A/N: Another time jump to late fall 2006 through 2007. Deacon and Rayna have been apart for around 4 years. Deacon's career is spinning a little and Rayna's has continued to rise. They've both made tentative moves on the personal front, although nothing serious for either of them... yet. They've worked hard to rebuild their own relationship, focused on being supportive co-parents to their children. But some changes on the horizon in 2007 threaten to change the dynamic. Have they thrown each other away for good or is there a chance to overcome the past?


Deacon

He needed to do something. He'd split time on Rascal Flatts' and Brad Paisley's tours over the summer, but now had down time. Down time he didn't want and that wasn't part of his plan. Sometimes that's the way life works, but I don't gotta like it. He'd spent time writing, but that wasn't enough. He'd filled up some of the time doing session work at various studios, but he was still looking for something else. Anything else. So it was his good fortune when he ran into Cy Ramsey, an old friend from the very early days. He'd met Cy at a party, back when they were both fairly new in town. Cy had always had a bit of a dark side to him, and he supposed that was why the two of them had hit it off, in addition to the fact they were both pretty heavy drinkers. They weren't close friends, but friendly enough to hang out semi-regularly. Rayna wasn't Cy's biggest fan, although she was always polite around him. Back when Cy was putting together his band, he'd asked him if he wanted to join, but at the time he was working with Rayna, and he'd also pretty much put his stake in the sand in the country music space. Cy was pure rock 'n roll.

He had finished a session at Sound Emporium and was heading for the front door. He slipped his sunglasses on as he approached the door, since it was a bright, sunny day. The door opened before he got there and he wasn't paying attention to who it was as he started to walk past, grabbing the door himself.

"Freakin' Deacon." He turned to see Cy standing there, a wry smile on his face.

He held his hand out and Cy shook it. "Hey, man, how you doing? It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has. I heard you were out there touring. You here recording?"

"Nah, just helping out a friend with some guitar work."

Cy looked at him curiously. "I heard you're not with Rayna anymore. What happened?"

He didn't want to talk about his personal life with Cy. He shrugged. "Different paths, I guess."

Cy just nodded but didn't say anything else. "So, you doing anything else besides session work?"

"Not at the moment."

"Well, it might be fortuitous that I ran into you then. Jimmy's back in rehab. Fell off the wagon pretty hard. We've still got some dates through the end of the year and have been looking for someone to fill in. Any interest?" Cy had cleaned up his act in the past year or so. In fact, the entire band had made a pact to get and stay sober. He'd heard some scuttlebutt that one of the band members had lapsed but hadn't paid close attention to it.

He thought about it. It would be steady work for however long they were out and a way to keep busy. "I might be," he said. "Can you get me the schedule? I just need to be sure to work my time with my kids around it."

Cy smirked. "That's right. Forgot you were a dad. That seems strange, but I guess at some point we either get sober and grow up or we don't, and bad shit happens." Cy clapped him on the arm. "Yeah, I can get you that. I normally don't make a decision without talking to the rest of the band, but they know you and I think they'll be stoked."

He smiled, feeling a little better about things. "Sounds great. I'm sure we can work it out." He gave Cy his contact information and then headed for his truck, hoping that things were going to turn around.

He thought later that it might not have been good fortune, necessarily, but it was fortunate that he ran into Cy that day.


When he got to Rayna's to pick up Maddie and Levi, he handed her a sheet of paper. She looked at it, then looked back at him. "I'm going out on the road with Cy and the Revel Kings," he said. "Until their tour is wrapped up. One of the guys had to drop out. These are the dates and I know some of them conflict with my time. I was hoping we could figure out a solution."

"Wow," she said, looking surprised. "This is probably the last thing I thought I'd hear from you. The Revel Kings? How did that happen?"

"Ran into Cy and he asked me. Not sure he'd planned that, but I guess the opportunity presented itself."

She smiled and shook her head. "Well, that's the real deal, I guess. Even if it's just for a while. That's a totally new direction though, isn't it?"

