Rayna never told him what happened when she visited Deacon in rehab. He also never asked. But, she came home and life seemed to get back to normal.

Maddie was almost four when they decided to try to have a baby. It felt like the right time. Teddy's business was going well and they had just decided to build a new house, this time smack dab in the middle of Belle Meade.

Rayna had become a bona fide country music star. She toured nearly over 200 dates a year, had another platinum album and they'd had to plan more shelves in the music room in her new house to hold the CMA and Grammys.

"You really think this is the right time?" Rayna said as she rolled over and kissed Teddy. "I mean, I've got the new record coming out, the house isn't finished...what kind of crazy are we?"

"The kind of crazy that only wants to do the nursery one time," Teddy replied. "Anyway, I want our kids to be close in age, like you and Tandy. I want Maddie to have someone there for her."

Teddy was an only child and he had envied Rayna's relationship with her sister on more than one occasion, even when they were fighting like cats and dogs. She always had someone who had her back, over everything else, when it matters. Teddy had never really had that.

"Plus," he said, running his hand over her shoulder, down her arms. "You make such beautiful babies. I think it would be a shame to not have at least one more."

"You want more than two?" Rayna said, her eyes growing wide. "I did not sign on for that."

Teddy leaned in and kissed her. "Let's start with one, okay?"

Teddy walked off the plane and into a bustling O'Hare airport. Rayna had called earlier in the week and asked if he could fly up for her concert. He had arranged for Tandy to stay with the Maddie and even taken the day off on Friday to get there before the show.

He watched the show from the wings of the stage. Rayna had only gotten better, more at ease on stage, more of a presence. He loved watching her sing, but even more, he loved how from this vantage point he could see how she had every single person in that arena in the palm of her hand.

"Thanks y'all!" she called out after her second encore. The crowd kept stamping their feet and calling for more, but she leaned into the microphone. "I'd stay here for another one, but my husband came all the way from Nashville tonight, so I hope you won't hold it against me if I get you on your way so we can have some time together!"

And with that, she blew a kiss to the audience and headed straight to Teddy.

"Quite a show," he said as she threw her arms around him.

"You enjoy that?" she asked as she kissed him.

Teddy pulled her close as the roadies started pulling equipment off the stage and held her, the kiss continuing.

"Let's get out of here," she said, when they finally separated.

"Sounds good to me," Teddy replied as he took her by the hand to her dressing room to get ready to leave.

"It's a spectacular city," Teddy said as he stood by the window looking over the Chicago skyline. "We should just come up here sometime to enjoy it on its own."

Rayna laughed. "You know this is the worst part of being with a touring musician, don't you? I mean, I go all these place, never see anything and then when I'm not working, all I want to do is be home."

"Home is good, too," Teddy said as he turned back to her. "Champagne?"

She held out a glass to him. "Special occasion."

He started to raise it to his lips.

"No, I have a toast!" Rayna announced. She held her glass out to him. "To us, Teddy and...to the next member of the Conrad family."

Teddy stopped, his glass held out. He looked down at her waist. "Really?"

Rayna nodded, set down her glass and moved over to him, slipping her arms around him. "Coming to a Belle Meade mansion nearby in about 8 months."

"Wow," Teddy said. He leaned in and kissed her. "You...you have made me so happy, Rayna. I mean it."

She leaned her head against him. "Me too, Teddy. Me too."

Teddy loved Rayna and he loved Maddie, but the wave of emotion that washed over him when Daphne was delivered, her strong cry as she took her first breath-he had never known anything like it. He looked down at her and it was so clear, just like he saw Deacon in Maddie's face, that this was his daughter.

"Let me see her, Teddy," Rayna asked. He moved over next to her and put the baby down next to her on the gurney.

"She's perfect, Rayna. Perfect."

Teddy walked into Amerigo's and looked over to find Peggy Kenter at a table near the window. She had called earlier in the week, insistent that they meet for lunch.

"Peggy," he said as he pulled the chair back and sat down across from her. "How have you been?"

"Good," she replied, smiling and nodding. "It's been a good summer so far. Lots of golf for Robert, of course, and we did get away for about a couple of weeks, we have a house at Hilton Head, but what...what about you?"

He couldn't help but smile. She always acted a little nervous around him.

"It's been busy," Teddy started.

"Oh my gosh, of course," Peggy replied. "Your new baby. And your other little girl. Do you have pictures? I'd love to see them."

Teddy reached for his wallet and pulled out a new photo they had just had taken of the girls. "This is Maddie and Daphne," he said as he slid the photo over to her.

