A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.
Chapter 14
"Now, press your thumb down into the cookie and add just a little dollop of mawmaw's strawberry jam." Maddie stood behind her baby sister helping her make cookies. She wore an apron over her Christmas tree pajamas.
Charlie did exactly as Maddie had said and then she turned to look at her with a huge grin on her face. "Like that, Maddie?"
"Just like that. You did so good." Maddie kissed the top of her head. She'd taken her mother's words from the night before to heart. It wasn't fair to make Charlie suffer because she got Deacon from the beginning and she hadn't.
"From the sounds of it mawmaw is gonna be outta a job soon. Maddie is gettin' good at givin' instructions." June turned from the stove. She was stirring gravy.
"Mawmaw, we have only made these cookies every Christmas Eve morning for the last ten Christmas Eves. I think I know how to make them by now, but we still need you, because they just don't taste the same without you." Maddie smiled at her.
"Kinda like daddy grilled cheese doesn't taste the same unless your daddy makes it?" Rayna sat at the counter drinking a cup of coffee. She was more than happy to let her mother-in-law take over her kitchen whenever she wanted to.
"Exactly like that." Daphne answered her mother.
"Daddy is the only one who can make daddy grilled cheese." Jayme spoke up.
"He's the best at makin' daddy grilled cheese." Jack agreed.
"He really is." Charlie chimed in.
"He won't tell no one else what's in it or nothin'." Deac backed his siblings up.
"I have to agree with them." Maddie nodded her head.
"What in the world are ya'll talkin' 'bout?" June asked amused.
"When the kids are sick or hurt or just feelin' a little down Deacon makes them what he calls daddy grilled cheese. No one, but him knows what's in it and none of us have ever been able to make one that tastes like his. I flat out asked him once what he put's in it and he refused to tell me. I even asked him if he put mayo on it. Of course I know better than that because he doesn't even like mayo." Rayna answered her.
"That sounds a lot to me like Paul Cakes. My ex-husband's faults aside that man can make pancakes better than even I can. He has his own secret recipe or somethin'. Before he let the you know what completely take him over every Saturday mornin' without fail he would make them for me and the kids. It was the one day a week that he insisted that I stay out of the kitchen at breakfast." June smiled a genuine smile that lit up her whole face.
Part of her would always love the good parts of Paul it was the sum of all his other parts that made it impossible for her to be with him. She was careful to avoid words like abusive and alcoholic in front of her younger grandchildren they loved their Pa and she didn't want to taint their image of him. They were still too young and innocent to hear about the horror story her life with him had turned into.
"It was the only time he ordered you out of the kitchen and it was the only thing that he could make." Deacon walked in rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Merry Christmas Eve, my sweet boy." June hugged him and kissed both his cheeks.
"Merry Christmas Eve, momma." Deacon made a beeline for the coffee pot. He poured himself a cup. "Ya'll didn't let me sleep so late I missed breakfast did ya?"
"Nope, I'm still workin' on breakfast and my little worker bees are makin' the cookies that have to be put in the fridge for a couple hours before we bake them." June went back to the stove.
"I thought that my ever aging man could use some extra sleep." Rayna's blue eyes twinkled with mirth.
"I think it's been proven that I ain't so old after all." Deacon alluded to the fact that they had gone for another round in the shower.
"I won't argue that." Rayna sipped her coffee.
"I don't wanna know what that means, but sadly I think I do." Maddie made a disgusted face.
"Your momma and daddy like to play a little slap and tickle. I think that should be evident by the four little people sittin' at the counter right now." June laughed.
"Momma!" Deacon groaned.
"June!" Rayna's face blushed.
"You both need to relax a little bit." June shook her head a satisfied grin present on her face.
Elvis ambled into the kitchen with a wide yawn. He sat down by the stove and stared up at June.
"You are just gonna have to wait a minute. Your eggs ain't done yet." June told the dog.
"Then we wonder why the dog is so spoiled." Daphne picked up her coffee cup.
"That's why he's got a good healthy coat. Your mawmaw has been cookin' special for that dog since we got him." Deacon corrected her.
"Speakin' of me spoilin' people. Maddie, get in my purse there's an early weddin' present in there for you." June told her granddaughter.
