A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.


Chapter 105

"Alright, y'all, thanks for lettin' me be with you to cure your afternoon boredom while you work. This is Deacon Claybourne on the mic and I'll see you next time." Deacon signed off from the radio. He was filling in for Watty at the radio station again. If he didn't know any better he would swear that the old man was up to something.

He took his headphones off and put them down on the table in front of him. He turned the on the air sign off and walked out of the room.

Rayna stood outside the studio waiting on him. "Evie, say yay daddy you did so good." She presented their daughter to him so he could hold her.

He took his daughter into his arms and kissed both her cheeks. "What are you doin' here, pretty girl? Daddy wasn't expectin' to see you here this afternoon. What are you and momma up to?"

"We were bored and Jack Henry had a playdate with Aunt Dottie today. We thought it would be nice to come down and see you while you work." She kissed his cheek softly.

"I'm glad for the company. I'm just surprised that you aren't with Maddie right now." He brushed his fingers over her cheek.

"Maddie and Daphne are hangin' out today. Jimmy and I agreed that it was Daphne's turn to entertain her for a little while today." She told him.

"That sounds like a good deal for someone." He put an arm around her shoulders. He stared down at his newborn daughter totally in love with her.

"It's a good deal for me and her husband who both need a break from her." She kissed his cheek again. "Oh, honey, you have no clue how in love you are with this baby girl and it is adorable."

"I know that I'm a damn fool over this baby. I'm not ashamed to admit it at all." He smiled softly.

She wrapped her arm around his waist. She used her free hand to push the stroller. "You really are doin' good in the DJ booth. It makes me wonder what Watty has planned for you."

"Honestly, I've been wonderin' that myself. I think he may be lookin' to retire and he wants me to take his place. I don't know that I hate the idea. It would be nice to have somethin' to do once we finish this world tour up." He floated the idea.

"It's whatever you want to do, babe. You know that I support you no matter what. This is completely up to you. It's not like it's gonna keep you from doin' your job at the label. I think that it would be a nice change of pace for you." She gave him her full support.

"We still have this tour to get through. Let's think 'bout and then decide later what is gonna be the best thing for us." He bargained with her.

"That sounds good to me." She agreed with him.

"Now that, that is settled we just have to decide how we are gonna set up this big world tour of ours." He leaned against her.

"Babe, you should know by now that Buck and I already have that handled. There is nothin' for you to worry 'bout." She winked at him.

"I do know that, but I like to offer that way you can't say that I don't try to contribute." He unlocked her car. First he put the baby in her car seat and then he put the stroller in the back of the trunk of the SUV.

"Thanks, babe, you're so sweet to me." She pecked his lips sweetly.

"You know I love bein' sweet to you." He grabbed her by the hips and kissed her deeply. "What are you up to now?"

"I was thinkin' that maybe you would wanna come have lunch with me. Jimmy offered to pick the kids up from school for us." She told him.

"You just tell me where you wanna go for lunch and I will meet you there." He stole one last kiss from her before he walked over to his truck.

"Meet me at the office. We will go to the Mexican restaurant for lunch. Momma needs a margarita. I can pump and dump later little miss has plenty of milk." She called to him.

"I will meet you there." He blew her a kiss and got behind the wheel of his truck.


It wasn't often that Rayna and Deacon got to spend an afternoon out together. The only reason they were able to now was because she was on maternity leave. She sat back in the booth sipping on her margarita.

"How's that drink treatin' ya, babe?" Deacon rubbed Everly's belly and was rewarded with a smile from her.

"I have needed this for a long time and I'm enjoyin' every damn drink." She replied.

"So, I know that you have the tour dates worked out, but what 'bout the lineup?" He was just curious.

"Darlin', we have this whole stable of artists, but not many of them will fit in on tour with us." She answered him.

"We could always ask Sadie. She would be a perfect lead in for us. Or we could ask Juliette. Though I think that may be a little overkill. If there's gonna be a tour with you and Juliette on it then it just needs to be the two of you." He said after giving it some thought.

"Sadie isn't exactly an opener anymore, but it could work. Unless you wanna go out and scout a couple new acts." She smiled at him and scrunched up her nose.

