A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. The songs used in this chapter are Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Eli Young Band and Tackle Box by Luke Bryan.
Chapter 51
"Way back on the radio dial a fire got lit inside a bright eyed child every note just wrapped around his soul from steel guitars to Memphis all the way to rock and roll. Oh, I can hear 'em playin' I can hear the ringin' of a beat up ol' guitar. Oh, I can hear 'em singin' keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart."
Deacon, Rayna, Bucky, Glenn, and Tandy were in the conference room listening to Deacon's new album. Sadie, Juliette, and Avery were there too.
"Downtown is where I used to wander old enough to get there, but too young to get inside. So I would stand out on the sidewalk listen to the music playin' every Friday night. Oh, I can hear 'em playin' I can hear the ringin' of a beat up ol' guitar. Oh, I can hear 'em singin' keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart."
Rayna looked over at Deacon and smiled.
"Some dreams stay with you forever drag you around and bring you back to where you were. Some dreams keep on gettin' better. Gotta keep believin' if you wanna know for sure. Oh, I can hear 'em playin'. I can hear the ringin' of a beat up ol' guitar. Oh, I can hear 'em singin' keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart."
Deacon winked at her. That line hadn't just been about his career it was about their marriage and how it was his real dream.
"Oh, I can hear 'em playin'. I can hear the ringin' of a beat up ol' guitar. Oh, I can hear 'em singin' keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart. Keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh keep on dreamin', oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Don't let it break your heart."
"How many more do we have left?" Tandy asked.
"We have one more." Rayna answered her.
"It was two shades of brown scratched up plastic. It held extra line, lures, hooks, and matches. And his last name engraved in brass right there by the handle on the top. I'd slide it out of the back of his station wagon. Lug it down the bank with my arm draggin' and I could hardly wait for him to lift the lid on that tackle box."
Deacon nodded his head along with the beat.
"Cause I'd sail with him across the south pacific stand beside him on the bow of that battle ship. See him kiss the ground and thank the good lord Jesus. And watch him run to grandma cryin' on the dock. He opened up every time he opened up that old tackle box."
Juliette looked at Deacon in awe of his abilities as a songwriter.
"He's bait my hook and keep on tellin' stories 'bout nickel cokes, girls, and sand lot glories. Pickup trucks and peanut fields long before this town knew blacktop. I was almost ridin' with him shotgun down those dirt roads. Takin' turns on a jug of homemade shine as he raced his buddies down through mason holler fillin' the sky with dust and kicked up rocks. He opened up every time he opened up that old tackle box."
Avery shifted positions in his chair they had been at this for a while now.
"He's been gone twenty years tomorrow and I'm still holdin' on to this one wish. That God above would let me borrow grandpa for one more afternoon and one more fish."
Deacon had to look away from everyone and wipe at his eyes. This song had taken an emotional toll on him because his grandfather had meant so much to him. He had to go to a different deep part of his soul to get this song.
"And I'd sail with him across the south pacific stand beside him on the bow of that battleship. See him kiss the ground and thank the good lord Jesus. And watch him run to grandma cryin' on the dock. He opened up every time he opened up that old tackle box. Yeah, I sure loved every time he opened up that old tackle box."
Rayna didn't say a word she just got to her feet and started clapping. Everyone else quickly joined suit.
"Alright, ya'll, knock it off. You're gonna embarrass the hell outta me." Deacon blushed furiously.
"Babe, that whole thing was masterful. You just put on a clinic." Rayna hugged him from behind and kissed the top of his head.
"Wow, Deacon, that was wow." Sadie didn't really have words for him.
"This guy right here is the one who helped me find my deeper side as an artist. I didn't know that he could go that deep though." Juliette gushed.
"There's a reason that he's our resident artist mentor." Avery observed.
Bucky had a huge smile on his face he got up and kissed Deacon in the center of his forehead wetly. "Freakin' Deacon, you big beautiful bastard, I love you so much right now. We are releasing a new single soon. We are back in the black."
