Chapter 15:

The last few months for Rayna James and been a whirlwind. After Luke's very pubic proposal, Rayna assumed things would quiet down. She was never a fan of sharing her personal life publicly. In the beginning her career was new and she wanted the music to be the primary focus, not the fact that she was in love with and dating her band leader. Later, she tried desperately to keep Deacon's alcoholism out of the news. Then it was her mission to keep Maddie and Daphne out of the limelight. Though she wrote songs about it and poured her heart out on stage, she felt her personal life was scared and not something her fans needed to share in.

Luke on the other hand was a believer in sharing every aspect of his life, at least when it could lead to increased album sales and other lucrative offers. It started with the very public proposal. A few weeks later he pestered her until she agreed to a Rolling Stones article about their relationship and proposal. That led to a PR nightmare when the interviewer walked in on her daughter Maddie and Luke's son Colt making out in her dressing room. She was forced into an uncomfortable situation where she bartered details of her a Deacon's life in exchange for Maddie and Colt being kept out of any future articles or gossip. She was hoping that the material wouldn't run in the end, but it did. Deacon never mentioned the article, but Maddie told her she found the issue in the trash at his house. She thought Luke had learned his lesson but when People magazine offered to pay for their entire wedding, for the exclusive rights to the pictures, he convinced Rayna it was a great move not just for them financially but for their careers.

While she hated doing it, Luke was right. After the proposal, 'Ball and Chain" became the hottest country single, her label was the hottest label in Nashville and her album was certified platinum. She couldn't have predicted the year this was turning out to be. Even things with her family seemed to be turning a corner. The girls were settling in with Luke's kids, Daphne especially was excited at the prospect of two new siblings, especially Luke's daughter Jade who was always very patient with the precocious ten-year-old. She was worried about Maddie and Colt but was hoping it was just a teenage crush that would fizzle before anything really happened. She and Tandy reconciled after Luke's proposal. Tandy was even helping plan the crazy wedding that Luke was insisting on. Lamar also seemed to approve of his new son-in-law and despite Luke's down-home country personality, the two got on well. Everything was coming together to make this the best year of Rayna's like with one exception, Deacon.

After Deacon left her house, the night of Luke's proposal, she wasn't sure what to expect. She figured they would just continue the same relationship they had, separate but co-parents. When it came to the girls it was the same but when it came to the way Deacon treated Rayna it was completely different. In the past he was always respectful of her and courteous. Now he didn't seem to care. During the last few weeks of Luke's tour, Deacon had made it a point to find comfort in just about every city they stayed. In the beginning it was comments from Luke about Deacon and some woman. Then it was the rumor mill on her own tour about Deacon's escapades. She mostly let it run off her back but when she saw it for herself, she was crushed.

Her tour was over about a week before Luke's and he convinced her to stay out with him instead of going back to Nashville. She had tried to talk to Deacon and come to some sort of understanding, but he brushed her of like she wasn't even there. The first day she was at the arena he came to soundcheck late, obviously in his clothes from the night before and a woman on his arm. What she wasn't expecting was that the same night he would leave the after party with someone else completely. Every day was another woman and each time she watched Deacon take someone else back to his hotel room she felt like she was going to throw up. After the fifth day she couldn't take it anymore and confronted him. He just shrugged and walked away from her. In all the years since they had first gotten together, he had never treated her like that, and she decided she wasn't going to a party to it. Before the show that night, she told Luke she needed to be home with the girls and left.

Today was a good day though. They were popping the champagne at Highway 65. Rayna had been nominated for six CMAs. Gunnar was nominated for song of the year for 'Ball and Chain' which snagged Rayna her nomination for musical event of the year. The phones were ringing off the hook with congratulations as flowers flowed in from the country family. She laughed when an enormous flower arrangement came from Luke the card reading "Let the best man win," which was a reference to his five nominations, many in the same category. The flowers were placed all around the office so that everyone could enjoy them except for the three small arrangements sitting on her desk. There were a dozen lilies from her father, her mother's favorite flower. There were two dozen daisies from Bucky, her favorite flower. Lastly there was a small vase with six white roses, on for each nomination. This one didn't come with a card and it didn't need to, these were from Deacon. It started with her first nomination and even through benders, rehab, fights and separations, he had never missed a nomination.

When one of the interns brought them to her, she froze right in the middle of a meeting with Tandy and Bucky. They both had a pretty good idea of the state of her and Deacon's current relationship and were also aware of the ritual. They tried their best to get her to focus on the budget documents they were reviewing but it was no use, all Rayna could do was stare at those six beautiful roses.

Several times throughout the day she picked up her phone to call him or text him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was so much water under their bridge, and she didn't know anymore where they stood. She decided to wait the few hours it would take before she saw him. It was the Father Daughter dance at Daphne's school and Daphne requested that her dad pick her up at Rayna's so her mom could help her get ready.

Rayna and Maddie laughed as Daphne twirled around the master suite in her new dress. This was her first Father Daughter dance and she was excited. She was always jealous when Maddie got to go to special events with their parents and now it was her turn and she was soaking it up.

The doorbell rang and Maddie looked at her mom with a face, "like who rings the doorbell at our front door?"

"No idea but I'll go see who it is." It didn't even occur to Rayna until she hit the bottom of the stairs, that in order to get to the doorbell, someone would have had to get through the front gate. She approached the door cautiously but then it hit her who it was. She opened the door and smiled, "hi".

"I'm here to pick up Miss Daphne James," he said with a little smile.

"Dad!" Daphne yelled from the top of the stairs.

Rayna stepped aside so he could come into the foyer. Daphne made her way down the stairs with Maddie following. "Hey sweetheart, you look beautiful. These are for you," he finished handing her a small bouquet of wildflowers and kissing her check.

"Thanks dad!"

"Is it weird that I feel totally left out?" Maddie asked looking at her parents. "I mean, mom got like a million bouquets today and now Daphne, I'm feeling a little empty handed over here."

"How about thirty bucks?" Deacon asked going for his wallet.

"Sold," Maddie said as she held out her hand. "Better make it forty, we may go for pizza before the movie." Deacon rolled his eyes but handed over two twenty-dollar bills making Rayna laugh. Maddie then gave him a quick hug before going back to her room to get ready.

"Mom can you put these in a vase and then put them in my room?" Daphne asked handing the flowers to Rayna. That made Deacon laugh. All day long Rayna a had staff of people doing things for her, more now that she had her own label but at home she was at the beck and call of her daughters. Rayna caught his laugh and smiled rolling her eyes.

"I know what to do with them." And she did. It was a bit of a tradition that any time Deacon had given any of them flowers they would place them on the bedside table in their rooms. At the moment, there were six roses sitting on Rayna's. "You all have a wonderful night, don't have her back too late."

"Yes ma'am," Deacon replied.

"Wait, I forgot my purse," Daphne said as she ran up the stairs.

"Her purse?" Deacon asked. "What she gonna put it in?"

Rayna shrugged, "I don't know".

"So… I wanted to thank you for the flowers." Rayna said awkwardly.

"Course," Deacon responded. "Guess you gotta lot of big things comen up with the CMA's and the wedding and all."

"Yeah."

"Well go luck, with all of it."

Rayna looked at him astonished. After the last couple of weeks, she was surprised he was being so kind to her and so calm about the wedding. "Thank you, Deacon, that means a lot," she responded sincerely.

"Rayna, I…"

"What?" she asked a little too quickly.

"Here's our girl," he said changing the subject when Daphne came down the stairs.

"Bye mom," Daphne said as she gave her mom a quick side hug.

"Bye baby, you have fun. Make sure your dad has a good time," she finished winking at Deacon.