I know I should be working on my other story, but I'm much further ahead in time in that one, and I had some ideas playing around in my head of how Rayna comes to the decision to call off the wedding. Just a quick one-shot.

##

Rayna was meeting with the producer for the "Christmas with the Jaymes Family Special" when Maddie blew in the door followed by Deacon. She ran up to Rayna barely noticing that she was talking with anyone. "Mom, guess what?"

"What sweet girl?" Rayna gave a look to the producer pardoning her eldest's interruption.

"Dad said he'd let me sing on one of the tracks he's laying down next week for his new album."

"He did?" Rayna asked enthused while raising an eyebrow to Deacon standing behind her. "That's awfully nice of him."

"It's nothing," Deacon said as he sidled up beside Maddie. "I needed someone singing back up on the track, and she's better than most of the studio musicians out there. Guess it runs in the family."

"You must be Maddie's father." The producer interjected. "Deacon Claybourne right?"

"Yep, that's me." Deacon reached out his hand to the producer.

"I've been a big fan of yours for a while. I was always a guitar man at heart."

"Well, that's mighty nice of you."

Maddie started pulling at Deacon's arm. "Come on Dad, I want to show you the lyrics I've been working on for that new song. They're up in my room."

"Okay, okay," Deacon laughed as he followed her up the stairs.

The producer turned back to Rayna. "I think I just got a brilliant idea."

"What's that?" Rayna asked.

"Why don't we include Deacon in the Christmas special?"

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"He's Maddie's dad right? He's family?"

Rayna's heart fluttered a little at the mention of Deacon as part of her family but she tried to suppress it. "Yes, of course he's family."

"Then why doesn't he sing a song. Maybe one on his own, and one with Maddie."

Rayna knew Luke would not be happy having Deacon as part of their family Christmas special. Luke said repeatedly what a great way this would be to introduce them as a new family to the world. She doubted he had considered Deacon a part of that, but she also didn't really want to air her dirty laundry to this producer. "Alright, let's ask Deacon."

"Ask me what?" Just then Deacon bounded down the stairs with Maddie.

"Well," Rayna started. "We were just talking about maybe you could play a song or two on the family special. One alone and one with Maddie."

"That would be amazing, dad, wouldn't that be amazing?"

Deacon really did not want to be a part of the Ruke family Christmas, but he also couldn't disappoint his daughter. He took one look at her smile and the twinkle in her eye and he knew he had to say yes. "Sure, that would be great sweetie."

"Wonderful, my associate producer will call you tonight to set up a time for you to film tomorrow. I'll get your number from Rayna."

"Alright, well, I gotta go, but I guess I'll see you ladies tomorrow."

Deacon headed out, unsure of what just happened, but he sure as hell wasn't going to waste an opportunity to make Luke Wheeler uncomfortable.

##

"Hey babe." Rayna sat down next to Luke on the couch as he was taking off his boots.

"What's up sugar?"

"So the producer for the special was over earlier when Deacon brought Maddie home, and he got it in his head that Deacon should play a couple of songs."

"Play a couple of songs where?"

"During the special."

Rayna could see Luke starting to turn red. "During our family special? You're going to have your ex-boyfriend play a song during our family special?"

"Well Luke, technically he is family. He's Maddie's dad."

"Are you kidding me? Just because you forgot to use a condom 16 years ago I'm stuck with that ass for the rest of my life. I don't think so."

"Don't be so crude Luke, we're talking about my daughter's father here."

"No, we're talking about a guy with a serious attitude who still has designs on you Rayna. Man, I wish that you and Teddy had kept Maddie's paternity a secret forever, then I wouldn't have to be dealing with him now."

"Well, if Deacon had never found out about Maddie then he and I would still be together, so you're right, you wouldn't be having to deal with him at all." Rayna realized that in the heat of the moment maybe she'd let a little too much slip out.

This stopped Luke dead in his tracks. "What do you mean you guys would still be together? You and Deacon haven't dated since Maddie was conceived 16 years ago, and I thought you broke up cause he was a drunk?"

"Actually, he and I were kind of back together when he found out about Maddie, you know, right before the accident."

Luke's eyes opened wide. "Didn't you say he found out at the CMAs? Rayna that was barely a year ago! Barely 2 months before we started dating!"

"I didn't mention that?"

"No, I think I would have remembered if you'd mentioned that."

"Well I wasn't trying to hide it or anything. It was just a painful time, and I didn't really want to talk about it that's all."

Luke stood up shaking his head. "We really have to have him in this special?"

"I can't back out on him now Luke, Maddie would be devastated, they're singing a song together."

"Fine, but this is the last time something like this happens Rayna, okay?

"Fine, last time, scouts honor."

