Rayna
"Hey, Buck," she said when she reached her manager. "Where are we on finding some lead guitar players to look at?"
"Not very far. Is there a problem?"
"Yeah." She sighed. "Deacon's got a manager now and she's booking him right up until he has that 6 week opening deal with Toby."
"Rita?"
She had forgotten she'd asked him about Rita Edwards. "Yes. So instead of having him for the first few weeks, I don't. Plus he's not available for rehearsal anyway. How quickly can we find a replacement?"
"I can have a list of names for you in a couple days." He paused. "Do you think this could end up stretching out longer than the Toby deal?"
"I don't know. I hope not. I guess if we can find someone let them know it could go longer. Just in case."
"I'm on it. I'll let you know as soon as I have the list."
"Thanks, Buck." She disconnected, then called Watty.
"Well, this is a surprise," Watty said when he answered.
She smiled on her end. "I'd really like to come talk to you about something. Do you have any time today?"
"I'm free right now. At the house."
"I'll have to bring Maddie."
"That's fine. Roberta's here today and I'll bet she'd be glad to entertain her." Roberta was Watty's part-time housekeeper. Knowing she would be there to keep Maddie occupied was a blessing. She'd be able to talk openly with Watty.
"Perfect. I'll see you in a half hour." She put her phone in her back pocket. "Maddie?" she called out. "Let's go to Uncle Watty's." In just a few seconds she heard feet running down the hall. Her daughter burst into the great room. She smiled. "He said Roberta's there."
"Yay! Maybe she make cookies!"
"Maybe so." She held out her hand and Maddie took it. She picked up her purse and they walked out the door.
They were sitting in Watty's study. Watty had moved out to the White's Bend area a year ago to a house with 20 acres of land. He'd had the house remodeled to his taste, including a full scale music room and studio. He had a barn and a couple of horses and enjoyed the peace and quiet. He was still active in the music industry but more at his own pace. He was sitting in one of his club chairs, his fingers steepled together under his chin. "So what's going on, my little songbird?" He'd called her that almost from the beginning of their relationship. Watty had taken her under his wing, helping her get started and mentoring her. When he met Deacon, it had been his idea to pair them up, both for songwriting and as musical partners. He'd set up a showcase for her when the time was right and that had landed her the Edgehill contract. She trusted him. She and Deacon both trusted him, but she knew she could be candid with him. About anything.
She twisted her hands in her lap. "Deacon," she said. "Actually, Deacon's career."
Watty looked thoughtful. "I know he put out that album – which was quite good by the way – and I've seen that sales have picked up. And he did some touring."
"He's actually still touring. But you know now he has a manager. Who's been talking to him about touring more."
"That's a good thing though, right? I know that when he came to Nashville he was hoping to have a career of his own."
"I want him to be able to be creative, in any way that he wants. I really do. But he's been part of everything I've done for so long. And now I feel like, I guess, it's all slipping away." She sighed. "He may not be back before he goes on Toby's tour and who knows what that might lead to. I don't want to hold him back, but" – she looked at Watty and felt like crying – "I feel like I could lose him."
Watty leaned forward and took her hands in his, stilling the incessant twisting. "You won't lose him, Rayna. It may be that your paths diverge a bit, but look at Tim and Faith – they tour separately and have a family and make it work. You and Deacon could do a joint tour. You can still write together. But it doesn't mean you lose him."
"I guess I've just counted on him for so much for so long. He's at the center of my whole creative process and I don't know what to do without that."
Watty smiled and shook his head. "You don't need Deacon to be that for you anymore. You're a talented songwriter on your own and you're at the top of your game artistically. Your albums all go platinum, you have multiple number 1's plus all your awards. So you have another lead guitar player. It could be good for both of you."
"I just always thought we'd do this together. And I know you're right, but it worries me with him being gone for so long." She sighed. "What if things go sideways? What if being away from Maddie and me changes things?"
"Are you concerned he'll relapse?"
"I don't have a reason to think so, but you know, Watty, I think I'll always worry. I believe in him and I feel so fortunate that he has done this for so long now, but, you know."
"If you trust him, Rayna, I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt. Let him figure out what's right for him. He's been with you, as you say, for a very long time. But I think he deserves to give this a shot. And show you that he's got the fortitude to handle all of it on his own." He took a deep breath. "You need to let him see what's there for him. If you don't, that's when you could lose him."
