"Yes, Bucky, I'll be there in five minutes," Rayna says into her phone.
"Okay, Rayna. See ya soon," he replies before hanging up.
She is on her way to the Bluebird. Bucky wants to have some kind of meeting with her to make arrangements for her upcoming tour. Ever since Teddy admitted to cheating on her, things have been very hectic for her. Since her daughters are still attempting to process the information, she has not told anyone about the divorce outside of her family. Teddy has kept it equally quiet. They want to expose the news to the public when the girls have gotten used to everything.
Rayna wants to prolong the secrecy for as long as possible. She isn't ready for it to be all over the TV, magazines, Internet sites, and newspapers. She knows that she will only be constantly reminded of her failure as soon as the media finds out about the divorce.
Her thoughts have occupied her so much that she almost misses the turn for the Bluebird. She turns the wheel quickly and pulls into the parking lot. After she checks her appearance in the rearview mirror, she walks into the building. She glances around, trying to find Bucky. She finds him. He is sitting on the other side of the room. As she walks towards him, she realizes that he is not alone.
"Hey y'all," Rayna greets cheerfully.
Bucky looks up from the paper that he has been reviewing.
"Hey, Rayna. Ready to work?" he asks her.
Rayna nods. The other man who is sitting at the table distracts her from answering Bucky more fully. Her heart beats faster as Deacon looks up and meets her gaze. They look at each other silently until Bucky's voice pulls them from their thoughts.
"Sit down, Rayna. I have something to discuss with you," he tells her.
She sits down at his request but keeps her eyes on Deacon. This is the first time she has seen him since her decision to get a divorce. He looks amazingly handsome. His cool demeanor, toned muscles, sexy facial hair, and beautiful eyes leave her breathless. She takes the time to really look at him for the first time in years and she instantly realizes why she had avoided it for so long. Even after all of this time, he still makes her knees go weak.
"What're you doin here?" she asks Deacon curiously.
Deacon shrugs. He is trying not to betray his emotions. For him, her presence is a reminder of everything that he has lost. Just looking at her reminds him of how badly he messed up his life. Every time he sees her, he is hit by the fact that he lost the only woman he has ever loved. Even after 14 years, the thought still stings.
"Bucky called me and said he wanted to talk to us together," he replies casually.
This news interests Rayna. What does Bucky want to talk to them about?
"Let's get to business," Bucky says, ready to answer Rayna's questioning look. "Rayna, there have been a lot of people who have auditioned to be your new guitar player but you have turned them all down. We're running out of time. The tour is starting soon. I think Deacon is the only musician who can live up to your standards so if you want to have a good guitar player for your tour then y'all need to work everything out."
Bucky's suggestion takes Rayna by surprise. This is the last thing she had been expecting. Since firing him, she has truly missed playing with Deacon, writing with Deacon, and discussing music with Deacon. Rayna sighs. She wants Deacon to be her guitar player. Truthfully, it doesn't feel right without him. At the same time, she isn't sure that it is a good idea. Once Deacon learns of the divorce, everything will change. They will have to navigate uncharted waters. For the first time in 14 years, there will be no visible barriers that are keeping them apart. Rayna isn't sure how it will affect things but she is worried that it will complicate everything.
Then again, Rayna would love for Deacon to join her on tour. It would be comforting to have him with her as she embarks on this new journey. For her, it is extremely hard to separate Deacon and music. In her mind, they have always gone together. She also knows that she can trust him as her guitar player. He knows her songs just as well as she does. Hell, he even helped her write most of them.
"I don't know, Buck. What do you think, Deacon?" she questions.
Deacon looks at her briefly. For a moment, Rayna thinks that she sees a flicker of hope in his eyes but it disappears so quickly that she wonders if she imagined it.
"It's up to you, Ray," Deacon answers nonchalantly.
She looks at Deacon, trying to decipher what he is thinking. He looks back at her calmly. She doesn't understand how he can look so collected in a moment like this. Her answer may very well decide their future for them. She knows what she wants to say but she wonders if it is the right choice.
"Okay, Bucky. You're right. Deacon is the best option," she responds, momentarily pushing her worries to the side.
Bucky claps his hands together in excitement.
"Great! I'll leave you two here to talk things out. I'll call you later with details," he replies as he gets up to leave.
Neither Rayna nor Deacon says anything for a few minutes. They are unsure of where to start. Rayna decides that it is best to be honest and reveal everything to him, before they start working together again. She knows that she can trust Deacon to keep it a secret until the time is right.
"I'm getting a divorce," she blurts out.
Deacon looks at her in surprise. He can't believe what he has just heard. Rayna is getting a divorce. The knowledge makes his heart beat louder in his chest.
"When did that happen?" he asks.
"The other night. Teddy was cheating on me. I told him to leave," she explains.
Deacon's jaw tightens. He is angry with Teddy for hurting Rayna.
"I always hated that asshole. You deserve better, Ray," he tells her.
She smiles at him softly. She knows the real meaning behind his last statement but she decides that it is safer to act like she doesn't.
"Thanks, Deacon."
"How are you doin with everything?" he asks in concern.
"I'm okay. At least, I will be. I'll be happy to get out of Nashville for a while," she answers.
Deacon nods. He reaches out and grabs her hand, trying to show his support for her.
"You'll figure it out, Ray. You always do," he says comfortingly.
Rayna nods her head before pulling her hand away from his.
"Anyway, we should talk business for a minute. Are we gonna be able to do this tour together?" Rayna says, changing the topic.
"I don't see why not," Deacon responds.
"Okay, then I'll see you when we leave," she replies, getting up from the table quickly.
"You wanna stay a while longer and talk?" Deacon asks.
"Deacon, I really should go," she answers.
She wants to stay and talk with him for hours but she knows that she has other responsibilities now. She can't just give into her every whim. She needs to have self-control and the only way that she can ever resist Deacon is if she keeps her distance from him. She knows that keeping this meeting brief is best for both of them. She glances at him briefly before leaving the room.