"They're just beautiful, Teddy," she said, her eyes holding on the photo in her hands. She looked up at him, a smile across her face. "They're just the image of you."

Teddy nodded and took the photo back from her. "So, what can I do for you?"

Peggy took a sip of her water and set the glass back down. "Well, I do have a favor to ask you."

"Yes?" Teddy replied, setting aside the menu he'd opened.

"How would you like to join the board of the credit union?" she asked. "John Wheeler stepped down and we have an opening. It would really mean a great deal to me, if you would do it."

Teddy looked at her and smiled. "Sounds like a great idea, Peggy. Thanks for thinking of me."

Teddy was sitting on the couch in the family room off the kitchen when he heard the back door open and Rayna walk in. He turned to look at her.

"What happened tonight?" he asked. He asked, because his wife had the biggest grin across her face. "Rayna? Are you? Are you drunk?"

She giggled and stepped toward him. "Just a little bit. I won't nurse the baby until tomorrow."

They had all planned to go to the Opry together, it was Rayna's first performance since Daphne was born, but Maddie had brought home pink eye from preschool and Teddy had stayed home with the girls.

"Did a little celebrating after the show?" Teddy asked as he made his way over to her. Rayna was half sitting on the kitchen stool, half leaning against the counter.

"Uh...yes...we celebrated, but we had to…" Rayna giggled.

"And what were you celebrating?" Teddy asked.

Rayna looked up at him, her face solemn. "They asked me. I'm in."

"In what?" Teddy asked, confused.

"Teddy!" she shrieked as she playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Get with the program."

Teddy shook his head. "Drunk or not, if you wake those girls…"

She leaned in toward him and stage whispered. "The Opry. I'm in the Opry."

Teddy looked down the agenda and sighed lightly. Peggy said the meetings wouldn't be that often or last that long, but this one had gone on at least an hour longer than he expected. He looked down at his watch and then at the paper again.

"Sorry," Peggy said in a whisper as they listened to the auditor deliver his findings.

"No, I'm sorry," Teddy replied. "It's just that Rayna is playing a surprise set at the Bluebird and it's her birthday, so I'd really like to get there before she goes on."

"Just leave," Peggy said. "I can tell them that something came up. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" he replied.

She leaned over and closed his portfolio. "Tell Rayna 'happy birthday' from me."

"This is a song off my third album, American Beauty, and it's always been a favorite of mine."

Rayna looked over at her guitar player and nodded as he started playing the opening chords.

I stood in the street in the pouring rain
Didn't give a damn about anything
I said take me,
Oh Lord, just take me

I went back in the house
Picked up this guitar
And somehow my fingers found
Their way to my heart
And it save me
Oh Lord, it saved me

I'm not proud of my mistakes
But thanks to you I've got so much to say

Rayna seemed to be staring straight into him and he smiled back at her, but then realized she wasn't looking at him at all. Teddy turned his body slightly to look behind him and there he was, standing next to the door-Deacon Claybourne. It had been years since Teddy had seen him. He almost looked like a different person, but the other times Teddy had seen him he'd been strung out or close to it. Teddy quickly turned back, focusing his eyes on Rayna.

After the set, he waited by his table while Rayna said her goodnights to the band. She came over and he put his arms around her. "Happy birthday, honey. Great show."

"Great show, Ray."

He stepped back from Rayna's embrace at the sound of the man's voice.

"Thanks, Deacon," Rayna said, standing next to him. "Thanks for coming."

"Wouldn'ta missed it for the world," he drawled. "Anyway, just wanted to say 'hi'."

Teddy and Rayna stood next to each other, watching as Deacon made his way over to the band that was packing up, greeting them-most of them had been playing with her before she fired Deacon.

"You ready?" he asked her after a moment.

"Uh huh," she replied.

Teddy drove most of the way home without saying anything. As they turned onto their street, he looked over at her. "Did you invite him?"

Rayna didn't reply.

"You did, didn't you?" he asked, his voice getting louder.

"I ran into him at Soundcheck after rehearsal. I have not seen him for years, Teddy. He congratulated me on my Opry induction and we just talked for a few minutes. We were friends for a lot of years."

"You weren't friends," Teddy shot back. "You were lovers. That's a totally different thing."

"Were you or were you not with Peggy Kenter tonight?" Rayna responded. "And I trust you...so you have got to trust me."

"So, what happens now?" Teddy asked.

"Nothing," Rayna replied. "I told him I was playing this set tonight and he said he'd love to hear it, so I invited him. That's all. You saw us. There's nothing between us. I love you."

Teddy looked over at her and the look on her face. The look of love.

And he believed her.

TBC