He ran up the steps and knocked on the door. When she opened it, he held up a bag and smiled. "Thai food?" he said.

She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "Oh, thank you, thank you," she murmured. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Come on in with that." She stepped aside to let him in, kissing him as he passed her, then closing the door. She then slid her hand through his arm and led him towards the kitchen. "I am completely starved," she announced. "And I can totally focus on food because Yoby's down for the night."

He set the bag on the counter and started to take containers out. "Let's see. I've got Tom Yum soup, spring rolls, Pad Thai, and Pad Thai woon sen." He looked at her. "You got plates? Or something?"

She spread her hands out and smiled. "Can't we just eat out of the containers?"

He grinned. "We can do that." He pulled out the chopsticks and laid them on the counter alongside the food, along with spoons for the soup.

She got up on one of the bar stools and picked up the chopsticks. "Which one's the Pad Thai?" He opened one container and slid it towards her. She didn't wait for him, but went ahead and stuck her chopsticks in and pulled out some of the noodles and leaned her head back slightly, letting the noodles slide into her mouth. He watched as she ate and swallowed the bite and then she laughed. "I'm sorry, but I haven't eaten since noon."

He shook his head, grinning. "No problem." He opened up his box of food and the spring rolls and pushed the soup towards her. "You could have eaten before I got here."

"I wanted to wait. You had a long day, though."

He nodded as he chewed. "Yep." After he swallowed he said, "Yeah, lot of scenes with Hayden today. On stage scenes." She nodded. "You and me got one tomorrow."

"I know. The hospital scene." She sat forward. "That's a pretty emotional one for the two of them." She ate another bite of food, looking thoughtful as she chewed. He loved talking scenes with her, loved her passion around it and how important it was to her to get it right. They talked often about Deacon and Rayna's complicated relationship, trying to dig into what kinds of feelings were under the surface, and the connection the two shared. "Here's what I think," she said. "Rayna's just been knocked backwards by finding out her mom had this long affair with Watty and she's probably questioning just about everything. Not just that relationship, but her own relationship with her father and how Lamar kind of put all his hurt and pain on Rayna because she was like her mother."

He nodded. "And then her relationship with Watty."

She nodded. "You're right. They don't really delve into that, but that has to still hang around in the back of her mind." She sat back and crossed her legs. "I mean, clearly she's got all the talent and star power or she wouldn't be who she is, so she would have made it with or without Watty, but yeah, that would be a big deal." She pointed her chopsticks at him. "Here's what I think about Deacon coming to see her. It means everything. He's really the only person who truly understands her and for him to come be there for her, when everything else about the two of them is in disarray, well, that's just huge."

He nodded. "He can't let go."

She shook her head. "Neither can she. But the difference is that she doesn't want him to know that. So she has to make it all weird and everything by bringing up the vet." She rolled her eyes.

He laughed. "You really don't like her, do you?"

She made a face. "Rayna doesn't like her. I mean, it kills her. Remember after she told Deacon she thought Stacey was nice? When he was coming on stage? The look on her face was heartbreaking."

They had watched it together in the film village. "True. And, of course, he can't make himself say it's serious. 'Cause he doesn't want it to be. He's always gonna hold out for her."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "I want them to figure it out. Because I don't think either one of them will truly be happy until they do." She sighed. "But I also wish I had confidence that they could be written well together as a strong couple, with all that history and the love they've had for so long, and not have all these ridiculous roadblocks get thrown at them."

He breathed out. "You think that's what's gonna happen?"

She nodded. "I do. I wish I could say I didn't, because I love the pull between the two of them. But it's a complicated relationship. Personally I think they could work through the ups and downs, but I don't know if the powers that be will let them."

He thought about that. He liked the complexity and the richness of the relationship, but he sometimes wondered about the parallel trail they were running on. Because, of course, their own lives were complicated and their own relationship had those landmines that could either derail them or destroy them. He gave her a little smile. "Don't you have some pull?" She looked confused. "Producer credit?"

"Oh, pfftt," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "It doesn't mean anyone listens to me or that I have any influence over story. I mean, I can say what I think, but it doesn't mean anyone has to listen to me." She gave him a weary look. "I fight for Rayna and don't get as much as I want, so I'm probably not going to even get that when it comes to my ideas for Deacon and Rayna together." She smiled then. "At least I have some say over Chip and Connie though."

He grinned at her. "You do, do ya?"

She slid off the barstool and planted herself in front of him, between his legs. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she planted a kiss on his lips. "Yes, I do." She flicked her eyes over his shoulder. "The show starts in ten minutes."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Ten minutes is enough time for some serious necking, I do believe," he said, his lips against hers. She laughed, that laugh that said she was feeling good and was happy, and then tugged on his lip until he opened his mouth to hers.

