Deacon
He stood by himself in the rain at the small cemetery on the east side of Nashville. The dirt that had been piled on top of the casket was getting wet and muddy. The grass around it was the color of wheat, the way it always was in the winter, but now it was wet wheat. He swiped at the tears on his cheeks. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief that he thought he shouldn't have felt. In fact, he felt more relieved than he felt sad. He hoped Sam understood.
It had just been a graveside service and everyone who'd been there had eventually left. Sam had a lot of friends in Nashville, and they had all come. Then they had drifted away, after patting him on the arm, whispering condolences, and looking at him sadly. Coleman had come, but Audrey had stayed at their house with Maisie. As he thought of his daughter, he squeezed his eyes shut. She didn't really understand much of what had happened. She was barely 3 and didn't understand cancer and hospice and death. He wasn't sure he was equipped to parent a daughter on his own, but he would have to figure it out.
Just then a hand clapped down on his shoulder, startling him. He turned slightly to see his friend Vince. "You ready to head home?" Vince asked, his voice filled with compassion.
He took a deep breath, then let it out. "Yeah," he said, letting his friend lead him back to his truck.
When he walked in the front door of his house, it felt empty. Then Audrey bustled out of the kitchen. She walked up to him and took his hands, looking sorrowful. "How you doing, hun?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Not sure." He looked around. "Where's Maisie?"
"Taking a nap." She took his arm. "Let's sit down." She led him to the couch, where he sat, and she took the chair that was perpendicular to the couch. "Cole told me it was a nice service."
He gave Audrey a tired smile. "It was fine. Her friends came." He shook his head. "Kinda sad there was no family there." Sam had been raised in foster homes and had no idea if she had any biological family. Her mother was dead, and she had no idea about the status of her father. His parents were gone as well and Beverly, well, he'd let her know but she hadn't been there. Their friends had been who they'd relied on.
"Well, you have us. And your friend Vince."
He nodded. He did have them, as well as other songwriters and performers he'd gotten to know around town. He hunched over, his elbows on his knees. "I feel like I should be sadder, you know?"
Audrey reached over and patted his arm. "You've been through a lot. Don't judge yourself."
He rubbed his face. "I feel relieved it's all over. Which don't feel right." He'd had no idea how hard it would be to watch Sam first try to battle her cancer and then get taken over by it. Watching her diminish every day. All he could do was sit with her or hold her hand. When she took her last breath, he'd felt an overwhelming sense of gratefulness that she was no longer suffering.
"Deacon, don't beat yourself up. Dealing with that wasn't easy. For either of you. You did the best you could, right from the beginning."
He looked at her. "I tried. I just hope I can do right by Maisie."
She smiled. "You will. And we'll be here whenever you need us." She paused. "What do you think you'll do next?"
He sighed. "I'm just gonna stay around here, I think. I'm pretty sure I can get session work and I can play at places like Douglas Corner and the Bluebird, things like that. And then maybe when Maisie's a little older I can rethink those things."
"It'll all be okay," she said. Then she stood up and he did as well. "Just remember, anything you need, let us know."
He smiled. "I will. Thanks, Audrey." She reached in and hugged him, and he did feel a little better knowing she and Cole would be there if he needed. He walked her to the door and then went down the hallway to Maisie's room. The door was cracked open a little and he opened it a little more so he could step into the room. She was asleep, lying face down, under a holiday blanket that hadn't been put away after Christmas. Her little face looked peaceful, as though she didn't know her whole life had been changed. He felt tears on his cheeks and swiped them away. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered. "I promise, though, I'll figure it out."
He'd come off the road when he'd gotten the call from Sam that she'd been diagnosed with cancer. Brain cancer. Probably the worst kind you can get, she'd said. She'd had headaches and other symptoms that had seemed to suggest migraines but when she'd passed out at work and had been rushed to the ER, it was discovered she had glioblastoma, a brain cancer that was hard to treat. She was scared. He was scared. They'd had their ups and downs through their years together, but once Maisie came they'd come together more solidly for her. He'd been faced with the near certainty – based on what her doctors had told them – that he'd be moving forward alone and he'd wondered if he had what it took to be a single parent. Except that he'd have to figure things out. Maisie was everything to him and he would do whatever he had to for her.
