She was sitting in a lounge chair at the secluded hotel she always went to in Mexico. It was hot, but she was under a covered pergola with ceiling fans and water misters that kept it cooler. She felt relaxed. More relaxed than she'd felt in a long time. She would be going back to LA in a few days and then back to Nashville for season 3. She thought about the drama that had swirled around the renewal. Initially the network wanted fewer episodes and she liked that idea, but ultimately the show producers held their ground and were able to get what they wanted, a full 22 episode pickup. It exhausted her to think about but she was trying not to focus on it. There had also been some consideration given to filming the show somewhere other than Nashville. That had been something she had felt strongly about – the show should film in Nashville. It gave an authenticity to each episode that would have been lost trying to film elsewhere. Even though living somewhere else had its challenges, it made for a better experience, she always thought. And now she'd be going back to the city and to the grind of another long season. She sighed.

She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see who it was. She smiled when she saw her friend Carla. "Hey, girl," she said. Carla sat on the lounge chair next to hers and handed her a bright red strawberry margarita. She sat up and took a sip. "Mm, thanks for this."

Carla smiled. "It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?"

She laughed. "That's what they say." She sighed again. "I hate to think about leaving this place. It's been such a wonderful vacation."

"When do you go back to Nashville?"

"I don't remember. A week or so? I'll have to look at my tickets when I get home."

"Are you looking forward to getting back there?"

She nodded. "I am actually. I mean, as you know, I'm not thrilled with the number of episodes, but I really enjoy the city and the people I've met there."

"Have you heard from the chef since you left town?"

She smiled. "A couple times. But you know we're just friends, right?"

"Well, you say that, but you also kind of light up when you talk about him."

"Really?" That was surprising, because she really didn't think of Daniel as anyone other than a friend. The person she was really looking forward to seeing again was Chip. They'd been apart since she'd left Nashville and returned to LA, shortly after the end of filming. They talked at least once a week and he'd kept her up to date on what was happening with him.

Carla frowned. "I hope you're giving him a shot. He seems awfully nice." Carla had gotten a chance to meet him when she'd visited Nashville and had really liked him. "And he clearly really likes you."

"I just don't have time for a serious relationship like that, especially since he's not even living in Nashville."

"A serious relationship period or just one with him?"

She shrugged and laid back down, wanting to end this conversation. "I'm so busy, Carla. Work and being a mom. Not much time for anything else."

When she was settled in her seat and made sure Yoby was occupied, she sat back and thought about getting back to Nashville and what was next. She was curious about what the first episode would bring, although she was fairly sure she knew how it would go. Having Rayna get 2 proposals on the same night was crazy and she and Chip had enjoyed discussing how it would all go down.

"I think she'll choose Deacon," he said, with a smile.

She laughed. "Is that because you're Deacon?"

He shrugged good naturedly. "Probably. But everything he said. He's done everything she ever wanted him to do. And he knows they have that really deep connection. They've loved each other their whole lives practically."

"I don't know. I think she's going to choose Luke. Maybe it doesn't stick. Actually I hope it doesn't in the end, but I think she's still going to think about all the reasons she made the decisions she did about Deacon all those years ago. And that when she let herself listen with her heart, he disappointed her. Again."

"Because she lied to him."

She made a face. "I get that, but I think she probably feels like 'who's to say it won't happen again?' with bigger consequences. Rayna's a romantic but she's also pragmatic. She isn't going to want to put herself in a place where she could be hurt again. Luke seems safe. He's not a hot head. He's not an alcoholic. He's probably too full of himself, which I bet dooms them in the end, but for now he's a better option."

He looked thoughtful. "You ever wonder if Rayna falls in love too quick?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she 'loved' Teddy and now she 'loves' Luke. And yet, for all those years, she's always loved Deacon."

She pointed at him. "Not right after the accident, she didn't."

"That may be true but think about how she felt when Deacon was involved with someone else. Think about when they wrote a song together. It's that whole one true love thing."

"I suppose. I don't know. I think she wants to love someone else, someone she thinks is better for her." She shrugged. "You're probably right. She tells herself she's in love because it protects her."