He shrugged. "It's playing guitar. Doing back up. That kind of thing. So not that new."

She narrowed her eyes just a little. "It doesn't seem like it fits your plan though. But I guess, if it's just a temporary thing, why not?"

He didn't want to tell her it could be more. He didn't want to tell her why he'd entertained the idea. For now, it was through the end of the year, and he wanted to be sure he didn't lose any time with the kids. "So, you think we can make it work?" he asked.

She looked at the sheet of paper again and then back at him. "I don't see why not. My schedule is clear through the end of the year. I can look at it and propose some changes and we can talk about it when you drop the kids off."

He smiled. "Thanks, Rayna. I appreciate it." He heard the sound of running feet and looked up at the stairs to see Levi come barreling down. He held out his arms and grabbed his son up as he hit the ground, grinning happily. "Hey, buddy, how you doing?"

"Great!" Levi shouted, raising one arm up above his head.

"Where's your sister?"

"She's coming." Levi squirmed and he put the little boy down on the floor, then looked up to see Maddie coming down the stairs with her guitar case.

He looked at Rayna. "I guess we'll see you in a week," he said.

As always, she seemed a little wistful. He understood it, as he felt the same when he dropped the kids off. It was hard not having them around all the time, and he missed them tremendously when they weren't with him. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft. Then she looked between Maddie and Levi. "Y'all be good and have fun with Dad."

The kids hugged her and shouted out their goodbyes. He gave her one last look. "See you later." She just nodded and he opened the front door, following Maddie and Levi out to his truck.

Rayna

It was the middle of the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Deacon was going to be stopping by to say Merry Christmas to Maddie and Levi. Christmas had always been her favorite holiday, but it had become a little bittersweet in the aftermath of their breakup. Maddie and Levi had that child's love for Christmas though and it had helped her get some of her Christmas spirit back, especially when she had them. This year was her year to have them. Deacon would be picking them up a few days after Christmas for a week at the cabin.

The house had been decorated since the beginning of December. The first year after she bought the house, she had put the Christmas tree in the living room, but they didn't spend a lot of time in that room, so she had moved the primary tree into the den. That was the area where they spent most of their time. She still had a tree in the living room because it was at the front of the house, but it was an artificial tree that was professionally decorated. She had had the main tree delivered and then decorated it in early December with help from the kids. She'd hired someone to decorate the exterior of the house so that it looked festive. She'd hung stockings for both Maddie and Levi on the mantel and draped garland around the fireplace and the stair rail. Everything looked beautiful. She'd made cookies with the kids the night before and they had put together a holiday tin of cookies for Deacon.

The doorbell rang. She walked towards the door, calling up to the kids as she did. "Maddie, Levi, your father's here." She opened the door and Deacon was standing on the stoop with a small bag in his hands.

"Dad! Dad!" Levi cried out as he ran down the stairs. Deacon set the bag down as Levi flew into his arms, Maddie trailing after her brother. He hadn't even gotten in the door.

"Y'all come in. It's cold," she said, stepping aside so that he could walk in. He put Levi down on the floor and gave her a quick hug. Then he picked up the bag as the kids raced back into the house ahead of him. She shut the door and took the bag, stashing it in the coat closet. Deacon followed the kids into the den. She knew that there were a couple of gifts from him he was leaving with her. He also had Santa gifts for the kids at the cabin that would be there for them.

Maddie and Levi monopolized him with their updates on what had been going on since they'd last seen him. She busied herself in the kitchen, half listening to the conversation, until Deacon told them he needed to get going. Maddie flew into the kitchen and grabbed the cookie tin. "We made cookies, Dad," she said, holding out the tin. "These are for you."

He looked at her with a smile, then back at Maddie. "Thanks. I'm sure they're great."

"They are," Levi said. "We tasted them."

Deacon chuckled. "I'm sure you did. I can't wait to try them." He looked back at her. "I wanted to talk to you about something, if you got a minute."

