"You about ready, Ray?" Deacon asked from the balcony overlooking the beach and ocean. Rayna was in the master suite sitting on a suitcase attempting to get is closed.
"Almost. Can you help me with this suitcase, babe?" she whined pleadingly
"How much shit did you buy?" he asked as he reached around her fighting with the zippers of her Gucci suitcase, stealing a morning kiss as he did
"Well, let's just say you probably should let me handle the next credit card bill." She laughed as he lifted her off the now zipped bag.
"Thanks, babe. What would I ever do without you?" she asked playfully as he put her down with another sweet kiss, interrupted by a knock on the door
"hhmmmm…Do we really have to check out?" he quipped as he pulled away to get the door and waiting concierge
"You called for bag help?" the man at the door asked
"Yeah, my wife bought out Mexico. We need a little help gettin everything down to the truck." Deacon laughed as the man eyed the pile of bags and boxes
"Not a problem, sir. Valet is getting your truck now."
"No rush. I think we're gonna have some breakfast before we go." Deacon smiled and handed the man a tip
"Take your time. We'll have your truck loaded and waiting whenever you're ready, sir."
An hour later they were in the truck headed down an unfamiliar highway.
"uuhmm…I know I'm directionally challenged, but also know you refuse to turn on the GPS until we're lost, and I think we're lost, babe. Shouldn't we be going north?" Rayna asked noticing a road sign clearly indicating south.
"Just go back to your damn emails and let me handle the drivin." He playfully smirked
"OK." She rolled her eyes and directed her attention back to her phone and highway 65 business
"Deacon! Seriously, we've driven an hour in the WRONG direction!" she sniped a bit later as Deacon continued a southward path, and suddenly took a road headed towards the water
"I know where I'm goin." He laughed as he parked and turned the truck engine off at a marina filled with beautiful yachts
"Hey, Stan. Everything stocked up and ready?" he asked as a man approached to help them with a dock cart
"Deacon..what are we…?"
"It was a surprise. Which bags do you need for the next 3 days on a boat?" he asked as Rayna looked at him bewildered
"I thought we were going home?" she asked still confused
"A few more days. Completely alone. You can take your phone, but I don't think you'll get much of a signal once we get away from the shore." He laughed as he took her hand helping her from the truck
"What about Highway 65, the kids…."
"Buck knows you'll be out of range. The girls are grown, Ray. They'll be fine. Tandy and the Wheelers have a good grip on Mason. I want you all to myself. No interruptions for the next 3 days, OK?"
"What about a captain, a cook, housekeeping?" she asked confused as Stan wheeled their luggage to a huge private yacht with the words "A life that's good" stenciled on the back
"I was planning on a much smaller boat, but when I saw "A Life That's Good" I knew THIS was the one." Deacon laughed as they boarded
"The flowers you requested, the food and beverages are all stocked Mr. Claybourne. Here ya go. See ya in a few days." Stan said handing Deacon a set of keys
"I'll untie the cables. You're free to go whenever you're ready. Radio if you have any problems. Let us know if you change course for safety reasons. Bon voyage captain Claybourne." Stan smiled as he left Deacon and Rayna alone on the boat
Rayna was still puzzled as she looked at her grinning husband. He handed her the bouquet of pale blue roses with two red mixed in the middle.
[ Ray,
You've given me "A Life That's Good" since the day we met. Surrounded by blue, and all I ever had to do was look at you to know everything would be OK.
Give me just a few days, alone, no interruptions to show you how much you truly mean to me.
Deacon]
"So, just us alone on this boat for 3 days? Do you even know how to drive it, Deacon?" she asked a little teary eyed after reading his card
"Those days I went deep sea fishing…I didn't." he whispered lovingly
"I came here and Stan gave me some yachting lessons. I originally planned on a much smaller boat, but the name got me with this one." Deacon just laughed
"That explains 3 fishing excursions and no fish." Rayna laughed
"…but can you handle this, Deacon? It's not your bass tracker at the cabin on the Cumberland. This is a really big boat." Rayna seemed worried
"I got this, Ray. I spent several hours with Stan. I can radio him anytime if something goes wrong." Deacon just smiled wide as he turned to go to the captain's bridge
After an hour and a couple cringe worthy close calls Deacon managed to steer the boat free of the marina. He was all smiles as Rayna watched.
