Deacon had been missing for more than 24 hours. Rayna was out of her mind with worry. Not that this was anything new.
Deacon often went off on these benders, sometimes for days at a time. It was pretty much the same scenario over and over.
They'd have a fight over something stupid, or lately it had been mostly about Deacon's drinking.
He was disappearing more often and for longer periods of time. He was blowing off rehearsals.
Not that Deacon Claybourne needed any rehearsing. The man could play anything flawlessly after hearing it once, no matter how inebriated he appeared.
This both mesmerized and infuriated Rayna to no end.
At first it was only rehearsals Deacon seemed to miss, but in recent months he began missing gigs too.
Normally Rayna would brush it off, make excuses, and Watty would find someone to cover for Deacon, but as the same scenario played out more and more often Watty was becoming increasingly concerned both for Rayna's wellbeing and her future as a break out country star.
The gigs were getting bigger and the stakes were getting higher.
A major screw up and things could all end before they even began in the music world.
Watty had arranged for Rayna and Deacon to open at some state fairs for some big name players in country music.
Vince Gill, and George Strait were the two biggest.
He had also arrange for another up and coming artist Luke Wheeler to open because he knew Deacon wasn't dependable, and they needed a backup plan.
Rayna was unaware of that detail. She just assumed Luke was another opening act.
Watty had discovered most of Nashville's best musicians and huge country stars in little dive bars and even on the streets of downtown Nashville.
He knew talent when he saw it, and his instincts rarely failed him.
He knew Rayna Jaymes was special the first time he heard her sing onstage with her mother Virginia Wyatt.
She was barely 13 at the time, but her father a powerful Nashville business tycoon Lamar Wyatt wanted his young daughter to have absolutely nothing to do with the music industry and made sure Rayna's public performances were few and far between.
It wasn't until 5 years later, and sadly a few years after Virginia had died in a horrible car accident, that Watty was able to really help Rayna begin her career in country music.
He knew she was bound for greatness. She had defied he father and left home at 18 determined to make it on her own.
She was waitressing at the famous Bluebird café in Nashville to make ends meet when Watty finally convinced her to do an open mic.
Rayna was a beautiful young woman. She was a strawberry blonde with bright green eyes, and a flawless complexion.
Her figure was perfectly curved in all the right places.
She captured the attention of every man in the room as soon as she walked in, but she barely noticed.
All Rayna cared about was music and finding a way to the top of the charts.
Although she wasn't making much money waitressing, she still had all of her expensive clothes and boots daddy had paid for.
She seemed awkward and out of place as a waitress. Rayna knew she wanted to be a star, like her mother. Music was all she ever thought about…until Deacon Claybourne!
Deacon Claybourne was also working as a bar tender and back up guitarist at the Bluebird.
Watty also knew that Deacon could really make it big in country music if he would only concentrate on music and less on drinking and women.
The baby faced young man could pick a guitar like no one Watty had ever heard.
He could pick up a song after hearing it only once. Watty had never seen anyone write a song in a matter of minutes and be able to perform it shortly after in front of a crowd like he'd been playing it for years.
It didn't hurt that Deacon was also drop dead gorgeous and pretty much had his pick of any woman he chose.
His raspy southern drawl made most women swoon.
Coupled with his deep blue eyes, and southern charm few women were able to resist.
Deacon loved music and the bar scene.
He was content to spend his nights at the Bluebird working, playing guitar, drinking, and taking a different woman home every night.
He had no desire to make it big.
He had escaped from Natchez, Mississippi after what Watty suspected was a not so great childhood.
Deacon never spoke of any family.
He had one close friend Vince who seemed more hell bent on a life of drinking and women than Deacon.
Watty hated to see so much talent wasted, but Deacon wouldn't even discuss setting foot in a recording studio.
He wanted to play his music, his way and no one was going to change that…until Rayna Jaymes!
Luke Wheeler was another of Watty's young prodigies.
He wasn't quite as good with a guitar as Deacon, but he wasn't far behind.
He was an amazing drummer, but also a ladies man and drumming just didn't attract the woman like being the lead singer.
Luke was young, good looking, could sing and entertain a crowd for hours with his charisma and southern Kentucky boy charm.
Luke wasn't much for writing, but he could take someone else's lyrics, put his own spin on a song, and make it his own.
He was a little on the cocky side, and determined to make it big in country music no matter what.
He dated, but no one in particular, and he was more concerned with getting his music career off the ground than chasing woman, although he was never against friendly flirting every chance he got.
Like Deacon the first time he spotted Rayan at the Bluebird, the world seemed to stand still.
Watty had warned him that Rayna and Deacon had become a bit of an item and Deacon didn't particularly care for other men getting too close to Rayna.
Watty had also warned him that Deacon had quite a temper when he was drinking and not to cause trouble, especially since he'd be sending all 3 of them out together to open for Vince Gill, and George Strait.
Watty had filled Luke in on Deacon's demons.
He was basically sending him as a backup plan for Deacon, and promised Luke more exposure in return for the favor.
Watty also asked that he keep that little tid bit to himself.