"Bucky, did you want the rest of us to leave the room so you and Deacon can have a minute alone?" Tandy asked her husband.
"Nope, I'm just so happy right now. Someone is finally making music on this label." Bucky replied.
"He makes a very good point. That is the realest, purest music we've heard from anyone on this label in the last year. God knows that I love Maddie, but if I never have to hear that album ever again it'll be too soon." Glenn spoke up.
"If Glenn is saying it, it's true. You know what his other job is." Tandy snorted.
"Ya'll are my senior artist advisory panel. We need to brainstorm some album names. Ya'll came up with About A Girl. Let's see what we can come up with this time." Rayna turned to the others.
"Will came up with About A Girl. Because every song on that album was about you." Avery pointed out to her.
"About a Girl, My Life's Been a Country Song, Mississippi, Adams' County Line, Born and Bred. Those are just a few of his album names. I'm starting to think that he throws a dart at words and puts them together." Tandy listed off.
"What are your top choices?" Juliette asked.
"We came up with Story of Me, Back Road Diary, and Back to Me." Rayna gave them the names that they had come up with.
"Those are ideas anyway." Avery nodded his head.
"I've got it. Three Chords and the Truth. That's what he said to me when I first started writin' with him." Sadie suggested.
"That is perfect. It's so him. I like it." Rayna smiled.
"I like it too. We have a winner. Thanks, Sadie." Deacon was totally on board with the idea.
"Alright, we've got it down. We've just gotta get Deacon in for some headshots and have someone work out the album artwork." Bucky jotted down some notes.
"I already had that done." Deacon showed him the album cover he'd had done.
"This is perfect. I love the back cover and how you and the whole band are sitting on the fence posts. Who did you get to do this for you?" Bucky asked.
"Max made MJ do it. I mean he literally went over to MJ's apartment and drug him out." Deacon answered.
"He's the first decent social media director that we've had. Please don't do anything to make him quit." Glenn begged.
"It was noon the kid was sleepin'. Max did it not me. And talk to the bully that your partner in crime is married too she works him to death. Anyway, Mad Max is a big boy he comes at you and you move your ass. He once had me by one arm and Vince by one arm and he drug us outta a beer tent in Phoenix." Deacon shrugged his shoulders.
"I remember that. That was the night that no boilermakers rule was invented. We puked from Phoenix to somewhere in California." Bucky groaned.
"Bucky, shut the hell up. I don't think a puked as much through all my pregnancies as I did that night." Rayna put her hands over her face.
"Getting back on track. MJ did very well with this album cover. That is one talented kid." Glenn got them back on target.
"We had a lotta fun on that photo shoot. We did it out at the house." Deacon replied.
"Babe, I don't know about you, but I'm incredibly proud of this album. You got it all done quickly." Rayna praised him.
"I had nothin' else to do. I couldn't move hell I could barely breathe without bein' in pain. The only thing I could do was write. I was sleepin' in a damn recliner cause I couldn't lay flat on my back. You wouldn't believe the ideas that you get when you can't sleep and you can't get up to pace the floor like usual." Deacon played off her praise like usual. He just didn't have it in him to not be modest.
"This is why you're the talent scout and President of Artist Relations and Communications." Tandy was being nice to him without actually saying the words.
"That's as made up as Rayna's Senior Artist Advisory Panel." Juliette pointed out to her.
"President of Artist Relations and Communications is the head of the Senior Artist Advisory Panel." Rayna shot back without missing a beat.
"You really did just make that up." Sadie laughed.
"I just made up my Senior Artist Advisory Panel this mornin' while I waited for the four-year-old to use the bathroom for the fiftieth time." Rayna admitted.
"I made up Deacon's position when I started having him do Deacon work. Glenn is President of Diva Control and Pacification. Everyone around here has a title." Tandy explained.
"Everyone has a title for shit you don't wanna deal with. I'm also CEO of keepin' the CEO in a good mood." Deacon drummed his fingers on the table.
"You're my damn husband." Rayna glared at him.