In the 20 months since he'd come back to Nashville fulltime, things had settled down. Maisie had stopped asking for Sam, understanding that her mother was gone and wouldn't come back. He had encouraged her to talk about her mother, hoping that Maisie would retain the memories she had, but he knew as she got older that would be harder. He'd put a picture of Sam and Maisie taken just after Sam's diagnosis, but before her surgery, on Maisie's bedside table as a reminder. He had a small version of the same picture in his wallet. Sam had been brave about it all but it had taken her quickly. The picture was taken at the nearby park. Sam was sitting on a swing, with Maisie on her lap. The smile on her face gave no clue as to the terrible news she'd gotten.
He'd finally confronted his alcohol problem. He'd had to, there was no other choice. Cole had been the one who took him to his first AA meeting, at the church he'd sat outside of all those months before. It had taken him several months before he could finally acknowledge the truth – he was an alcoholic. Rather than dragging him down, owning it had been a relief. He'd been sober 20 months. 611 days. He wouldn't risk having Maisie lose her father too.
Rayna
It was between the Grammys and the ACM Awards. Her album Sweet and Sorrow was wrapping up for an early April release, just prior to the Denim and Rhinestones tour. Things were running smoothly. Bucky continued to be a rock star manager in all areas, and she was again grateful to have him. She won her first Grammy that year for Best Country Song. She hadn't gone to the ceremony because they didn't present any of the country awards live, but she was proud all the same. She was nominated for Song of the Year at the ACMs as well, along with Top Female Vocalist, an award she'd won the year before. She would also be performing. She was being called the future of country music and the next Queen of Country Music. Life was good.
She had a meeting with Bucky and her bandleader Charlie to work on the setlist for the upcoming tour. She had some ideas, but she also liked to hear what Charlie came up with. They were usually, although not always, on the same page. She always wanted to hear his rationale for how he'd set things up. Charlie had been with her from the beginning. He'd been the first band member she'd hired. She knew instinctively that he wasn't the very best lead guitar player in Nashville, although he was solid, but when he'd come on board, she'd still been a baby artist and Charlie was a great fit for her. As she'd built her band, she'd relied on him to make decisions on the musicians they added, and it was a strength of his that he could identify great talent. She always had the final word, but he'd never steered her wrong. It was why he was now her bandleader. Most recently, when she'd lost her bass player, Bucky had found Vince Jameson and Charlie had signed off. It had been a great fit.
She pulled into the parking lot at Sound Check. Rehearsals would start in 2 weeks for the tour. She had butterflies just thinking about it, which was always the case with that first meeting. She walked across the parking lot and then up the stairs to the entrance. She smiled and greeted people as she headed for the meeting room. When she walked in Bucky and Charlie were both there, but she sensed something was off.
"Hey y'all," she said as she sat down, hoping her senses were wrong. "Are we ready to talk setlist?" The 2 men looked back at her, and her heart dropped. She knew instantly she was going to get news she wasn't going to like. But it wasn't what she expected.
Charlie put both arms on the table and leaned forward slightly. He glanced at her, then at Bucky, and back at her. "So, Rayna," he said. "Sherry's pregnant again."
She smiled a little hesitantly. "That's great news, right?"
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, it is. We're really happy about it." Charlie and his wife Sherry had been childhood sweethearts, married the day after high school graduation, and this would be, she thought, their 4th child. He cleared his throat. "The thing is, Sherry and I think it's time for me to come off the road. Do something closer to home."
She didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth, then closed it. It was never great to lose a band member, particularly so close to going out on tour. For it to be Charlie though was devastating. She finally found her voice. "Well, sure," she said. "I can understand that. I'm sure Sherry could use the extra hands. So, uh, when..."
Charlie sighed. She could see this was hard for him. "Now." He gestured towards Bucky. "So, I gave some names to Bucky. I'm sure he's got some contacts too." She looked at Bucky and he nodded. "I hate this, Rayna. I've loved doing this with you and it's going to be strange not to anymore."
She nodded. "Yeah, it will. You've been here from the beginning." She smiled then, even though she felt more like crying. "I'll miss you terribly." She stood up then and he did as well, and she hugged him. "It's not going to be the same," she whispered before she let him go.
