As the tour came to its final weeks, Deacon and Rayna began to discuss what they wanted to do when they returned to Nashville. Both agreed they wanted to buy a house outside the city to just relax alone for a while.
The new fame and all that came along with it was nice, but they both felt like some serious alone time away from cameras, autographs, paparazzi, and screaming fans sounded heavenly.
Life in the spotlight had really taken off the night of the first George Strait show. Their engagement had only intensified things. Everyone wanted to see the ring, and ask about wedding plans.
Rayna was excited about planning the wedding. She was thinking a spring of 1993, possibly May wedding date would be perfect. They both agreed on a smaller wedding.
Rayna wanted her father and sister there even if they weren't happy about the upcoming nuptials. Deacon had also said he wanted his mother and sister in attendance even if Bev could be difficult at times. Rayna couldn't deny Deacon his best friend, and most likely best man on that day, Vince!
Deacon had repeatedly tried to call Vince to share the wedding news, and ask if he'd be his best man. He never got an answer. He'd left several unreturned messages. Eventually an automated message simply said the mailbox was full. The last attempt he'd found the number disconnected entirely.
Rayna felt bad for Deacon. She knew he was worried about Vince. He didn't say much. Vince was still a touchy subject between them, and fighting was the last thing either of them wanted to do.
Deacon and Rayna had been staying in hotels at most of the stops lately for security reasons. They were both happy to be off the bus and alone a little more these days, although Rayna still wasn't feeling the best.
They were at a hotel in Springfield Illinois late one night after a show at the state fair. Deacon was in the shower. Rayna was browsing bridal magazines, when Deacon's phone rang on the night stand.
"Babe, you're phone is ringing."
"Get it, will ya sweetie! It might be Vince!" He'd yelled from the bathroom.
"Hello."
"Rayna?"
"Yes."
"Is Deacon around? This is Frannie."
"Oh Deacon's mom. So nice to finally talk to you. Yes, he's in the shower."
"Well, I just wanted to tell him he's an uncle. Bev had a little girl a couple hours ago."
"I'm so happy for her, and you! Congratulations Grandma!" Rayna said as Deacon emerged from the bathroom.
"Here's Deacon."
"Congratulations uncle Deacon!" Rayna said as she handed him the phone.
'Hey, mom, so she had the baby?"
"Yes, Deke, Scarlett Fran O'Connor arrived around 10pm tonight. She's 6lbs 2oz, 19inches long and absolutely beautiful."
"Well good. Glad to hear everything went well. So Bev's OK too?"
"Yeah, she did good. A little tired now, but other than that both mom and baby are doing good."
"…and what about the O'Connor part? I thought there was no baby daddy. Just assumed my niece would be a Claybourne."
"Well, yeah, about that…Lester found out Bev was pregnant, and came back to town. They're talking about getting married. We may have 2 Claybourne weddings soon."
"OK, mom. Tell Bev and baby Scarlett I love them. This tour is just about done. We'll be back in Nashville late next week. We'll try to plan a trip down to meet Scarlett."
"That would be great Deke. I can't wait to meet Rayna and hear all about the tour. So happy for you guys. You're all over country music news, and the tabloids."
"OK, mom. Love you. Bye."
"I'm an uncle." Deacon said beaming as he hung up
"…and you're an aunt." He said as he looked across the bed at Rayna
"Awe…congratulations babe. Can't wait to meet little Scarlett. We are gonna spoil her rotten when we go down to meet her." Rayna smiled
"I know we're just comin off the road and all next week, and we're gonna look at houses, and plan a wedding, but would you mind too much if we just relax at the apartment for a few days, kind put things on hold, and then take a quick trip to Natchez?" Deacon asked Rayna
"How long do you wanna put things on hold?" Rayna asked with concern in her voice
"Not us baby. I don't mean…" Deacon was visibly shaken
Rayna moved to his side of the bed.
"What's wrong Deacon?"
"Nothin with us, sweetheart. I wanna buy that house together, and I wanna marry you next Spring. I just wanna take a couple days to relax at home with you, and then both of us take a trip to Natchez to meet Scarlett….." his voice trailed off
"…and…" Rayna asked concerned again
"Vince, OK Ray? I need to check on Vince. I haven't heard from him since June. It's been over 3 months." He cautiously said
"OK, baby. We'll go soon. I'm sure he's fine. He's just being Vince." She said it a little more vehemently than intended
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Deacon shot back
Rayna sighed. She and Deacon hadn't had a fight since the day the tour began almost 3 months ago. Vince was a hot button subject, sure to cause one every time he came up. It had been that way since Rayna forced Deacon to kick him out of the apartment. Deep down she knew Deacon still had some resentment towards her over it, but they'd kinda just avoided the subject…until now
"It doesn't MEAN anything, Deacon! Let's just watch TV, OK?" she tried to smooth things over
"No, Ray…if you got somethin to say about Vince…JUST SAY IT!"