"I think maybe you've found your new calling if you decide not to go back to touring, and you're awfully damn sexy in that captains hat." She whispered wrapping her arms around him at the wheel, driving him crazy with kisses on the nape of his neck
"Think I need dockers and boat shoes to complete the look?" he asked flirting
"ahhhh…No, babe. I like the cowboy captain thing you've got going on. Let's keep the boots, jeans and white dress shirt, but I do like the captain's hat." She laughed suckling the back of his neck, as she reached around loosening his belt."
"Where the hell's that damn autopilot switch?" Deacon whispered fumbling for the switch as Rayna dropped to her knees taking him in her mouth
[autopilot engaged, system alarms armed, course plotted] an automated voice sounded as Deacon slowly lowered Rayna to the floor of the bridge
"This thing can drive itself?" Rayna asked
"Of course. The captain needs a little time for fun." Deacon smirked as he began gentle thrusts in time with the waves gently rocking the boat
"So if sex on a plane makes us mile high members, what does sex on the bridge of a yacht make us?" Rayna laughed as Deacon made slow gentle love to her all afternoon until the sun began setting over the water with a romantic orange glow
"I dunno…members of the naughty nautical club." He smirked as he helped her up and planted a long, slow, deep kiss on her lips as the sun dipped below sea level
"You hungry, sweetie?"
"Famished after THAT amazing afternoon performance, captain Claybourne."
Deacon checked the instrument panel before leading Rayna to the galley style gourmet kitchen.
"What sounds good? I had Stan stock the fridge with all your favorites. Angel hair pasta? Fresh salmon? Lobster? Steak?" Deacon asked looking through the premade meals
"Surprise me, babe. I'm starving. It all sounds amazing."
"How about some fresh shrimp cocktail while I warm the steaks?" Deacon asked setting out a platter of plump pink shrimp
"You thought of everything. You're amazing, babe. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you, Deacon. I love you soo much." Rayna teared up thinking of how close she'd come to losing Deacon forever
"I am pretty damn amazing!" he smirked trying to lighten the mood, but she only cried harder
"Hey, hey, hey…C'mon, Ray. I'm here. You're stuck with me now. I'm not goin anywhere. In fact, unless you'll go with me, I'm not goin back on tour. Everything happens for a reason, and if I learned anything about life and death it's that I don't wanna waste anymore time away from you. So, if you wanna do that dual tour together I'm all in, otherwise its local gigs and home to hold you every night for as long as I'm breathing."
"Are you sure, babe?" Rayna asked as he wiped her tears away
"I'm sure. I thought I wanted to finish the Boots and Bars tour, but not without you. I had always planned to semi-retire after the tour anyway. Gettin cancer just kinda forced that plan a little sooner, and maybe it was meant to be that way. I've missed so much with you and the kids bein on the road."
"I know. I missed so much with Maddie when she was little. It's hard choosing between the dream and the family, but Deacon, I know this tour meant a lot to you before you got sick. I'll go. You're right. Buck can handle Highway 65. He had to while you were sick, and he can do it again. Let's finish it together, babe."
"Are you sure, Ray? Highway 65 is your dream. I feel like I've already taken so much of your time away from it bein sick and leavin you to handle the kids while I toured."
"Highway 65 will always be here. We can finish your tour, and then next year we'll concentrate of Highway 65 together. I had always planned to hire a talent scout, but you'd be perfect for that, babe. You've always picked out the ones that were gonna make it big long before they actually did."
"OK, alright. That sounds like a plan. So, we tour, and then you hire me as Highway 65's new talent scout?" he smirked as he leaned in for a kiss
"Yep"
"Are you sure you can afford me? I'm awfully damned expensive. I require a huge salary, plus daily sexual favors both at home and at the office. I'm gonna need coffee with the boss lady daily too to discuss those daily sexual favors. Might need a lunch quickie a couple times a week. Oh and home together for dinner every night, followed by a bonus sexual favor." He smirked as he leaned in for another deep kiss amazed at how much closer they'd become through the years
"I'll be sure to have Buck put all of that in your contract. Anything else?" Rayna smiled wrapping her arms around his neck
"Maybe corporate vacations with the boss lady twice a year? Unlimited days off? Long lunches for those days when a quickie just won't do?" he just laughed
"Well, you're not too demanding." Rayna sarcastically quipped
"Hey, you want the best. I come with a price!" he smirked pulling away from a lingering kiss to check on the steaks in the broiler
"How bout we start with a signing bonus after dinner?" he gently kissed her neck as he placed dinner on the table
"Does that mean you're definitely takin the job?"
"With all these perks and bonuses, how can I refuse? Yeah, you got yourself a new talent scout. I'll call Belcourt as soon as we get back home, and tell em the tour is back on, but were addin my beautiful wife."