"Which is why he's CEO of keeping the CEO in a good mood." Tandy pointed out to her.
"Deacon, you're in violation of the professional conduct rule. That'll be fifty bucks." Avery held his hand out.
"What the hell are you talkin' 'bout, Avery? I didn't do anythin'." Deacon looked at him confused.
"You said shit." Avery pointed out to him.
"That doesn't count this is an inter-office meetin'. If we were meetin' with other people I'd pay the toll, but no way in hell do I pay the toll for sayin' shit." Deacon slapped his hand.
"What's that all about?" Bucky looked between them.
"The Wayward Musicians and I have these rules of professional conduct. They're not really rules so much as they are challenges. No cussin' in meetings failure to comply with that rule results in a fine. Overuse of the phrase Texas forever is penalized by havin' to buy food. Excessive use of sexual innuendos a thirty minute talkin' ban is imposed and a fine has to be paid." Deacon explained.
"Cussing would be you, Texas forever is Jimmy and Will, and the last one can only be Casey." Rayna listed off.
"I'm not the only one with a potty mouth. That rule was not put in the bylaws especially for me. That was for my sister-in-law." Deacon pointed at Sadie.
"Guilty as charged." Sadie admitted.
"Again allow me to get us back on track. Deacon, you've got this album, you're gonna need a tour." Glenn pointed out.
"Glenn is right. This album is amazing, but it really does no good without a tour. And this is where I get worked heaped on me." Bucky toyed with his pen.
"Buck, I'll get with you later and explain what's goin' on with that. We talked a little about it already." Rayna replied.
"Next thing we need to do is pick a single and release it as soon as possible." Bucky went on.
"Mistress Named Music or Knives of New Orleans. Those are my choices." Tandy made her thoughts known.
"Since I'm on the Senior Artist Advisory Panel I have to go with Mistress Named Music. There is no way that you're gonna go wrong with that song." Juliette offered.
"I second that." Sadie agreed.
"And I third it." Avery raised his hand.
"We are all in agreement then. That's the song we will go with as soon as possible." Bucky made a note.
"If that is all we have to take care of today I'm gonna take off early. I'm gonna head up to the cabin and do some fishin'. I need some time to decompress." Deacon stood up.
"Go throw your brother's lazy ass outta bed and take him with you. I'm tired of seein' his face and he's only been home a few days." Sadie told him.
"Why is he home? And is Wyatt home with him?" Deacon asked.
"He has a deep tissue bruise. Lamar heard about it and he made him come home to get some rest. I may or may not whisper in his ear about retiring while he's sleeping. And Wy is at preschool. He actually goes because I get a couple hours of free time while he's gone. I need that time to myself." Sadie poked fun at Rayna's inability to drop Jack off at preschool.
"The reason that I don't always send Jack to preschool when it's my day to drop him off is because he calms me down. I have a stressful job and havin' him to talk to makes it easier." Rayna defended herself.
"Tell yourself whatever you have to, to feel better." Sadie laughed at her.
"Buck, you wanna cut out early with me?" Deacon offered.
"No, I've got a ton of work to get through. Unlike your president title mine actually comes with work that has to get done." Bucky shuffled some papers around.
"Buck, give me the papers. I'll take care of it. You need some time off. Go drown a worm with Deacon and Rhett." Rayna took the papers from him.
"Alright, I'm in. There's worse ways to spend the day than being stuck in a boat with the Claybourne brothers. These two at least don't have sword fights when they're peeing or even worse put tape on the bathroom floor and try to hit the toilet from that distance." Bucky shrugged his shoulders.
"My boys are competitive they can't help themselves." Deacon laughed.
"Boys are so gross and I wasn't prepared at all for this." Rayna shook her head.
"Damn it, Deacon, come on. Try to keep the boat straight, son. I've got perfect castin' real estate and you are lettin' the boat go all over the place." Rhett bitched from the back of Deacon's bass boat.
