When Rayna invited Deacon back into her band, she swore it didn't mean anything and that it wouldn't change anything. And over the next few years, it didn't. Or at least Teddy didn't think it did.

Rayna became a much bigger star. She toured more. The girls went with her during the summer, but spent a lot of their time at home with him and the babysitter. At first he missed her when she was gone, but then after a while, it was almost disruptive for her to be back.

"I'm thinking about taking a year off," Rayna said the first night she was home after being out on the road for six weeks straight.

"What?" Teddy asked as he looked up from the laptop perched on his knees as he sat up in bed.

"When we're done with this tour, I'm thinking about taking a year off. Daphne's going to kindergarten, Maddie's gonna be in middle school before we know it, I just hate that I'm missing so much of their lives."

"What does Bucky say?" Teddy asked, looking over at her.

Rayna shrugged. "Says we could take a hit-might slow things down a bit for us, but we're doing really well, aren't we?"

Teddy nodded slowly. They were. And they weren't. He had finally pulled the trigger on that big Cumberland deal, just in time for the market to crash and every potential partner he'd lined up pulled out. He was holding on...for now.

"Deacon says he could live on the road," she added. "Which, frankly, I believe."

"Maybe he should try staying home and getting a life," Teddy muttered.

Rayna looked over at him, then went back to rubbing her lotion into her arms.

Teddy finished up reviewing the latest round of invoices on the project and then shut down his computer, setting it on the table next to him. Rayna had started reading a book. He looked at her one more time, rolled on his side with his back to her and shut off the light.


The girls had been at home with Teddy the last couple of weeks to start school, so it was a special treat for the three of them to fly out to Minnesota over the Labor Day weekend to see Rayna perform at the Minnesota State Fair. The grandstand show was Saturday night and he and the girls had left Rayna behind at the hotel to go check out the fair.

"Can we go see the babies?" Maddie asked as they walked down the crowded street of the fair, passing stands selling every single kind of food on a stick that a person could imagine.

"Sure," Teddy replied as he tightened his hand around Daphne's. "Stay close, though-I don't want to lose you in this crowd."

They headed toward the barns where there was an exhibit with animals that had either just given birth or soon would.

"Are you girls sure you want to stand in line?" Teddy asked as they got closer to the exhibit. Much like everything else at the fair, it was packed with people.

"I want to see the babies!" Daphne said.

"Then let's get in line," Teddy said as they entered into the queue.

"Can I get ice cream?" Maddie asked after they'd been waiting for almost 20 minutes.

Teddy looked over and saw the stand just 20 feet away. He reached in his pocket for his wallet, and pulled out a five dollar bill. "Go and get one, but come right back."

Maddie took the money and walked over to the stand.

He slipped the wallet back in his pocket and looked over.

Daphne was gone. He swung around-people were walking all around him, but no Daphne. He'd only looked away for a moment.

"Daphne," he called out, asking the people who were in line around them, starting to feel the buzz of panic growing. He swung around again. Now he didn't see Maddie either. He started to move toward the building, looking again for Daphne, then stopped and turned back. He couldn't leave the spot where he told Maddie to come back.

"Teddy?"

He turned at the sound of his voice to find Deacon standing in front of him.

"Everything okay?" Deacon asked.

Teddy shook his head, looking again toward the building. "No...Daphne was just here and Maddie is…"

Deacon put his hand out on Teddy's arm. "Where'd Maddie go?"

Teddy swung around again. "Ice cream. She walked right over there and…and she's coming back here, and Daphne..."

"What do you want me to do? Let me help you, Teddy."

Teddy took in a deep breath. "Stay here. Maddie's coming back here. I'm going to go look for Daphne. She wanted to see the babies...she must have taken off that direction."

Deacon pulled a small phone from his pocket. "Hey, give me your number. I can't text on this thing, but if you call, I'll answer."

They quickly exchanged numbers and then Teddy headed toward the door of the exhibit. He pushed past the people in line, apologizing and asking if anyone had seen a small girl. He kept turning, looking at the sea of people when he saw a young woman in a 4H t-shirt walking toward him, Daphne's hand tucked in hers, his daughter licking a small ice cream cone.

"This one belong to you?" she asked as Teddy rushed up to them.

"My god...Daphne...where did you go?" he asked, his voice tense.

Daphne burst into tears. Teddy dropped down in front of her, taking her in his arms. "I'm sorry baby, I was just scared. I couldn't find you."

"I...I...I wanted ice cream too," she choked out over her tears.

He smoothed his hand over her hair, her ice cream cone pressed between them now, melting down his shirt.

"You have to stay by Daddy when we're some place like this."

Daphne nodded, her tears starting to subside.

"Thank you," Teddy said to the young woman. He looked at her. "You interested in seeing Rayna Jaymes tonight?"

"Definitely!" the woman said. "I'm a huge fan."

Teddy took her name and told her to come to the will call window later. He thanked her again, and then headed, with Daphne's hand securely held by his own, back out toward the spot he'd left Deacon.

As they got closer, he saw that they were no longer in the line. Instead, Deacon sat next to his daughter...HIS daughter...on a park bench. He could see that they were in deep conversation. He paused for a moment.

"Daddy...I'm all sticky," Daphne complained. "And I need to go to the bathroom."

"Just a minute," Teddy replied. He continued to watch Deacon as he explained something to Maddie. Guilt washed over Teddy in a way that he hadn't felt before. He never saw Deacon this way. To him, Deacon Claybourne was a drunk, someone who hurt Rayna, someone who lied and didn't live up to expectations.

Except, here was Deacon Claybourne in front of him and this Deacon...this Deacon looked like a father.

"Bathroom! I hafta go to the bathroom!" Daphne protested.

Teddy looked over at Deacon and Maddie again, then led Daphne by the hand down to the restrooms he'd seen earlier. Deacon wasn't her father, but Teddy knew that Maddie was safe right where Teddy had last seen her and they'd be okay for a little bit longer.


Teddy left the girls in the hands of their babysitter and headed toward Rayna's dressing room. She was having her hair fixed when he walked in, pulled a beer from the small refrigerator and cracked it open as he sat down on the couch.

"Hard day at the fair, honey?" she teased him as he took a long drink.

"Yes," he replied, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the couch.

"Heard you all had a bit of an adventure today," Rayna responded.

Teddy's head popped back up, his eyes open. "Deacon tell you about that?" he asked.

Rayna shook her head. "No, what did Deacon know about it."

Teddy took another sip of the beer. "So what did you hear?"

"Bucky asked me about the comped tickets at will call, if we were doing a meet and greet," Rayna replied. "I said I didn't know anything and he said it was the girl who found Daphne.

"So, what did Deacon have to do with it?" Rayna asked.

"We were in line for that stupid baby animal exhibit and the girls went in two directions. Deacon showed up and waited for Maddie while I went to go find Daphne," Teddy explained.

"I was going to tell you all about it, but I hate to bring stuff up like this before a show," Teddy finished.

"Everyone's okay?" Rayna asked.

"Everyone's fine and accounted for," Teddy replied. "Whole thing lasted about ten minutes."

"Longest ten minutes of your life?" she asked.

"Definitely," he answered and left it at that. No need to tell her about the sheer panic and definitely no need to tell her about how it felt to see Deacon and Maddie...no need at all.


But as he watched the show that night, he couldn't help but feel a shot of remorse-that he had something that belonged to someone else. Something that had never been his to take. And that someday might be ripped away from him. And it left him cold.

TBC