Everything seemed to go wrong on the Des Moines leg of the tour. We had been in Omaha for a show the night before and I had agreed to a meet-and-greet afterwards, which I regretted. I was twenty-seven weeks pregnant and, although I felt good overall, I was even more exhausted than normal after the show. I always felt a little worn out after a show, although it was always paired with an exhilaration over a job well done, but that was in the best of times. I felt heavy and huge on top of the usual post-show drain and that meant that I was really whipped. In hindsight, I wished I had told Bucky no, but I hadn't, so I made the best of it. I wouldn't let Deacon pull me away because I felt like I owed those people my time and attention. So I had asked to leave Omaha a little later the next morning. It was just a two hour trip, so it wouldn't make a big difference.

But, as it turned out, we were even later leaving than normal and then we had a flat along the way, so we'd had to wait to get the tire changed. On top of that, Maddie was cranky and would not let anyone else but me take care of her. I had tried to get her to go to Haley and then to Deacon, but she screamed her displeasure. This was not typical of her, so I let it go and spent most of the trip snuggling with her, even though I was so tired.

I tried to take a nap with Maddie but she was having none of it. She and I sat in my room while I read to her. I felt bad for poor Deacon when he tried to join us. Maddie screamed at him to go and swatted at him when he tried to cozy up to us. I mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to him as he left the room, disappointment in his eyes. I really wanted Maddie to nap, since I had not slept much myself the night before, but it wasn't to be.

When we finally got to Des Moines, we didn't have much time before we had to be at the arena for sound check. When we got to Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, I grabbed a plate of fruit at craft services. I hadn't eaten much all day and I was really hungry, but I didn't have a lot of time. Deacon and I walked up to the upper level of the auditorium, as was our ritual. He had tried to get me to not do it this tour, but I had insisted. Plus it was an opportunity for the two of us to have some alone time before a show.

When we settled on our seats, we sat quietly for a few minutes just holding hands, looking down at the stage, where the crew was getting things set up. Blake Shelton, an up and coming artist, was opening for us, and we watched him get set up for his sound check.

I turned to Deacon. "I think Blake's the real deal, don't you?"

Deacon nodded. "Yeah. I think next year he'll be out on his own."

I smiled. "Do you remember when that was us? Opening for George Strait?"

Deacon winked at me. "I do. That was when we started doing this."

"Yep. Seems like ages ago, doesn't it? A lot has happened since then." I took a deep breath. "I always hoped I'd be a headliner one day. I don't think I ever realized how much hard work it would be, though."

Deacon pulled me closer and kissed me. "You deserve this, Ray. All of it."

I smiled at him. "I'm glad we're still doing this together, babe." I gave him a look. "So, do you think I can still fit on your lap?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked like he was considering that carefully. "I'm pretty sure you can."

I stood up and then moved to sit across his legs. I looped my arms around his neck and he put his arms around my waist, or at least as much of it as he could get around. It wasn't particularly comfortable, especially in an arena seat, but it was the best we could do these days. I leaned my head on his shoulder and yawned.

He twisted his head slightly to look at me. "You okay, baby?"

I nodded. "Just a little tired. I wish I'd gotten to take a nap today, but it'll be okay."

He sighed. "I wish I could have helped."

"Well, sometimes little girls just need their mama." I snuggled against him and he moved his hand up to cover my breast. He made those lazy circles that sent quivers of excitement running all the way down to my toes. I moaned a little and snuggled closer. He rubbed his thumb over my nipple and even through my bra and my top, I could feel it tighten.

He pressed his face into my hair and then kissed my head. "Mm, baby, one thing I really love is how big the girls are," he whispered, which made me laugh. He kept stroking and rubbing and I was squirming against him. Finally he slid his hand down and lightly rubbed my stomach. "God, baby, you're so hot," he murmured.

I moved my head so that I could look at him in the face. I leaned in and kissed him, hungrily pulling at his lower lip until he opened his mouth and slid his tongue in mine. We sat a while longer just kissing, until it was obvious that if we wanted to go further, we needed to find another place to be. So I pushed myself up and back over into the seat I'd been in. We looked at each other and laughed.

"Ray, you know I love you this way, but I can't lie. I will be glad when I can get my arms around you again and feel all of you instead of just your stomach." He grinned playfully at me.