She glanced in the rearview mirror and was glad to see Maddie was asleep. It had been good to talk to Watty, but she still felt conflicted. Yes, of course she wanted Deacon to be successful, be able to do what he loved. She just wished it hadn't all happened when she'd grown to rely on him as much as she had. When she had told Watty that Deacon was at the center of her creative process, that was true. Yes, she'd written songs on her own, but she always felt she was better when he was her cowriter. She depended on him being on stage with her and felt comfortable knowing he was right behind her. The question she really hadn't asked Watty – and was a little afraid to ask, if she was honest – was if she really was making all the decisions for them. She didn't really want it to seem that way, but she wasn't sure what to do about it.
She would always worry about whether something was so overwhelming for him that he went back to using whiskey to cover it up, but it had been less so as time went on. She did believe he knew what he could lose if that ever happened and she also believed she and Maddie were more important to him. She sighed. Somehow she'd have to figure out how to be okay with the changes they seemed to be going through and support her husband the way she wanted to and, more importantly, the way he needed her to.
Deacon
He was in Lynchburg, Virginia, playing in a small theater. It was an actual movie theater, or at least it had been at one time, but one of those built decades before and now had multiple uses. The kind of place where a choir might do a concert or the local high school might put on their school play or there might be live music. He'd never played someplace like this solo or in front of this many people. Sure, he and Rayna had, but she was the main attraction. The theater could hold almost 400 and he'd thought Rita was crazy to have booked him into the place.
"Are you serious? You think I can get that many people to come?" he asked Rita when she presented him with the possible booking.
"Yes, I'm serious. And if you don't fill the place, I'm guessing you could get close. You've been in Lynchburg before and word of mouth is getting out about you. The last time you were here you got booked at the Cave for 3 nights, remember?" It was true. It had shocked him when he'd found out that the owner wanted him for multiple nights. It was a small venue, of course, but it was packed for every show. So maybe she was right.
"Okay, if you think I can do it."
"It's a step up, Deacon. If we can start getting theaters like this one, you could soon be filling even larger venues. And once you go out with Toby, I think the word of mouth will be even stronger." She looked at him curiously. "This is still what you want, right? Because if it's not, we're wasting our time. I'm wasting my time."
He shook his head vigorously. "Nah. This is definitely what I want." He smiled. "Thanks, Rita. For everything."
She gave him a look that he couldn't discern. "Just remember that. I'll get you where you want to be."
This had felt like he was turning the corner. He'd been excited to share Rita's plans with Rayna and she had told him how great it was and how she knew he'd be great, but she had sounded a little subdued, he'd thought. Or maybe he was just interpreting it that way. He couldn't be sure. She had started rehearsals and was working with a new lead guitar player, a guy he knew and who he knew was solid, and so he guessed she was distracted. She did tell him that it had been a lot.
He had walked over from his motel for sound check. Rita had worked with him to get another guitar player and a bass player and he saw that it would work well especially in places like this one. The guys were good and he liked them, but they were also drinkers, so there wasn't as much socializing after shows. He was early so he decided to try calling Rayna. If she was in the middle of rehearsal she wouldn't pick up, but he could at least leave a message.
"Hey baby, it's me," he said when she answered.
"Hey." She sounded happy to hear from him. "How are you? Where are you?"
"I'm good. I'm in Lynchburg, Virginia. We ever come here?"
After a second, she laughed. "Oh god, Deacon, I have no idea. I think we went everywhere though, so probably? What kind of place is it?"
"It's a theater. Like a real theater. Used to be a movie theater but now they use it for other things."
"Oh, wow, babe, that's awesome. Sounds like things really are looking up."
"Yeah, I think so." He wasn't sure how much to say, so he changed the subject. "I'm kinda surprised you answered. I thought I'd just leave a message."
"Oh, well, I had to cancel rehearsal. Maddie's not feeling great today."
He frowned. "Oh no. what's wrong?"
"Tummy ache, she said. She's got a little fever and was cranky."
"Can I talk to her?"
"She's down for a nap. I don't want to wake her up. She'll be sorry she missed you though."
"I wish I was there," he said, feeling sorry he wasn't there to help out.
"Me too," she said after a couple seconds. He wasn't sure but he thought he caught the hint of a hard edge to her voice, but then it was gone. "We're in the new place. All moved out of the other house. When do you think you'll be back home?"
He thought about the schedule Rita had shared with him. "Middle of April, for a couple weeks."
