Thanks to all for reading! Thanks especially to those who've left a review with your thoughts or your encouragement – it's always great to know what people are thinking. I'm sorry to those who want things to move faster – that's not my style! Hopefully you'll stay along for the ride though. ;-)
Watty settled into his seat. The flight attendant walked up to him. "Would you like a drink, Mr. White?" she asked.
He looked up at her, resting his chin on his thumb, his index finger resting against his lower lip. "A whiskey shot, please, Denise," he said. Then he turned and looked out the window. When she brought back the glass, he looked up and nodded, with a brief smile, then turned back to the window. He watched as the plane started to speed down the runway and then, just before the nose lifted, he reached out his hand to steady the glass.
When they reached their cruising altitude, he lifted the glass and took a long swallow, leaning back in the seat. Denise got up from her jump seat to check on him. "Anything you need, Mr. White?" she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. "Just hit the sound system please. The Nashville mix, if you don't mind."
She nodded. "Of course." She went back to the front of the plane and moments later, 'Jackson' came across the speakers. He listened for a moment and it occurred to him that Deacon had probably named his son after that song. He'd forgotten that it was one that he and Rayna had sung often, particularly when they were first starting out.
He remembered the flight to Denver from Austin, when he'd taken Deacon to that last rehab. He'd been a mess when Watty had found him, already drunk at three in the afternoon. Or maybe still drunk. Didn't much matter. It had taken some strong arming to get Deacon to go to Colorado that day. When Watty finally asked him to do it for Rayna and Maddie, it had been like all the fight had gone out of the younger man.
He thought about how Deacon had looked that day. His eyes were unfocused and bloodshot. His clothes looked like he'd slept in them and that they probably hadn't been washed in a few days. His skin was pasty and dull, his hands were shaking slightly. Watty didn't think he'd ever seen him look that down and out, but then when he'd still been with Rayna, she'd made sure he managed basic hygiene and dress. It had occurred to Watty that if he hadn't found Deacon when he had, that he'd very well could have ended up as dead as Rayna believed he was, and in short order.
Watty wouldn't let him drink on the plane and that had turned him surly. But Deacon couldn't get off the plane mid-air and he'd eventually settled down. Watty had a private car meet them at the FBO to drive them to the facility outside of Denver. Deacon had been belligerent, not surprisingly, but Watty convinced him to stay. He'd called Rayna after he left to let her know it was done and she'd sobbed on the phone. They never spoke of it again.
This time he was flying to Denver to see Rayna. She was almost three weeks into the Red Lips/White Lies tour and he was interested to see what Liam had put together for her. He also wanted to see how she was doing with Deacon being back in Nashville. They had avoided that topic for all these years, other than a handful of comments about his career.
He finished his whiskey and asked for another. He rested his elbows on the arms of the seat and steepled his fingers under his chin as he thought about his protégée. He'd known who Rayna Jaymes was long before he saw her at the Bluebird. Rather, Rayna Wyatt. She was the younger daughter of Lamar and Virginia Wyatt. He had met Virginia in the mid-seventies at one of the lesser known honky-tonks off Broadway. One of the small, cozy songwriter havens where the up-and-comers and the hard scrabblers alike met to share songs and whiskey and smokes. The small ceiling fans barely moved the heavy fog of smoke and there was a constant tinkle of glasses. There was usually a small audience of people who loved country music and were always looking for the less flashy, commercial offerings.
Virginia Wyatt was a beautiful redhead, her skin smooth and creamy, her eyes pale blue. She told people there her name was Virginia Lee, because they would have known her married name as well as her birth name of Jaymes, as both were big money families in Nashville. But Virginia was a free spirit, forced to marry Lamar Wyatt, and unhappy her entire marriage. She would leave her two young daughters with their nanny and sneak down to the seamier side of Nashville most afternoons. She probably wasn't fooling anyone, but no one bothered her there.
When Watty met her, she'd been a regular there for over a year. He'd noticed her immediately, her red hair making her stand out. She usually sat alone in a corner with a whiskey and her cigarettes, just listening to the music. There was something about her that intrigued him though. He was new to Nashville and, like all other aspiring songwriters, took every opportunity he could to try out his music. He'd noticed that she seemed to pay special attention whenever he was performing and so one day he decided to approach her.
He walked to her table and she'd looked up at him. He could tell she was a little bit tipsy, as she slightly missed her mouth with the cigarette she had between her fingers. She found it and took a long drag, then blew out the smoke as she smiled up at him. She was even prettier close up, he'd thought to himself. "May I sit?" he asked. She nodded and he pulled up a chair. He caught the eye of a waitress and got a whiskey for both of them. Then he turned back to her. "My name is Watty."
