Chapter 7-Thank you all for the amazing responses and feedback!
Dallas
American Airlines Center
Rayna smiled to herself as she got ready for sound check. Hell, she'd been smiling all day.
After they left Jake's, they said nothing as they walked through the streets of Austin, hand in hand. His thumb drew lazy circles around her wrist as they meandered under streetlights and slowly made their way back to the hotel. They didn't say much, sharing an occasional smile or laugh out of pure happiness. Then, eight blocks from the restaurant, Deacon had finally pulled her close and kissed her. It had been slow and deliberate kiss. Eventually his tongue licked the seam of her lips, begging for entrance into her mouth. She scraped her nails against the nape of his neck causing him to moan into her mouth. When she had to pull away to catch her breath, he gave her a second before kissing her again.
They stayed like this for long minutes until the headlights of some cab had broken them up. They'd made their way back to the hotel but had changed their minds when they'd spotted multiple men with cameras on their side waiting at the front door.
Nobody spotted them down the street as they broke onto Ray's tour bus, something they use to do all the time when they wanted some alone time. She remembered the way his hands had danced on her skin, slowly inching her shirt upwards. She could still feel his breath on her neck and the way he said her name like a deep prayer.
She blushed when she heard Buck calling her name. She quickly ran onto the stage to start but not before Liam gave her a knowing smirk.
Backstage-San Antonio
Deacon smiled at the crew, not even caring that he nearly got hit in the head with an a mic stand. Normally before a show, he was excited about performance, the stage, the audience's reaction. But tonight he was just ready to be done.
Last night had been incredible. He and Rayna had made love twice on the tour bus, like they use when the entourages and fancy hotels got to be too much. But once the sun began to peek through the blinds on the bus, they had to get back to reality. Buck had packed her suitcases and brought them on the bus. To everyone else, it looked like Rayna had just been early. For his part, he'd used a side entrance to the hotel well after the camera guys left, got his stuff, and jumped on Juliette's bus.
Since then he hadn't seen Ray. She had a bunch of phone interviews for newspapers while they were traveling. They'd exchanged a few texts and a secret smile in the hallway; but now he just wanted to be alone with her again. He needed to make sure last night wasn't some fluke or cruel joke. It didn't feel like the end of something but until she said those words, he would have his doubts.
He grabbed his guitar and headed down the concrete corridor only to stop short when he saw Buck's face. A second later he saw a flash of red hair running towards him. Deacon had just enough time to lay his guitar down before Rayna flew into his arms crying. He tried to pull away several times to figure out why she was so upset but Rayna's grip on him was strong. Bucky came closer over and quickly told him that Maddie had run away. "The last time anyone saw her was 12 hours ago. She never showed up for school today and the police haven't been able to find any trace of her. Teddy just called her and told her."
Deacon felt Rayna's breath hitch against his body as he stroked her hair and told Bucky to let Juliette and Glen know what was going. "Tell Juliette she's going on first. Have Brice take lead guitar for the first set and tell Juliette to do the long set. I'll try and be out for the acoustic set."
45 Minutes Later
Rayna's voice cracked, "Thank you Governor for all you are doing." She quickly hung up and took the phone Buck was holding, "Tandy, what about that girl that Maddie use to be in scouts with, Amy? Alice?...maybe Allison? I swear it begins with an A, she had really dark hair. You remember?...Oh okay. Yeah um...okay."
Rayna listened in on the other end, then started to cry all over again. "Just call me the second you hear anything...I love you too." Rayna looked up at the live feed from the stage and told Deacon he "better get out there. She's on like the fifth chorus of 'Boys and Buses'. The buses have already come around again like twelve times."
Deacon put one hand on each of her shoulders and asked if she was sure that she'd be okay. With tears in her eyes, she nodded. "You need to be out there." Without thinking, he leaned in for a quick chaste kiss, one to reassure her. He turned quickly to leave, wanting to hurry up and get done with the next four songs.
2 Hours Later-Rayna's Dressing Room
Rayna threw her cell phone on the floor where it landed with a thud. Buck picked it up and told her to stay calm.
"Stay calm? STAY CALM? MY DAUGHTER IS GOD KNOWS WHERE RIGHT NOW…"
Liam handed Rayna a glass of brown liquor which she declined. Deacon thanked Juliette for all her help tonight but said she could go. She nodded, understanding Deacon wanted to talk to Rayna alone.
Juliette softly reassured everyone, "the plane will be ready in another hour. I'm going to go ahead on so we are ready as soon as the Jet is cleared."
Rayna wiped another tear streaming down her face and said a "thank you." Liam and Bucky excused themselves too, saying they would go ahead with Juliette. Deacon looked at Rayna for a moment before asking what she wanted to do. "Ray, in a few hours we'll be back in Nashville. You'll be with Daphne. And then when Maddie shows up, you'll be close by."
She wiped her nose using her sleeve and thanked him.
"For what?"
"For everything."
He took her hand and promised her, "we'll find Maddie and she'll be fine." He knew he shouldn't have made her that promise. AA taught him a long time ago that he shouldn't make promises, shouldn't guarantee things that he couldn't control. But he'd never seen her scared like this before.
10 AM-NASHVILLE
Rayna's House
Deacon hated this house. It was everything Ray said she never wanted:a Belle Meade Mansion in a gated community. It had a pool and a room made just to do the laundry. It was the complete opposite of the place he and Rayna lived in together: their small and remote cabin. But here he was: in the middle of the living room trying to appear as comfortable as possible.
He looked over at Rayna who was looking at pictures of Maddie on the mantle. He'd never seen Ray look so lost. Even at his most drunk and most desperate, she'd held it together in front of others. So far she'd cussed out Tandy, slapped Teddy, threatened Lamar, and sobbed hysterically in front of half the police department. She had yelled at him when he finally dragged her inside after she screamed Maddie's name in some desperate attempt to find her. She'd only calmed down when Daphne had awoken due to all the yelling.
Then they had the ridiculous press conference. That had been Lamar's idea: Teddy and Rayna present a united front for the cameras. "Maddie went missin' cause of this silly divorce idea. If she thinks you two are back together…well, I'm sure she'll come on home." But the press conference had been two hours ago and carried locally by every station. Yet there was no word from Maddie or anybody else.
He took a cup of coffee from Coleman and sat down, watching Rayna. None of this made sense. Maddie had always been so calm and rationale. During the summer, the girls would go on tour with Rayna. Daphne would start climbing some random ladder or would pick up a conversation with a random crew member. But Maddie never did. She would always tell Rayna where she was going and how long she would be gone.
Now this twelve year old bought a plane ticket, stole money from her parents, and skipped school? Then she never made it to the plane and had been in hiding for almost 24 hours? He groaned when a thought occurred to him and quickly got up.
He wondered through several rooms before finding Coleman and asking if he could have a minute.