"Protects her from what?"

"From pain. From disappointment."

She thought about that. It felt a little like in her own life she was trying to do the same. After she and Chip had talked about him trying to create a more amicable separation from his wife, she had told him she thought they should take a pause, to let him really devote time to that. He had not been enthusiastic about it, but they were coming up on their hiatus and she was going back to LA, so the timing worked.

They had talked regularly during her time away, with him keeping her up to date on how things were going on the domestic front. There had been progress, but it had been slow. Definitely slower than he wanted, and she worried sometimes that his impatience would sidetrack things. But she'd also been busy with some projects and had enjoyed having the time to really immerse herself in something else. There had also been some uncertainty about the future of the show initially. She knew Callie and Dee thought it was really a matter of agreeing to the number of episodes and not about whether the network would drop the show. She hadn't been so sure about that. In some ways she thought it might have been easier if they'd just cancelled the show then. She and Chip wouldn't have been in each other's orbit any longer and maybe that would have been a true test of their feelings.

However, when she thought about that, she felt despair. Not simply sadness, but something that was almost like a fear. A fear of losing what they had. It was then that she'd realized that she would do anything she needed to in order for things to work out. She would put aside the guilt and acknowledge that not having him in her life would be a real loss. It took her back to their conversation about Rayna's true feelings for Deacon. Rayna was trying to protect herself – maybe shield herself was the better term – from her feelings. That surely wasn't what she was doing – she didn't want to shield herself, she wanted to wrap herself up in those feelings. And in him.

She felt tears in her eyes and she swiped at them. She needed him in her life. She was ready to get back to Nashville, to see him again, to be in his orbit, however that manifested itself and for however long. Maybe it hadn't started out the way they would have wanted, but she knew with certainty that she wanted them to figure it out in the end.

It was getting late. Yoby was asleep. She had unpacked their suitcases. She'd ordered groceries that would be delivered the next day and takeout had been delivered for that night's dinner. It was hot and muggy in Nashville, but it was the middle of summer after all. It was still light out, although the sun was setting in the west. She poured herself a glass of wine and curled up on the couch. She reached for her phone and texted Chip. I'm back in Nashville. He texted back within about 10 minutes. Call you in a bit. She sat back and drank her wine, not knowing how long it might be before he called. Eventually she went to bed and slept so soundly she didn't hear the buzz of her phone when he tried to call her.

She almost felt like she'd been drugged the night before when she woke up. Her whole body felt heavy and it was hard to keep her eyes open. For a minute she wanted to give into the sluggish feeling and go back to sleep, but that would be impossible. So she pushed herself up to a sitting position and took a few deep breaths and then slid out from under the sheets. She went upstairs to check on Yoby and saw that he was still asleep. Probably exhausted from the day before as well. She headed back to her bedroom and took a quick shower that refreshed her and helped her feel more awake. After she dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, she picked up her phone from the bedside table. She'd missed Chip's call and he hadn't left a voice mail.

She went back out to the kitchen and set up the coffee machine. While she waited, she debated calling him. It was pretty early but he wasn't usually a late sleeper. So, she decided to go for it.

"Hey!" He sounded chipper and alert, so obviously not still sleeping.

"Hey. Sorry I missed you last night. I was dead to the world, I guess."

"It's okay. I called later than I thought I'd be able to and figured you were sleeping. You got plans for today?"

"No, not really. Yoby's still asleep but I'm sure he'll be up soon."

"Maybe we could meet? Down by the river?"

She smiled on her end. "I'd like that."

"At 10? The usual spot?"

"I'll see you then."

She put Yoby on her hip when she got him out of the car. She had piled her hair on top of her head and worn a ball cap, hoping to disguise herself somewhat. She wasn't worried about paparazzi like she did in LA, but anyone at the park might take a picture of her if they recognized her, so she hoped to minimize that. She wore a pair of dark sunglasses that she hoped would also help. After getting Yoby's bag and putting it over her shoulder, she headed down the path. One thing she liked about the area was that, although there was an actual path that led to the river, it was not as well maintained so it was more easily overlooked by others.