##

Rayna woke up in the morning to someone ringing her doorbell. She threw on a robe and ran to answer it. It was a delivery person with an envelope for her. "Oh damn," she thought to herself. "I totally forgot about the Rolling Stone issue." She leafed through it reading the article Highway 65 stuff, a little on her relationship with Luke, and "Oh crap." Rayna picked up the phone and called Deacon. "Hey, could you give me a call before you come over this morning. I have something I need to talk to you about."

She hung up the phone and sat down at her kitchen table with her head in her hands. Today could either go fine, or it had the potential to be one of the worst days in the history of her life. She just hoped for the former.

##

By the time she spotted him she was tied up filming a scene and he was already setting up for his song with Maddie. She couldn't read his expression and it bothered her. He was clearly here, she saw his phone sticking out of his back pocket, so why was he avoiding her calls?

"Cut!" the director called. Rayna headed over to Deacon, but she was cut off by Luke coming out of the kitchen. "Mr. Claybourne, glad you could take some time off of banging my back up singer to show up." This comment made Rayna wince. She'd heard he'd been involved with Pam York, but it had seemed like more of a rumor than a fact until this moment.

"Just thought I'd spend some time with my family Wheeler, happy to help out where both Maddie and Rayna are concerned." The two men stared each other down until the producer motioned for Deacon and Maddie to take their places on set by the Christmas tree. They were singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" which particularly stung Deacon since he knew Maddie wouldn't be home for Christmas, but it was one of her favorites so he sang it anyway.

When they wrapped Maddie went upstairs to get Daphne and Deacon launched into his solo. Even before he got through the first verse Rayna's stomach sank. He was singing "Blue Christmas," and he was looking directly at her when he sang it. Rayna tried to look away as she felt his eyes bore into hers, but there was just something about him, there always had been. She felt her mouth go dry and her temperature rise as she became entranced watching him sing. Nearby Luke took notice shaking his head and walking out of the room rather than watching his fiancé have some intense eye sex with her ex while the cameras rolled.

When Deacon finished his song he walked into the music room where he'd left his guitar case. The crew was bustling around getting ready for the next scene, the girls were upstairs, and Luke was outside cooling off. He closed the latch on his case and when he looked up she was standing there. "You've been doing a good job of avoiding me all day."

"What do you want me to say Ray?"

"Did you read the article?"

"Of course I read the article. I just don't understand how you can say those things, say those things to a reporter, and continue to plan your wedding like it's the most natural thing in the world."

"Come on now Deacon. You know my feelings for you are what they are, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't marry Luke. There's more to a relationship than love."

"I know that Ray." Deacon made his way from behind his guitar space so he was standing just a foot or so away from Rayna."But you at least have to start out with love. Do you really love him? Love him the way you love me?"

Rayna was silent, but searched for the right word.

"This is a big deal Rayna, don't do this again, don't marry the wrong man just cause you think it's the right decision. It's not too late." Deacon reached out to Rayna taking her face in his hands and wiping away the sole tear that was dripping form her eye. Rayna looked up at him unsure of what to do or say, all she knew is that when he held her like this she was helpless to do anything else but bend to his every whim.

Their breaths were heavy and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as they stared into each other's eyes. That is until Luke walked into the room. "What the hell is going on here?!" he shouted.

Startled Rayna jerked away from Deacon. "Nothing, nothing's going on."

"Then why the hell does he have his hands on you Rayna?"

"We were just talking Luke."

"With his hands on your face?"

"It's not what it looks like, I promise."

Luke started to stomp out of the room and Rayna followed turning back just at the doorway towards Deacon. "I'll be back in a second, I just need too…"

"Fine Rayna, go."

Rayna ran after Luke finding him in the front entryway. He lowered his voice so the camera crew couldn't hear them. "We're in the middle of a god damn public spectacle Rayna, there's cameras all around and you're letting him paw you in the middle of broad daylight."

"He wasn't pawing me Luke."

"I can't believe I agreed to this in the first place. I'm not Teddy Rayna. I'm not going to stand there while you parade him through our life. I do not want him in our house."

"He's Maddie's father Luke."

"Exactly, he's Maddie's father. He ain't nothing to you. She's a teenager, if she wants to see him she can go see him, she doesn't need you arranging things for the two of them. There's no reason you should be dealing with Deacon unless something big is happening with her, and he certainly should not be part of our family gatherings."

"Luke, you're being unreasonable."

"I'm being unreasonable? I think I've been pretty patient with that ass up until now. But enough is enough Rayna, he's gone, right now, forever."

Rayna was visibly shaken, but she knew she had to pull it together. "Alright, I'll talk to Deacon, just give me a minute okay?"

"Fine, you handle it."

Rayna walked back into the music room where Deacon was sitting on the couch.