I smiled back. "Me too, babe. But I'm glad you're such a good sport about it." Just then, Blake started his sound check and we knew we needed to get back downstairs. Deacon helped me up and gave me a last lingering kiss and then we walked hand in hand back down to the main level of the auditorium and around to the stage.

My stylist had just finished my hair when Deacon walked in to my dressing room. "Hey, baby," he said with a smile. The stylist put down her brush and, giving me a tap on the shoulder, turned and walked out of the room to give Deacon and me privacy. He walked up behind my chair and put his hands on my shoulders. "You look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thanks." He leaned in then and moved his hands down to fondle my breasts, then lower to rub my stomach. I leaned back against his shoulder and, closing my eyes, reached my hand behind his neck, and sighed happily. I breathed in and out slowly as his hands returned to my breasts, his fingers making lazy circles over them until I could feel my nipples harden. "Oh, babe," I moaned. "I wish we had time to…."

He chuckled in my ear. "I know. Later though." He pulled back and I opened my eyes. I looked at him in the mirror and wrinkled my nose. "What?" he said.

"I hate that shirt," I told him. He was wearing that brown Henley shirt that was not my favorite.

"Do you want me to change?"

I shook my head. "No, it's ok. This time." I winked at him.

He came around in front of me and took my hand, helping me up from the chair. "Well, you look gorgeous, darlin'," he said with a smile.

I was wearing my favorite outfit. White jeans with an ivory sleeveless top, covered with a gold sequined tank that fell to the top of my thighs. I had on a pair of custom-made gold glittery ballet flats. "Thanks, babe."

"How are you feeling?" He knew it had been a tough day with Maddie being unusually cranky and demanding my attention.

I shrugged. "Ok. Still a little tired, but that just means I'll sleep well tonight." I had been a little hungry before he'd come in, but had forgotten about it until just then. I'd had a couple of small cocktail sandwiches before getting dressed and I wished I'd had time for something else, but we needed to be on stage in thirty minutes.

Deacon smiled and pulled me into his arms. "I don't think you'll get to sleep right away," he said with a wink.

I smiled back at him. "Well, I sure hope not." I ran my hands down his back and over his ass, squeezing it.

Just then the door opened and Bucky popped his head in. "We need to get going, guys," he said and then he hurried off.

I remembered thinking that it felt extra hot on stage that night. In the middle of our encore I was suddenly, overwhelmingly, exhausted. I felt lightheaded. I didn't think I could do one more song, so when we finished with "Already Gone", I waved to the crowd and told them good night. Deacon and the rest of the band looked surprised as I turned to make my way off the stage. Later, I remembered thinking that I was glad I had gotten completely backstage before I had the sensation that I was being covered by a black blanket. My legs felt like jelly and I could feel myself sliding towards the floor, but then someone caught me. Just before everything went black, I could hear someone who sounded very far away shouting "Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!" and Deacon yelling, "Ray! Ray!"

When I opened my eyes, I was laying on a couch and had a wet cloth on my forehead. Deacon was sitting next to me, and I could see panic on his face. I tried to sit up, but I felt dizzy, plus Deacon pressed me gently back down. "Ray," he said hoarsely. I could see tears in his eyes.

"What happened?" I asked, confused about why I was lying on a couch.

"You fainted," he said. Tears rolled down his face. "Thank God, you're ok. You scared me." He squeezed my hand tightly. "An ambulance is on the way."

I frowned. "Deacon, that's ridiculous. I don't need to go to the hospital. I just need to go back to the hotel and take a nap."

He glared at me. "Rayna, you're pregnant and you fainted. You're going to the hospital and get checked out." He chewed his lip for a moment. "And then we're going home."

Now it was my turn to glare at him. "No, we're not." But we didn't have any more time to talk about it then. The ambulance had arrived and the paramedics lifted me up on a gurney and rushed me away from the backstage area, Deacon following behind. Five minutes later we were at the hospital.

After the ER doctor checked me out, followed up by the on duty OB, I was moved to a room to be observed overnight. Over my objections, of course. I wanted to go back to the hotel and be with my husband and my daughter, not in a hospital. The OB had insisted, though, and Deacon did as well. I felt a little ganged up on.

Both doctors told me that physically I was fine and the baby was fine, but that I was dehydrated and that, combined with a lack of food, contributed to an uptick in my blood pressure and a drop in my blood sugar level. And that had caused me to faint. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a good meal and plenty of water. And rest. But they wanted to keep me overnight.

