the red-gold hair and cornflower blue eyes was the apple of her grandparents' eye, but Rayna knew Deacon, especially, treasured all the moments he got to see firsthand.

Daphne had probably surprised them the most. She had never wanted a solo singing career and when Maddie made it clear she wasn't interested in a duo, Daphne had focused, first, on musical theater and then, on a music business degree at Belmont University. She sometimes performed with her parents and occasionally Maddie joined them. But now that she had graduated, she'd turned an internship at Highway 65 into a full-time job as an A&R specialist working for Bucky.

Deacon and Rayna had worried about Daphne after Maddie had come back home. Even though Maddie had regretted what had happened with the emancipation, she still wanted a solo career and never did regain an interest in being duo, at least professionally. Daphne had been heartbroken and it had taken a while for her to regain her footing. It had turned out to be the key to Daphne exploring more of what she wanted to do. She still loved music and performing, but she knew she preferred being part of a group. Rayna had encouraged her to try out for a school musical and Daphne had surprised herself by really enjoying the experience. Between performing on stage and joining the school's glee club and a capella group, she'd found her place as an artist. And Rayna had been pleased when Daphne showed a natural talent at listening to and guiding other artists, which led to the career she was now building.

It had taken the sisters a while to figure out their new normal. While Daphne had been thrilled when Maddie came home and Maddie had initially been the ideal daughter, the cracks had risen back up quickly. Maddie was still the older sister who wanted to spread her wings and fly. She had her freedom, via the emancipation, and that rift did not completely heal right away, for any of them, quite honestly. Daphne had still felt left behind and left out. In fact, Daniel had been as much a part of healing that relationship as he had in grounding Maddie. He had encouraged Maddie to make amends and eventually she and Daphne had regained their closeness. They sang together again, but only for family these days. But it seemed to work.

Rayna stood with her arms around Daphne and looked back at Deacon, who was focused completely on Daisy. Maddie's daughter had wrapped him around her tiny finger from the moment she was born and Deacon was completely in love with his granddaughter. It always touched her heart to see him hold a baby, knowing he hadn't gotten that opportunity with Maddie. And so she never begrudged his fascination with Daisy or his tendency to monopolize her whenever they saw her.

"Deacon, you better hope Maddie didn't feed her strained peas or strained beets," Daphne said, with a laugh.

Deacon raised his eyebrows. "Daisy don't eat that stuff," he said, looking sharply at Maddie, who just laughed. Rayna smiled indulgently. She could see that Deacon was getting a little nervous, despite how excited he was to have Daisy to himself.

####

Deacon followed Rayna and the girls as they headed for the kitchen. Daisy had one hand in her mouth and the other pressed against his shoulder. She was light as a feather, long and lean. Like Maddie was, Rayna had told him. Maddie had dressed her daughter in tiny overalls and a little long-sleeve shirt decorated with baby bunnies. Her feet were covered with little white booties. She had Rayna's hair, red-gold, curling around her ears and the back of her neck, one of the things that endeared her to him even more.

It was hard for him to remember exactly what Maddie looked like as a baby. She'd been a year old when he met her, when Rayna asked him back. It had hurt for a long time to see Rayna with Teddy Conrad's baby. He had always loved Maddie, because she was Rayna's, but he hadn't really bonded with the little girl right away. As soon as she was mobile, though, she had toddled after him, calling out for 'Deek', once she learned to talk.

If he'd known back then she was his, he'd have paid more attention. It still hurt sometimes when he thought hard about it. But now they had Daisy and he wanted to be there for everything. He had decided, the moment she was born, that he and Daisy were going to be thick as thieves, that, after her father, he would be the number one man in her life. That he would spoil her, the way grandfathers had the right to do, and that she would know her grandpa was always in her corner.

Maddie turned to face him, her hand on the diaper bag. "So, Dad, there's diapers in here, wipes, a change of clothes if she needs it, bottles, and teething rings."

He frowned. "What's she need a change of clothes for?" he asked.

Maddie rolled her eyes and smiled. "In case she has projectile vomiting or explosive diarrhea." He blanched and she laughed. "It's always possible," she said. "But she should be fine. It's more out of caution."

Deacon looked at Daisy, who took her hand out of her mouth and gave him a drooly grin. She looked perfectly fine to him. He looked back at Maddie with a scowl. "Daisy ain't gonna do that," he said, with more conviction than he felt.