About halfway down she started to feel hot. There was a bit of a breeze, but it was quite warm. Being down by the water would be nice. As she approached, she saw Chip standing there, looking out over the lake. He looked like he was dressed for running. She ran her tongue over her lips, conscious of the familiar tingling feeling between her legs. He turned and she saw that he had sunglasses on too, so she couldn't see his eyes. Yoby struggled to get down when he recognized his friend, so she put him down and watched as he ran to Chip. Chip picked him up, smiling broadly. He looked in her direction and she walked up to him. She dropped the bag and curled herself around him. He put an arm around her and held her close.

"Hey," he said quietly, looking down at her.

"Hey," she said and smiled. He kissed her, letting his lips linger there for a few moments.

"I'm glad you're back. I really missed you."

"I missed you too." She stepped back. "I'm glad to be back."

He set Yoby down on the ground. "I have so much to tell you, but not here."

"Of course."

"I just really wanted to see you," he said. "I've got a writing appointment at noon. You free tonight?" She nodded. "I'll come see you then. So we have more time." He leaned in close. "Did I tell you I really missed you?" he whispered. She looked at him and smiled.

"I can't wait," she whispered back. She wished they'd had more time right then, but she was glad she hadn't had to wait until later to at least see him.

"I'll let you know when." She nodded. She stood watching him as he jogged back up the path. When he was finally out of sight, she grabbed Yoby's hand and they left the same way.

It was after 8:00 when he texted. I'll be there after dark. That was usually what they did. Under the cover of darkness. It made it seem illicit sometimes. Which it is, she would remind herself. She didn't know what to do with herself as she waited. She'd spent the afternoon getting the house back in order. She had played with Yoby. Now he was in bed and she was at loose ends, waiting for the light to fade. Finally she poured herself a glass of wine and sat out on the back patio. She would be able to hear his car come into the drive. It was still hot but there was a breeze and with the sun setting, the temperatures were cooling down a bit.

In a couple days, the script for the first episode of the new season would come. She was pretty sure she knew how it would play out, but she had mixed feelings. However she had a process in which she chose not to judge her characters. It wasn't that she didn't have opinions, but she always tried to understand the motivations and be true to those. In this case Rayna had been pretty clear that she wanted a fresh start and didn't want to go back to old patterns. Whether that was her head talking or her heart was probably debatable. But she had a couple days before she really needed to dig into that, so she thought about how much she was looking forward to reconnecting with friends she'd made in Nashville. When she thought back about the idea of moving to a city where she knew no one and how crazy that was, especially with a toddler, it surprised her how quickly she formed her village.

Just as her group of friends in LA welcomed her back every hiatus and break, so did her friends in Nashville. She was looking forward to seeing them during the upcoming weekend, when they would get together at Mas Tacos for a rowdy night of Mexican food and margaritas. Lots of margaritas. She was about halfway through with her wine when she heard a car pull in. As she got up and headed back in the house, she heard the car door close. She hurried into the kitchen and put her glass in the sink. She heard the knock on the door and she ran to open it. He was standing there and she reached for his hand, pulling him inside.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, a longer, more satisfying kiss than earlier. "God, I've missed you," he whispered into her hair.

"I've missed you too." She took a step back. "How are things?"

He took her hand. "Let's sit." He led her over to the den and they sat on the couch, facing each other. He took a deep breath. "I think things are working," he said.

"Really?"

"We're finally doing more talking about how we support the kids through this. I think she's starting to realize that it's over. The one thing I'm not sure about is if she'll want to go back to LA. We still have the house there, so she could. But Chase and Addie have made friends and gotten involved in things and Taylor's going to Belmont, so for sure she's staying here."

"What do you want to see?"

"I'd really like the kids to be here so I can see 'em. It would be hard if they were back in LA."

"So then what's next? And what's your timeline?"

"Well, what's next is to make this all formal, but I still need to make sure the kids are okay. And know where they're gonna live and all that. We're just a couple weeks away from school starting back, so my guess is that they're not going back. If that's the case, I want to see about selling the house in LA." He took her hands. "I hate doing this to you."

"What are you doing to me?" she asked.

"We can't, you know, be open about things. I hate that we're having to hide everything."

