The day dawned bright and sunny, the perfect day for a wedding. A long overdue wedding. A wedding that probably should have taken place long ago, or at least a year ago. Before she had started down an all-too-familiar path. Before the dark clouds of illness had crossed over their heads. Back that night, after midnight, when he had come to her house and told her he loved her and that he was ready to be the man she wanted him to be, to be a husband and a father. That night he gave her back the ring he'd given her once before. The ring she'd given to him, when they stood on the side of the road and she told him goodbye.
All those mistakes, all those wrong choices, that was all behind them now. It was a beautiful day. And as she opened her eyes to the sun streaming across her bed, she smiled. Today Rayna Jaymes was going to finally marry Deacon Claybourne.
She woke up all alone in the bed she was now sharing with Deacon. When he had moved in, it had felt like they'd come full circle. It had felt so natural for him to be in this bed. She had laughed that first night. Despite the fact that it was a huge king-size bed, the two of them found themselves wrapped around each other, as close to each other as they could be. When she'd slept in this bed with Teddy Conrad, they'd slept on opposite sides of the bed, with the middle yawning between them.
She didn't like waking up alone, but she knew it was the last time she would. Deacon and Maddie were at the cabin, where the wedding would be. She and Daphne would be riding up with Tandy later that morning. Maddie and Daphne had been the ones to remind her that she wasn't supposed to see Deacon the night before the wedding. She really thought that was silly, but Deacon thought it wouldn't hurt, so she went along with it.
She looked over at the clock. It was still fairly early. They didn't need to leave for the cabin for another three hours. The wedding was going to be in the afternoon, with only a few people attending. The girls, of course, Tandy and Scarlett, and Bucky, who was like family. Deacon had reached out to Watty, but they hadn't heard back from him. Rayna had to smile. When Watty said he was retiring, he'd really retired, practically falling off the face of the earth. She really wanted him there – he'd been such a guiding force for her, and for Deacon, for so many years – but she respected his desire to disconnect.
She looked over to the bedroom door, where her dress was hanging. It was a simple white sundress, not a wedding dress at all, but when she and the girls had found it, it seemed just right. She had told Deacon she'd really like for him to wear a dress shirt, but she was sort of teasing about that. He'd rolled his eyes at her, but then he'd smiled, so maybe he would. Deacon was certainly not a formal dress kind of guy, but he when he put on a white dress shirt and a jacket, he made her insides melt.
She looked up at the ceiling. It was nice to feel happy and joyful on her wedding day. The two other wedding days she'd had had certainly not been happy or joyful at all. She frowned a little as she thought back to that first wedding day, when she'd married Teddy.
She'd been almost four months pregnant with Maddie. After she'd spent the night with Deacon at the cabin, after he'd proposed to her and then gotten drunk while she slept, she'd discovered, to her horror, that she was pregnant. She was certain it was Deacon's, but she'd made the decision not to tell him and accepted Teddy's offer to marry her and take care of her and the baby. He was still holding out hope that the baby was his, she knew, but she also had known that he would be the kind of husband and father that Deacon could never be. The kind that she needed right then, after all those years of propping Deacon up and living with the pain of that.
Tandy had convinced her to stay at Daddy's house, even though she hadn't wanted to. He had been a little disappointed that she'd allowed herself to get pregnant – she didn't tell him the truth about the baby's father – but he approved of Teddy and was supportive of the marriage. Tandy helped her get dressed, in that horrible dress with the empire waist that camouflaged her growing tummy but was unbelievably unflattering.
She sat in front of the mirror, after her hair had been styled and her makeup applied, Tandy leaning down next to her, her hands on her shoulders. She smiled. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," she whispered.
Rayna made a face. "Oh, for crying out loud, Tandy, I look ridiculous," she responded. She reached up and touched her hair. "Belle Meade prom hair. Gah." Suddenly she felt overcome with emotion and close to tears. She had to take several deep breaths. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she whispered.
Tandy sighed and rubbed her shoulders gently. "You're doing the right thing, Rayna," she said, not unkindly. "This is the best thing for your baby. And for you. Teddy will be good for you."
Rayna nodded, a little hesitantly. "I know. But, you know, it sort of feels wrong not to tell Deacon…."