Maddie looked at Rayna, who just raised her eyebrows and smiled. She looked back at Deacon and grinned. "All babies do that once in a while, Dad. I just want you to be prepared." She narrowed her eyes. "You can change a diaper, right? You don't just have Mom do that, do you?"

Deacon scowled. "I'll be fine," he said.

"I think we should get going," Daphne said, with a grin. She turned to look at Rayna. "Just in case that snow gets worse."

Rayna shook her head and frowned. "No, no snow. Please. Don't even talk about it." She walked over to get her purse and pull on her jacket. She headed for the door, stopping first to give Daisy another quick kiss that made the baby giggle and then to give Deacon a kiss. She winked at him and smiled. "You sure you're gonna be okay by yourself?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," he said firmly. "Go on and have fun." She laughed again and headed for the door, Daphne following.

Maddie leaned in and put her hands on Daisy's face, kissing her daughter. "Be good, baby girl," she said. She looked side-eyed at Deacon. "Don't make Grandpa sorry he agreed to babysit."

Deacon frowned. "We'll be fine," he said. "She ain't gonna do any of what you said."

Maddie stepped back. "Probably not."

"Definitely not."

She laughed, then turned to follow Rayna and Daphne out the door.

As the back door shut behind Maddie, Deacon looked at Daisy, who looked back at him. She took her fingers out of her mouth and grinned, then squealed loudly. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna call Scarlett," he said to her and they headed back to the den.

"Where is she?" he heard Scarlett call out.

"We're in the den," he replied. Daisy was in her pack-n-play while he worked on music. He heard running footsteps and he leaned his guitar against the couch. He turned to see Scarlett's daughter Galadriel run into the room and throw herself into his lap.

"Uncle Deacon!" she cried.

He raised his eyebrows as he hugged the seven year old. "Ain't you supposed to be in school?" he asked her.

Galadriel shook her head. "Silly. It's snowing," she said, as she plopped herself down next to him. He noticed she had on one of her fairy princess outfits, which was standard whenever she was not in school. He smiled at her and then turned to see Scarlett walk into the den with her three year old son Aiden on her hip. Just then Daisy squealed and he turned to see her standing at the side of the pack-n-play. This was new in the last few weeks and he knew it made Maddie and Daniel nervous, but he loved seeing her try new things.

Scarlett rushed in and, dropping Aiden in Deacon's lap, she ran to Daisy, squealing as much as the baby was. Just then, Daisy let go of the mesh netting and reached her hands up to Scarlett, which caused her to fall on her bottom. Deacon started to get up, still holding Aiden, but Scarlett waved him off. "She's fine," she said. And she was. Daisy, instead of crying, looked startled for a second and then grinned at Scarlett, who was hovering over her. She raised her arms up again and Scarlett scooped her up and then sat down with her, next to Deacon.

"How long you babysitting for?" Scarlett asked her uncle.

He shrugged. Aiden squirmed his way out of Deacon's hands and got down on the floor. "Couple hours," he said. "Just while Rayna's getting her nails done with Maddie and Daphne. How come you got these two?"

Scarlett was making faces at Daisy, who was laughing and clapping her little hands together. "Gunnar and Avery are with Noel at the studio. He offered to take Galadriel, but she wasn't interested."

"Y'all finishing up that album?" Avery had rejoined the band not long after Scarlett and Gunnar had gotten married. They'd renamed themselves Cowboy Rose and had become one of the premiere acts on Highway 65.

She cuddled Daisy, while Galadriel moved to her other side, pulling a book out of the bag she had across her chest, and settling in to read. "Yeah," Scarlett said, with a sigh. "It's the guitar stuff, so thankfully don't involve me. They'll pick it over all day long and I'm happy to let them do that." She smiled at him then. "You ready for tonight?" He nodded. "Maddie and Daphne gonna sing with y'all?"

He leaned back. "Don't know. You know how they are now. I guess Rayna's gonna talk 'em into it today. It's just the one song, but if they don't, it's okay."

Scarlett tickled Daisy, making her laugh. Then she turned and looked at him. "I think they done good, Deacon. They found what makes 'em happy and me and you both know how important that is." She looked for a moment like she was struggling with something and then she took a deep breath. "I think what Maddie's doing is her way of being on her own. That was all she ever wanted, you know? I think she felt a lot of pressure to do it with Daphne. It ain't that she don't love her sister, it's that she wanted to take a different road." She hugged Daisy close. "It was the same for me. I kinda got pushed to do something that wasn't me. When Gunnar and Avery and me got together, in the beginning, that felt more like me."

