Rayna wasn't sure what to say. The initial flash of anger she'd seen in Deacon's eyes was fading. He tossed her phone on the island countertop, and sat on a barstool with his back to her. He rubbed his face wearily with both hands.
"I thought we agreed a long time ago, No more secrets, or lies, Rayna?" he asked quietly after several minutes
"I didn't lie, Deacon! I wasn't planning to keep anything from you. I wanted to tell you about Beverly coming last night, but then Maddie was so upset and you were up so late."
"What the hell were ya gonna do, just have her show up and blindside me? She's gonna be here in 2 hours according to this text." He asked grabbing the phone again, finally turning to face Rayna, clearly trying very hard to control his agitation.
"No, I just….I dunno! I just …I know I can't lose you! I can't do nothing. I can't sit and patiently wait while doctors that don't know you, or how amazing you are as a husband, father, and grandfather make us wait while they decide how much of a priority you are on some damn list."
"Ray…." He swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched Rayna descend into tears
"NO, Deacon! Waiting isn't an option. You're already so tired, and every day I try to stay positive, but I see the changes. You're color is off. You're losing weight and not eating. You've lost interest in everything you love. You haven't touched a guitar since Maddie's wedding."
"Ray, please…calm down, OK, baby?"
"I can't do nothing, Deacon! Don't you get that? I can't let you die without knowing I did everything I could to save you. …..and if that means Beverly is back in our lives, then FINE! If she saves you, I will welcome her with open arms and take every mean spirited, hateful thing she has to say with a smile."
"We don't even know if she's a match, Rayna. …and even if she is, I seriously doubt she'll do it. We haven't seen her in 15 years. How the hell are you gonna come out and ask for part of her liver? What about Scarlett? How can you put her through seeing Beverly?"
"What if she says yes, Deacon? What if Beverly is your one and only chance? We need to try, even if that means swallowing your pride and letting your sister back into our lives! All she can say is, No! …but at least I'll know I tried. I'll know I did everything I could, exhausted every avenue, and Deacon…you can get mad, you can yell and scream, hate me for doing this if you need to, but I'm not sorry. I'll never be sorry or regret anything that might give me even a little more time with you!" she sobbed and collapsed on the couch
"Ray, I could never hate you for anything. Shhhhh…C'mon, please calm down. It's OK, baby. I know how hard this has been on you." He joined Rayna on the couch pulling her into his arms as she sobbed against his chest.
"Is everything OK in here?" Scarlett asked as she stepped through the sliding glass door
"I suppose you're a coconspirator in this?" he irritatedly asked
"Sorta, I guess." Scarlett admitted
"Are you sure you're ready to face your mamma? You were only 5 or 6 last time she came around, and if memory serves me correctly it didn't go well."
"We've been talkin for about 6 months online and by phone. She's been askin to see Clay."
"Jesus Christ! Is there anything else I should know about?" Deacon snapped letting go of Rayna
"It's not mom's fault. She didn't know bout that till last night. I wasn't sure how you two would feel or react so I kept it quiet. I wasn't sure I wanted to see Beverly, but I started thinkin a lot about her when I was pregnant with Clay. …and now with you bein sick, maybe it's time we all became a family again."
"Guess I'm outvoted. Is the whole damn family in on this?" Deacon asked
"Mostly just me, Deacon. I asked Scarlett to call Beverly and invite her here today. I arranged her travel plans and paid for them." Rayna admitted
"I need some air, and time to wrap my head around the idea that my sister will be here in a little over an hour." Deacon sniped getting up to sit on the porch alone for a while
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be." Scarlett said when Deacon was out of earshot
"He's pissed, Scarlett, but we went through a lot of counseling years ago and he learned a thing or two about his temper. We both learned a lot, and I hated keeping anything from him. I think maybe he's more hurt about that, but he'll be OK. I just hope this whole thing doesn't backfire."
Deacon sat alone on the porch watching the water and his kids from a distance for over an hour. He contemplated life and death. He knew he wasn't ready to leave his family. He already felt like a memory watching from a distance as Gunnar fished with Mason on the pier. He watched Maddie and Colt lying on a blanket together, happy newlyweds, as Colt rubbed Maddie's growing baby bump.