"Really?" She didn't sound happy. "That's more than a month from now. You've already been gone 6 weeks, Deacon. And I'll be heading out right after."
"You know what it's like, baby, especially starting out. I don't have weekend only schedules." One of the nice things about Rayna being so successful was that it meant they mainly did shows on the weekends, sometimes a Thursday/Friday/Saturday deal, so they could often go home to Nashville during the week. She was quiet. "Ray?" He heard a loud sigh.
"You said you're home for a couple weeks. So that means you're definitely not going out on tour with me." It was a statement, not a question.
"Rayna, we already talked about that."
"Yeah, you're right, we did. But it just seems like it's getting..." She stopped. "Look, I'm sorry. I guess with Maddie not feeling well, I'm feeling cranky too. I'm happy for you, babe. Really. I know you need to do this."
He couldn't decide if she really felt that way or if she was just saying that to keep from arguing over the phone. "I'm sorry, baby. But you know this is important to me."
"I do, Deacon. I guess, well, I guess we'll see you when you get here. At least it'll be more than just a couple days this time. Just remember I'll be heading out the first of May."
He couldn't really think of anything to say. He saw the guys walk into the theater and he raised his hand in welcome. "Look, the guys are here and we got sound check."
"Okay. Well, have a good show."
"Give Maddie a kiss from me."
"I will. I'll talk to you soon."
"Okay." Then he realized she'd disconnected. He felt a sharp stab of anger. Somehow they just weren't on the same page about all this and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He did know they were going to have to figure it out though.
Rayna
She had woken up that morning thinking about the fact that Deacon would be home the next day. For 2 weeks, he'd said. She'd be busy with final rehearsals and getting geared up for her tour, of course, but Maddie would enjoy having his full attention and, truthfully, she was looking forward to his being home for a little while. Life had been exhausting between rehearsals and wardrobe fittings and all the other details that went along with touring. It wasn't anything new, but doing it with Deacon had always made it more fun. Working with the new lead guitar player had been challenging, although he was very good. It was just different. She knew that. Bucky kept telling her the same thing.
She'd also spent the time Deacon had been gone putting the new house together. She had to admit that it still looked quite empty, their furniture not nearly enough to really fill the new spaces. But they could work on that, although it would probably have to wait until after the end of her tour. One of the things she'd enjoyed most though, when she'd had some downtime, was the pool. She would take Maddie out with her and they would hang out in the shallow end of the pool. The large trees around it kept it shady, now that spring was arriving and the leaves were returning. The pool was heated, which made it nice.
She brushed out her hair and then put in the diamond earrings Deacon had given her years ago and slid on a few bracelets. Her touring wardrobe would include larger earrings and more bracelets, as well as rings and necklaces, but for now, she scaled it down. She had always liked dressing up a bit for rehearsals, although that typically only meant a nicer top to go along with her jeans and boots. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, satisfied. She put the brush down and headed for the hallway.
"Maddie? You ready?" She walked up to the door to her daughter's room. Maddie turned from what she was doing, which was rearranging her stuffed animals yet again. She smiled. "That looks good, sweetie."
Maddie grabbed one of the animals, a plush gray elephant that Deacon had gotten for her when she was still a baby. He'd found it when he had gone out to pick up a guitar. There was a gift and card store next door, one that was now long gone, but he'd found the elephant and thought she would love it. It was one of Maddie's favorites still. "I'm bringing Matilda," she said, sounding like she thought she was going to get pushback.
"That's fine." She held her hand out. "We need to go so I can drop you off at Hannah's." Hannah was the nanny she'd found to take care of Maddie during tour preparation and then on the road. She was a godsend and Maddie adored her.
Maddie ran to take her hand. "Do you think we'll go to the park?"
As they headed for the stairs, she said, "I'm sure you will. It's such a nice day, I'll bet Hannah would be happy to do it."
She was taking a break, waiting for Bucky to come, and she was looking over the set list again. She still thought she might make some changes, but she really wanted to discuss them with him. Suddenly a plate of fruit appeared next to her on the table. She looked up and was surprised to see Deacon. Pleasantly surprised. She jumped up from the chair and threw her arms around him. "Oh my god, babe, I didn't think you'd be here until tomorrow," she cried.
He put one arm around her waist and kissed her, then smiled. "I decided to head back early. Chet and Mike weren't thrilled, but I missed you too much." He kissed her again.
Her heart was beating hard as she held him tightly. "I'm so glad you did."