She came around the island. "Sure." She looked at the kids. "Y'all, tell your dad goodbye and Merry Christmas." There was much Merry Christmas-ing and hugging and laughter and then the kids ran back upstairs. She knew they'd been watching a movie in the guest room, so they would be getting back to that. She looked at him. "What's going on?"

He tucked the cookie tin under one arm, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "I, uh, I decided to stay on with the Revel Kings," he said. "Well, I should say they asked me to stay on and I said yes."

She was surprised. "You mean like an official band member?" He nodded. "For how long?"

He shrugged. "I guess until whenever. Either they kick me out or I quit. Just wanted to try something new." She knew he felt like he was treading water with his career, not moving ahead as fast as he wanted to. She remembered feeling that way after a couple of years, but then things had ramped up. She'd been surprised that he'd accepted Cy's invitation to finish out the Revel King's last tour, but this really had taken her aback.

"Well, I guess sometimes it's good to see what's around the next bend," she said, not sure how to feel. It felt like maybe there was something else to it, but they had been respectful of each other's personal and professional decisions, so she let it go. It would be interesting to see how it played out.

He opened up the sheet of paper and handed it to her. "This is the schedule." She glanced at it, noting that it started in early February and continued through most of the year.

"Wow," she said, looking back at him. "This is a lot, isn't it?"

"It's big chunks," he said. "If you look at it, you'll see that there are some 6 or 8 week breaks in there. They're – well, I guess we're – recording an album too, so that's what the breaks are for. And I'll be in Nashville then." He gestured at the paper. "I know you'll be touring too starting in May" – she nodded – "so I thought maybe you could figure out scheduling." He paused, looking like he was unsure of something. "One thing is that I got 3 weeks off in July that's a straight break with nothing going on and I was hoping maybe I could have the kids that whole time. Maybe take them to the cabin."

Maddie and Levi usually traveled with her during the summer and Deacon would see them when they were both in Nashville during the week. This was something new. She knew the kids loved the cabin though and loved spending time there. Deacon usually took them several times a year and then at Christmas when he had them. "Well, I guess it's something we can talk about. I'm sure they would love it." She turned and laid the paper on the island. "I'll take a look and let you know what I work out."

He nodded. "Thanks, Rayna. And Merry Christmas." He started to head towards the door and she turned in that direction.

"Deacon," she said, and he stopped and turned back. "Why are you joining the Revel Kings? I mean, you've been chasing this solo career for a while and now you want to join a band?" She hadn't meant to ask, but she couldn't help it.

His jaw tensed up. "I told you. I wanted to try something new. I'm not having to carry the whole load. This pays better too."

She thought it was something else, but she decided not to push him. As long as it wasn't detrimental to the kids, it was none of her concern anymore. "Well, okay. If it's really what you want."

"It is."

"Okay." She tried to smile. "Well, have a nice Christmas and we'll see you in a few days then."

He gave her a tight smile. "You too, Rayna," he said and then turned to leave. She followed him, grabbing the door when he opened it. He looked back at her when he stepped out on the stoop.

"I'll work up a schedule and have it for you when you pick up the kids."

"Sounds good." He hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked out onto the front walk. She stood on the stoop and watched him get in his truck and then drive away.

Something was going on, but it was clear he wasn't going to tell her. She sighed, then walked back in the house.


She met Watty for a post-Christmas lunch at one of the high-powered restaurants downtown. One of the places she would have expected her father to go to. The hostess walked her to the table where Watty was already sitting, and she slid into her chair. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "I have no excuse either because the kids aren't home." She smiled.

"You're right on time, so don't worry," Watty said, smiling back. A server came over and took her drink order and then Watty focused on her again. "How was your Christmas?"

"It was really nice. Levi's old enough to really get what Christmas is all about so that made it more fun, I think. He and Maddie were drunk on candy and presents and Santa Claus, so it was the perfect time to hand them off to Deacon." She took a sip of her tea. "How was yours? Where did you go this year?" Watty always went out of town over Christmas. It was a slow time for him and, without a family of his own, a little lonely, she'd always guessed. He was always back in Nashville for New Year's because there was always some kind of live music going on.