She leaned in. "I'm Virginia. You can call me Ginny, if you like."
He smiled at her. "I like Virginia, if that's okay. I happen to be from the great state of Virginia."
"Is that so?" She sat back. "I like your stuff, Watty. You're very good. Much better than most here. I doubt you'll be here long."
He pressed two fingers to his lips and then sent them skyward. "From your lips to God's ears," he said.
Ten minutes later, she got up to use the restroom, giving him a look that said 'follow me'. He waited a few seconds and then did just that. He discovered quickly she was a lusty and adventurous woman. Several weeks later, when he'd talked her into going with him to his one room studio apartment, as they were tangled up in the sheets and each other, she finally told him who she really was and that she was married with two daughters. Somehow he hadn't been surprised at all.
It had given him pause just a little, because even then, Lamar Wyatt was a powerful man. But he loved Virginia and he couldn't deny her. She was painfully unhappy in her marriage and, although she loved her daughters, she didn't feel cut out for motherhood. He knew later that she'd done better in that role than she'd given herself credit for, but at that time, she lived for her secret life with him.
He didn't really know what her marriage was like and he suspected that having the affair with him allowed her to do what she needed to, to keep the marriage afloat. Watty was pretty sure that Lamar knew about the affair almost from the beginning, but Virginia was very discreet and he left it alone.
And then Viriginia died in that car crash. Watty had been devastated. She had been leaving Lamar, that he knew. She'd told him she was coming to him, but he'd never known for sure. Virginia was like a butterfly and it was nearly impossible to hold her down. He wasn't sure she'd have truly given up one life to settle down in another.
When he'd met Rayna that day, four years later, at the Bluebird, he'd been struck by how much she looked like Virginia. With her red gold hair and blue eyes, that pretty, open smile, she was so like her mother. What he learned over time was that Rayna was much more pragmatic than her mother, and so in that way she was more like Lamar. Rayna was steely and determined, marrying the practical with the artistic in a way Virginia couldn't.
He didn't think Rayna knew about the affair. She'd never said anything that led him to believe she did. He'd never thought it wise to bring it up, but he made it his business to watch over her. For Virginia.
The plane landed in Denver and he headed straight for his hotel. It was the first of a two night stop and he would wait for the next night's show to see Rayna's new act. He'd had a long day anyway, starting early at the studio. He checked his phone and had a text from her. Hotel Teatro, Study for breakfast, 9 AM? He smiled and responded affirmatively. He knew she wouldn't see it until she got back to her room that night after the show was over.
Watty walked into the hotel restaurant and made his way to where Rayna was sitting by the window, sipping on her coffee. "Well, hi there," he said.
She turned and smiled happily. "Hey, there," she said with a chuckle, as she stood and hugged him. "Look what the cat dragged in."
He smiled as he let her go and went to sit across from her. "Yeah, how 'bout that. Three hours flying across the middle of America. Johnny and June and Hank and Emmylou, nonstop on the sound system. How was the show last night?"
"Packed to the gills."
"Can't wait to hear it tonight."
"Well, I'll be curious what you think." They took menus offered by a server.
"Coffee, please," Watty said as he laid the menu down. He looked back at Rayna. "Feeling any better about things? Now that you've settled in a little bit?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. I guess it could be worse."
"Well, consider that you're getting that exposure to a new group of listeners. And I think that Liam is helping with that. When's he coming back?"
"Not until after the break." She smiled. "That's what happens, I guess, when you work with an in-demand producer and performer. But you were right about him."
He smiled. "Of course I was. Have I ever steered you wrong?"
She grinned. "Never." She put her elbows on the table and threaded her fingers together, leaning her chin on them. "Have you seen Deacon lately?"
He raised his eyebrows. "I have. Have you had any communication with him?"
"Just texts and a few emails. To let me know he's seeing Maddie." She sighed. "Things with me and Deacon are just…crazy right now."
The server came back and they paused the conversation to give their breakfast orders. When the server left, Watty leaned forward slightly. "What were you expecting, Rayna?"
She looked away and then back. "I don't know." She breathed out. "I thought I saw something there, you know? That first night he was back. I guess I thought that part of why he came back was…you know."
"For you?"
She nodded. "I guess. But it's been awkward. And, of course, he was with Juliette for a bit." She rolled her eyes.
"Well, seems that's history now. But you might be surprised to know that I don't think it was necessarily a bad thing."
Rayna screwed up her face. "What?"