"Hey, your highness, would you rather come up here and work the trollin' motor? Just cause you're some baseball stud now don't mean you ain't still my baby brother. I don't take orders from you." Deacon shot back.
"I'm surrounded by bickering siblings. I thought that it didn't get worse than Tandy and Ray, but you two run a close second." Bucky muttered.
"Rhett, give Bucky a beer outta your cooler he's earned it. That boy is wound up tighter than an eight-day clock." Deacon threw his lure on the edge of the weeds. "There's bound to be a big hog layin' on the edge of them weeds."
Rhett took a beer out of the cooler and handed it to Bucky. "There you go, my man. Anyone who can put up with the redheaded dragon sisters every day deserves a drink or two." He casted his line out. "Look at that log right there. I bet there's a large mouth under there."
Bucky cracked his beer open and took a long swallow from it. "They are both a handful to deal with in their own ways. At least with Rayna I can send Deacon in to do my dirty work. I deal with the big sister at home and at the office. She's far worse than the little sister could ever dream of being." He threw his line out in the water.
"The little sister has her moments too." Deacon made another cast. "Rhett, root beer me."
"On it," Rhett took a bottle out of the cooler and tossed it to him.
Deacon caught it with one hand. "Thank ya, much." He twisted the cap off the top and threw it in the bottom of the boat.
"I'm starting to have flashbacks to the nineties with the glass bottles flying around." Bucky quipped.
"This isn't exactly the same. Those glass bottles were empty. We didn't waste alcohol in those days." Deacon chuckled.
"No, the hotel bills would have been cheaper if you had. The more you drank from the minibar the more you and Vince tore up." Bucky muttered.
"Alright, Buck, you need to spill. I haven't known ya as long as my big brother has, but in all the time I have known ya I've seen you deal with some real shit bein' heaped on ya and you've never been this wound up. So, what's wrong with ya?" Rhett called him out on his attitude.
"I'm gonna tell you two something, but you can't tell any of our wives." Bucky sighed.
"Buck, it's bro code what's said on the boat stays on the boat." Deacon assured him.
"I went for my yearly checkup the other day and my doctor thinks that I might have prostate cancer. I had the tests done and I'm waiting for the results. It just has me thinking about my life and what I'm doing with it. My stress levels are through the roof I now have to be on high blood pressure medication and what for? I always thought that I'd have something more to show for my life. Maybe a couple of kids or running my own successful management firm. I mean my biggest and best client has made me a boatload of money, but still I thought I'd have more." Bucky answered.
"Oh, Buck, I'm sorry, man. You shoulda said somethin' to me. We are family you shouldn't be goin' through this alone. Whatever you need you know that I'm here. You have made an impact with your life. You took this little unknown girl and you turned her into a country music superstar. You are the president of a highly successful record label that has almost tanked more than once. You don't have any kids of your own, but my children are extremely lucky to have you in their lives. I don't know what any of us would do without you. You let me know as soon as those test results come in." Deacon spoke from his heart.
"Buck, you're the man who makes shit happen. You hooked me up with my sports' agent and you handled everythin' for me before I had an agent. I know a thing or two 'bout cancer and if you need someone to talk to I'm more than happy to listen." Rhett reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
"I appreciate it, guys. I just don't wanna tell Tandy until I know for sure. She will just do that thing that she does where she goes overboard. She'll change my diet and call in all kinda specialists. I don't want that until I know it's warranted." Bucky sighed.
"We've got your back. I mean I know if Ray found out she would pull out all the stops to get you better too." Deacon replied.
Rhett reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out three cigars. "Can I offer you gentlemen a cigar?" He unwrapped one and held it between his teeth.
"Hell yeah, toss me one of those." Deacon held out his hand.
Rhett tossed him a cigar. "There you are." He held the other one out to Bucky. "Bucky?"
"What the hell? It's not gonna do anymore damage." Bucky took the cigar from him.
Deacon took a lighter out of his tackle box and lit his cigar. "Here, Buck." He passed the lighter over to him.
"Thank you," Bucky lit up.