"I know you'll find a great replacement and you won't miss a beat," Charlie said. "I went ahead and gave Bucky my setlist recommendations, which you're free to use or not. And you know I'll be at your Nashville stop and I'll be cheering you on even if I'm not around."
"You better," she said, with a laugh. "Thank you for everything, Charlie."
"Thank you, Rayna," he said. "This has been the best 7 years of my professional life." With one final lingering hug, he was gone.
She sat down slowly, looking at Bucky. "Buck," she said.
"I know. The timing's not great, but it could be worse. We at least have some time to find someone. Not a lot, but some."
She sighed. "Well, I guess you've got some work to do. Just let me know when you've got some auditions set up. I'll take a swipe at the setlist myself." Bucky handed her Charlie's list. "Thanks." She put it in her purse. "Damn."
It had only taken a week for Bucky to set up auditions, which surprised her a little bit. It also worried her because it was such an important position in her band. Not only lead guitarist, but bandleader as well. Bucky was already at Sound Check when she got there. She gave him a hug and smiled. "Hey, Buck. Thanks for pulling this together," she said. "How many are we seeing?"
"We have 4. I feel sure we can find someone from this group."
She was skeptical. "You sure? You know how particular I am. Is 4 really enough? I need to find the perfect person."
He smiled knowingly. "Perfect is the enemy of the good, Rayna. You know that."
She smiled. He knew her so well. "Perfect is the enemy of the good. And I want perfect. Let's see what you've got then."
Deacon
Vince showed up one afternoon, just a couple weeks before he'd be in rehearsals for Rayna's next tour. Ever since he'd been working for her, he'd never done anything but rave about her. Somehow he hadn't been surprised to hear all the accolades. He was envious of his friend, not only that he'd found a great situation but that it was Rayna. Vince had brought his own cooler of beer and they were sitting in the backyard, Vince's feet resting on the cooler and a beer in his hand. He took a sip of his root beer. Vince held up his bottle, pointing it in his direction. "You still doing session work?" he asked.
He nodded. "Some." He'd had to work. It was hard, but he was grateful Audrey was there.
Vince rolled his eyes. "When are you gonna get back out there, man?"
He frowned. "What do you mean by 'out there'?"
"A tour. Couldn't you hook back up with Dwight or somebody like that?"
He shook his head. "I don't want to do that."
"Do what? A tour? Or a tour with Dwight?"
"Well, first, I don't know that Dwight would take me back. I don't think he needs nobody. But I'm good with what I'm doing. I'm busy."
Vince sighed. "It's been over a year, Deacon," he said, his voice unusually quiet. "Don't you think it's time you put yourself back out there?"
He breathed in. "I don't know. Maybe." Vince was right. It had been well over a year since Samantha died, nearly 2 years since they'd started down her cancer journey. He'd pretty much put everything on hold back then and when he finally could think about getting back on the road, hadn't felt like it. He felt like he couldn't leave Maisie.
"Well, if you think you might be, I got an idea for you."
He smirked. Vince was always full of ideas. "And what's that?"
"Charlie's leaving and Rayna's looking for a new lead guitar player and bandleader. You should put your name in for it."
He raised his eyebrows at that. He'd never told Vince he had seen Rayna perform at the Bluebird and he certainly had never told him about the feelings he'd had for her back then. In the interim, he'd mostly forgotten about it, as he got caught up in his own career and Samantha and all that came with that. But when Vince had gotten the job in Rayna's band, he'd held his tongue, because he knew Vince could not keep anything to himself. His situation had changed by then, and it was no longer important, but he couldn't deny the fact that the idea Rayna was looking for a guitar player piqued his interest. He shook his head though. "I ain't never been a bandleader, Vince."
Vince screwed his face up. "You could do it, man. You're probably one of the best songwriters and arrangers I know. Plus you're bossy as hell." He stared at his friend. Vince laughed. "You are bossy, dude."
"I'm not bossy. She probably don't want someone who ain't experienced though." He took a swallow of his root beer as he thought about what Vince had said. "Anyway, I can't be away from Maisie that much."
"Well, that's the good part. She generally just performs on the weekends, maybe a Thursday added on. So, you'd be here most of the week." Vince smiled. "Or you could bring Miss Maiz with you. She'd be a lot of fun."