"I went skiing in Vail," he said. "I've been before a time or two so decided to go back. Lots of snow, lots of great skiing."

"When did you get back?"

"Yesterday." He smiled again in that fatherly way he had. "How are you doing these days?"

"I'm good. Bucky and I are meeting in a couple of weeks to talk about the upcoming tour." The server stopped by again and they both looked over the menus and ordered. Then Watty focused his attention back on her.

"The new album is really solid," he said.

"Thanks." Thoroughbred had been out since mid-summer, and she'd gotten very positive reaction to it. The new songs had generated excitement among fans as well when she'd introduced them on the back half of her tour. "I'm happy with it. It was a good follow up to Back Again."

"I particularly liked the first single." It's My Life had been another song she'd written in the aftermath of everything that had happened with Deacon, but she had held it back from Back Again. She'd tweaked it a little bit and put it on the new record and released it as her first single. "Good choice."

She smiled. "I wrote that almost 3 years ago, but I thought it deserved its own place in the sun." She took another sip of her tea and then frowned a little. "Have you talked to Deacon lately?"

He shook his head. "I haven't. I did see that he'd gone out with the Revel Kings at the end of their tour."

She tapped a finger on the table. "Yeah. And then he was offered a permanent spot and he accepted."

Watty looked surprised. "Really. Well, I wouldn't have expected that."

"I was really surprised too. I mean, I know the guys in the band went through a really public path to sobriety – which is great – but Deacon never was a big fan of Cy's. And it's definitely taking him out of his comfort zone."

He seemed to be pondering the news. "I'll have to make a point of checking out their tour next year." He steepled his fingers under his chin, leaning forward on the table. "It is a bit out of his comfort zone, but maybe he needed this. He'd kind of stalled a bit, after the second record, so this could be a really good kickstart to the next thing. It's not always bad to go in a different direction."

"But it seems so, I don't know, crazy, Watty. Maybe you're right but it just seems like a hard left turn. He gave me the schedule and it's pretty loaded. They're touring most of the year. The good news is I can work around it with my scheduling so that Maddie and Levi have time with him when he's in town."

"I think this could be good for him, Rayna. Maybe he won't stay with it forever and then again maybe he will. But I think he's on this journey and it's good to mix it up sometimes."

She considered what he'd said. "When you see him, can you see if you can find out what's going on with him right now?" She waved her hand in front of her face. "Not to report back to me, but maybe just to let me know there's no reason for me to be concerned. When he does something like this, I can't help but, you know, worry." This was the first time in a while that he'd done something like this, something that didn't completely make sense. She wondered if she'd ever not get that feeling in her gut.

He looked thoughtful and then smiled. "I can't promise anything. He may not want to talk about it to me. You know that, right?"

She nodded. She was still baffled and, if she were honest, bothered a little by this seeming new direction, but it wasn't her call. And it wasn't her place to offer her opinion. She'd learned her lesson on that one. Just then the server came with their food, and they focused on that.

Deacon

He stared out the window absentmindedly. The bus caravan was making its way from Detroit to Chicago. It was 7 weeks into the tour and there had not been one night when his head wasn't buzzing when they finally walked off the stage. Rock 'n roll was loud. It was harder sometimes than he thought it would be, but it had definitely set off his creative juices. He sat in his room at night after the end of a show or an after party and had written more than he could remember having done before. He tried to talk to Maddie and Levi most every day and Rayna had been generous enough to let him see them when he was in town, given that it was usually no more than 2 or 3 days at a time.

For the most part, he took each stop as it came, but he was looking forward to getting to Chicago. They were doing one show there but would wrap up the US leg of the tour there as well, just before Christmas. What he was really looking forward to was that Rolling Stone was doing an in-depth feature on the band and were imbedding a journalist with them for a good portion of the tour. It wasn't as much the article, though, as it was the journalist. Carmen Gonzalez. He'd known Carmen since his early days in Nashville. He hadn't seen her in years but was looking forward to seeing her again. She had reached out and told him she had made sure she got this particular assignment. So they could reconnect, she'd said.