Deacon watched Aiden as he pushed his truck into the dining room and worked his lip a bit. Then he looked back at his niece. "I know you're right. I think Daphne just misses it. Always has. She didn't understand why it had to be different."

"But she's okay now, right? I mean, she looks so happy when I see her at Highway 65. I mean, really happy. Like joyful." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "I know you and Rayna get all twitchy about those girls and how it ain't like it was when they were younger. But it's really okay like it is. You know Maddie's happy. And Daphne is too. I don't think she misses it as much now as you think. Don't worry so much."

He raised his eyebrows. "I guess," he said. Then he reached out for Daisy, plucking the baby out of Scarlett's arms. "Now, give me back my grandbaby," he said with a laugh.

####

Rayna picked up and put down several different bottles of polish. She wasn't sure whether to go subtle or over-the-top. She held a pale pink and a deep indigo blue, looking back and forth between them, trying to decide. She was wearing a cream colored blouse and jeans that night, so either color would work.

"No," Daphne said and she looked over at her daughter, who was frowning just slightly. "Too tame and too predictable." She pointed at each one.

Rayna was surprised. "Really?" she said.

"Really, Mom," Maddie said. "You need to spice it up, jazz it up."

"Yeah," Daphne chimed in. "This is a big deal. Ten years. That's a long time."

Rayna laughed. "You make it sound like an eternity, y'all," she said. "I was married to your dad longer than that."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but this is Deacon. Completely different."

"Yeah, Mom," Maddie added. "Your first marriage was vanilla. This one is Mexican chocolate."

Rayna raised her eyebrows. "I cannot believe you just compared my marriages to ice cream," she said.

Daphne giggled. "Just that one was quiet and calm and the other is, well, all over the place." She plucked the two bottles out of Rayna's hands and put them back on the carousel. She handed her mother two other bottles. "This."

Rayna held the two bottles in her outstretched palm. One was a fiery red and the other was white. She wrinkled her forehead. "Red and white?" she said, confused.

"Red is the base coat," Daphne said. "The white is like a crackle. It goes on over the red, but it almost looks like broken spider webs on your nails. Very dramatic."

"You can go straight red on your toenails," Maddie added. "Especially since I know you won't be showing them off tonight."

Rayna looked back at the bottles in her hand. "I don't know," she said.

"Just try it," Daphne said. "If you really hate it, you can take it off."

She didn't hate it though. She actually really loved how it turned out. And she had a lovely couple of hours with her girls, laughing and gossiping. She missed these times. As Maddie and Daphne both got older, they had other interests and other friends, and their girl times got fewer and farther between. Rayna missed the closeness, so she was glad to get this.

They were all getting their manicures when Rayna turned to Daphne. "I'll have to thank Bucky for letting you take the day off," she said.

Daphne smiled. "Well, I deserve it," she responded. "I've been working my butt off. Weekends and nights. But you know he still has a soft spot for you, Mom."

Rayna grinned. "Well, he is still my manager. Even if he doesn't have much to manage anymore." She turned to Maddie. "I hope your father isn't having any trouble with Daisy. I hope the fact that we haven't heard from him is a good sign."

Maddie laughed. "He's not having any trouble. Scarlett texted me that he called her to come over as soon as we left. She'll make sure nothing happens."

Rayna and Daphne both laughed. "Well, I'm not really surprised," Rayna said. "He loves that little girl – we both do – but he's definitely better at the holding and entertaining than the taking care of part." She took a deep breath and looked back and forth between both girls. "So, girls, I know you're both coming tonight. And you know Deacon and I would love for y'all to sing with us on Live Forever. Have you thought about it?"

"I'm in," Daphne said immediately. "It's such a great song, Mom. Have you decided on the arrangement?"

Rayna nodded. "Deacon says not much harmonizing. And a quiet vibe to it. It's really spare, with little accompaniment."

"It looked like only Deacon would have solo parts," Daphne said.

"Yeah. We talked about it and tried it both ways and we decided it worked better with Deacon doing those."

Daphne smiled. "It's the perfect song for the two of you. Especially now. I really love it."

Rayna smiled back. "Thanks. So do I."

"So you said not much accompaniment. Just one guitar?" Maddie finally spoke up.

Rayna turned to look at her, hoping this meant she wanted to join in. "We hoped two," she said, looking at her closely.