"So, I'll be ok to leave for Minneapolis tomorrow, right?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking at the doctor sternly. Both Deacon and Bucky were in the room listening to everything.

He looked at me over the top of his glasses and sighed. "Mrs. Claybourne, you should certainly talk to your own doctor, but in my opinion, you need to take a break."

I was distracted by him calling me "Mrs. Claybourne." Nobody did that; I was always "Ms. Jaymes", even now. It made me smile for a second, but then I went back to a frown. "But I'm in the middle of a tour." I could see Deacon huffing in the background.

The doctor shook his head and looked over at Deacon. "Sir, with all due respect, I think you need to convince your wife that she needs to take at least a little time off."

Deacon was frowning, but he nodded at the doctor. "I'll talk to her," he said.

With that, the doctor left the room. I looked at Deacon and Bucky. I was pretty sure I knew where they stood, but this was my tour, right? "Y'all," I said. "We're almost done with the tour. I know I can do this."

"No!" they said together, Bucky in a stern tone, Deacon practically shouting.

Deacon walked over to me. "Rayna, we're going back to Nashville tomorrow. The tour is over. I already told Bucky to cancel the rest of the dates."

I was shocked. "What? Are you kidding me? You can't do that!"

Deacon raised his eyebrows at me. "I can and I did. You are officially on maternity leave as of right now." He looked at me sternly, almost daring me to contradict him. He turned back to Bucky. "Bucky, you can let the band know. Y'all can all go back to Nashville on the bus. If you'll book a flight for Rayna, Maddie, Haley and me, we'll fly home tomorrow after Rayna gets out of the hospital." He took a deep breath. "I'm staying here tonight, so if you'll let Haley know."

Bucky nodded, then walked over to the other side of my bed. He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, then squeezed my hand. "Take care of yourself, Rayna. You really scared us tonight, you know."

I didn't really know what to say, so I just squeezed his hand back and gave him an apologetic smile. Bucky was a good man and I knew he cared about me. A lot. "Thanks, Buck. I guess I'll see you back in Nashville," I said quietly. He nodded at me, then at Deacon, and left the room, shutting the door behind me. Then I looked up at Deacon, who was still scowling at me. "Stop that. I'm ok."

Deacon huffed, then he lowered the side rail on the bed and climbed in to lay on his side next to me. He gathered me up in his arms and held me tight. After a moment, I could feel him shaking and I realized he was crying. Which made me cry. I hadn't really been scared until right that second, but suddenly I understood why he'd looked so angry. I would never have intentionally put the baby at risk, but I realized that I kind of had. Not to mention myself. I hadn't meant to, but I knew now that it had scared him. This, all of this, the baby, us, it was a big deal for Deacon. As much as I trusted in his sobriety now, I understood that it was this kind of thing that could undo him. I let myself relax in his arms until he finally loosened his hold and pulled back a little to look down at me.

He worked his lip for a moment. His eyes were still red and wet from his tears. Then he said, "You know, Ray, you have always been the strongest person I know. You always knew what to do and you did it. You were the responsible one. You took care of everything, including me." He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "Well, now it's my turn. I'm going to be the strong one. And I'm taking care of you. Starting right now. That's why we're going home." He took a deep, ragged breath. "And I want you to do this. For me."

I turned myself slightly so that I was facing him and put my arm around his waist. I nodded. "I will, babe. I promise." He pulled me as close to him as he could and ran his hand up and down my arm and down to my hip. I was conscious of the warm feeling of desire that stirred up in me. After a little bit, I could feel him hard against my leg where it was pressed against him. I pulled my head back slightly and smiled up at him. "I don't think we can do that here, babe," I teased. "We're in a hospital and someone could walk in at any time."

He choked out a laugh. "I swear to God, Ray, even when you scare the shit out of me, all it takes is holding you and I get turned on."

"If it makes you feel better, I feel the same way." I smiled up at him. "We need to make sure sex is still okay when we get home." We laughed together and held each other a little tighter. I was glad he stayed with me that night. When I really thought about what had happened, I realized it had scared me too.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard Deacon whisper softly, "One thousand, nine hundred and twenty nine." And I smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, babe," I whispered back.