She moved closer to him and put her hands on his cheeks. "You know, I like to keep my private life private." She smiled. "Rayna and I are kind of alike in that way." He grinned. "People don't need to know my business and I've never really been one to put that out there. I've had relationships you wouldn't know about because that's my choice. So this is really no different. I think we keep doing what we've been doing. You keep doing your music and other stuff like that. I keep doing things with my friends here. We might be at the same industry events and, if so, that's fine." She leaned in and kissed him. "And within these four walls? We don't have to answer to anyone but ourselves."

He grinned. "You know, I like the way you think," he said.

She got up on her knees and pushed him back towards the arm of the couch, then straddled him. "Wanna make out a little?" she murmured.

He put his hands on her hips. "That sounds like a great idea."

She put her hands on his face and leaned down, giving him gentle little kisses on and around his mouth. Then she raised up and pushed his t-shirt up over his chest. She slid down his body slightly and ran her tongue over his nipples, sucking just a little in between. He groaned and she could feel him getting hard. She ran her hands over his skin, continuing what she was doing. He put his hands on her arms and ran them up and down her skin.

"Oh, god," he muttered, his voice low. He groaned again and tried moving against her.

She slid down a little further and focused her attention on the waistband of his shorts. She was grateful there were no buttons or zippers. He started to reach down to help her but she shook her head. "I can do it," she whispered. She pulled at his shorts and underwear until his erection sprang free. He moaned. She breathed in slowly. First she wrapped her hand around him at the base and then she lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were half closed and his mouth was slightly open while he panted softly. She leaned back down, taking him in her mouth, and he moaned appreciatively. She moved up and down, using her tongue as well as her lips. He was still moaning. She felt him put his hand on top of her head, very gently. She focused her attention on him and everything else around her started to fade away. Except for the pulsing sensation she felt between her legs. She wanted him inside her, but she wanted to pleasure him first, so she resisted stopping what she was doing.

After a few moments, he groaned again. "Baby," he said, his voice thick. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Baby, I love this, but I want" – he cleared his throat – "more of you." She didn't move. "Please."

She hesitated for a moment, then got up and removed her shorts and panties. Then she bit her bottom lip and got back on the couch, straddling him again. She lowered herself, taking him in, and moaned appreciatively. He put his hands on her hips and stared up at her. She leaned down and kissed him and he ran his hands up her back, pulling her down onto his chest. Then his hands went back to her hips, holding her tight as he drove into her. She let him set the pace, quickly starting to feel the waves rushing over her. He came first, but she was right behind him. He put his arms around her shoulders then and she laid her head against his chest. She could feel his heart racing, much like her own.

Finally he chuckled. "That was a lot more than just making out," he said.

She looked up at him and grinned. "Well, you know. I think maybe we're a little too old for just making out, don't you?"

"Probably." He kissed her, lingering a bit, parting her lips with his tongue. There was no hurry about the kiss, just taking the time to enjoy it, relaxing into the renewed familiarity. She could already feel a little tingle deep inside. He pulled his mouth from hers, then gave her a kiss just on the lips. "But it can be nice," he said with a smile.

She rubbed her hand over his chest. "When do you need to leave?" she asked.

He put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing her skin with his thumb. "In the morning, if that's okay."

She smiled happily. "Very okay. I guess we should go back to my bedroom?"

"We could just stay out here, but I guess that would be more comfortable."

"You're probably right." She traced a little swirl on his chest. "Would you let me finish what I started?"

He swallowed. His eyes seemed to darken. "As long as I can return the favor."

Now she really was tingling. "It's a deal." She got up then and bent over to pick up her discarded clothes. As she stood back up, he came up behind her and put his hand gently on her ass. Then he let his fingers trail over her skin in a way that made her shiver. She clutched her shorts and panties against her chest as he reached between her legs and touched her thigh.

He leaned into her ear. "We should probably get moving," he whispered. She glanced at him over her shoulder and nodded, then headed for the hall.