"Really?" Maddie asked excitedly.
"Really, it's in a little silk pouch." June informed her.
Maddie opened up her purse and found what she was looking for. She opened the pouch and found a silver cross on a very delicate chain. "Oh, mawmaw this is beautiful."
"It's not really for you it's for your daddy. My daddy wore that when he gave me away and my granddaddy and my great granddaddy and I believe my great-great granddaddy." June beamed.
"Thank you, mawmaw." Maddie handed it to Deacon.
"Thanks, momma." Deacon replied tightly. His good mood slowly evaporated.
"Somethin' wrong, son?" June picked up on the change in his tone of voice.
"Daphne, why don't you take those four to the bathroom to wash up?" Rayna suggested quickly. This was a conversation that didn't need to happen in front of them.
"I can handle that. Come on my little monkey brigade. We need to go wash our hands." Daphne picked Jack up and put him on her hip. The other three followed behind her dutifully.
"What's goin' on?" June asked.
"Maddie, why don't you tell her?" Deacon gripped his coffee mug so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Mawmaw, actually my other dad is gonna give me away." Maddie admitted and then she stared down at her fingernails.
"Sweetie, you ain't gotta be scared to ever tell me anythin'. I understand. I guess I just got a little too excited." June gave Deacon a sympathetic smile.
"That's really ok I appreciate the thought." Maddie smiled at her. She really felt like shit.
"Deacon John, you can go on and keep that cross. Your pawpaw would want you to have it." June squeezed his hand.
"I guess there are some sins you just never stop payin' for. I'm gonna go put this up. I'll be right back." Deacon put the necklace back in the pouch and walked back upstairs.
Rayna just leveled her daughter with a stare.
"What?" Maddie asked.
"Nothing, Madison, nothing at all." Rayna shrugged.
"That tells me it's something, but I think I'll at least get a Christmas reprieve before you tell me what it is." Maddie ran off at the mouth.
"With a mouth like that you can only be Deacon Claybourne's daughter. I hope you know that you're not too old to get your mouth washed out." Rayna arched her eyebrow.
"I hope you don't think that dad would actually let that happen." Maddie countered.
"I hope one day you have a daughter that's every bit as bad as you are." Rayna shot back.
"Damn, you really are a momma, babe." Deacon laughed as he came back into the room.
"I know daddy and Tandy wished that child on me. Now I'm wishing that she has one like her." Rayna informed him.
"While you're wishin' demon children on her just remember that these are our grandchildren and we will be havin' them a lot." Deacon pointed out to her.
"That's right keep talking, mom. See? Dad does have my back." Maddie hugged Deacon.
"You're actually gonna let me watch your kids?" Deacon asked. He was only teasing, but there was an edge in his voice.
"Of course I am. I want all my kids to have their first guitar lesson from their pawpaw. And who else is gonna spoil them the way you will?" Maddie leaned into his side.
"You just better watch that pawpaw business you ain't even married yet. One step at a time. Your daddy's heart can only take so much at once." Deacon kissed the top of her head. He couldn't find it in himself to stay mad at her.
"Really, one thing at a time. Let's see how much this wedding of yours is gonna cost us before you start thinking about babies." Rayna agreed with her husband.
"Alright, I got the monkeys to get their paws clean. It would be advisable for someone to feed them before they get restless and start tearing the house apart." Daphne came back into the room with Jack still on her hip.
"Daphne, have I ever told you that you're gonna make a good momma one day?" Deacon asked her.
"Thanks, dad. I just don't plan on having the Von Trapp family." Daphne retorted.
"When did that little one get such a sassy mouth?" Rayna looked at Deacon.
"Don't look at me. That can't be blamed on me. I'm thinkin' that they all get it from you." Deacon winked at her.
"Daph, don't be ridiculous we aren't the Von Trapp family. We are one kid short for that." Maddie corrected her sister.
"With the way those two are about each other I wouldn't count on that for long." Daphne snorted.
"Believe me I'm done. That last one was hard enough I can't imagine having a baby at this age." Rayna shut that idea down quickly.
"Ok, we are 'bout to get on a subject that will make me very uncomfortable so I'm just gonna put a stop to it now." Deacon spoke up.
"Breakfast is done. That should give ya'll somethin' to do other than run your mouths." June shook her head and laughed at them.