"I think I can make a couple trips out at night and see if I can't find the right fit for us." He would do whatever she wanted him to do and they both knew it.

"You are the best damn talent scout ever, babe." She praised him.

"I know I am. I don't need you to tell me that." He smirked at her.

"Don't you give me that look. Your baby isn't old enough for you to be givin' me that look." She retorted.

He groaned in the back of his throat. "Don't remind me, babe."

"Was she worth it?" She asked him.

"She was more than worth it. She's more than worth not bein' able to have sex for a little while." He winked at her.

"I agree, sugar. I just want you to remember you said that in 'bout sixteen years when we are tryin' to spend alone time together and she's out runnin' 'round bein' a typical teenager." She teased him.

"She ain't gonna be bad like that. She's gonna be the most well behaved teenager in the whole world." He cooed down at his daughter.

"You think whatever you need to think to make you feel better, babe." She laughed at him. He was so ridiculous when it came to their daughters that it wasn't funny, but if she didn't laugh at him she would strangle him.

"You don't know that she won't be a good teenager." He replied lamely.

"Honey, she's yours and she's mine I do know that." She leveled with him.

"Point granted," He threw his hands up in a sign of surrender. He wasn't going to win this argument, he just occupied himself with eating chips and salsa.

She looked over the menu for a moment. "What are you gonna get to eat?"

"I'm probably gonna get a steak fajita and a couple tacos. You know my order, babe." He didn't even need to look at the menu to know what he wanted to eat.

"I do know your order. I love that you never change no matter how long I'm with you." She reached over the table and took his hand.

He laced their fingers together. "Aside from not drinkin' anymore I am the same guy I was the day I met ya." He kissed her hand lovingly.

"How's our girl doin' over there?" She leaned over to peek at Everly.

"Don't you worry 'bout her. I've got her and she'd doin' just fine. You just enjoy your drink, Ray." He placed his free hand on his daughter's stomach just to let her know he was there in case she got scared.

"I never worry 'bout any of my kids when they are with their daddy. You are their favorite person in the whole world. Let you be gone longer than one of them thinks you need to be and all I hear is where's daddy? He should be here right now. Never mind that I'm right in the middle of makin' them dinner and helpin' with homework you're not there and the world is about to end." She joked.

"Baby, you know that they love you too. Most of 'em like you more than they like me. Deac and Charlie are really the only ones who like me. I can't tell with baby girl yet, but she seems like she may like me a little." He smiled down and Everly had her little fist wrapped around his index finger.

"Babe, I want them to love you as much as they do. I ain't one bit jealous." She assured him.

"Thanks, baby, I just love that all of 'em think that I can make everythin' better just 'cause I'm their daddy. It makes me feel good." He replied.

"It makes me feel good knowin' that that's the way they see you." She smiled and took his hand again.


Sadie sat out in the bleachers of the baseball stadium next to Lamar. They were watching Rhett practice with the rest of the team. As much as she wanted him to retire she knew that it wasn't going to happen this year.

"He's still got all the stamina that he had when he first started. I don't know how he does it." Lamar commented as they watched Rhett effortlessly run back to the wall and catch a long fly ball like it was nothing.

"I know. Watching him you can't even tell that he was sliced open like a pig a few months ago." Sadie replied.

"Like I said he still moves like a man half his age. How is he doing with all that?" He asked her.

"I think he's doing better. I think he's almost completely weaned off the pain medication. The doctor said that he will always have some pain to one degree or another, but he is fully healed." She answered him.

"Do you think there's gonna be a problem with him and those pills? I know his family history isn't great when it comes to that." He said that as politely as he possibly could.

She looked at him hard. She knew that the comment had been mostly harmless with only a small barb thrown in there. "I wouldn't let Paul or Deacon hear me say that if I were you. I really wouldn't let Rhett hear me say that. I don't think that it is gonna be a problem. I would be the first to know if it was."

"I didn't mean any harm. You have to know that he is like the son I never had." He tried to pour oil on troubled waters.