Maddie looked back at her for a moment, then nodded. "I can do that," she said quietly.

Rayna felt her heart in her throat. "And sing?" she asked.

A smile slowly crossed Maddie's face. "Yeah," she said. "It's a special day. I can do it."

Daphne leaned forward to look at her sister. "Thanks, Maddie," she said.

Maddie shrugged and her smile got a little larger. "Of course. It'll be great. And it's a beautiful song, Mom. I think it will be awesome for us all to do together."

Rayna couldn't speak. She took a deep breath and she blinked at the tears that threatened. It wasn't often they all four sang together, mostly because Maddie was reluctant. But she was thrilled to think about her whole family on stage together. She couldn't wait to tell Deacon.

####

Deacon walked up behind Rayna as she was sitting at her vanity putting in her earrings. He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her in the mirror. She smiled back. "You almost ready, Mrs. Claybourne?" he asked.

She slid in the earring and then reached for his hand, brushing her fingers over his. "I am," she said. Then she stood and turned to face him, sliding her arms around his neck and arching into him. He put his hands on the small of her back and pulled her towards him, leaning down to kiss her on the side of her neck. She giggled softly. "Mr. Claybourne," she purred.

He smiled. He loved that she didn't mind him calling her Mrs. Claybourne in private. He never begrudged her the desire to keep her name. He knew what that had meant to her, because he'd been there when she, first, started using her mother's maiden name professionally, after Lamar had kicked her out, and, later, when she'd legally changed it. She had needed that separation from the Wyatt family and he understood. But she loved him calling her 'Mrs. Claybourne' and he indulged her often. He breathed in, pulling her in closer to him. God, she's beautiful. Sexy and beautiful. He closed his eyes as she lay her head against his chest, sliding her hands down his arms. He was grateful every day for her. "Happy anniversary, baby," he said softly. "Thank you for marrying me."

She pushed back and looked up at him. "I've never regretted it," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Never?" He couldn't help but think about those days after Maddie had won her emancipation, when he wasn't at all sure they'd make it.

She searched his face and took a deep breath. "Not even then," she said quietly. "You know that. Even when things were at their darkest, I've never not loved you. Never not wanted you." She smiled then. "The happiest day of my life was our wedding day."

He took a deep breath. His chest hurt a little. He couldn't help it. Even after ten years, he still sometimes couldn't quite believe they'd actually tied the knot. He breathed in. "Me too, baby," he whispered.

She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "I know that was a stressful day. So much going on. With the girls. With Tandy. You feeling unsure. But you know what? When I stood there and looked down the aisle at you, all of it was worth it. Every single thing you and I went through for all those years. I've loved you pretty much my whole life. I've wanted to be your wife for almost as long as I can remember. And I finally got to do that. I knew then it was for the rest of our lives. No matter what we went through. I wasn't going to throw that away."

He grabbed her hand in his and turned his face to kiss her palm. He smiled at her. "It's been a ride, hasn't it?" he said and she nodded. He breathed out. "I never gave up, Ray. Sometimes I wondered why I didn't. Some people wondered why I didn't. But I would have waited for you for the rest of my life." He stopped and swallowed hard. "I can't believe I get to wake up every day with you."

She leaned in and turned her face up to his and he kissed her long and hard. When he finally pulled his lips from hers, they were both a little breathless. She took a step back, biting her lower lip. She reached up and straightened his collar, then flattened her hands and let them slide halfway down his vest. She smiled, a little shyly. "We better go, don't you think? Or we might never leave here," she said.

He grinned, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her back in for a hug. "You're probably right," he said, with a laugh. He stepped back and grabbed her hand. "Let's go, Mrs. Claybourne." She squeezed his hand and they headed out the door.

####

Because it was a private event, Claybourne's was only about half full. Deacon and Rayna had invited only their closest friends and family to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary with them. The snow flurries had persisted off and on throughout the day, which had lent a festive excitement to the already upbeat crowd. They had put together a soundtrack, which played in the background, as they mingled with their guests and just enjoyed being with the people they loved.

There were no speeches and periodically someone would get up on stage and perform. "I guess with all this talent in the room, they all have to try to one up each other," Rayna said to Deacon, as she snuggled into him and they watched Juliette Barnes and Avery Barkley do a sultry duet on the stage.

He kissed her on the forehead and grinned. "I'm more worried we're gonna be a letdown, when we get up there," he said.