Rayna and Deacon's annual Christmas Eve bash was in full swing. Without fail they held it every year and whoever was in town showed up. It was an open house type deal that went all afternoon and all night.
"No, no, old man, stop runnin' off at the mouth. This is apples and oranges you're tryin' to compare right now. I can't even talk to you." Will was in a playful yet heated argument with Paul.
"I can't help it that you can't handle the truth. For my money Muddy Waters was a better musician than BB King." Paul retorted.
"Someone needs to come talk some sense into this man." Will took off his cowboy hat and ran his hand through his hair.
"Paul, are you makin' a nuisance out of yourself as usual?" June asked her ex-husband.
"This pup is tryin' to argue music with me. He asked me who I thought the best musician to come outta Mississippi was and I told him Muddy Waters." Paul explained.
"Will, there are two things you don't argue with Paul Claybourne. Music and whiskey. If you remember that you will be just fine." June informed the young man.
"He had to be the authority on somethin'. Lord knows his teams never win in the Turkey Bowl or the Jingle Bell Bowl." Will made reference to the football games that they played on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
"Now you're just askin' for it. I can't let this stand." Paul shook his head. "DJ!" He called out.
"Paul, what do you want?" Deacon was wearing a Santa hat on his head.
"I need two guitars, a banjo, and a harmonica. I don't suppose you'd know where I could find three other people to play with me would ya?" Paul requested.
"I think that can be arranged." Deacon left and returned with what Paul had asked for along with Max and Scarlett. He handed Paul an acoustic guitar and he sat down with his acoustic blues guitar. Scarlett had the banjo and Max was on harmonica.
"What in the world is goin' on over here?" Sadie asked.
"You'd have to ask my father that one. I ain't real sure." Deacon replied.
"You'll see in just a minute." Paul answered.
"Paul, you might as well start us off." Deacon gestured for him to start playing.
Paul started playing and the other three joined in soon after.
"What is this? It sounds like a cross between a blues band and bluegrass band." Rayna walked over and asked.
"This is the result of an argument that Will and Paul had. Don't ask 'cause you don't wanna know." June laughed.
"I don't wanna know, but if I thought it anything would come of it I sure would sign the ones I don't already have locked in to a contract." Rayna retorted.
"That talent is definitely genetic isn't it?" June looked at Scarlett, Deacon, and Paul.
"Yes it is." Rayna nodded her head in agreement.
Everyone clapped when they finished playing.
"Well, I guess I stand corrected on this one thing." Will was suitably impressed.
"I guess you won't argue music with me anymore." Paul challenged him.
"Paul, stop tryin' to scare the cowboy." Deacon laughed.
"That's ok, Deacon. You keep teasin' me like that and I will show you no mercy out on the football field." Will patted his back in a friendly gesture.
"I don't need your charity, boy. Hit me with your best shot. I believe that my teams are on a winnin' streak anyway." Deacon shot back at him.
"Didn't ya'll agree to tone the game down some when the kids got big enough to play?" Sadie asked them.
"We may have agreed to it in theory, but as you know in practice it don't always work out that way." Deacon answered her.
"In other words the guys are free to tackle anyone they want as long as it's not one of those kids." Rayna translated.
"Is it almost time for the annual show of idiots bein' idiots?" Juliette seemed giddy at the prospect.
"It is almost time for the idiots to do their macho posturing crap. Because it's not bad enough that they make us contend with it at Thanksgiving. They decided that we have to do it on Christmas too." Rayna spoke through clenched teeth.
"It could be worse Deacon and Max could both be havin' a midlife crisis that involves a sports car and a blonde bimbo." Juliette supplied helpfully.
"Deacon's midlife crisis was the motorcycle that he wrecked before he got the one from Harley." Rayna corrected her.
"I welcome Max to go out and get a blonde bimbo to deal with his ass. Hell, I'll even pay her to keep him entertained." Hailey interjected.
"Alright, let's have them get to this game while it's still light out. That way we won't have to be out in the cold in the dark." Rayna said.
'Sounds good to me." Sadie agreed.
"Bucky, Glenn, give tell them that it's time for the game to start. You two are the refs." Rayna called out to the two overworked managers.