She was lying on her back, clenching the sheets in her fists. He had his hands around her thighs. She felt his warm breath and the flicking of his tongue. Her head fell from side to side as she moaned. She drew her knees up a little more and moved her hips slightly. "Oh yes," she murmured, as he hit her right where she wanted him to. She lifted herself up from the bed as waves of pleasure rolled over her and moaned over and over. She was breathing heavily and closed her eyes as she seemed to fall back to earth. She was barely aware of him moving away from her until he put his arm around her, turning her on her side to face away from him. He held her close and leaned his head on her shoulder, occasionally peppering her shoulder with little kisses.

"Did you like that?" he whispered in her ear.

She smiled, her eyes still closed. "Yes, I did. Very much." She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "Did you?" He nodded. She lifted her hand and pressed it against his cheek. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," he murmured.

She turned so she was lying on her back, resting her hand on his arm. "I like having you here."

He looked thoughtful. "I hope that before too long we can do this as often as we want."

"I'm glad you can stay."

He smiled. "Me too. I love being able to wake up with you."

"Me too." She smiled. She rolled back onto her side, nestling back against him. She sighed, feeling content.

He kissed the side of her neck. "Sweet dreams," he murmured.

"You too." She closed her eyes and let herself relax into him. She had really missed him and she was glad to have him with her that night.

When she woke up the sun had lightened up the room. Chip's arm was still around her waist and she could hear his even breathing. She wondered what time it was and if Yoby was up. He was 3½ now and didn't need to wait for her anymore. It wasn't unusual for her to get up and find him occupying himself either in his room or downstairs. She stretched over towards the bedside table and grabbed her phone. Chip made a whiny groan and tightened his grip on her. She smiled to herself and looked at the phone screen. It was just 7:43, so not as late as she'd feared. She laid the phone on the bed and turned onto her back. Chip's eyes were still closed and she could see that his hair was a mess. She could also see how his lips were slightly turned up in a smile.

"Are you awake?" she asked.

He opened his eyes. "No."

She laughed. "I need to get up and check on Yoby."

He frowned, closing his eyes again and holding her closer. "No," he said again, but with a more pleading tone to his voice. "What time is it?"

"Almost 8:00."

He breathed in deeply and then opened his eyes again, staring into hers. "I've got something for you though." She could feel his erection and it made her smile. She had not ever been with a man who didn't wake up physically ready for sex.

"I can feel that," she said.

"You gonna tell me you don't want it?" His eyes crinkled with his smile.

She hesitated, surprisingly. Only because she didn't know what Yoby was doing. But he wasn't yelling bloody murder, so she thought she was probably okay. "No, I'm not," she said instead. She felt that yearning desire for him to be inside her.

He rolled on top of her and nudged her legs apart. He pushed into her and she took him in with ease. She hadn't realized just how ready she was. When he was fully inside her, he just looked at her. "This feels so good, baby," he said, his eyes still a little heavy lidded and a sleepy smile on his face.

She linked her arms around his neck and pulled her knees up slightly. She felt complete. "Yes, it does," she responded. He started to move inside her and she felt tingly all over. She was already feeling the delicious friction as he continued to move. She drew her legs up a little more, shifting her pelvis slightly. "Mmmm," she murmured.

He put his mouth on her nipple then, flicking it with his tongue, sucking on it, grazing it lightly with his teeth. After a few minutes, he moved to the other one. She arched her back slightly as she gave herself over to the sensations. His movements got quicker, his mouth on her breasts became more insistent, as she started to feel overcome by the sensations. Suddenly he began thrusting into her more firmly, more quickly. He wasn't going to last much longer, she could tell, and she squeezed him inside her, creating more pressure, more friction. She gasped as her orgasm overtook her and then she felt him thrust into her one last time before he spilled himself inside her.

At first he didn't move, just laid heavily on her, as they both tried to catch their breath. Then he rolled away and she just looked up at the ceiling, breathing in and out deeply. Then she turned her head towards him. "I need to get dressed and check on Yoby," she said. He just nodded. She got up and found some clothes to pull on. She walked past the bed and he reached out his arm. She took his hand and he squeezed it gently. She smiled and squeezed back.

She saw his name on her phone and she figured he'd gotten – and read – the script by now. And probably wasn't happy. She picked up the phone. "Hey," she said, trying to sound upbeat.