"How long do you think we have before the girls start to miss us?" Rhett asked after he lit his cigar.
"I figure that we have all afternoon and when there is real cookin' to be done they will call and make us come in. Or hell they might have a wine party without us and forget all 'bout dinner." Deacon answered him.
"The wine is a given. That's gonna happen either way." Rhett snorted.
"In that case let's see how many fish we can catch before they call us." Bucky suggested.
"I'm down for that and I'm down for emptyin' this cooler full of beer. Buck, I'm gonna need some help with that." Rhett threw his empty beer bottle in the bottom of the boat and opened another one.
"Rhett, what exactly are you even doin' home from trainin' right now?" Deacon took his sunglasses off and looked at his brother.
"Well, I have a deep tissue bruise on my hip. I can play through the pain, but Lamar saw it and refused to let me play on it." Rhett stood up and lowered his jeans just enough to expose a deep purple bruise on his hip. "It ain't that bad. I feel like some damn pussy not playin' on it."
"Not that bad? Not that bad! That shit looks horrible." Deacon's jaw hung open.
"What did you do?" Bucky asked him.
"Officially I hit the wall in center field. Unofficially I got drunk and ran into the dresser in the hotel room." Rhett shrugged his shoulders.
"You didn't get that by runnin' into no dresser and hittin' the corner of it. I know drunken injuries and I know a thing or two 'bout fights. That's how you get a bruise like that." Deacon called him on his bullshit.
"Alright, so let's say that there's this little twenty-two year old relief pitcher with a bad attitude and a big mouth and let's say that spring trainin' is like a frat party. Let's say that some of the older guys and I were hazin' the hell outta these new kids and he took a swing at me so it was on. I got rammed into the sharp edge of the dresser and the little punk took punched me in the ribs. I beat the livin' shit outta him." Rhett reported.
"Well, you finally grew into your Claybourne genes." Bucky snorted.
"Is that all ya'll do when you ain't playin' ball?" Deacon arched his eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, we party nonstop. Like you have any room to talk I've been on tour with musicians before. I once watched Jimmy drink for eight hours straight." Rhett adjusted his hat on his head.
"Amateur, we once went on a three-day binge." Deacon laughed. "Actually, that's not funny. I think Vince and I both ended up in the hospital that time."
"You would need to be more specific about which time. There are a few times that I can remember that happening." Bucky pointed out to him.
"Bucky, I will throw a short, sick, bald man overboard and make him swim to shore." Deacon joked with him.
"On my wife's desk there is a stack of paperwork about two inches thick that she has been trying to pawn off on someone else. I can very easily arrange for that to become Deacon work and I know how much you hate paperwork." Bucky countered.
"Accordin' to Tandy all meaningless paperwork is Deacon work." Deacon rolled his eyes and threw his empty root beer bottle on the floor. "Rhett, root beer me again."
Rhett tossed him another one.
"Sometimes she digs up work for you to do. She lives to mess with you." Bucky cast his rod again.
"Oh shit, Deacon, toss that back. I gave you an actual beer." Rhett caught the bottle effortlessly and threw Deacon the right bottle.
"That's more better. I can't be slippin' off the wagon cause you're too drunk to read." Deacon took a drink of his soda and made another cast.
"I'm stoned on pain pills too. This bruise really fuckin' hurts. Why do you think I made you drive me up here?" Rhett admitted.
"Yeah, that'll do it. I was on those things after my surgery and they would knock me for a loop." Deacon scrunched up his forehead.
"Deacon, why don't you guide the boat over to that point right there? It looks like that might be a good spot." Bucky pointed to the spot he was talking about.
"That is one of my favorite spots on this stretch of water. For that point we need to switch out rods. You gotta fish a worm rig." Deacon switched out his rod and reel for another one.
"I've got just the worm for that point." Rhett grabbed his tackle box and took a plastic worm out of it.
"Here, Buck." Deacon gave Bucky another fishing pole.
"Thanks," Bucky took the fishing pole from him with a smile.
A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.