He shook his head and frowned. "No, she wouldn't. Ain't nobody gonna want a 4 year old on a tour bus."
"She's cute as hell, though, Deacon. Everybody loves her." Then Vince sat up, snapping his fingers. "You could get your sister to come up and take care of her. She's always wanted to come to Nashville, right?"
He was shaking his head before Vince even finished what he was saying. "No. I don't want my sister watching my kid." He'd gotten out of Beverly's web and wasn't interested in getting back in. More importantly, he didn't want her anywhere near his daughter. "It wouldn't work, so ain't no use thinking about it anyway."
"Well, I think you should toss your hat in the ring. I'll put in a good word for you." He grinned and then tipped up his bottle of beer.
When he got a call from Bucky Dawes, Rayna's manager, the next day he found out Vince had done more than just put in a good word for him.
Rayna
She knew she had a reputation for only wanting the best and being relentless in finding the best. It was one of the things she'd loved about Charlie. He knew what she wanted and always got it out of her band. She felt like she'd given up a little on the technique with him because he was such a good bandleader, so this time she wanted both. The first 3 didn't hit the mark and she was feeling frustrated. There was only 1 left, and the odds weren't good that he would be the right fit either, so she was feeling deflated.
"Who's next?" she asked.
Bucky passed her a sheet of paper. "Deacon Claybourne. He came from Mississippi and started out doing session work, then toured with Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam, John Michael Montgomery. Vince knows him and has played with him and highly recommends him."
She made a face. "Vince Gill?"
Bucky shook his head. "No, our Vince."
"Vince Jameson, my bass guitarist?"
He smiled. "Yeah. Apparently Vince has known him since he got to Nashville and they're friends. They both started out doing session work and then they got into touring bands."
She considered that. It was good to have someone in her own band vouch for the guy, but she hoped Bucky had done more digging than that. "Has he been a bandleader? And what do the other artists he's worked with say about him?"
"He hasn't been a bandleader, but Vince thinks he's ready. He also said this guy does a lot of backing vocals and blends really well. I talked to John and Dwight and they both highly recommend him. They say he's the real deal. The only thing about him is that he's been off the radar for the last couple years."
She frowned. "What's that about? Was he in jail or rehab or something like that? You know I don't want that kind of business."
Bucky shook his head. "I don't think so, but there's not really much intel on it. Vince said it was something personal, but not something that would be a dealbreaker for us. Apparently this guy is very private with his personal life. But I think we should give him a listen, especially with Vince's recommendation."
She frowned. "Vince wouldn't tell you what it was?"
"I asked, but he apparently is pretty loyal to his friend. He said it has nothing to do with his competence or his dependability. He's been doing session work pretty regularly, so I'm not so worried about it."
Vince was one of the most recent musicians she'd hired for her band, and she valued his opinion, but she was still hesitant. "Oh, Buck, I don't know. I'd rather have someone who's got that bandleader experience."
"Rayna, an experienced bandleader who's also a top-notch lead guitarist isn't going to leave where they are. I know you thought Charlie was not as tight on guitar as you wanted. Maybe we see what this guy can do."
She shrugged. "Well, if he's here, I guess there's no harm. But just know you'll have to dig some more."
Bucky nodded. "Understood. But give him a chance." He got up and walked out to get this next guy.
She sighed. She wished it wasn't this hard. She wished Charlie hadn't left. She hated the idea of having to figure out how someone fit into her band this late in the game, especially someone who would be basically her right hand. She was still looking at Deacon's cover sheet when the door opened and Bucky walked through, followed by this Deacon Claybourne, she assumed. She looked up as Bucky directed him to the stage. Each applicant had been asked to prepare some guitar work that would spotlight their skills and then to be ready to perform Already Gone with her onstage. Afterwards they would talk about the bandleader position and expectations. Not only did she want someone who was good, but she needed to feel comfortable with that person. One of the reasons she had kept Charlie was that comfort, so that was key.