He liked watching the show with her. They didn't always get the chance to do it, but this was the elevator kiss episode and he was glad neither one of them had to work that night. She sat curled up in his arms as they watched and they had a running commentary throughout the show, stopping during commercials to make out like kids. When the episode was over, she sat back against the back of the couch.

"Huh. I'm kind of surprised they left out the scene in Deacon's hotel room," she mused. She looked up at him. "But I'm also kind of glad they did."

He frowned. "Really? Why?"

She turned to face him, crossing her legs underneath her. "Well, because I didn't really like that she came down to basically shut him down." She fidgeted a bit with her fingers. "What was her motivation in inviting him up to her room?"

He leaned in and grinned. "To get fucked," he said.

She laughed, reaching out to scratch his cheek. "Yeah, that's right. So then, what, she thought better of it and goes down to say 'sorry we're not fucking after all'? And that was after that really emotional scene with Teddy where he asks for a divorce. It just didn't feel like she would have recovered that fast. So now, without it, it will make the Rayna spaces out scene in the next episode make more sense."

He nodded. "Sometimes the higher ups know what makes sense," he said.

She shrugged. "And sometimes they don't. Because I still think they have this 'Moonlighting' phobia, that if they put Deacon and Rayna together, they can't write for it." She looked up at the ceiling and then rolled her eyes. "I wonder if these people ever watched Eric and Tami."

He smiled. "That's the gold standard for sure. Great drama and they sure didn't shy away from conflict, yet they were strong together." He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb along the back of it. "But Deacon's an alcoholic. And Rayna went through a lot of years of heartache because of it. Plus there's Maddie. That's going to be a tough reveal to overcome, once they get to it."

She nodded, looking serious. "That's true. While I kind of like the idea of it, that Deacon and Rayna made a child together who's the confluence of the two of them, these two intertwined soulmates, it's gonna be complicated and messy and people will be hurt. Maybe irrevocably." She got an odd look on her face and he hitched his breath, realizing it could be a metaphor for the two of them. They sat there for a moment, not saying anything, and then finally she looked away. "I've got a 6:30 call time in the morning," she said, her voice low and almost regretful.

He knew that meant he needed to go. He typically wouldn't stay over on a night when either of them had an early call time. He hated to leave though. He ran the back of his fingers along her cheek. "I should go then, I guess."

She looked at him. "I guess," she said. Then she rose up and moved to straddle his lap, putting her hands on his face and pulling him in for a long kiss. He lifted her up and laid her on her back, sprawling on top of her. He felt her pull her knees up, settling under him as her lips continued to assault his. He pushed his hands up under her t-shirt, then used his thumbs to push up her bra so he could feel her breasts. She moaned, deep in her throat, arching her back and pushing up against him.

He pulled his lips from hers, reluctantly, and looked down at her. She slid her hands down to his shoulders and looked into his eyes and he knew she didn't want him to leave just yet. He slid off her pajama pants and then she reached for his belt.

He watched her from off set. She was filming the scene with Judith where they talked about Watty. He had to smile. She was always amazing, the way she inhabited her character and made her so real. He could feel Rayna's confusion and sadness, how she was still processing what she'd learned, trying to make sense of it. She's brilliant. He often felt like she made him better. He would let her lead him and it almost always made the scene better. She scoffed at that when he'd bring it up, but it was true.

He also thought about how he'd left her the night before. Even though she'd told him she had an early call time, she'd been reluctant to let him go. After they'd made love on her couch, she'd held him there in her arms, her face against his neck, just breathing in and out. He, of course, hated to leave her, and didn't mind staying as long as she wanted him to.

She looked up at him, finally, and then smoothed the hair off his forehead. She looked like she was going to say something but she didn't, just running her fingers over his hair and looking at his face, her eyes darting all around, almost like she was memorizing him. "Do you ever wonder if there was a reason we ended up here together?" she asked finally.

"You mean, besides me bringing you Thai food?" She gave him a ghost of a smile and he knew she was being introspective, not frivolous. "I do wonder," he said then. "You know I didn't walk onto the set thinking this would happen."

She nodded. "I know. I didn't either." She let her hand drift down to his cheek. "You know, I had a great relationship with Kyle and then with Dylan. Not like this, of course, but in many ways like what we have. They were great screen partners and good about talking about the characters with me. We'd have those same kind of conversations, trying to understand the motivations and all that. And they became friends. I sometimes think about how things went so differently for us, you know? Beyond just being screen partners and friends."

He tucked her hair behind her ear. "I think there was some inevitability about it," he said. "I'd had a hole for a long time and you filled it. But I don't think it was just that anyone could fill it. I think it was supposed to be you."

She looked at him. "We've got a tough road ahead, Chip. I know you know that." He closed his eyes briefly, nodding. "I understand what you mean about inevitability. It's hard for me to imagine a life now without you in it. And yet…." She trailed off.