It seemed like just yesterday he was rubbing Rayna's growing bump when she was pregnant with Maddie. The year living at the cabin with just Rayna and Maddie had been one of the best times he could remember. As he continued to watch a happy Maddie and Colt he couldn't help but think about all the times he and Rayna had spent alone on a blanket in about the same spot.
October 1992
A newlywed Rayna and Deacon had just closed on the cabin
"You happy?" Deacon asked as they watched the sunset on a blanket near the water
"I can't imagine my life getting any better." Rayna smiled wrapping her arms around him
"Oh I dunno…in a few months when we're 3 I think it might feel a little more complete." He smiled rubbing Rayna's bump
"Are you happy, Deacon?"
"Hell, Ray…I never imagined you'd say yes to marryin me. Never even considered kids, but now I can't picture anything but you and our little girl in my future. I just hope I can live up to all of this and be the husband and father you both deserve."
"You already are, Deacon. You've made me so happy these past few months on tour together and now we're really staring a life, married, new house, new baby soon. I love you so much more than I ever thought possible."
"Thank you, baby…for lovin me so much more than I deserve!"
"I do." Rayna playfully replied laughing
"What do you say we break in this blanket, and then every room in that cabin." Deacon smirked as he slowly undressed Rayna
"Deacon, what if a boat goes by?" she asked playfully swatting him away as he unbuttoned her jeans
"It's gettin dark, Ray. Nobody can see anything out here." He whispered as he slowly pulled off her jeans
"Deacon, what about bugs? Let's go inside."
"hhhmmmm…the house is too far away. I need you now. C'mon, I'll make it quick." He whined as he slowly inserted himself and began slow gentle thrusts, careful of the baby inside, all the while driving Rayna crazy with neck and ear nibbles as she gave in and let him make love to her on the shoreline
July 4th 2014
"Deacon?" Rayna gently shook Deacon's shoulder as he dozed on the porch
"What? Oohhh…Sorry, I must've fell asleep."
"Happy thoughts? You were smiling in your sleep." She asked sitting on his lap
"Yeah." He smiled as his attention drifted back to the kids and the water
"You still mad at me?" she asked as she rested her head against his shoulder
"No, baby. You know I can't stay mad at you for long. I was just watchin Maddie and Colt, thinkin about us just like that 22 years ago. Our first night here." He smiled again at the memory
"Doesn't seem like it's been that long."
"It's not nearly long enough, Ray. You're right as usual. We need to do everything we can to make sure we get another 22…hell right now I'd be happy to get 2 more years." His eyes filled with tears
"We will, Deacon." She tried to reassure him as she ran her fingers through his thick hair
"I'm scared, Ray. I'm not so sure. Feels like I'm already watching from outside as life goes on around me. I don't wanna die. I wanna see Maddie's twins. I wanna see our 25th anniversary." He trailed off and pulled her close on his lap
"You will, Deacon. We've just gotta have faith that things are gonna work out." She was fighting tears as she held him tighter
"Your sister's gonna be here any minute. Why don't you take a shower and get cleaned up. Maybe you'll feel a little better."
"Yeah, guess I should." He playfully jumped up with Rayna in his arms and carried her into the cabin
"Deacon, put me down. You're gonna hurt yourself."
"I just wanted to see if I could still do that." He smirked and gently put her down as he dashed down the hall towards she shower
"Sooo, he's good and OK with mamma comin now?" asked Scarlett from the kitchen
"Seems to be, but we'll see when she gets here." Rayna said looking towards the shower
"She's here!" Rayna told Deacon as he emerged into the kitchen from the shower. Rayna was busily making hamburger patties and getting dinner ready for everyone
"How's it goin so far?" he asked cautiously
"We exchanged guarded hellos. She's down by the water with the kids getting reacquainted with Scarlett and meeting Clay. I figured I'd hang in here for a while and let Scarlett have a little time."
"Looks like it's goin OK, huh?" he asked Rayna as he watched Beverly holding Clay from the sliding glass door
"So far so good. She's definitely still got a chip on her shoulder, but seems to be on her best behavior for now."
"Well, you're right. We'll give her some time with Scarlett and Clay. Need some help?" he asked wrapping his arms around Rayna as she finished the hamburger patties at the kitchen counter
"You can get the grill goin and ready for these burgers."
"Sure, baby." He said quietly slipping outside to the grill with a platter full of burgers
Deacon was busy with the grill and burgers. He hadn't noticed Beverly behind him.