Tandy shook her head, frowning. "You don't know for sure that he's the father, Rayna. If you really need to know, you can do that paternity test afterwards, but Deacon's a drunk. He's destructive. He's unstable and unreliable. It was bad enough that you put yourself at risk with him, but a baby? You could never do that. You could never truly trust him."
Rayna looked at her sister in the mirror. She hated her words, but she understood the truth there. She sighed deeply. "I know," she said softly. "It's just, well, I still love him, Tandy."
"You've got to get over that, babe. Get past it. Teddy's a good man. He'll be a good husband and father. That's what you need. You'll see. After a while you'll forget all about Deacon Claybourne."
Rayna wasn't sure that was true, but she decided to drop it. It didn't matter anyway. She'd made her choice and now she had to live with it. She was going to marry Teddy Conrad and let him be the father of her baby. So she took a deep breath and got up and went out and married Teddy Conrad, pretending like it was just another performance and she had to pull it together and give a show that everyone would approve of.
They got married in one of the private rooms at the country club. Since it had been a quick decision to get married and Rayna hadn't wanted to wait any longer, it had been a small affair. Even though she was already a big star then, and fans and the press were interested in the wedding, she made sure it was private. She'd gone out there with that fake smile plastered on her face and stood next to Teddy, who had that dazzled, head-over-heels look on his, and married him. She'd felt sick to her stomach the whole time and it wasn't from morning sickness. She kept reminding herself that it was for her baby, and in less than twenty minutes, she was Mrs. Teddy Conrad.
She still cried every day over Deacon, though, because he was the man she'd wanted to marry, to make a life with. But it wasn't to be.
At least not back then. She'd married Teddy and Deacon had finally gotten sober and she'd stayed married to Teddy, even though she'd always felt that pull towards Deacon. She had figured out how to have him in her life – and Maddie's – and keep things platonic. It had not been easy, especially in the beginning, and then again at the end, but she had managed. Thank God she didn't have to pretend anymore.
She must have dozed off a little, because she was startled awake by a knocking on the door. "Yes?" she called out, looking over at the clock. Only a half hour had passed since the last time she'd looked. The door opened and Daphne's face peered in.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
Rayna smiled at her youngest daughter. "I am." She held her arms out. "Come sit with me," she invited.
Daphne grinned and then ran over to the bed, jumping in and letting her mother wrap her up in her arms. She hugged Rayna back and then looked up at her. "Are you excited that you're getting married today?" she asked.
Rayna nodded. "Yes," she said. She tried to be mindful of the fact that Teddy was Daphne's father and that, while she knew her daughter loved Deacon, it had been a troubling time for her. Teddy had been arrested the day Deacon had his surgery. It had been difficult for both girls, but especially for Daphne. Teddy hadn't wanted Daphne to see him in jail, so they had yet to visit, which had upset her. She was trying to be brave and Deacon had tried to spend extra time with her to compensate, but Rayna knew Daphne felt a little at loose ends. She and Deacon both made sure Daphne felt included in everything.
Daphne's smile dimmed for only a second and then it was back and she was the sunny, happy child she'd always been. "I'm so excited to see you in your dress," she said. "You're gonna be so pretty."
Rayna squeezed her hand. "So are you." Daphne and Maddie had new outfits for the wedding as well. She gave her daughter a teasing look. "Did I overhear you tell your Aunt Tandy that you and your sister were going to sing?"
Daphne looked horrified. "You weren't supposed to hear that," she whined. "It was supposed to be a surprise."
"Well, I don't know what you're singing, so it's still a surprise."
Daphne pouted a little. "I guess." She sighed. "Anyway, Aunt Tandy has breakfast ready."
Rayna made a face. "Aunt Tandy made breakfast?" she asked, surprised at that.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? She had Bucky bring it over." She smiled happily. "It's from Noshville. Omelets and bagels and bacon and French toast!"
Rayna laughed. Daphne loved the French toast from Noshville. "Wow. That sounds like a feast," she said. "We should go eat then." She was almost too excited to eat, but she knew she should have something, so she let Daphne take her hand and pull her up from the bed. Then she hurried after her daughter, who ran ahead of her for the kitchen.
Bucky drove them to the cabin. Tandy sat in the front seat and Rayna and Daphne sat in the back. Once they'd cleared the northern Nashville area, Rayna had turned to look out the window, the chatter fading away.