He looked over her shoulder and nodded. "What you doing?"
"Looking at my set list."
He grinned. "Want me to take a look?"
One of the things she'd always counted on with him was his ability to put together the perfect set list. She was certainly missing that. "You can, but not right now." She took one of his hands and pulled him down with her to sit. "I just can't believe you're here." She put her hands on his face and leaned in for a kiss. "I've missed you so much."
He smiled, then snagged a piece of pineapple off the plate and tossed it in his mouth. "Are you done for the day?"
"Well, I wasn't, but I can be. I just need to call Bucky and tell him not to come by." She reached out and ran her hand down his arm. "Did you go by the house?"
He shook his head. "Came straight here."
She needed to be naked with him. "You want to follow me?"
He nodded. "I do."
She grabbed his hand and stood up. "Let's go." She threw the set list notes she was working on into her purse and they walked out together, holding hands. When she got to her car, she called Bucky to cancel and called Hannah to ask her to keep Maddie a little longer, got in the car and started it up, then pulled out to head across town. When she looked in her rearview mirror and saw Deacon following her, she had butterflies in her stomach and a smile on her face.
He rolled away from her and they lay together panting. Both of them were sweating from the exertion. She felt so fulfilled, so happy he was there with her. She reached for his hand and he threaded his fingers through hers. She turned to look at him. "You surprised the hell out of me," she said with a smile.
He turned onto his side and trailed his fingers over her skin. Then he tweaked her still taut nipples with his thumb and index finger, one after the other. She could feel herself wanting him again. "God, I missed you, Ray," he said.
She felt tears in her eyes. "I missed you too." He was stroking her skin again and she sucked in her breath. "Really missed you," she whispered. He leaned over her and kissed her. His fingers trailed down her skin and then he inserted two inside her. She groaned. He bit down gently on her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to his. He kissed her fervently and along with the way his fingers moved inside her, she felt herself start to spiral again. Her hips were moving and she felt his fingers touch her the way she liked. Suddenly she was coming again, hard and fast, and she was moaning into his mouth. As she started to come back down to earth, she was conscious of him rolling on top of her and thrusting himself inside her. She didn't think she would come again, but she did, immediately after he did.
He raised his head up and looked down at her. "God, Ray, you're so beautiful," he murmured raggedly.
She didn't feel beautiful. She was slick with sweat and her hair was clinging to her face. What she did feel was completely satiated. She smiled. "I've missed this," she whispered. "I've missed you."
Deacon
He always thought she was probably the most beautiful right after sex. He knew that after a vigorous session like they'd just had, she felt sweaty, but she really just looked dewy to him. Her face was flushed a light pink and her eyes seemed to glow. Her lips were slightly swollen from kissing and her nipples were still like tight little buds jutting out. He knew he was the only man she'd ever been with and it had meant they'd been able to explore and learn each other intimately. He knew what pleased her. I learned everything from you, she always said, telling him that he'd taught her what felt good and what gave her the most explosive orgasms. He supposed that was at least partly true, but he'd relied on her to tell him what she really liked.
Back in the early days, they could hardly keep their hands off each other. All it took was a smoldering look, or their hands brushing each other's, or a lyric that described the intense feelings they had for each other. They'd made love in dive bar bathrooms, sketchy roadside motels, cars, and even in an Opry dressing room. They'd done it in fields and forests and in the lake at the cabin.
When he looked at her now, she was certainly different from those early days. She'd always had confidence and had always moved forward with a strong sense of who she was. Their lives together had been filled with tremendous highs and often devastating lows. But through it all the connection had remained strong. It had sustained them. He'd loved her his whole life and he knew he'd love her until he died.
He held her close, his fingers grazing her damp skin. He kissed her forehead. "I been thinking about this since I left Nashville," he murmured. He heard her sigh, then felt her lips press against his chest before she settled back against his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut. Things were changing, for both of them, and he hoped they would always remember the moments like these, when they still clung to each other as if there was no one else in the world.
In the beginning, they mostly kissed. Once she'd given him an ultimatum to break up with his girlfriend, she let him kiss her. The kisses grew more passionate kind of quickly and led to more. Soon he was touching her skin under her blouse, which led to her letting him unfasten her bra, his fingers and his tongue leaving her breathless. For someone so completely inexperienced she was surprisingly receptive and eager for the physical connection. He mostly forgot she'd only recently turned 16. The first time they made love was at his apartment while they were writing together. It had started to rain while they were at the park and, not wanting to stop the creative process, she'd agreed to follow him to his small studio apartment.