"I know that, Lamar. And I know that you didn't mean anything by that. I just know how explosive the Claybourne temper can be." She shot him a smile to reassure him.

"I've seen it firsthand and I've hear about from my daughter." He gave her a knowing look.

"They are just three really passionate men and I wouldn't want to be on any of their bad sides." She chuckled.

"I can agree with you there. I don't know how June handles them so well. All she has to do is give them a look and they settle down without any hesitation." He commented.

"I think the three of them all respect her too much to do anything that is gonna piss her off too badly." She explained to him.

"That is one thing that I can agree with Paul and Deacon about." He shrugged his shoulders.

Rhett ran over to where they sat in the bleachers. He jumped up the wall and stole a kiss from his wife. "What do you think, babe?"

"I think that you look just as good out on that field now as you did when you first started playing." She smile against his lips.

"I haven't pitched yet, but the arm is feelin' pretty good when I throw a ball into the infield. It's like nothin' ever happened." He supported his weight on his arms to keep him at her elevation.

"Rhett, get down from there like that. I know that you're feelin' great, but I don't want you to hurt your shoulder doing that." Sadie scolded him.

Rhett lowered himself down to the ground. "I'm fine. If I can't hold my own body weight then I don't have any business bein' out on this field."

"Rhett, listen to your wife and don't be stupid. We can't afford to risk your arm. I know that you can throw with either hand, but I would like to keep the good arm protected." Lamar shook his head at him.

"I always listen to my wife I know what's good for me. my arm is fine, Lamar. My surgeon and PT have been sayin' that for months. Truthfully, it feels better than it did this time last year." Rhett did some stretches while he talked to his team owner.

"I only want you to be careful. We have a lot of time and money invested in that arm of yours." Lamar reminded him.

"I know and I'm good. I promise. I am gonna be fine. And even if I wasn't fine you would be ok. If a doctor told me right now today I had to stop playin' then I would still be valuable to you. I could be your team manager with my eyes closed." Rhett raised his arms above his head to stretch out his shoulder.

"Sadie, I think your husband has his post retirement mapped out." Lamar chuckled.

"We aren't goin' for manager. When he retires he wants GM." Sadie countered.

"I'll let you be the one to tell Jeff that." Lamar retorted.

"I don't need you two plannin' out my career without me." Rhett rolled his eyes.

"Rhett, honey, stick with me and we will have it made. I'm not settling for less than we deserve." Sadie winked at him.

Rhett laughed, but he didn't say anything. There was no use arguing with her when her mind was made up.

"Rhett, you may want to consider firing your manager and hiring your wife. She has the right idea." Lamar advised him.

"We will see." Rhett replied just to get them both off his back. He wasn't ready to think about what came after he was done playing ball.


"What in the hell are you feeding this boy?" Daphne carried Tennessee back into the living room of her apartment.

"What do you mean by that?" Maddie looked up from the magazine she was reading.

"I mean I just changed his diaper and it was awful." Daphne sat down in a chair and looked down at her nephew. "You're lucky that I love you so much or I would be really mad."

"He gets breast milk. It's not my fault that he shits like a grown man." Maddie bit her lip to fight off a laugh.

"Your mom knows how to push my buttons and so that is what she does. There is a reason that me and your Aunt Casey are the only people in this world who can stand her. Yes there is." Daphne kissed both his cheeks. She was ignoring her sister.

"You forgot about his Uncle Mac." Casey spoke up. There was no way Maddie could go anywhere without her.

"You and I tolerate her better than anyone, but you're right Mac is the only other person who wants to be around her all the time." Daphne had to grant Casey her point.

"If you're done with little mister let me see him." Casey held her arms out for the baby.

"After what he just did to me you can have him." Daphne handed him over.

Maddie for her part just went back to looking at his magazine. She'd learned a long time ago that they were going to talk about her no matter what she did and there was no use in her arguing with them.

Casey kissed the baby's face. "How did you get to be so handsome? You look just like your momma and pawpaw that's how. Your daddy isn't ugly, but you look just like your pawpaw. And you have the same first name as him." She cooed at him.

"Oh, Aunt Casey, he loves you. Look at how content he is in your arms." Maddie smiled.

