After finishing up Marcus' tour, Rayna had been working nonstop at Highway 65 while trying to put the finishing touches to their wedding. He had offered to help her with the wedding planning, but she shushed him and insisted that she had it all under control. The amount of times he had come down the stairs to find her slumped over on the table, piles of contracts and other business paraphernalia mixed with wedding magazines were her pillows. He would tenderly wake her up and lead her up the stairs to their bed. He knew that she needed to get away from everything but trying to get her to agree was impossible. He had had enough last week. It broke his heart seeing her utterly exhausted. The girls were getting snippy with each other, they missed their mother. Rayna was in the office before they got up and she got home long after they had gone to bed.
On the one night when she had made it home in time for dinner, he had baited her that she couldn't last the entire evening without looking at her phone. He had known that she would bristle at the accusation that she was tied to the modern device. She might have got away with ignoring his dare, but both Daphne and Maddie had chimed in, backing Deacon up with his challenge.
She lasted longer than he thought. The constant buzz of her phone was background noise to their first family dinner in a while. Watching the girls thriving under Rayna's attention swelled his heart. He had tried to fill the gap that Rayna had temporarily left, but he was not their mother. He had politely ignored the amount of times that she had glanced over at the sideboard where she had placed her phone. After dinner, the girls pleaded her to have a movie night with them. They even agreed that she could choice the movie. Deacon had chuckled at that. He knew they didn't appreciate the old feel good movies that Rayna tended to navigate towards.
He left them to their movie night and escaped into their music room. He needed to finish up some work he promised Juliette. He got lost in the music and was shocked when he looked up and saw that it was well past ten o'clock. Rubbing his weary eyes as he stretched his tight muscles out. He must be getting old, his body now protested whenever he spent too long hunched over his guitar as he worked on a musical conundrum that was just out of reach.
He could hear a movie playing coming from the lounge room as he walked down the hall. Turning the corner, he could just make out Daphne leaning against Maddie. Both were sleeping. He glanced at the kitchen to see if Rayna was there, failing to see her he turned towards the sideboard. Her hip was jutted against the wood, her face illuminated by the glow of her phone's screen.
"Ray" his voice sounded harsh against the relative quiet of the room, even though he had whispered.
Her eyes displayed a combination of shock and guilt as she looked up at him.
"I just had to do one thing. I promise I will put it away again. Just let me do this one thing for tomorrow and then I am all yours"
She gave him a lustful smile, hoping that would be enough to forgive her sin.
"Rayna, that shit ain't going to work on me!" his laughingly told her.
Leaning into her, he kissed her tenderly.
"Darling, you are all mine for our date"
"But…"
"Ray, there is no but. You broke and looked at your phone. It's as simple as that. Your luscious body is all mine come the weekend" his eyes raked over her as he stated the facts.
Rayna damn her body for being so receptive to his glaze. Her body shivered in delight at the thought of him having command of her. She pouted at him while she slinked her body against his. Whispering in his ear, her lips grazing the sensitive skin,
"Oh, is it?"
She could hear him gulp in response to her teasing. His fingers dug into her hips as he brought them closer to him. He gave her a lopsided grin before kissing her deeply.
"Ewwww gross. There are children in the room you know!"
Deacon laughed at Daphne.
"Is there just. Well you know what…"
Deacon leapt at Daphne and Maddie on the couch, causing them to squeal and bolt off the couch. He continued to chase them around the room, girlish laughter filled the room as they jokingly pushed each other out of the way as they tried to escape him. Rayna felt tears prickle her eyes as she watched the innocent family fun play out in front of her. She couldn't believe that she had got so lucky. She had the man whom she loved so deeply that she often couldn't tell when she ended and he started, two healthy well-adjusted girls who were kind and loving. Sending a thanks upwards, she gave thanks to her momma for looking over her and giving her the strength to endure all that had come before so that she could be in this moment.