He smiled to himself when he thought about that.


He and Rayna had an agreement – if either one developed a relationship that became serious and involved meeting the kids, they would let the other one know prior to doing that. So far neither of them had taken that step. He had not been without female company, but nothing ever developed to that 'serious' status. He didn't expect that Rayna had not had some involvement with other men, but if she had it also hadn't gone to the next level. He wasn't planning for Carmen to be that person, but he did expect that it would probably end up being more of a relationship than not.

Carmen had come to Nashville for college and then had gotten a job at one of the labels in town as a receptionist. She knew she wanted to be involved in the music industry but that was not the job she wanted long term. She had moved on to a local publication and often visited clubs and music venues around town to write about local acts and up and comers. It was how she'd ended up in the circle of people he and Rayna associated with. He'd known she had her eye on him back in those days. So did Rayna, who made sure Carmen knew he was off limits. He had no interest in her back then, except as a friend, but she'd been there when Vince died and she'd seen how it had affected him. It wasn't long after that though that she had left Nashville. She'd clearly kept tabs on him though and had appeared at one of the Revel Kings' shows towards the end of the last tour, which was how they'd reconnected.


When they pulled into the hotel in Chicago, Carmen was waiting in the lobby. She approached Cy first, but she had her eyes on him and he just smiled as he walked up to the check in desk. He had just gotten his key and turned to head for the elevators when she popped up next to him. He smiled. "Hey, Carmen," he said.

She tipped her head a little, giving him a vixenish smile. "Hey, yourself. I was hoping to maybe get a little...private time with you before the show tonight."

He let out a short laugh. "You were, huh? I'm not really sure when you thought that was gonna happen. Don't you gotta interview Cy?"

She shrugged. "I do, but it's just the basics. Maybe between sound check and the show?"

He made a face. "I don't know. That ain't a lot of time and I got a few calls to make."

"You know you don't have to stay here. I've got a condo not that far away."

He shook his head. "I'm not sure I should piss Cy off just yet."

"Well, I'll be at the after party and then after the after party, should you be interested." She smiled again and turned to leave. Then she turned back. "Oh, I'm going to be on the plane tomorrow. I'm sure we can find a few minutes to talk then. I do want to hear why you decided to hook up with this crew." She winked and then headed across the hotel lobby.

He picked up his bag and shook his head. She was still just like he remembered her.


The band was going to be photographed prior to the show. One of the things he didn't much care for was all the primping that went on. It reminded him of the hair and makeup and wardrobe people flittering around Rayna before every show. He'd always been glad all he had to do was throw on jeans, a shirt and his boots and run a comb through his hair. He was never expected to be dressed up but with the Revel Kings there was a look that Cy wanted. His designated 'look' was all black, which at least allowed him to wear jeans, but he had a rotation of black shirts, jackets, and vests for onstage. And the hair thing. There was hair product and spray and arranging it, instead of just letting it do its natural thing. And the makeup. He knew not all rock bands did this, but it was Cy's band and he got to call the shots.

He got out of the chair where his hair was being styled and Cy was standing right there. "So just wanted to let you know that last night you were a little long on some of those lead outs," he said.

He wasn't sure that was really true, but he wasn't really in a position to make a big deal out of it. "Just trying to step it up," he said.

"Well, it left me feeling a little stepped on, so just wanted to bring it to your attention. So, you can tighten that up." When he looked Cy in the eye, he saw a subtle warning there and he knew this was about Carmen. Cy had been excited about Carmen coming on the tour and made a point to say that he'd asked for her specifically.

He gave Cy a sharp nod. "I'll work on it."

Cy smiled, a snake oil smile. "I know you will." Then he walked off.

He watched for a second, then followed, joining the band for the photo op. When they were done, he saw Carmen watching from the shadows and he walked over to her. "I think Cy thinks you're here for him," he said with a smirk.