Seeing her naked for the first time had taken his breath away. He'd tried to be gentle with her, even though his desire for her felt overwhelming. He remembered that she'd gasped a little at first but then clung to him as she let him guide her. He worried that he'd hurt her and she assured him she was fine. The second time was better and after that they rarely wrote together anywhere other than at his apartment.
There were times when he wished they could go back to those days. Back when everything was still fresh and new, back when there was nothing in their way. Before he disappointed her a million different ways. Before he became her screw up. Before he saw the caution in her eyes, the lingering doubts, and later the emptiness. He was 4 years sober now. 4 years since he'd gone back to rehab and committed himself to get better. Yet he still felt like there was a hint of something there, that he would always be proving himself, that there would always be a leash, even if it was invisible.
Rayna
She was so tired she did a less than satisfactory job of rubbing lotion into her skin. She just wanted to crawl under the sheets and let sleep overtake her. She looked up when Deacon walked into the room. "You get her to go to sleep?" she asked, a smile on her face.
He smirked, sitting down on the bed and pulling off his boots, tossing them aside. "She fought it hard," he said. He looked at her. "How much sugar did she actually have?"
She shook her head, laughing softly. "Who knows. Too much, clearly. But you only turn 3 once, I suppose." Maddie's actual birthday was the next day but with Deacon leaving the day after that, they'd gone ahead and scheduled her party for that afternoon. It was mostly all of their friends in the business and their kids. Maddie had grown up on the road and that had limited some of her interaction with other kids her age. She'd have to figure something out for the following year, when Maddie started pre-school. It would be important for her to do that so that she would have more of a semblance of normalcy.
"She sure had a good time, didn't she?" he asked, with a smile.
"Yes, she did." She reached out and rubbed his arm. "I'm glad you could work it out so you were here. It wouldn't have been the same for her if her daddy hadn't been there."
He smiled for a minute, then got up from the bed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'd do anything for my baby girl." He walked into the bathroom and she followed him with her eyes. He'd been sober Maddie's whole life, been able to be a father to her. And he was a good father, she had to give him credit.
She got under the sheets and laid there, waiting for him to come to bed. She sighed as she thought again about the fact that this would be the last tour for Maddie, other than summers. It made her want another baby. They couldn't do anything about it until the following year, but it made her want to start the conversation. When he came out of the bathroom and got into bed, she turned on her side to face him. "You know, babe, you've been a really good dad," she said.
He smiled. "Thank you."
"You know, I've been thinking. What about a brother or sister for Maddie? Not immediately, of course, but maybe after the tour is over. What do you think?"
He didn't say anything at first, then looked at her. "We can talk about it. After tour season."
"I just don't want Maddie to be an only child."
"I don't really either, baby, but I think we can't talk about it now, you know? That's something we really got to think about. Be sure we're on the same page." She couldn't help but feel like he was a little hesitant.
She frowned a little. "Of course. I guess I was just thinking that it won't be long now before she's in school, which changes things."
He reached over and turned out the lamp on his side of the bed. The room was dark, although he was close enough for her to see him. He leaned over and kissed her, then lay back on his pillow. It seemed like the conversation was over for the time being, which she supposed made sense, but it still left her a little rattled. It was true, though, that they could revisit it after her tour was over, but it felt like he was not interested in talking about it. She turned onto her back and laid still. It didn't take long before she heard Deacon's even breathing. As tired as she was, it took her a while to fall asleep.
She was staring out of the window on the bus as they headed from Atlanta to Jacksonville. The opening night of the tour had been amazing. The arena was sold out, the fans were excited, and the set list Deacon had tweaked was perfect. It certainly wasn't the same without him on stage with her, but he was doing his thing and she told herself that it was all good. That a happy Deacon meant a happy life for both of them. Except that she missed him.
She sighed and looked down at her notebook. She'd been working on some lyrics that had been in her head and that she hoped she could turn into a song. She'd asked Bucky to see if he could make some songwriting appointments for her with some of the top songwriters in Nashville. Deacon really wasn't going to be able to be involved much because of his schedule, so she hoped to find some likeminded writers who would fit well with the sound she wanted. It was important for her to get ahead of the curve on preparing for her next album. She wanted to come to the table with more than she needed. She had written plenty of songs on her own over the past 10 years or so, just like Deacon had. So they each had a solid catalog of material they could both draw from, but she felt most comfortable writing with him. He knew her so well and could always tease out just the right lyric or feel for a song from her. They could write a song in their sleep, practically. She would need to find others to help fill in for what she couldn't come up with. She went back to looking out of the window.
