Rayna walked into their bedroom that night to find Deacon sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to the door, clothed in his usual t-shirt and shorts. It had been a good day. They'd worked on lyrics to a couple of songs and were starting to work out melodies and charts for them.
"Loved writing with you, today," Rayna said as she climbed on the bed and crawled over to him on her knees. She leaned in and kissed the soft skin on the back of his neck. "You still have anything left for me?"
Deacon turned, so he was half facing her. "You use me for my musical talents and now you want me for my body?" he teased.
She kissed him again, this time on the lips and more deeply. "That's exactly what I plan to do."
Her fingers slid down to the edge of his t-shirt and she began to lift it up. He put his hand over hers.
"Deacon," she started, then stopped as he held her hand as they pulled the shirt off together. It went over his head and she tossed it onto the bed next to them.
Her fingers traced down from the hollows of his shoulder to the red scar, an upside down "Y" from his breast bone across his abdomen. It puckered a bit at one end.
"Does it hurt?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Not really. Feels kind of weird, like the sensation is off."
She held out her hand, encouraging him to join her on the bed. He laid down and she slipped her right leg over his. She untied the silk robe she had been wearing and he reached up to touch her bare skin.
"I don't want to hurt you," she said.
Deacon shrugged. "Go easy. I'll tell you if you need to stop."
She slid back, her hands working down his shorts until finally they were completely free of all the clothing that had been between them.
She ran her hands across his skin again, down his chest. "You're beautiful, Deacon."
He pulled her back down to him, his hands covering her soft skin.
"It's been a while, but I remember we were pretty good at this," he teased.
She slid up against him. "No more talking, Deacon."
The next morning Rayna woke up to find Deacon laying next to her, his eyes open, looking up at the ceiling.
"Sleep well?" she asked.
"Better than I have in months," he replied. He rolled onto his side, grimacing slightly as muscles pulled across his still tender abdomen. "So, you really think we can pull this off?"
Rayna rolled on her side facing him. "Pull what off?"
"A new album. Going on the road together. Deacon Claybourne and Rayna Jaymes."
"I absolutely think we can do that, I mean, except for one thing…"
"What's that?" Deacon asked.
Rayna sat up and reached for her robe at the foot of the bed. "Pretty sure that's Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne."
"You want to wrestle for that?" Deacon challenged.
She looked over him and laughed. "Oh, absolutely, I mean, other than I'd break you and we'd have to wait another year to go out on the road."
"What're you working on?" Rayna asked as she came out of the porch.
Deacon slid the notebook over to her. "Some lyrics. I have this idea, about being like new, just need to work some of the kinks out."
I'm praying for a tree to grow a dollar
I'm hoping for a cold california summer
I'm wishing for a heart that ain't broken in two
And I'll be just like new
When the sun stops shining
When the liars quit lying
When I finally face the truth
I'll be pushing up roses
When I start getting over you
And I'll be just like new
"It's a little dark," she said, reading down the lines.
"Well, it's just a song, Ray. It's not my life's story, not really. And I have a catchy melody for it." He picked up the guitar and started strumming. After a line she joined in.
"Ah, yes-that's great," Rayna replied. "But let's try that other one, Keep Coming Back."
Deacon nodded and adjusted the capo on the guitar.
Distance don't mean a thing.
I come when you pull the strings.
The strings of my heart.
Wherever you are.
Just pull, tug, tease
I'll keep coming back
Ohh It's true
I keep coming back
That's what I do
I retrace my tracks, to you.
Rayna sighed. "It's perfect, Deacon."
"Okay, cause if these two work, then I think we need to call Bucky and get back into the studio and get this stuff down."
Rayna nodded. It was time for both of them.
8 Weeks Later
"So, you ready for this?" Deacon asked as they stood at the edge of the stage in Barclay Center.
"It's so big," Rayna said as they looked up into the sea of dark, empty seats in the stadium.
"We used to have a way of dealin' with that," Deacon replied. "C'mon."
He led her down the steps from the stage and across the floor. Pulling a little flashlight out, he led them up the steps through the first tier of seats, to the mezzanine seats and finally to the balcony.
"Lordy," Deacon panted as they sat down. "That used to be easier."
"I'm thinkin' we used to be younger," Rayna replied. "And in better shape."
Deacon laughed, then leaned forward over the short wall in front of their seats. "No, we used to come up here and look down, talk about the folks that would be sittin' up here, realize that we needed to play a show that meant as much to them as to the folks lining the stage on the floor."
He looked over at Rayna. "You know, I'd been thinkin' a long time about us comin' up here before your first show back."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah. I mean, out here, doin' this-that's when I knew I would never not love you, Ray. And I never stopped. I mean, I can say that now, but all those years, the ones that are gone for you now, I was there, standin' as close as I could, lovin' you with my whole heart, wantin' to say it and then when I thought we would finally have that chance, you were gone and I just wasn't sure we could get that back, that you would know me again."
Rayna leaned her head against his shoulder, taking his hand in hers.
"And then, you became you again, and that love, it was back and then...and then I got sick and it seemed like this cruel fate that was gonna keep us apart and maybe I should have had more faith then and just forged ahead, but I'm not a person who a lot of good things happen to, so I didn't have that faith."
Rayna's hand still in his right hand, he slid his left hand into his jeans and pulled it out, a simple silver ring in his hand.
"I should have given this back to you a long time ago, but I needed to know for sure that I could keep my promises to you."
He slid the ring onto her left hand. "Will you be mine, Rayna, forever…"
She looked down at the ring, so small, so perfect on her hand, then turned to him. "Forever, Deacon."
As the crowd stamped the floor, cheering and demanding that they come back on stage with shouts of names of her old hits, Rayna leaned over the kissed Deacon one more time.
"Okay, should we give them what they're asking for?" she said as she smiled.
"Gotta keep the customer satisfied," he replied.
They headed back onto the stage with the rest of the band. Rayna walked up and took the mike and held her hand up.
"We're just so grateful to be here with y'all tonight. I think you know that it's been a long time gettin' back out here on the road and this stage and with these amazing musicians. Deacon and I, we could not have done it without your love and support." She looked back at Deacon as he nodded.
"This is where we started...with music and Deacon and a lot of stuff has happened since then, but we've got the love and we've got each other and our family."
Deacon began to strum his guitar as Rayna pulled the microphone up to her mouth.
Don't you try to tell me someone's waiting.
They're not waiting for you.
Oh and don't you try to tell me that you're wanted.
That you're needed.
Cause it's not true.
I know why you're lonely.
It's time you knew it too.
No one will ever love you, no one will ever love you.
No one will ever love you like I do.
Deacon stepped up and joined her.
Why you always looking for the limelight?
Ain't you satisfied with me?
For once why don't you get down off your high heels,
you're no big deal.
Can't you see? I know why you're lonely.
It's time you knew it too.
No one will ever love you. No one will ever love you.
No one will ever love you like I do.
I'm all you got.
I'm all you'll ever need.
I'm all you'll ever have.
As the last notes finished, the crowd jumped up, their voices echoing throughout the arena.
Rayna leaned in. "I'm thinking they like us."
Deacon smiled and shook his head. "Always one to understate it, Ray."
She smiled back at him, her finger running across the slim band she hadn't taken off since he gave it to her. Tonight was a beginning in more ways than one.
Author's note: Thanks so much for joining me in reading this story. I have loved all the reviews and want to thank Beth Pryor again for helping me get it right. There is an epilogue, which is actually written. I'm enjoying a couple of snow days, so should have it posted later today or tonight.