"You've got it, Ray." Bucky gave her the thumbs up sign.
"And here we go." Juliette quipped.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Damn, big brother, you ok? You're suckin' air like you can't get enough." Rhett put his arm around his brother's shoulders after the game was over.
"Yeah, I'm good, Rhett, you ain't gotta worry 'bout me." Deacon reassured him.
"You sure? I mean I know you're gettin' old, but I didn't think you were that old." Rhett teased him.
"I'll show you old as soon as I catch my breath." Deacon flipped him off.
"Catch me, daddy." Jack launched himself into Deacon's arms.
"Hey, little buddy. You played a good game." Deacon spun him around. He suddenly had his second wind. He stopped to check on the turkey he was smoking on the way back into the house.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Babe, I think you and Will get better at barbequing every year. These ribs top last year's hands down." Maddie told JC after dinner.
"We tried a little somethin' new this year. We are very happy that you liked it." JC winked at her.
"What my partner in crime said. We worked very hard on that." Will mock bowed.
"Why to go, Maddie, give them both bigger heads than they already have. I'm surprised that Will hasn't had to buy a bigger cowboy hat yet." Mack rolled his eyes at his husband.
"That ain't the head that you really like though." Will smirked.
"Will, must you always go there. Some of us are tryin' to eat." Casey complained.
"And that is why the kids eat dinner in the other room. That section of the table down there." Deacon laughed.
"You have no room to talk. They may be vulgar, but you are the most profane person I know." Rayna gave him a look.
"I won't argue with that. This means it's that time of the night." Deacon checked the time on his phone.
"It is." Rayna agreed. "Alright, ya'll little monkeys if you're done eating come see Big Deacon he has instructions for you." She called all the kids into the room.
Deacon stood up from his chair and got ready for the mob that was about to attack him.
All the kids came in from the kitchen and stood in front of Deacon awaiting further instructions.
"In the music room everyone has a bag with their name on it. Go find your bag and change into what's inside. For you little ones that can't read yet ask Deac or Jayme and they will help you find your bag. After you do that meet us in the livin' room." Deacon gave them instructions. He didn't want to give them too much to remember at once.
"Got it, daddy. Jayme and I will help the little ones." Deac replied. He offered his hand to Billy. The kids all left the room.
"Ok, daddy, June, Paul, you three are up. We have the books for you to read them after Deacon gives them their one present for the night." Rayna said once the kids had gone.
"Rayna, we do this every year. We know how it works." Lamar assured her.
"I should hope that you would have it down in this amount of time." Tandy sipped from her wine glass.
"Tandy, don't make me have to take the wine away from you." June warned her playfully.
"You can have her wine glass when you pry it from her cold, dead fingers." Bucky muttered.
"I think I've more than earned the bottle or six of wine I drink every week thanks to the people that we have to work with." Tandy defended herself.
"I don't know how you can say that we are all wonderful people." Juliette spoke up for the group.
"Juliette, I'm sure that you're the main reason she drinks." Avery scratched his beard.
"Ten years ago that would have been true. Now it's Maddie and Casey that drive me to drink." Tandy corrected him.
"Maddie, did you hear that? We've officially made it. We are now the reason that our CFO drinks." Cassie whooped.
"I heard it and I'm not sure that we should be proud of that fact, but we are going to be." Maddie high fived her.
"Casey, just so you know I'm marryin' Maddie and not you too." JC shook his head.
"You wish. I'm part of the package, Texas." Casey winked at him.
"As much as I hate to say it she's right. I didn't just marry Mack I married his best friend too. Those two have sleepovers in my bed with me in it." Will pointed out.
"The fact that that doesn't even concern me should tell you how normal that is for those two." JC rubbed his forehead.
"I'm just gonna leave ya'll to clear the table and we are gonna go in the other room and do stuff with the little ones." Deacon gave them a look like they were all crazy.
"That's all you can do when they get their mouths started, dad. You just have to get up and walk away." Daphne laughed.
"Daph, don't start on us. I really do have dirt on you." Maddie smirked.
"Maddie, either tell it or stop threatening me with it." Daphne shot back.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The kids all came into the living room dressed in Christmas themed pajamas.