She smiled. "Cy knows better. He just always holds on to hope. After the show?"

"Got the after party, but I think I can slip away."

She bit her lip, then broadened her smile. "Tell me your room number and I'll meet you there," she said, lowering her voice.

He grinned. "803. Now I gotta go."

Rayna

Bucky was walking her through some updates, to which she was not completely focused, but then he caught her attention. "Luke Wheeler's people reached out to see if you'd be open to joining his charity benefit show," he said. "It's in about a month, at the Ryman."

She smirked. "Luke Wheeler has a charity?" She never thought of Luke as being about anything but himself. Of course, he was older now than when she'd known him, so she was probably being unfair. She was also reminded of the fact that Deacon deciding to tour with Luke for a second season led to their split. Although that wasn't really fair either. It wasn't Luke's fault, but the circumstances had contributed to the mess she and Deacon had found themselves in.

Bucky shook his head with a short laugh. "I know, but apparently he does." He checked his notes. "Equine Therapy Foundation. Maybe not surprising given that he owns that horse farm up in Kentucky."

"Hm." She supposed anyone could grow up at some point, even Luke Wheeler. And she couldn't be mad at him for Deacon's choices. "So what would it involve?"

"A couple songs. Your choice on what those would be."

She shrugged. "Sure, why not? I'll let you know what songs I decide to do."


She'd been assigned a dressing room and she had brought her hair and makeup team, along with her stylist. She stood in front of the mirror as Susie straightened out the top she was wearing. She'd decided on a pair of ankle length dark gray leather pants along with a black sleeveless sequined top. The top was fitted but flared out in the back from the waist. She slipped into the black stiletto sandals decorated with small rhinestones, the ones she adored but would only wear on stage because they hurt her feet. The large black hoops in her ears twinkled with rhinestones. She had on two bracelets and rings on 4 fingers. There was enough bling that she decided against a necklace.

She smiled. "Looks good. Thanks, everybody."

Bucky appeared at the door. "Time to walk," he said. She turned and headed for him, then they walked down the hallway side by side. "Did you feel comfortable with Luke's band?" Luke wanted to just use his own band for the entire show, to minimize any delays for set up. So her first time working with them was at sound check. It had taken a minute to get things right and she hoped that carried over into the show.

She gave him a smirk. "They're fine. Not my band certainly but no big deal." As they approached the side stage, she saw Luke, who saw her at the same time.

"Well, there's the great Rayna Jaymes," he called out, a big smile crossing his face. She noted that he no longer had the mullet he'd had back in their state fair/festival days. In fact, he'd aged well. Very well.

She smiled back. "Thank you for inviting me, Luke." They gave each other a perfunctory hug. "I'm happy to help out."

"Look, I hope we get a chance to catch up a little after the show."

"Um, I guess we'll see how things go." She needed to get home to relieve Tandy, although her sister was planning to stay the night anyway. But she decided to just play things by ear. She took her ear buds from Bucky and inserted them and with a smile, she headed out onto the stage.


She was still sitting in her dressing room when Luke popped his head in. "Glad you're still here," he said, with a smile. "Can I get you to walk over to Tootsie's for a drink with me?"

She made a face. "Tootsie's is so loud this time of night. What about just hanging out here for a bit? I can't stay too late anyway. Kids at home. You know how that is," she said.

He nodded, laughing a little. "I do remember that. Well, I know we've got some champagne around somewhere. How 'bout that?"

She smiled. "Okay." When he left, she wondered why she was doing this. She hadn't seen Luke Wheeler in nearly 15 years. She knew he'd had a thing for her back then, although she had pretended she did not. He and Deacon had scuffled a time or two because of that and she'd been relieved when Luke got off that circuit the next year. Their paths had not really had occasion to cross in the years since. He rarely came to award shows or other industry events and when they had both been on the big stages at CMA Fest, they were on different nights. Luke was a superstar, one who could sell out stadiums, and she had to admit to a little envy about that. Deacon opening for him the first summer he went out on his own had surprised her. She knew that he had still been irritated by Luke, but apparently not enough so that he didn't go out with him again the following year.