She smiled up at him. "I'm just so glad the girls both agreed to sing with us." She took a deep breath and let it out. "For a second, I thought Maddie was going to just ignore the ask."

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his head against hers. "She's always wanted to make her own way." He kissed the side of Rayna's head. "Just like her mama." He breathed out. "She was always like you, Ray. I seen it even when she was little. You just couldn't tell her nothing. But it all turned out okay, right?"

She turned her head to look up at him and nodded. "Yeah, it did. She seems to be really happy with her life now. Daniel's good for her and then there's our precious little Daisy."

He hugged her tightly and smiled. "I had no idea how to be a dad, but you know, being a grandpa's easy as can be." He laughed. "'Specially when you got people to help."

She leaned back into him and rubbed his arms, smiling to herself and feeling happy.

After they had performed several of their most popular duets, both classics as well as newer material, Deacon paused for a moment as the applause died down. He reached for Rayna's hand and they smiled happily at each other. "Y'all know I'm not usually much of one for speeches or nothing," he said, to laughter. "I usually let her do that." He nodded towards Rayna. "But I guess, since this is my club, I gotta do it." He smiled. "We're grateful to all of you for coming tonight and helping us celebrate our anniversary." There was applause and cheers. "It really don't seem like ten years. More like ten months." He leaned in and gave Rayna a quick kiss. "We've had ups and downs over the ten years, but mostly ups. And there ain't no one I'd rather have done it with than her."

"We wrote a special song for tonight," Rayna said. "And y'all are the first ones to hear it. We also are so thrilled that our daughters are gonna come up here and sing with us." She looked out at the crowd. Daphne was sitting with Scarlett and Gunnar and Maddie and Daniel were standing near the bar, Daniel's arms wrapped around his wife. "Maddie, Daphne, y'all wanna come up here?" she called out. They both headed for the stage, pulling up a couple stools so they could sit on either side of Deacon and Rayna.

You roll through life like a rolling fire / I bring the rain like a thunderstorm / Yeah, we found peace on the battlefield / It all makes sense in love and war / It all makes sense in love and war

You and me, wild as a willow in a hurricane / Strong enough to stand in the stormy weather / We might be crazy enough to make history / 'Cause the world just ain't the same since we got together / And if we don't die young, we might just live forever

There are Kings and Queens upon their thrones / That have a love like you and me / Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall / But lovers last eternally / Lovers last eternally

They might sing us in a song / Or write our names up in the sky / Even when it's carved in stone / A love like ours goes on and on / A love like ours goes on and on

You roll through life like a rolling fire / I bring the rain like a thunderstorm

When the song ended, Rayna turned and reached for Daphne's hand, smiling at her younger daughter. Deacon reached for Maddie's, as she smiled at her father. Then Deacon and Rayna turned to each other and leaned in for a kiss.

"Happy anniversary, baby," Deacon said quietly.

"Happy anniversary to you," Rayna whispered in return. "You and me, we're strong enough to last."

Deacon put his guitar aside then and, taking Rayna's hand, stood up, pulling her up with him. Maddie and Daphne stood as well and they all put their arms around each other for a hug. Then Deacon took one of the mics and faced the room.

"I've learned how important family is. This family" – he gestured to Rayna and the girls – "but all y'all too. Even if we ain't family by blood, you're family. You wouldn't be here tonight if you weren't. You know, when me and Rayna thought about how we wanted to celebrate, we wanted to be with the people we cared about, just like that day ten years ago. Y'all are the people who stood with us, and by us, for all these years. And not just then ten, but the twenty-five plus before that. You supported us, loved us, helped us. And we just wanted to be all together. There've been good times and bad and we are grateful to have had you there with us for all of it."

Rayna reached out and took the mic from him, rubbing his arm. "I think that might have been the longest speech you ever gave, babe," she said, smiling at him as he laughed. She turned back to the crowd. "We do appreciate all of you and are grateful you're in our lives. We wrote that last song because love is a powerful thing. Our love" – she looked at Deacon – "stood the test of time as well as all the good and bad. It wasn't always easy, but it was always worth doing." She took a deep breath. "When I thought I might lose him forever, I made a promise to myself to never lose sight of that. I can't say there weren't ever trying times, but that love pulled us through. Thank y'all for celebrating with us tonight." She put the mic back on the stand and then put her arms around her husband, holding him tightly, as he put a hand on the back of her head and buried his face in her hair.

You roll through life like a rolling fire / I bring the rain like a thunderstorm.

THE END