"Well, shit," he said, not sounding as angry as she thought he might. He could sometimes really take on the persona of his character, which was not a bad thing on set, but it was easy to mix real and fake.

"It's what I expected."

"Yeah. I guess there's no drama the other way."

"Nope. I don't think it'll go all the way to a wedding, but I don't know how long they plan to keep this going."

"There's a lot of history in that scene where she comes to his house."

She smiled. "Yeah, there is. I just feel like that's such a hard decision for her to make. I think she acknowledged the truth of their relationship to Tandy and to Luke, the feelings and the connection, but there's this whole other world of hurt that she can't just gloss over. No matter how much he may have changed."

"Probably doesn't help that he blew it after finding out about Maddie."

"Probably not. It's still in there inside of him and who knows what might bring it back out. In my mind, she struggles with the decision. He's the love of her life, but he's caused her so much pain in their lives together that it's daunting to think about going back to that. The what if's, you know?"

He sighed. "I guess."

"Right there at the end of the episode though, that scene note. I think she's still conflicted, but she's determined to push through with this clean slate thing, just like she did with Teddy."

"When will she learn?" he said, the sound of irony and laughter in his voice.

She laughed. "I'm guessing it won't be long. As much as she says she and Luke are similar, the truth is they're very different in terms of how they present themselves to the world. I think they both care about family, but she's more connected to the music than he is."

"Which is what still ties her to Deacon."

"Which is what still ties her to Deacon. Very true."

He sighed. "It'll be interesting to see how he plays this going forward. I can't believe he'd just lie down and let her go."

"I think she'll rebuff him if he tries to, I don't know, create inroads somehow. You know, I really think she might be more rigid with him, try to be more impersonal, just so she doesn't forget why she made the choice she did."

"Could be. Maybe he'll find another girlfriend." He laughed.

"It won't work though."

"Whose side are you on?" he asked.

"Truthfully? I'm a sucker for Rayna and Deacon. I hate keeping them apart, so I guess we'll see how long this goes on and what they both do in the meantime."

She really did hate how the show was keeping the two apart. She knew that it was possible to create a couple with texture and depth and not give up the thing that made them fresh and real for viewers. She'd been part of that with Kyle on Friday Night Lights, so she knew it could be done. Every year for the show seemed like a struggle of some kind, so she was just hopeful that Rayna and Deacon would find each other again before the show ended, whenever that would be.

He kissed her fingers and the inside of her wrist. "Tell me you don't feel that, and I'll let go." She felt her lip quivering, but it wasn't just because of the scene directions. She felt it in her heart. She was playing a character, but she also was feeling her own internal struggle. It was different, of course, and she truly believed she and Chip were moving towards the other side of theirs, but she still felt it deeply. It was the first take, but she was sure there would be more, as they tried to get it exactly right, the camera angle, all of it. She wondered if she would feel the emotions so deeply with any additional takes.

When it was over, she stepped back, breathing in deeply. Chip frowned slightly. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I got kind of into the scene, I guess." She smiled a little. "That's a good thing though, right?"

"Hope so. Maybe we won't have to do it again." They walked away and sat down together. He leaned in closer. "You free tonight?" he murmured.

It had been several days since they'd seen each other. They'd only had one other scene in the episode, a flashback scene, but that had been done early in the shoot. She nodded. "I am."

He smiled. "Okay. Good."

She was already looking forward to seeing him.

He was late. It was after 10:00. Sorry. On my way. She knew he wasn't working that late, so she assumed it was some family thing. She didn't usually ask. She knew he would tell her if he thought she needed to know. She had spent time on her scenes for the next day. She and Will Chase would be filming at a horse farm the next day. More emotional scenes, as Rayna told Luke about Deacon's proposal.

When the knock came at the door, she got up and walked over. She opened the door, letting him in. He kissed her. "Hey," he said, with a smile.

"Hey." She took his hand and led him to the couch. He had a pensive look on his face and she reached out and put her hand on his cheek, letting her thumb run over his scruff. "Busy day?"