"Guess he's kind of pissed at me, huh?"

"He's pissed at me too."

"Ray, this should just show you how wrong it is that you're with him. He's not part of this family."

Rayna collected herself, once again covering her emotions with her practiced cool exterior. "No Deacon, you're not a part of our family."

Rayna could see that this hurt Deacon deeply, and it stung her heart that she had to say this to him. "I am marrying Luke Deacon, and I think it's best if maybe we keep our distance for a little while. At least until after the wedding."

"You're serious? You're just going to push me out? That's how you're dealing with this?

"He's going to be my husband Deacon, he doesn't want you around, I can't just ignore him."

"And what do you want?"

"I want what's best for my new family."

Deacon was silent just staring at her nodding his head for a moment, just trying to comprehend what was really happening here. "Okay Rayna, you want distance, I'll give you distance, I'll give you permanent distance." He stormed out the room hightailing it towards the door, but running into Maddie on his way out.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Yeah, I gotta go baby, but I'll see you in a couple of days okay?"

"Alright Dad." She hugged him, squeezing him a little extra hard before letting go. Rayna watched as he walked out the door and the sick feeling she'd been trying to keep at bay all day hit her full force.

##

Rayna couldn't believe it was the morning of the wedding. The last few weeks, hell, the last few moths had been nothing but a whirlwind. Rayna was sorting through the jewelry she would need for later when Tandy came in. She'd arrived late last night from San Francisco and Rayna was really happy to have her here.

"Where are the girls?" she asked.

"They're with Teddy." Rayna replied. "He's brining them to the wedding."

"Teddy's coming?"

"Yeah, isn't it great that we can all be adults?" She smiled at Tandy.

"What about Deacon?"

The smile faded from Rayna's face. "He wasn't invited. Luke didn't want him there considering everything that's happened. Plus I doubt he would want to come. I haven't even heard from him since we filmed the Christmas special two weeks ago. I told him we needed some distance, and well, I guess he finally listened."

Tandy raised an eyebrow. "Rayna, that's a good thing, you realize that right?"

"Yes of course," she said, though it seemed like she was trying harder to convince herself than Tandy.

"Rayna, you need to forget about Deacon. You are marrying a wonderful man who loves you so much and treats you like a Queen. The two of you are going to be the new Tim and Faith. You need to put Deacon in the past forever."

"First of all, no one said I wanted to be the new Tim and Faith. And as far as Deacon goes…I know that Tandy, but he's still Maddie's father, and he's still my friend. I just don't know how he's going to handle all this, and it worries me that I haven't heard from him. What if he's getting himself into trouble? What if he was so upset he drank?"

"Has Maddie spoken to him?"

"Yeah, she said he's spending the weekend in Memphis with Scarlett."

"See, he's fine, and soon enough, you won't have to worry about Deacon Claybourne anymore."

"What does that mean?"

"I just mean after you and Luke get married you're going away on that honeymoon tour right? If you're traveling on tour for more than a year you won't see Deacon during that time. By the time a year-and-a-half passes by without seeing each other you won't even remember each other's names."

Rayna had a calm exterior but inside she was panicking. A year-and-a-half was so long. How did she not realize that she wouldn't be able to see Deacon during that time. They'd never gone more than a few weeks without seeing each other since they were teenagers, how could she go more than a year?

Rayna felt her heart start to race and her face get flushed. She had to get out of there. "You know what," she said as she stood up. "I forgot about something I need to pick up before the ceremony. I'll be back."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tandy asked as Rayna was already half-way out the door.

Rayna put her hand up in protest as she slipped outside. "Not at all, I'll be fine." And with that she was gone.

##

Rayna sat in her car in a parking lot somewhere of I-40. She'd jumped in the car and just drove until all of a sudden she felt the need to pull over. She'd taken a quick exit and here she was in the abandoned parking lot of some long closed discount store. If the paparazzi had been there they would have had a field day taking photos of Queen of Country Rayna Jaymes sitting in her black SUV crying her eyes out just hours before her fairytale wedding.

Everything just seemed to be happening so quickly, and everything just felt so not her, so wrong. She reached into her purse and pulled out a pouch she had hidden in one of the pockets. She pulled on the string so it opened and dumped the contents of it into her hand. The silver band didn't sparkle the way the rock on her finger did, but it still shined with all the memories and all the promise that she and Deacon once had. She took off Luke's ring and put it on the dash then she slipped Deacon's back on her finger. She looked at it for a minute and all she thought was how right it felt, how her it felt. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, he was a part of her, and without him she knew she'd never feel like herself again.

Rayna slipped the ring off of her finger and put it back in the pouch in her bag, then she put Luke's ring in the cup holder beside her and headed her car towards Freewheelin' Ranch.