"Hey, Bev…" he awkwardly greeted his sister as he turned and noticed her sitting not too far from him on the porch
"Deacon." She hissed noticeably still holding a grudge
"How have you been?" he asked with guarded optimism for a pleasant family holiday
"OK, I suppose. It's not easy bein alone with no family, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about that. You have Rayna, your kids, my kid, and my grandson."
"Bev…I don't wanna fight. It's been 15 years. Can we please just let go of the past, and move forward as a family? Please?" Deacon begged
"You've done well the past 15 years, Deacon. I saw your show in Biloxi last year. I always knew you didn't need Rayna." Beverly hissed
"Alright, Bev. You got in your digs. Can we stop this?" Deacon asked as he turned to flip the burgers
"I think I'm entitled to a little sarcasm, Deacon. After all it's not like you've bothered to call or write in a decade and a half. Now all the sudden you wanna be a family."
"Actually, Beverly…Scarlett and I set this up. Deacon didn't know you were comin until a couple hours ago." Rayna intervened as she came out onto the porch with cheese for the burgers
"Oh…even better. Did you even want me to come, Deacon?" Beverly hissed again
Rayna squeezed Deacons hand. She could sense his growing anger as he focused on the grill.
"Never said I didn't, Bev. I think we're about ready for dinner. Why don't we get the table set and get everybody up here." Deacon suggested
"You need help with anything Da…Deacon?" Scarlett asked awkwardly in front of Beverly
"I've been Dad for 15 years, Scar. You don't gotta change that now, OK?" Deacon turned from the grill a little hurt
"Don't change anything on my account. I'm just your birth mother." Beverly sniped
"I'm sorry. This is all just a little awkward. I was like 5 last time we were all together and….I dunno…I guess we'll figure it all out…" Scarlett tried to smooth things over
"So you came to my Biloxi show last year, huh? Why didn't you let me know you were there?" Deacon turned the tables back to Beverly
"I wasn't sure you'd see me if I did."
"Ya know Bev…we weren't the ones to sever all ties. You told the lawyers you wanted mama's house and me outta your life. I just did what you asked. The phone works both ways. You coulda called too. You coulda told me you came to my show. I would have seen you."
"I've been alone for the last 15 years, Deacon! I didn't really feel like getting shut out by my own brother again!" Beverly sniped back
"You sure as hell haven't had a problem cashin the checks I've sent every damn month since before mama died!" Deacon snapped
"Sent outta guilt for takin Scarlett from me?"
"No, Bev! Regardless if what happened you're still my sister. I know waitressing isn't the best payin job. I watched mama struggle for years tryin to raise us on waitress money. I sent it because I cared and didn't want you to go without anything like we had to do growin up."
"Except the family and my daughter I had to do without."
"Look, Bev…Rayna and I did what we had to do to protect Scarlett. You weren't capable of takin care of her alone after mama died. You needed help."
"…and takin my baby away was supposed to help me, Deacon?" Beverly was crying now
"It wasn't about you, Beverly. It was about protecting her." He quietly answered feeling guilty even knowing he'd done the right thing for Scarlett
"Right, like leavin me when you were 16 to run off to Nashville was the best too?" Beverly sobbed
"I had to Bev! I couldn't stay in that house with daddy. I'd have killed him. I'm not gonna have this fight again, Beverly. There's no point arguin about crap from 30 years ago."
"FINE, Deacon. We'll just brush everything under the rug like we've been doin for 30 years and go back to pretending we're one big happy family. Is that what you expect me to do?"
"I don't know what the hell to expect, Bev!" Deacon snapped getting mad
"Why don't we all just sit down and try to have a nice family meal?" Rayna suggested as she brought plates, napkins and silverware out to the picnic table
"No, you know what Ray…you wanted this. You deal with it." Deacon snapped and threw the grilling utensils
"DEACON!" Rayna followed him into the cabin trying to calm him down
"I thought you wanted a nice family holiday at the cabin? Why the hell did you ….ya know what nevermind. I don't wanna argue. I can't deal with this crap on top of everything else right now." He grabbed the boat keys from the counter and was down the hill on the pier before Rayna could stop him
"Mason…go with him, Please?" Rayna asked as Deacon started to untie the boat
"Wait…DAD! I wanna go with you." Mason quickly ran towards Deacon before he could get the boat untied and started
"Alright, Get in." Deacon snapped as the boat started to drift from the pier