"I never said I wasn't good with kids I just said that I don't want any for a while. My one attempt at parentin' ended with a delinquent. I figure I better grow up a little bit more before I bring a child into this world." Casey retorted.

"Cody isn't that bad. He just let your father drag him down to his level. He might have been a shitty boyfriend, but that was only because he didn't know any better. If it weren't for you I'm sure that he would be on his second prison hitch by now." Daphne offered in support.

"Thanks, for tryin' to be nice, but I know who and what I am. I don't need anyone to try to make me feel better." Casey nodded in her direction.

"Casey, I hate it when you sell yourself short like that. I'm not gonna let anyone talk about my best friend like that even you." Maddie started her down.

"Maddie, I'm fine. I'm just the type who isn't meant to settle down or be loved in that way. I made my peace with that a long time ago." Casey reassured her.

"No, I don't buy it, Casey, you want the same kinda love and contentment that I have in my life. Somewhere along that way you just let something or someone convince you that you don't deserve that. Let me tell you something you are dead wrong. You deserve the same love and happiness in your life that everyone else has and I don't ever want to hear anything any different than that from you." Maddie wasn't about to let her off the hook. She hated when she got down on herself like that.

Most of the time she was the most confident person she knew, but then there were the rare times when she showed her cracks. That's what she was there for. Casey had been there for her at her lowest and had seen her through. She would never not climb down into that hole with her and pull her back out.

"You may have a point there. I just need to feel sorry for myself sometimes." Casey shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm still amazed from the way you two talk to each other that you actually love each other as much as you do." Daphne spoke up.

"We talk mad shit about each other to each other's faces, but no one else better say anythin' like that to either one of us." Casey informed her.

"You've got that right. I can call you all the dirty whores I want to call you, but no one else better ever be guilty of saying anything like that to you." Maddie laughed. "I can already tell how much Tennessee loves you."

"He just loves bein' held against my boobs, he's a total man that way." Casey made a joke out of it. She didn't deal with her emotions well and everyone knew that. It was a result of being raised the way she had been with a junkie mother and a criminal father. It was better for her to have her defenses up than it was for her to be vulnerable with anyone else.

"Every baby boy I've ever known has been like that." Daphne chimed in.

"He takes after his father that way that's all I can tell you." Maddie just shook her head at her.

"So, what's the deal with your brother-in-law?" Casey tried to slip that one into conversation casually.

"Not only no, but fuck no, Casey. That is not something that would be good for the world. You're trouble on your own and he's trouble on his own. I don't wanna know what you two would be like together. I just don't think it's a good idea. I love the guy, but he is Vince's son in every sense of the word." Maddie cautioned her.

"Tenn, tell your momma that Aunt Casey is a big girl and she knows how to handle herself." Casey tapped the baby on the nose. "Maddie, it will be fine I promise. I like the guy. I'm lookin' to have a little fun, I'm not lookin' to get married."

Maddie arched her eyebrow at her. "Casandra Leann Miller, trust me when I say that you two would wreck each other and that is the last thing I want for you. I know better than anyone what and who Jeremy is."

Casey did a double take. "Damn, you really do sound like a momma now. I know what I'm gettin' myself into. I'm not sayin' that I want to marry the dude. I just wanna use him for really great sex."

Daphne just rolled her eyes. "Thank God that I have a boyfriend now and I don't have to worry about dating anymore. I made enough mistakes with my sex life and I'm very glad that Jimmy's older brother wasn't one of them."

"I'm so glad that you two little saints are so perfect." Casey scoffed.

"Fuck it, I tried to warn you. Like always you have to learn the hard way." Maddie picked up her phone and texted Jeremy's number to her friend. "There you go. When he is himself with you and he breaks your heart don't say that I didn't try to warn you."

Casey smiled triumphantly. "Like I said I know what I'm doin'. I will be fine." She assured her.

"I'm done arguing with you. I hope neither one of you gives the other an STD." Maddie threw up her hands in a sign of surrender.


A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope y'all enjoyed it. I'm so sorry for the long wait and I'm going to try to do better. Until next time please review.