***silence*** Rayna was trying to choose her words carefully. Deacon was clearly upset with her, and she really didn't want to fight, but she needed to say some things.
"Maybe it's time to cut Vince loose Deacon? He's an adult. He doesn't want help with his drinking. The only time he really seems to need you is for bail money."
"HE'S MY BEST FRIEND RAYNA!" Deacon was raising his voice now
"I know he is, babe, but he's been nothing but trouble for you. That whole Nachez trip…"
"Alright you stop right there! He didn't pour Jack down my throat, RAYNA! I made the choice to drink, not Vince."
"OK, babe, look, can we just drop it?" she tried to wrap her arms around his waist, but he pushed her away
"NO RAYNA! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND. I LOVE HIM LIKE A BROTHER. HE AND HIS MAMA WERE ALL I HAD GROWING UP, AND I'M GONNA TURN MY BACK ON HIM FOR ANYONE…INCLUDING YOU!"
"Deacon, please…I didn't mean…"
Before she could stop him, Deacon was dressed, boots on, grabbed his cell phone and wallet off the night stand and was headed towards the door.
"Where are you going? It's after midnight, Deacon" she asked calmly
"I need some fresh air. Gonna take a walk, and think about things. That alright with you?" he asked sarcastically, as if her answer mattered, and slammed the door on his way out.
He walked several blocks contemplating life, and everything that had happened the past few months. He knew he loved Rayna unconditionally, even when he was pissed off at her, but he wasn't gonna turn his back on Vince for her.
He couldn't believe she'd really expect him to. Vince needed help. He needed rehab, but Deacon wasn't sure how to convince him, assuming he could even find him once they got to Natchez.
He kept walking, trying to clear his mind. He walked past several bars. The last of the beer tent patrons were stumbling off the fairgrounds and into local watering holes. He knew the guys from the band and the road crew were probably in one of them.
He wished like hell he didn't have this alcoholic monkey on his back all the time. He'd love to be able to walk into a bar, just for a drink, one drink to take the edge off a bad day, or a fight with Rayna, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop with one. He kept walking.
He thought about his future with Rayna. He still couldn't believe she said yes. He'd never pictured himself as the marriage type. He still wasn't sure what prompted him to propose that night on the bus a couple months ago.
Maybe it was the fear of losing Rayna? He was miserable that few weeks after the Natchez trip living alone in a cheap hotel. Her note asking him to move out felt like a knife through his heart. Seeing the hurt and disappointment in her eyes that morning at the 1st rehearsal had killed him. He never wanted to hurt her like that again.
He wished Vince could find someone like Rayna. Someone to love enough to stay sober for. Someone that would love him back enough to be there even if he slipped and screwed up a few times like Rayna had done with him.
"What the hell am I doing wandering the streets of a strange town at 2am? The love of my life is laying alone in a hotel bed, probably worried sick about me." He thought as he walked back towards the hotel
The room was dark as he quietly opened the door. He was surprised Rayna was asleep, but she had been awfully tired lately. He was actually getting kind of worried about the headaches, nausea, and exhaustion. It seemed to be lingering even when Rayna got enough sleep.
He undressed and quietly went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and freshen up for bed. Rayna had written a note on the mirror in lip stick.
I'm sorry, babe
You're right ;)
Vince needs us
Love you
R
He slipped between the sheets and curved himself around Rayna. He pulled her close, and buried his face in her hair.
"I'm sorry too. I love you, Ray." He whispered
"You're back. I missed you." Rayna mumbled as she quickly drifted back to sleep in his arms
Deacon was sound asleep and snoring when Rayna woke up the next morning. She was sick again. She had hoped this would pass, and was just a result of being overly tired, but as it lingered she couldn't deny she was getting worried.
She was also late. She hadn't had a period since they'd been on tour, and was normally like clockwork every month. Luckily Deacon had been too distracted to notice that part anyway.
Rayna had noticed a drug store just down the street. She could ask Watty to get her a pregnancy test, but she wanted to keep it quiet until she knew for sure. She really didn't want to be spotted by fans or media buying a pregnancy test.
It was early. She figured not many people would be out yet. She put her hair up, put on Deacon's baseball cap pulled low on her face, and one of his denim shirts, as she quietly slipped out the door. She hoped to get back before Deacon woke up.
No such luck! 25 minutes later when she walked back into the hotel room, he was awake and sitting at the desk.
"Well that's a new look." He laughed
"Where the hell you been, Ray? I thought we talked about going out alone?"
"No one recognized me, Deacon."