Luke walked back in then with a bottle of champagne and 2 glasses. "I got the good stuff," he announced. He handed her a glass and then set his down on the table in the room. He got the bottle open and poured them both a glass. Then he sat down on the couch with her and held his glass out. "To the Equine Therapy Foundation," he said.

She tapped his glass and then took a sip. "So, when did you get involved with this charity?" she asked.

"Well, you know I have a horse farm in Kentucky." She nodded. "Outside of Lexington. I breed thoroughbred racehorses there, although not yet in the Derby realm." He chuckled. "But I've ridden horses my whole life and found this group that works with all types of people with developmental disabilities, mental and physical disabilities, at stables around the country. Kids as well as adults. It's amazing to see a kid who is so withdrawn they won't even look at anyone get on a horse and learn to ride. And then learn to take care of the horse. And start to open up. The work they do is amazing. I mostly raise money to support the wounded warriors aspect though. It's just become really important to me."

She was impressed. "Wow, I had no idea. I used to ride when I was young – and I loved it – but I never thought about it being used for therapy."

"Do you still ride?"

She shook her head. "I haven't ridden in years."

"You know, you should come out sometime to my ranch down in Franklin. I've got a small stable with a few horses. I'm sure there's one that would be to your liking. And I'd be glad to show you around the property." He grinned.

"Maybe someday I will," she said. She was pretty sure it wouldn't be a good idea to do that. He had a look on his face that seemed to say it would be more than just a friendly ride and she really didn't want to get involved with someone. It obviously was easier for men to move on. Deacon seemed to have done that. And she knew it had only been a few years since Luke had gotten divorced. Of course, he might have meant it as a friendly thing, but he had a reputation. One that had been at the root of that divorce. She took another sip of her champagne, then set the glass down on the table. "You know, I'm just really exhausted all of a sudden. And I've got my kids at home and need to check on them."

Luke was instantly on his feet. "Oh sure, sure, I totally understand that. Kids first." She stood up as well. "Thank you again for being available to do this."

She smiled, a genuine one. "Thank you for asking me. Now that I know more about the foundation, I'm really glad I got to help." She picked up her purse and her jacket. She walked to the door and then turned back. "It was really good to see you again, Luke."

He smiled. "It was good to see you too, Rayna," he said. She headed out, calling the car service as she walked to let them know she was ready to be picked up.

Deacon

He had to admit he was glad Carmen had sought him out. Of all the women he'd spent time with over the past 3 years, she was the one he was most comfortable with. Of course, a big part of that was because he already knew her, but she also had been around during the turbulent times, so she'd known him at his worst and hadn't judged him. And now, lying in bed with her in his hotel room, she was just who he'd needed.

"You know, this was worth giving up my recorder for," she said. She looked up at him and smiled. He'd made her hand over the recording device, just in case she had any thoughts about anything they talked about being on the record.

He grinned. "Told ya it would be," he said.

"We're gonna have to do an interview at some point," she said.

He leaned back against the pillow. "Do we?"

She propped herself on her elbow. "I know you hate talking about yourself. It's actually one of the things I always liked about you." He'd always been very private about his life, just as Rayna had. It had served them well, particularly during the worst parts of their lives together. Even now, neither of them had been very forthcoming about the circumstances around their separation and eventually people stopped asking. He was afraid Carmen wasn't going to be that discreet.

He smiled a little. "That's nice to know."

She searched his face with her eyes. "Are you okay?"

He frowned. "Why would you ask that?"

She glanced away and then back. "There's this edge to your put on charm."

"Put on?" He frowned again. "What are you doing?"

She tried to look innocent. "Being a friend."

"You're being a reporter."

"I'm not, but I do worry about you. You and Rayna aren't together..."

"That's being a reporter," he said tersely. "And I ain't talking about it, on or off the record."