"Connie, I know I've said before that we'll figure it out. And we will. I don't know how but I believe we will. But I don't want to hurt you and I feel like that's gonna happen. Not because I want it to or because I'll do something intentional, but because it's complicated and messy and…."

"And because I don't have the high ground," she said, sounding resigned.

He frowned. "Actually you do. I'm not sure you realize just where you fit in my life." She reached up and put a finger over his mouth.

"Be careful," she said softly. "There's a line that, if we cross it, we may not be able to come back from. And if we say it out loud, we can't take it back."

He knew what she meant. And while she might be right, it didn't mean it wasn't there. He found himself thinking it was much like Deacon and Rayna. Although the two of them had actually said the words, in song, on the stage at the Bluebird, they had worked hard to pull back. But they couldn't take it back. It was still there, even if they wanted to pretend it was not.

"Cut!" He was snapped out of his musing by the activity on the set. Connie saw him and smiled, walking over.

"Hey," she said, sounding happy to see him.

"Hey yourself," he said, with a smile. "How's it going so far?"

She crossed her arms over her waist. "That was take three. I'm hoping they got what they were looking for this time." She made a face. Then Judith joined them and the three of them chatted until the director decided he needed yet another take. Connie rolled her eyes and he laughed, then watched her walk back over to the set and take her place sitting on the chair next to Judith, looking down at her phone, ready to start the scene again.

He decided not to watch anymore and walked off.

When it was time for their scene, he and Connie stood and waited while the crew got the scene set up. He turned towards her. "I'm thinking about not saying anything when I walk in," he said.

She looked up, puzzled. "What?"

He rubbed his chin. "I know I'm not supposed to change anything but I've been thinking about it and I think it makes more sense."

She screwed up her face. "It's not but one word, Chip. I don't see how it makes a difference to leave it out."

He shrugged. "Just see how it goes. Worse that can happen is they make us do it again."

She made a face. "I suppose that's true."

"Connie, we're ready for you," the production assistant called out.

She put her hand on his arm and smiled. "Let's do this," she said, and then headed onto the set.

He was supposed to kneel down and say "hey" but, as he'd read through the script, he didn't really want to play it that way. So he walked in, kneeled down, and put his hand tentatively on her arm. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She closed her hand over his and they looked at each other with a deep gratefulness that they were together again. She reached for him then, pulling him close and he put his hand on the back of her shoulder, burying himself in her hair, breathing her in. He felt her pull him closer as they just held each other. It ended up looking amazing on camera, silently portraying all the pent up want and need between the two characters. No one else needed to know it was the two of them feeling grateful to be together, that the emotions that played out on camera were as real as they came.

She had a long day on set the following day and he was flying out to LA for the weekend. He was sitting at the gatehouse in the airport, waiting for his flight to board. They had one more week of filming and then they would have a ten day break for spring break. He and his family would be heading out for a beach week, Connie and Yoby would be heading for LA. Times apart were tough, but they'd learned to adjust. Mostly.

He was staring out the window, watching planes pull into and out of gates when his phone pinged. He looked down and saw her text. Have a good weekend. I'll miss you. He smiled to himself and texted back. Miss you too. See you Monday. He put the phone back in his pocket but it pinged again. He pulled it out and looked. Can you come by Sunday night? He chuckled a little and responded. I can do that. Then there was one more text. You were right about the scene. He grinned and then put his phone away, about the time the gate agent called his flight to start boarding.

On the long flight across country he had time to think. He truly had not expected to get caught up in an affair with Connie. He shook his head, thinking that calling it an affair cheapened what they had somehow. And yet, it was hard to reconcile the two lives he was leading. Until Nashville had happened, he'd been content, reasonably happy. He had a good life. He had three fantastic kids. He had never aspired to more than that. And it wasn't that he was unhappy, he truly couldn't say that he had been. If the honeymoon had been long over, it still wasn't a bad life to live.

Connie made him realize what he was missing. The life he'd thought he would have, all those years ago when he'd gotten married, hadn't turned out quite that way. It was no one's fault, really. It had just happened. He wondered if it wasn't the same kind of thing his own parents had gone through. They were still friendly, just no longer in love.

He knew that, if the show was picked up, things would likely get exponentially more complicated. His family would probably move to Nashville and he would have much less free time, time he now felt free to spend with Connie. It made him feel anxious to think about having to navigate that, to balance time with his family and time with her. Sometimes he thought he'd have to give her up, but the idea of that left him feeling empty. Right now he had the perfect set up. Having this life in LA, which was separate from Nashville, gave him boundaries that were easy to navigate.

When they landed, he turned on his phone and had a text from her. Missing you more than you know. He shook his head, but smiled anyway. She couldn't help herself. But it weighed heavily on him. He couldn't give up his family right then, even for her. But he couldn't give her up either. He texted her back. I do know. Same for me.