She wondered how things were going for Deacon. He didn't have a lot of nights off and she remembered how that was back in the early days. But they had been young, in love, and excited to start their careers and it had felt heady. These days she was used to being able to go home for 3 or 4 nights each week. She'd had time to get used to Deacon being gone, but she still missed him terribly. She thought about what he'd said when she had dangled the idea of another baby. Or really what he didn't say. They knew each other so well, but this time she wasn't sure what his thoughts really were. Back in the early days when they had talked about the future it included a family. Lots of babies. It had also included the two of them making music together, but they weren't really doing that these days either. A lot had changed, something she was finally having to come to terms with.
"So, how do you think it's going to be without Deacon?" Tandy asked. Her sister had come over the night before she was leaving for the start of her tour.
She shrugged. "Well, it's not like I've never had to perform on stage without him," she said, alluding to the times Deacon had not shown up back when he was drinking. "But this will be different. He's going off in a new direction. Maybe it's just for now but I really need to prepare myself for the idea that this could be our new normal."
"How are you feeling about it?" Tandy asked, actually looking sympathetic.
"I don't know actually," she said. "I mean, I'm happy for him. Excited for him, to be doing this for himself. This is what he came to Nashville to do, be a solo artist. But, you know, we connected and the rest is history." She smiled wryly. "For almost 15 years Deacon's been standing behind me, beside me, on stage. We've performed together, written most of our songs together. It's all been so connected, you know? And I'm feeling a little, well, I'm feeling a lot of things right now."
"Like what?"
"Lonely, for one. I've been dealing with that since last year when he started going out on that van tour. The same thing we did for so many years. I guess I sort of felt like he might not want to do that again but he's stuck with it and things are starting to look up for him. He's playing in some larger spaces and he, of course, has that opening slot for Toby Keith." Tandy was not much into country music, despite having her sister in the genre, and she knew Tandy didn't really know who Toby was. "He's like the level below the artists who fill up stadiums but bigger arenas than me, so he's kind of in that middle space. So Deacon's opening for people we opened for early on and it could lead him to getting picked up by a major tour."
"Why couldn't he just open for you?"
She shrugged. "His sound is different, on his own." She shrugged again. "And I think he doesn't want to."
Tandy looked surprised. "Why not?"
She pulled her legs up underneath her and breathed out. "I think he feels like it's me being the one in charge. On a different level from him being in my band and being my bandleader."
"Has he said that?"
She shook her head. "Not in those words, but it's pretty clear to me that he feels he needs to create his own identity, outside of being Rayna Jaymes' husband and creative partner."
Tandy pondered that for a moment. "How do you feel about that?" she asked finally.
"I understand it. If he's going to really go after this, he does need that separation. I get that, although honestly, it's taken me a minute to get to that understanding. But it's been hard. I always thought we'd do this together for our whole lives and I'm having a hard time being okay with letting him do that."
"Are you worried?"
She gave Tandy a sharp look. "Not about drinking. I have faith in him."
"Have you met his manager?"
She nodded. "I have. He did one of his spotlight shows at the Bluebird a couple months ago and she was there. She's attractive but very professional. She puts out a vibe though that doesn't really set off alarm bells from that perspective. But I do think she's trying to, uh, foster that separation, I guess I'd say. It worries me a little, that she might entice him to pull away in a real way. Put an obstacle up."
Tandy frowned. "What kind of obstacle?"
"Maybe not an obstacle exactly, but she's working hard to keep him off my tour." She waved her hand in the air. "That's probably not fair. I don't really know that it's her intent to do that. But she is trying hard to find him things that could effectively end our professional relationship. I know it's her job as his manager to promote him, but I'm struggling with not wanting to hate her for it."
Tandy reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her an encouraging smile. "You'll figure it out, sweetheart. I know you and I know you want to be supportive, but you also want your family. I'm sure you and Deacon will figure it out. Maybe doing things this way will make things clearer for both of you."
She was still just staring out the window, wondering if Tandy was right. Will we figure it out? Will something become 'clear' at the end of this? She went back to her notebook and started writing, putting her fears and hopes and dreams down on paper, hoping for a little bit of that clarity.