Thanks everyone for the reviews. Glad everyone is liking this fun, fluffy departure from the reality of season 3. I wish it would go this way, though I think we're in for a long season of Rayna with Luke. I wrote the first three chapters as a one-shot and split them up, but here's one more last short chapter as a closer.

##

A week later Deacon and Rayna were back in Nashville. There were three weeks off before Deacon was supposed to go back out on the road with Luke's tour and he hightailed it out of Vegas on Rayna's Highway 65 jet, carefully avoiding both Luke, and what he was sure would be an uncomfortable conversation with Pam. Despite the fact that the relationship hadn't gone much further than what people saw in public he knew he'd probably led her on a bit despite knowing like he always did, that loving anyone but Rayna just involved lying to himself.

They'd picked up the girls when they'd gotten home and Daphne was so excited that she was practically sitting on Deacon's lap on the way back to the Belle Meade mansion.

"Does this mean that Deacon is going to move in with us?"

"Yes, it certainly does Daphne. I mean, I guess it does. We didn't really talk about all that before we got married."

"We didn't talk about anything before we got married Ray."

"Well, we just expressed how we felt in other ways," Rayna cooed while reaching out to grab Deacon's hand."

"Eww," Maddie interjected. "Daughter sitting right here in the back of the car. I love that you guys got married, but I do not need to hear stuff like that."

Rayna smiled back at their daughter. "Sorry sweetie."

"Are you going to change your name to Claybourne?" Maddie asked.

"Well, I think I might hyphenate it a la June Carter Cash. Is that okay with you guys?"

"It's fine, it's just…well I think it's kind of weird that you guys have the same last name and I don't. I am your daughter after all. Do you think I could hyphenate it too? I could be Maddie Conrad–Claybourne."

Deacon and Rayna looked at each other. Rayna knew this might cause some friction with Teddy, but at least she wasn't trying to get rid of his name all together. "Well, why don't we talk that over with your other dad, but I don't see why not if it's what you'd really like."

She eyed Maddie in the rear view mirror, quietly smiling to herself in the same way that Deacon did when he was pleased. Rayna turned on the radio and the new Juliette Barnes song came blasting back. "Mom, don't change the station." Daphne pleaded.

"Wouldn't dream of it! After all, she's one of my artists now." Daphne and Maddie sang along to the music, and even Rayna and Deacon hummed along. Well-oiled machine Rayna thought, check!

##

When they got home Maddie was on her computer. "Mom, they're saying that you were cheating on Luke with Deacon the whole time, that you never had the intention of marrying him, that you just did it for the publicity. Is that true?"

Rayna sat down next to Maddie. "No sweetie, it's not. I would never do that to someone. I cared about Luke, maybe I even loved him, or at least I thought I did. I thought I was doing the right thing for me and you and your sister, but as time went on, I realized how wrong that choice had been. I love Deacon, I always have and I always will, but I wouldn't have cheated on Luke, that would have been wrong."

"But they're saying that's why Luke punched him, cause he caught you guys kissing. Are they lying?"

"Well, not exactly. I did kiss Deacon before I ended things with Luke, but that was just a sign that things should end. I never had the intention of hiding it from Luke."

Maddie looked concerned. "I love that you and Deacon are together, but people are saying nasty things about you, and that they'll never buy a Highway 65 record again. I don't want to lose our house."

Rayna stroked Maddie's hair. "We're not going to lose the house, and even if we did, we have two other houses that Deacon owns flat out. It might not be the room we have here, but they're both special in their own way."

"What makes them special?" Maddie asked.

"Well, the house in East Nashville is the first place that Deacon and I bought together back in the day. It's where I thought we'd raise you when you were born. And then there's the cabin which is well…let's just say you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the cabin."

"Ewww, why are you always doing that mom?"

Just then Deacon walked in the room. "Get used to it. Your mom and I love each other and we're not shy about showing it." Deacon walked over to Rayna and kissed her on the lips, then he leaned over and kissed Maddie on the top of the head. "Fine, just try not to do it too much around me, alright?"

"We'll try," Rayna said laughing.

##

A week later Deacon and Rayna were in bed together, and the girls were sound asleep. Rayna had ointment in her hands that she was lovingly rubbing on Deacon's bruised eye. "At least it's not swollen anymore. Though I wonder how long it will take to stop being all yellow and purple?" Rayna asked.

"What, you don't remember? You've done this for me quite a few times Ray."

"Don't remind me. I was hoping I'd never have to do this for you again."

"Well, this one wasn't my fault. In fact, it was more your fault."

"Yeah sorry about that. What can I do to make it better?"

"Well, marrying me certainly helped, but a kiss would be good too."

"A kiss? Where?"

"How about here?" Deacon pointed to the corner of his eye and Rayna tenderly kissed his bruised skin. "And here." Deacon pointed to his cheek that was finally returning to the proper place on his face. Rayna once again softly planted a kiss on his face. "And here." This time he pointed to his mouth and eyed Rayna with sultry anticipation. Rayna leaned in slowly and took Deacon's lower lip in her mouth. She sucked on it every so gently at first, then with more intensity when she felt him tug back. As the passion continued to rise within her she straddled him and ran her fingers up through his hair before reaching down and lifting his t-shirt off and tossing it to the floor.

She'd been wearing a nighty, but Deacon slipped the silk over her head before she even knew it was gone. This right here, this is what she loved, being close to him, being consumed by him, by the passion they shared. She knew how close she'd been to throwing it away, and never having it be like this again and the thought shook her to the core. Rayna pulled back a second leaving both of them panting for more.

"What?" Deacon asked as one hand held her to him and the other tangled in the mess of her hair.

Rayna looked down at him lovingly. "Nothing, I just love you so damn much. I don't want anything to ever come between us again."

"It won't baby. I love you too. You're my wife, and I'm your husband, and I won't let anyone or anything come between us as long as we live. That's my promise to you. My vow. Deacon pulled her face down to his kissing her hard. Then he rolled her onto her back and made love to her until all they could feel was the silkiness of each other's skin and all they could taste was each other's lips and tongues, and all they wanted in life was each other.