Tandy and Rayna sit down to the business end of owning a record company. They need artists. Scarlett and Deacon are not enough to float a label. This is the first time that Rayna is doubting herself and wondering if this was the right move.
She has the cash flow that she needs but cash doesn't make music. Edgehill is still cornering the market on new artists. Abby is about to bring them a lot of press with her new line launch. Rayna still doesn't know the content of Abby's deal with the devil. She wonders if there is room for more than one set of artists. Abby has done so much already, dare she entertain the thought of asking. They have been brainstorming the business end of this for hours. Both of them are quite tired of business. Rayna wants to get lost in the music for a while. Tandy heads out to handle a little business of her own leaving Rayna at the studio.
Deacon walks in to find Rayna in full on fret. He does not like seeing her this way. They have been through so much together. She is helping him make new start out of a familiar place. Rayna in a way always managed to be part of his foundation.
He is acutely aware that though she is part of his foundation, part of what grounds him. He is also aware that she is part of his darker side. It is the darkness within us that holds our passions. People are afraid of the darkness because it contains the pieces of us that we are busy denying.
Megan means a lot to him… so does Rayna. Rayna is sitting at the table furiously writing. Deacon can't gage the source of inspiration. She writes like this when something is troubling her. It has always been her release. He approaches with caution.
Deacon takes a seat next to her. "So what has the wheels turning?" Rayna looks up from her papers with a soft smile. Deacon is one person that could always see through her. "Just working some stuff out." Deacon looks at the papers. "I can see that."
Rayna sighs before she answers. "I need artists." Deacon knows as well as anyone that Nashville is a tough town for new starts. "They will come. What about Gunnar? The kid's got talent. You know all is fair in love and war in Nashville, Babe. You just have to have the will to fight for it and I know you have that." Deacon walks out of the room and into a studio to work.
Rayna continues to work for a while before deciding to head for home. Tomorrow is another day… another day to figure this out.
Rayna arrives home to a quiet house. The girls have not yet arrived home. She takes a few moments of solace in the quiet of her sanctuary. After a glass of wine, Abby and the girls arrive home laden with packages from their adventure. Abby has spoiled them again which is exactly what an auntie is supposed to do. The girls enter the kitchen speaking at a mile a minute about their day. Rayna sends them to their rooms to wash up for dinner. As Abby lingers for a moment, Rayna puts out a feeler about what Abby is doing with Juliette and Layla. Abby responds with her usual summation that "artists" are truly a pain in the ass to work with and tells her about her introduction to Layla.
Rayna softly mentions Scarlett. Abby is savvy enough to know that Rayna is asking for help and she would not entirely mind screwing with Jeff a bit for the whole blackmail deal. She has time to figure this out. The collection isn't ready for launch just yet. Plus, Abby has other issues to deal with at the moment.
After a short while, Abby heads for home. She no sooner shuts her apartment door when there is a soft knock at it. A quick look through the peep hole reveals that it is Teddy. From the look on his face, it would seem that somehow he may have heard about her impromptu stickball game.
"Abagail." Teddy walks into her apartment. "Theodore." Abby is in the middle of pouring a glass of wine and offers one to her brother. Abby takes a seat at her kitchen counter. Teddy remains standing across from her. "Why did you provoke him."
Abby gives her brother a look. "Because he had me followed while I had the girls with me." A quick flash of concern crosses his face. "The girls were with you?"
"Yes my dear brother, your daughters were with me and I did not take kindly to their aggression."
Teddy laughs. "So you went all Jersey on their asses because of Daph and Maddie?"
"You can't follow if the car won't start." Abby gives him her mischievous grin. Teddy knows that there is no stopping Abby once her gumption is up.
"Why does Lamar want to see you?" Teddy knows that the sarcasm is up and coming.
"I won't know until I go?" Another wave of concern passes over Teddy's face. He needs to know why Lamar is reaching out to Abby. He can sacrifice himself but he will not sacrifice his family. Abby, Maddie and Daphne are off the table. He gets the nagging feeling that Abby knows exactly what this is about and she is not about to tell him.
Abby is starving and offers up dinner. Teddy accepts. Perhaps he can find a way to get her to open up as to what is going on. He notices a change in Abby and he is curious. They have always been close but after 15 years away, she is here. She is here for a reason. She left Nashville and never looked back and now she is here. Something does not fit.