Teddy watches Deacon board the plane, a skip in his step. Rayna left him with a faint hope. As far as I'm concerned, we're still married. That should have meant no other men, he thought. But she'd never mentioned Deacon was on her tour. She'd failed to provide him with that little essential tidbit of information.
Of course Deacon would skip. Clamber up those airplane stairs. He's the one she's always loved. Not the safety net. Not the pick-up-the-pieces guy. He's the biological father of Rayna's first-born. Not the grunt who simply raised her.
Teddy digs his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. He tries to swallow the lump in his throat that threatens to choke him. A line in his jaw quivers. She didn't say Deacon was joining her tour. She didn't say. She stood there, and gave him false hope, hope that they might still have a chance, that they might rebuild this crumbling house of sand.
He married her knowing she was pregnant with another man's child. He married her knowing he was second choice. He married her knowing she was trading passion for stability. He married her knowing she would never love him like she loved Deacon, but he didn't care. Because he loved her. He wanted her. And he was willing to take what he could get. And when his financial world was rocked, when he thought he would lose the very stability that had been her reason for marrying him in the first place, he'd schemed, he'd lied - he'd reached for any rope for fear of losing her. And yet that rope of lies hadn't tethered her to him. It had driven her away.
He'd been faithful all their marriage. Raised their children when she was on the road. Been a good father. But it wasn't enough. He'd been too weak, half drunk with fear, running down a windy road of gradual moral ruin, and now the airplane door was closing, and the man she'd always loved was going to be there by her side. Deacon was temptation enough when their marriage was solid. Now? What hope did he have?
"Daddy?"
His girls are there. His girl and Deacon's girl. No, his girls. And God how he loves them, especially the one who's not quite his. What can Deacon know of that? Deacon may steal Rayna's love, but he'll never steal Maddie's. He won't ever allow that. He puts him arm around his eldest daughter, and controls his features. He forbids the tears to pool in his eyes.
"Hey, sweetie," he says. "Let's head home."