She held her hand up. "Okay, that's fair. But I am your friend and I do worry about you. I know you, remember? And everything that happened after Vince's car accident." He scowled at her. "I'll back off," she said, and then she smiled. "But I can still care about you, can't I?"

He didn't say anything at first. Then he smiled. "Yeah. And I appreciate it."

"You do?"

He smirked. "Let me show you how much." He rolled towards her and kissed her.


He was walking across the lobby towards the elevators when he heard his name. When he turned, he was surprised to see Watty White. He headed for the other man, a smile on his face. "Hey, Watty. I sure didn't expect to see you in Denver. What are you in town for?" The band was in Denver after a few weeks back in Nashville, working on the next Revel Kings album.

Watty reached out and they shook hands. "Came to see you," he said with a smile. "To see your band, I should say."

"Well, it ain't my band, but appreciate you doing that." It reminded him of how Watty always came out to see Rayna's show, a few times each tour, just to see how things were going and how the show looked. He wondered if that's what he was doing here, except that he hadn't done it before. He had to wonder if Rayna had asked him to.

Watty looked around. "You want to go sit?" he asked.

"Sure." Watty walked towards the lobby restaurant and they sat at a table by the window. They ordered iced tea and when it came he leaned forward. "So, what really brought you here?" he asked.

Watty seemed like he was thinking about what to say. "I know why you're doing this," he said. He held his hand up. "I asked around, talked to a few people."

Watty knew everyone in town, so he wasn't surprised. "Of course you did."

"It was just a different direction for you. Made me curious. No judgement." He took a sip of his tea, then leaned forward, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Is this a permanent shift?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not, but I don't know." He looked at Watty curiously. "Rayna send you to talk to me?" He knew she'd wanted to know why he was doing this, and it wouldn't surprise him if that was the case. Watty had always been more her mentor than his, although he always valued Watty's input and advice.

Watty shook his head. "Nothing like that. I was planning to come out anyway. She does know that though, to be transparent."

"All she needs to know is that I'm doing it."

"Of course." He paused. "How are you doing? Really."

"I'm fine. If you're here to lecture me about..."

"No, no, I would never do that. I know you and Rayna have good reasons for why things are as they are. I trust you both to do what's right for yourselves. I've told you that before. She's moving on, you're moving on in a new direction. It's a good thing. Professionally speaking."

He sighed. "Sorry, Watty. I just feel like I been asked too many times lately if I'm okay. I'm good. I'm doing something different. It could be for just now, it could be for a long time. I don't know. What matters most to me is being able to be with my kids and I can do that."

Watty gave him an understanding smile. "I get it. It never hurts to try new things and I commend you for doing it. And Rayna said the kids are doing well, so it sounds like you've both got that all figured out." He sat back. "Look, I'm just here to see what you've got going on now. I'm looking forward to seeing you in a different world."

"Well, we'll put on a good show for you tonight."

Watty looked at him closely. "You know you're going to have to tell Rayna what's really going on at some point."

He nodded. "I know. But not yet."


When she opened the door, he sensed something different about her. She focused most of her attention on the kids, avoiding a lot of eye contact with him. But she looked young, happy, fresh. Maybe she'd had a date. As soon as the thought crossed his mind it made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why, because he sure didn't have any cause to have any kinds of thoughts about her going on dates or having relationships. But she hadn't in the years they'd been apart, at least anything serious. He knew that. He wondered about it sometimes, about why she didn't test the waters again, but then he'd move away from it quickly. He really didn't want to think about it.

Maddie and Levi hugged him and ran into the house. Rayna started to turn to follow them. "Rayna," he said, and she turned back to look at him. She made eye contact this time and he was sure there was something different. "Um, Levi might be starting a cold or something." He didn't know why he said that. Levi was fine.

She nodded. "Okay. I'll keep an eye on him." He couldn't make himself move. She frowned a little. "Is there something else?"

"Um, no." He shook his head. "No. That's it. I guess I'll see you in a week then."

"See you then," she said and then she shut the door.

He stood at the door for another moment or two, then turned and headed for his truck.