"He's been through a lot the last couple years, Rayna. More than you would know just from the gossip rags. I think he needed something uncomplicated. At least as uncomplicated as that was. You know you and Deacon were tied up together for a long time. Now you've had some distance between you and it's felt like a good thing."
Rayna shrugged. "I guess."
"Think about it. If he hadn't left Nashville, maybe he wouldn't have turned his life around."
"But you told me he was still a mess when you found him. Two and a half years later. How was that a good thing?"
Watty shook his head. "Well, that part wasn't. But if he'd come back here then, and he wanted to, you both might have fallen back into old patterns. And I think it's good that you both found your own way. You needed to do that too, Rayna, whether you want to admit it or not. You were very linked to him and cutting him loose let you spread your wings a bit."
She picked up her spoon and absentmindedly put it in her coffee and stirred it around. "But he's so different now. I feel like I don't even know him."
"He is different, my little songbird. So are you. You haven't been around each other in thirteen years. You need to start over." Just then, their orders came and the conversation moved to talking about the tour.
Later, she thought about what Watty had said. She realized that she had been dealing with Deacon as though they had just picked up where they left off. And neither one of them was in the same place they were then. She'd be home in eight days. Maybe it was time to start getting to know Deacon Claybourne all over again.
The last two nights of the tour before the break were in Chicago. When Rayna arrived back at the hotel after the first show, the front desk had an envelope for her. She looked at Bucky, with a puzzled look on her face. "I wonder what this is," she said. She opened the envelope and pulled out a set of papers. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Then she looked up at her manager. "The final divorce papers," she said, her voice catching.
Bucky looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Rayna. I know it's not a surprise, but I guess it's never a good thing to end a marriage."
She shook her head slowly. "No, it's not." She slid the papers back in. "I'm going up to my room."
He reached out and squeezed her arm. "See you tomorrow."
She nodded and then headed for the elevator. She waited until she got to her room before her face crumpled and the tears started to flow. She slid down onto the floor and cried. When she finally regained her composure, she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She hit the call button and lifted the phone to her ear. "I'm sorry to call so late, but I needed someone to talk to," she said, her voice quivering.
When the phone buzzed, Deacon sat straight up in the bed. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was after midnight. He breathed in and then picked up his phone. He looked at the name on the screen and frowned. Then he answered. "Hey, Ray. What's up?"
"I'm sorry to call so late, but I needed someone to talk to," she said.
"What's going on?"
"I know you're probably the last person I should be calling." Her voice sounded shaky, like she'd been crying. "But I thought you probably would understand." She paused and he waited. "The final divorce papers came today."
He wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to say. "Um, I'm sorry?" he said finally.
She laughed just a little. "Oh, I know you're not. I just know that you, you know, you went through this too."
He ran his hand over his mouth. "Yeah, I did," he said.
"Even when you want it, why does it hurt?"
He thought for a moment. "I think it's 'cause it feels like failure. Like you made a bad choice. Even when there's good times and love, it's like you chose wrong."
"Did you feel that way?"
"Yeah."
She was silent for a moment. Then she said, "When I come home, Deacon, I want us to talk. Just you and me. Really talk. About our lives and where we've been. I've missed you and I want to know what's been going on with you. I want to get to know you again."
He was surprised to feel tears prick his eyes. "I'd like that too, Ray," he said quietly. She was silent on the other end and he waited to see if she would say anything else. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked, at last.
She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah, I will be. I'm sorry I called so late, Deacon."
He smiled a little. "It's okay. I'll talk to you when you get home then." He lowered the phone and disconnected. He sat for a while, just looking at the now dark phone. He took a deep breath and laid back against the pillow.
Rayna sighed and then got up off the floor. She walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. When had everything gotten so crazy? She wanted the divorce. She'd never loved Teddy the way he loved her. The way he deserved to be loved. They'd done a dirty deal together when he offered to marry her and make her Deacon problem go away. So much water under the bridge.
She thought about Deacon's words. Even when there's good times and love, it's like you chose wrong. She wasn't sure she'd chosen wrong, but she sure had chosen right for the wrong reasons. She was overcome with grief over the loss of the marriage and how much it had hurt her daughters. She was surprised to realize that the keening cry she heard was her own, as she felt the loss of the life she'd led. There'd been pain and tears and anger, but she wondered if there was anything she could have done differently. Probably not.
Maybe she didn't choose wrong, but it sure did feel like a failure. And she was ready to get back to Nashville and see if she could pick up the pieces of her life.
Starting with Deacon Claybourne.
I know this was a short chapter, but it felt like the right place to end it. A little tease ending!