"Billy, you're gonna have to let Uncle Deacon borrow them jammies for when he goes deer huntin'." Will scooped his son up into his arms. Billy had one footed pajamas with reindeer on them.
"What do you say, little buddy? Can Uncle Deacon borrow them?" Mack kissed his son's head.
"I know someone standin' over there makin' fun of me that is gonna find himself sleepin' outside at deer camp next year." Deacon gave Will a word of warning.
"I'm gonna regret asking about anything that goes on at deer camp, but I have to ask. Why are you making fun of Deacon now?" Rayna asked.
"Because Deacon has this bright red union suit that he puts on over his underwear and t-shirt. It has everything, but the feet in it." Rhett answered her.
"Ya'll make fun of it all you want to. It works a lot better than all that expensive ass thermal you boys insist on buyin'." Deacon defended himself.
"It's still funny as hell to see you walkin' 'round in that while you make coffee in the mornin'." JC chuckled.
"I'm just gonna ignore ya'll and get to givin' these little ones the presents that Santa left with me." Deacon picked up a big red bag. "Deac, Jayme, Cadence, Charlie, Melody, Jase, Timmy, Riley, Gracie Rose, Danny, Jack, Lacey, Wyatt, and Billy." He listed the kids' names off as he handed them each a box. "Now, go crazy ya'll."
The kids tore into their presents excitedly.
"Now, ya'll are with Pawpaw Lamar, Mawmaw June, and Pa. They are gonna read to you for a little bit." Rayna said once they had finished opening their presents.
"Will, by virtue of bein' the first person to make an inappropriate comment at the dinner table that means you get to set up for their next activity." Tandy was kind enough to remind him.
"Gee, thanks, Tandy. I could go without that rule bein' enforced every year." Will grumbled.
"Let's think about why we had to make that rule." Rayna eyed Casey.
"I will be the first to admit that I have a horrible mouth on me. However, I rest easy at night knowin' that Deacon could give me lessons." Casey threw her hands up.
"And don't you forget it." Deacon smirked. He was the one who liked to go all out for Christmas. He'd never had any of this when he was a child he'd been too poor and Paul had been a drunk. It wasn't about the material stuff for him it was about building good memories.
After the kids had been read to they were herded off to the media room to watch Christmas movies.
"The kids are all settled in that means one thing." Will announced.
"What does it mean, Will?" Mack was actually scared to hear the answer.
"It means that it's time to break the booze out." JC and Will bumped knuckles.
"You mean you haven't been drinking?" Maddie asked him.
"You have been?" JC asked in reply.
"I told you that Maddie is on a quest to get drunker than anyone has been in the history of the world." Daphne chuckled.
"You can leave me and my supposed drunkenness alone." Maddie smirked.
"What in the hell have you been drinkin'?" Deacon asked his daughter.
"Let's see I spiked my whiskey with cider and eggnog." Maddie replied.
"Maddie, that hurts me just thinkin' 'bout it. Vinny and I got so drunk on that at a Christmas party one time and it was no fun comin' back up." Deacon shivered at the thought.
"Now those were two people who were actively trying to get drunker than anyone has ever been." Rayna shook her head. "Maddie, you need to be careful. You have a father and a grandfather that are alcoholics and that just so happens to be their drink of choice."
"Mom, please don't go there. I'm fine. I do not have a problem handling my whiskey." Maddie assured her.
"Do you know how many times I said that?" Deacon arched his eyebrow.
"Or me for that matter." Paul added.
"I promise both of you that I am fine. I know that you worry because of my genes, but I swear to you I'm ok." Maddie told them.
"Ok, you're right I have to trust you." Deacon nodded his head in acceptance of that. "Anyway, go have at the liquor cabinet. That'll leave a little less for Rayna to dip into when we get on her nerves."
"Oh, honey, that's so cute. You think I get into the booze in the liquor cabinet. I have a stash you know nothin' 'bout." Rayna winked at him.
"Yet I'm the one with the problem. I ain't the one hidin' booze from my spouse." Deacon held a spring of mistletoe up over her head and planted a kiss on her lips.
A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Maddie will come to her senses about the Teddy thing sooner or later, but something big has to happen to open her eyes first. It's already been hinted at if you think you know where I'm going feel free to give me your guesses. Until next time please review.