How many times had she and Deacon driven this road to the cabin? He'd bought it back when she was twenty-one, for her. It had been her dream house and he'd surprised her with it when she'd been nominated for her first CMA award. Right after his first stay in rehab. They'd spent a lot of time there over the years, both good times and bad. The last time she'd been there with him, before their lives had blown apart, had been when he'd proposed and Maddie was conceived. She'd tracked him down there eight weeks later, when she'd found out she was pregnant, but had left without telling him. She hadn't come here again until the news about Maddie had gone public.
Luke had come with her then. That had pissed off Deacon and she'd realized, too late, that it had been a mistake. Even though she hadn't been there in over fourteen years, the cabin was sacred ground for them. Even she realized that.
Which made her think about the aborted wedding day with Luke. What had actually put her on the path that led to this day.
She couldn't sleep. She was exhausted, but she couldn't sleep. For the past several weeks, everything had felt just wrong. It was almost as though she'd been living in a fog and it had finally cleared. And maybe it had, actually. The night of the CMA's had been an eye opener. First, finding that pre-nup, then Luke's disdain for her achievements that night, and him getting drunk. It had been unsettling. The 'Dancing With The Stars' appearance. All the wedding arrangements. The Rolling Stone article and how hurt Deacon had been.
Tandy had asked her if she was happy and she'd told her she was. But she really hadn't been, had she? At the rehearsal dinner, Maddie and Daphne had performed a sweet song, and Maddie said she'd written it with her dad. Rayna had sat there and felt a lump in her throat and a pit in her stomach.
What do you need that you don't have? / What have you lost and can't get back? / What if I promised it'll be alright? / It'll be alright
They were Deacon's words. She knew that. It had been hard to breathe after that. She'd left Luke that night and had come home to spend the night before their wedding. But she couldn't sleep. She'd wandered the house. She'd read the Rolling Stone article what felt like a thousand times. She'd cried. And at some point, deep in the night, when her eyes were burning from not being able to close them, when her head hurt from thinking, when her heart had hurt as she'd examined her motives, she'd finally decided what she would do. And so when the sun came up, she'd showered and dressed and had driven out to Luke's ranch and told him she couldn't marry him.
As tough as the day would be and as hard as it had been to be honest with herself, she'd felt such a sense of relief as she'd driven away, leaving Luke behind. It would have been just like that long ago day when she'd stood in that private room at the country club and married Teddy. Except this time it would have been in front of five hundred guests and People magazine and all manner of reporters and photographers. And it would have been immeasurably worse than that first time.
She'd told Luke the truth that day, that it had been Deacon and yet it wasn't. She'd sent Deacon away, told him to move on, and it truly wasn't anything Deacon had done that caused her to change her mind, call off the wedding. But it was Deacon, because she had also known that there was no one else she could spend the rest of her life with. She still needed some time, but she had known, as surely as she had known all those many years ago, that Deacon was the man that her soul needed. That she would only ever be truly happy when they could bring their souls together.
She smiled to herself as she gazed unseeingly out the window. She was headed for her soulmate, the man she was always meant to be with, the man she'd always loved and would love for the rest of her life. Her heart felt full as she thought about this day. This would be the wedding she'd always dreamed of, filled with love and family and happiness.
She was shaken out of her reverie by Daphne. "Mom," she said, annoyance in her voice.
She turned to face her daughter, who was frowning. "I'm sorry, Daphne, what?" she said.
"What's the exit we're getting off on?" Daphne asked, obviously for a second time.
She turned to look out the window, frowning just slightly. "Um, I don't remember the name of the road, but it's the second exit over the state line. Have we crossed the state line?"
"Getting ready to," Bucky said.
She smiled. "Then the second exit. Turn right and go until you get to the private road."
Bucky glanced back at her, giving her a lopsided smile. "You're going to have to pay attention then, so we don't miss it. You're the only one who knows how to get there, you know."
"I guess you're right," she said with a grin. She turned to her daughter and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm so glad y'all are with us for this. You're the most important people in our lives and it makes it special to have you here."
Daphne smiled. "We're happy for you too, Mom. You and Deacon."
Once they made it to the cabin, it turned into a game of keep away, trying to keep Deacon and Rayna from seeing each other. Deacon was banished to the bedroom on the main floor, while Rayna was spirited upstairs to get ready. Maddie, Daphne and Tandy hovered around her as she got dressed and made some final adjustments to her hair and makeup.