"What was so important?" he asked as he looked at the paper bag she held
There was no point in trying to hide it from him. She was pretty sure the test result would be positive. Deacon's reaction, however, was another story. She pulled the test from the bag. Deacon went white as the hotel sheets.
"How…why…I thought you were on the pill, Rayna?"
"I am, but I may have missed one, or two…..or six days." She cringed as she admitted it
"6 days? You forgot the damn pill for 6 days? Deacon was not happy
"Rayna, How could you just forget to…" he stopped as she started to cry
"I'm sorry, Deacon. I just…with the tour, and being off schedule, and living from a suitcase…" her voice cracked as tears ran down her cheeks
"OK, relax. We don't know for sure." Deacon tried to smooth things over a little, but he was visibly shaken himself
"Just take the damn test, Ray!"
5 minutes later Rayna emerged from the bathroom holding a stick with a plus sign clearly visible. Deacon took a deep breath, and slowly blew it back out, as he sat with his face in his hands.
"Say something, Deacon, Please?" Rayna pleaded through tears
"What the hell you want me to say, Ray?"
"I'm not ready for this!" He admitted
"How far along do you think you are?"
"I don't know, Deacon. I haven't had a period since we left Nashville."
"Since we left Nashville? Jesus Rayna, and you're just now telling me this?" he was pacing the room now
"Well…I'm sorry babe. I just..I was hoping it was just exhaustion, and not being on much of a schedule, and all the junk food…you know, and I am on the pill soooo…"
"Yeah, well, when you miss the pill for 6 damn days Rayna it's not as fuckin effective." He barked as he continued to pace
"How the fuck could you let this happen, Ray?"
"Oh so it's ALL MY fault, Deacon? I think you had a little hand in this too!" she shouted back
"I thought you were taking the pill, and we were covered, or I SURE AS HELL WOULD HAVE WORN A DAMN CONDOM!"
"Don't yell at me, Deacon!" Rayna started to cry
"What the hell are we gonna do, Ray? I'm not ready for this." He softened a bit at the sight of Rayna's tears
"I guess I need to find a doctor, in the next town we stop, and find out how far along I am. It's gotta be maybe a couple months."
Deacon's phone rang on the desk
"Hey, you guys about ready to head out? We've got a long haul to Denver." Watty asked as Deacon picked up
"Uhhh, yeah, Wat…give us about 30 minutes, OK?"
"Everything alright? You sound kinda upset, Deke." Asked the older gentleman
"Fine, Wat..we're good. See you on the bus in 30."
Rayna was heatedly throwing items into a bag in the bathroom when Deacon walked in to get his things. She pushed past him to pack her suitcase. He came out to find her sobbing on the bed. He took a deep breath. As angry as he was over the birth control mix up, he hated to see her cry. He sat next to her and put a reassuring arm around her.
"I'm sorry, Deacon." She sobbed harder as he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead
"Shhhh….don't cry, Ray. We've got a couple days in Denver. We'll find a doctor, and see where we are with this, OK?"
"C'mon Ray. You gotta pull yourself together before we get on that bus. We need to keep this between us for now, alright?
"You're right. I'm sorry." As she tried to pull it together, Deacon brushed tears from her cheeks and smiled. She was so damn beautiful.
They finished packing and headed downstairs. Breakfast was being served off the lobby area. Deacon pulled Rayna to a table and sat her down, as she protested.
"Deacon, I'm not hungry! I'm nauseous as hell. Let's just get on the damn bus!" she bitched as she tried to get up, and away from him.
"Ray, you need to eat, and take of yourself, and OUR baby." He demanded as he pulled her back down
"Sit, DAMMIT. What do you want? I'll get you a plate." He asked
"Surprise me, I'm NOT hungry, Deacon!"
He came back with a plate full of everything. They ate without saying another word to each other. Rayna was surprised she did actually feel a lot better with a full stomach. Deacon gathered their bags and offered a hand to help Rayna up.
He could be so nurturing and caring at times, even when he was angry. She realized how far they'd really come as a couple in the past few months.
In the past their fights usually ended in someone walking out, breaking up, making up, yelling, screaming, but they'd had 2 major disagreements since last night. The whole Vince blow up, and now the unplanned pregnancy.
The conversations had become heated both times, and Deacon did take a walk to cool off, after the Vince argument, but no one threatened to end the relationship. Deacon kept his temper pretty well in check, and both had apologized with little effort.
Deacon loaded their luggage into the undercarriage compartment, and turned to help Rayna maneuver the large steps onto the bus, but before letting her go up the steps he pulled her back to him.
"Hey…it's gonna be OK. I promise. I love you, Ray." He whispered as he planted a gentle kiss on her lips and brushed his hand across her belly
"I love you too, Deacon. I knew it was gonna be OK as soon as you said OUR baby."