"I QUIT! I DO EXACTLY WHAT SHE ASKS, AND IT ISN'T RIGHT! FIND YOURSELF A NEW BAND LEADER!" Garret McGavock yelled at Bucky as he grabbed his guitar, gig bag, and stormed out of the rehearsal hall in a huff

"Garret, wait, please?" Bucky pleaded as he ran after him

"Sorry, Buck. I just couldn't get the right groove with him. I don't know what it is." Rayna apologized as Bucky came back looking tired, and irritated

"Rayna, that's the 3rd band leader you've run off in less than 2 months. You're getting a reputation for being difficult to work with. It's getting hard for me to get anyone in here." Bucky sighed

"I'm sorry. I just can't seem to find anyone that just clicks, ya know?"

"You mean, like Dea…."

"Don't even say it, Buck! That's not the problem!" Rayna snapped before he could utter Deacon Claybourne's name

"I hear he's back in town, and looking for work. Merle and Waylon's people have nothing but good things to say about him. He was 100% a professional out on tour with them."

"Deacon's back in Nashville?" Rayna asked surprised. He'd been gone almost 2 years touring with Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and some of country music's greats.

"Wait, How do you know he's back?" she asked

"I checked, OK. Talked to his manager yesterday. Just so happens he's been back almost a month. He's looking for his next tour."

"You didn't…"

"No, no…of course not. I asked them not to tell him I even called until I had a chance to talk to you first."

"I dunno, Buck! We haven't even talked in almost 2 years. Our last chat wasn't exactly amicable. I doubt he'd even consider it."

"Only one way to find out." Bucky smiled holding out his cell phone

"I can't just call him outta the blue. Do me a favor? Call his manager back. Just casually see if you can gage his interest. I need to pick up Maddie. Call me later. Let me know what he says."

"Sure, Rayna. Have a good night." Bucky called after her as she rushed out of the rehearsal hall to pick up her toddler from the babysitter

"Thanks Buck. You're the best." She called back from the doorway

"Hi, baby girl. Did you have a good day?" Rayna smiled at the dark haired little girl as she strapped her into her car seat

Maddie was jabbering away in the backseat as Rayna drove home to Belle Meade. At almost 2 years old, Maddie was the spitting image of her father. Rayna swallowed a lump as she watched Maddie in the rear view mirror, and listened to her little voice as she tried to sing along to the radio.

"Daddy, daddy!" Maddie excitedly screamed as Rayna put her down in the driveway

"Hey, How's my baby girl? I've missed you soo much." Teddy knelt to scoop the little girl into his arms as she ran to him

"I think she missed you." Rayna smiled as Teddy kissed her cheek

"I've missed both my girls. What's been going on the past week around here?" he asked

"Oh, not much. I scared another band leader away today. I think Bucky's about to kill me." Rayna tried to laugh

"Yeah, well, you'll find the right one. What do we want to do for dinner tonight?" Teddy asked as they walked into the kitchen, changing the subject. He was never much interested in discussing the music business or Rayna's work.

"How was your business trip?" Rayna asked, trying to sound interested. She was about as interested in his work as he was in the music business

"Not great. I didn't get the investors. I really thought this one would work out." He replied sadly

Rayna didn't say much, but Teddy knew she wasn't happy. He'd made a series of bad investments recently and their finances weren't in the best place. She'd taken 18 months off after Maddie was born. Teddy said he had their finances under control. She could be a stay at home mom for the first couple years of Maddie's life. He'd kept their money problems from Rayna until recently.

"Hey, it's all gonna work out. We'll be OK." Teddy wrapped his arms around her as she pulled the roast she'd left in the crock pot out for dinner

"Let's just sit down and try to have a nice family dinner, OK. You've been gone a week. Maddie missed you." Rayna tried to smile

"What about you, Rayna? Did you miss me?" he asked pointedly

"I'm doing the best I can. I'm sorry it's not good enough." He stormed up the stairs when she didn't answer

Rayna fed Maddie and cleaned up the kitchen. Around 8pm she started Maddie's bedtime routine of a bath, a story, and a few songs as the little girl drifted off to sleep.

Rayna watched as she slept for nearly an hour. She was looking so much like Deacon as she got older. Rayna even thought she noticed some of his mannerisms in Maddie's facial expressions and movements.

She sighed as she quietly left the room. Teddy was in bed surrounded by paperwork, his laptop in front of him on his lap.

"There's leftover roast if you're hungry." She said as she passed through the bedroom into the master bath to get ready for bed

"I'm not hungry!" he flatly replied as she closed the door

She'd been in the tub soaking her worries away for nearly 45 minutes when her cell phone chirped on the night stand.

Teddy glanced at the clock. It was after 10pm. He grabbed her phone wondering who'd be texting her now.

Bucky Dawes

Sorry so late. Deacon was tied up with some session work. He just got back to me. He's in. We'll meet to discuss the particulars tomorrow 10am.

Teddy was fuming when Rayna came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, hair wrapped in a towel. She sat at her vanity table applying moisturizer, unaware he was even upset about anything more than their usual fights about money, her going back on tour, and her disinterest in him since Maddie's birth.

She dryed her hair, and slipped between the sheets facing the wall, away from her husband.

Teddy decided to try a different approach, rather than getting all worked up and mad, causing an unnecessary fight. Rayna had loved that quality about him early on.

He wasn't a yeller, or a brooder. Teddy rarely raised his voice. He preferred to discuss things calmly, and work together for a solution. So much different than what Rayna had been used to with Deacon.

Deacon, however, even being absent from their lives for nearly 2 years now, was the one subject that could instantly make Teddy's blood boil.

"I'm sorry I've been distant tonight." Teddy apologized kissing the back of Rayna's neck as she faced the wall

"I'm sorry your deal didn't go well." Rayna replied with no reaction to his neck kisses

"I've missed you." He whispered nibbling her ear

"Teddy, it's been a long, not so great day. I just wanna sleep, OK?" Rayna asked with more irritation in her voice than intended

"I've been gone a week. You can't even kiss me goodnight?" he asked, flopping back to his own side of the bed, hurt and angry

"I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. I love you." She rolled over, giving him a lackluster peck on the lips before facing the wall again

Not one to brood, Teddy went right for the kill. Bucky's text had pissed him off. Rayna's lack of affection was only fueling the fire.

"What exactly is it that's on your mind, Rayna? …or maybe I should say who?" he asked unable to keep the anger from his voice

"What is THAT supposed to mean? What are you accusing me of, Teddy?" Rayna snapped, sitting up in bed

"You got a text from Bucky! I'll be on the couch!" Teddy snapped as he grabbed his pillow and left the room

Rayna sighed as she read Bucky's text. She and Teddy had disagreements. They bickered and argued over money, her touring and time away from home, but always calmly, and rarely did things become heated.

The one subject that could, and always would cause a heated, all out fight with Teddy was, and always had been Deacon Claybourne!