Maddie and Daphne went downstairs, finally, leaving Rayna and Tandy alone. Rayna was struck by the similarity to her first wedding, as she sat in a chair in front of a mirror, picking out strands of hair and rearranging them slightly. Tandy was standing behind her and then leaned down, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders. "You look beautiful," she said softly.
Rayna smiled into the mirror. "Thank you," she said. "I'm happy."
Tandy let out a tiny sigh, but kept smiling. "I know." She kissed her sister's cheek. "I know he makes you happy and I know that you've been happier now than I have ever seen you before. And that makes me happy."
Rayna reached up and grabbed her sister's hand. "That means so much to me, Tandy," she said. "You don't know how much." She turned then and looked up at her sister. "I've loved him practically my whole life. He's always been my future. It just took me a while to figure out how to make that work, for myself."
Tandy nodded. "I know. But I think it took him a little time too, to figure out how to be the man you needed him to be."
Rayna nodded. "Yeah, you're right."
Tandy pulled up a chair and sat down. "Are you happy?" she asked, looking hard at her sister.
Rayna smiled. "I am. Very happy."
"Okay then. Well, I'm going to go send Bucky up and we'll be ready to start."
Rayna just nodded, watching her sister get up and walk out of the room, closing the door behind her. She got up too, walking over to the window and looking out over the lake. She could hardly believe that in just a few minutes she was going to be Deacon's wife and he would be her husband. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back slightly. Thank you, dear God, for keeping him safe and bringing him back to me. Thank you for letting him live, so that we could be together and have the family we always wanted.
She opened her eyes and sighed. She remembered the day she came here, after he'd sung with her at the Opry, the day he'd told her he had cancer and that he thought he might die. He'd tried to push her away, but eventually she'd broken through his resolve. It hadn't meant it was easy. While being together was, the cloud of uncertainty and fear that hung over them had made their lives challenging. When Beverly had finally stepped forward and offered part of her liver, it finally seemed that things were finally going to go their way.
Of course it hadn't been that simple. They had lost Deacon for a moment on the operating table, although they were able to bring him back. His recovery had started slow, at first, but soon he was feeling better and had been able to start living a normal life again. While his physical recovery was going well, he'd had an emotional setback when Beverly died of a sudden pulmonary embolism six weeks after surgery. Rayna had worried about his reaction, but he'd surprised her by not pulling inside himself or getting depressed. He and Beverly had made peace with each other after the surgery and so he'd felt grateful to her and to the fact that they'd been able to work through the issues that had divided them for so many years.
It was bittersweet, of course, that she would not be here in person, but he had said that she'd be there in spirit and that a piece of her would be there as well. It was because of her that they were even able to be doing this today, getting married, and so, in a way, it was a celebration of Beverly too.
Rayna heard footsteps coming up the stairs and knew that it would be Bucky. He was giving her away today. Not that she needed to be given away; she'd long ago known she belonged to Deacon, but it was nice to have him symbolically do this. She took a deep breath and smoothed her hands down over her dress. When the knock came, she said, "Come in." When the door opened, she gasped and then she ruined her makeup with tears. "Watty," she whispered, as he walked over to her, a smile on his face. "You came."
He nodded and then put his arms around her, holding her close. "I wouldn't have missed this, my little songbird," he whispered in her ear. Then he took a step back and looked into her eyes. "I hope you don't mind if I take Bucky's place."
She laughed through her tears. "Of course not." Then she turned and looked in the mirror. "Oh, but now my makeup is ruined." She reached for a tissue and dabbed at her eyes and wiped at the mascara stains.
Watty chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure Deacon won't even notice," he said.
She laughed again and wiped her eyes clean. "You're right. The only one who would care is my stylist." She put down the tissue and turned back to the older man. "I'm ready."
Watty held his arm out to her and Rayna walked over and put her hand in the crook of his elbow. "I'm honored to be here for your wedding day. Let's get you to your groom."
In the end, it was the perfect day. Deacon wore a white shirt and a vest, along with his jeans and cowboy boots, and Rayna thought he'd never been more handsome. The girls sang 'I've Got You and You've Got Me', which was the perfect song for the day. And Watty was there. After they'd said their vows and Deacon had taken her in his arms and kissed her, Rayna felt a peace she'd never known before. It was all perfect. What was the saying? The third time's the charm? It's never been more true than today.
And they lived happily ever after.