"Yeah, I guess. Patty and the kids are staying in Nashville. Which is good, for the most part. We talked about kind of formalizing a plan for them to spend time with me, although I don't know if we need it. Things have worked out so far."

"Probably not a bad idea to do it though." It felt like to her that if they were at this point, maybe other aspects of uncoupling were on the way.

"You're probably right. We'll see how that goes." He paused. "So, starting in September I'll be in the apartment full time."

"Really?" She couldn't help but smile. It felt like a milestone.

He nodded and smiled. "Yep." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Things are moving, baby."

"Wow," she said. "I guess so. Was there anything in particular that got that moving along?"

"I don't know. Maybe some of what we've talked about has gotten through. And I'm clearly not coming home. I was the one who said we needed to cut that cord, that it led to confusion." He took her hands and sighed. "I don't want to be hurtful. We're always gonna be the kids' parents, so it would be good if we could have that amicable relationship. I feel like we're still gonna have to work together so the kids can understand we're not bailing on them."

She smiled. "I think that's probably the right thing to do then." He pulled her into his arms and she snuggled into him as they sat together, not talking, just being together. After a while, he kissed her above the ear.

"I know it's late and you've got an early call time tomorrow."

She turned her head slightly to look at him and smiled. "I do." She paused. "If you want to stay though, you can."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

She sat up and then got up from the couch. She turned and took his hand as he got up as well. Then they linked their fingers together and headed down the hall for her bedroom.

It was dark when her phone alarm went off. She hated early call times. Since she would be doing location filming, Olivia would come to the house to stay with Yoby. As she reached for her phone, she felt Chip roll towards her, throwing his arm over her. She settled back in his embrace and smiled. He kissed her shoulder.

"My nanny will be here in less than an hour," she said.

"Okay."

She waited a moment. "That means you have to leave too."

"I know." He still sounded sleepy. Then he sighed. "What about a quickie?"

She laughed. "Are you sure you can be quick?"

He didn't answer. Instead he shifted her hips, then pushed inside her. Then he started to move, using quick, short thrusts. She was feeling herself respond, but was worried she'd outlast him. As though he read her mind, he reached around and touched her. She moaned and then let herself completely give in to him. Almost before she knew it, they came almost simultaneously, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Did I pass?" he whispered in her ear.

She nodded. "Oh yes, you did." She moved away from him. "Now I have to get a quick shower and get dressed. And you" – she turned to look at him – "need to get dressed and go."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back, planting a hard kiss on her lips. "Okay. Just know I'm not happy about it." But he had a smile on his face.

"I promise, next time will be much more pleasurable." She slid away and hurried into the bathroom. She turned on the water in the shower and wrapped up her hair. Then she jumped in and quickly cleaned up. When she got out, she headed for her closet and got dressed. When she came out, he was standing there, fully dressed, his hair sticking up everywhere. She laughed and tried to smooth it out a little with her fingers. "You and your crazy hair need to go."

He kissed her. "Alright," he said with a sigh. "When are you done today?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. We're shooting a fairly long sequence, so who knows. I'll let you know when I'm home."

He smiled. "Okay." He kissed her again and she gently pushed him towards the door. He pointed a finger at her as he got to the door. "You owe me."

"I know." He kissed her once more and then headed for the back door. When she heard the door close, she unwound the towel from her hair and then watched out the front window as he backed out of the driveway and then drove down the street. She turned and walked into the kitchen. She laid the towel on the island and started the coffee. She knew Olivia would want some when she got there, so it wouldn't go to waste.

When the coffee was done and she poured herself a cup, she leaned back against the counter. She usually tried not to think too far ahead, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself this time. She knew that a normal uncontested divorce took 6 months or so, although she thought his might take longer. If it worked out perhaps by the end of the season, they could think about next steps. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, but she really did look forward to a time when they could go out together in public, when things could feel normal.

Just then she heard the key in the backdoor lock and she turned to see Olivia come in. "Hey, Liv," she said with a smile. "Let me go finish getting ready and I'll be out of your hair." She picked up the towel and started back to her bedroom. Then she looked back over her shoulder. "Coffee's made," she said with a smile and then headed down the hallway.