When he turned around on the stage to face her, she thought she was having an out of body experience. Her heart started pounding and her palms instantly felt a little damp. Even though it had been nearly 10 years ago, she recognized him as the guy she'd seen at the Bluebird the first night she'd ever performed there. The guy she'd seen in Clint Black's band. He looked older, but otherwise she would have known him anywhere. After he'd gone through the guitar riffs, she got up from her chair. She felt a little unsteady on her feet as she walked to the stage and up the steps. She breathed in deeply and then held out her hand. "Hi Deacon. I'm Rayna," she said, hearing the squeak in her voice that she hoped he didn't. He took her hand, and she felt a jolt. He looked at her and smiled. He finally let go of her hand.
"Hey, Ms. Jaymes," he said. She nearly swooned at the sound of his voice. It was resonant, sexy, melodic even. He smiled just a little and she fell in love all over again. He looked older – of course – but he'd aged well. Really well. Seeing him up close gave her a chance to look into his eyes – the eyes of an old soul, she could tell. And blue, crystal blue. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen a bluer blue than that. He still had that look to him, the look she thought of as 'rustic cowboy', and he seemed comfortable in his own body.
She realized he was waiting for her to say something. "Um, oh, okay, so you're ready to do the song?" He nodded. "I want to see how we sound together." He nodded again. She put her hand on the mic. "So, okay, let's go." Her legs were shaking as he started the intro.
Her heart was still beating hard, the butterflies in her stomach were intense, and there was this irrevocable sense of inevitability. She had surprised Bucky, and herself, by offering Deacon the job on the spot. She somehow knew that he'd be the perfect bandleader because he had somehow known exactly how to follow her lead on stage. In fact, he had actually had the balls to show her a more beefed-up version of Already Gone that she had loved. And to prove that it wasn't just because he'd had time to prepare for that particular song, he had walked her through new arrangements on I'll Follow You and It's My Life on the fly.
Bucky had looked a little shellshocked but had told Deacon he would get a contract drafted and delivered to him the next day. When Deacon left, Bucky turned to her. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking concerned.
"Yes," she said, a little more sternly than she'd meant to. "I thought he was fantastic. And did you hear the way he updated my songs? I've been hearing lately I'm too old school. There was nothing old school about those arrangements."
Bucky shook his head. "That's true. I did really like what he did up there."
She waved him off. "I think Deacon is perfect, Buck. Do you see a problem?"
"No, not at all, really. He's a fantastic guitar player, certainly the best we've heard. Clearly, he has a good ear for how a song should sound. Already seems to have an onstage ease with you, which is fantastic. And we already know he and Vince are friends, so I think that will help."
She smiled. "I do too. So you can throw away that second list of people you had for me."
Bucky looked relieved. She knew there was no second list, and she knew he knew she knew that. "I'll do that." He patted her on the arm and smiled. "I'll let you know if there's any issue on the contract, although I think the offer is solid. We can work out a schedule for all of us to get together and start the planning for the tour."
"Thanks, Buck. I appreciate it."
They headed out to the parking lot and then split up, as she headed to her car. She was almost there when she heard her name. "Ms. Jaymes." She turned around and came face-to-face with Deacon Claybourne.
She held her hand over her eyes to shade them from the sun. She felt butterflies in her stomach again, but she was trying not to let it show. "You can call me Rayna," she said with a smile. She wondered if he remembered her at all.
"Okay. Rayna. Anyway, thanks for the opportunity. I didn't expect to get an offer right away like that."
"You came highly recommended by Vince and he's a trusted friend, so..." She couldn't believe she was actually able to put words together in front of him. There was something about him that just drew her in, something almost palpable. "I liked your arrangements."
He looked like he blushed for a second and she found that endearing. "I listened to your records before the interview. You know, to get a sense of what you're about." He smiled. "I do think Already Gone would sound even better if you turned it up a notch."
She nodded. "Well, Bucky's going to work out a schedule so we can get together to talk about the tour. We can talk more about how that would work."
He nodded. "Sounds good. Well, thank you again." He held up a hand and that's when she noticed the wedding band. She felt strangely sad about that and knew she should not.
"Bye, Deacon," she said and then turned back towards her car.
Deacon
He'd been afraid he was going to have a panic attack right before he went in to audition for Rayna Jaymes. He could feel his throat start to close up and he forced himself to stay calm, to breathe. The audition itself didn't worry him but seeing her – that made him incredibly nervous. He'd prepared well, he thought. He hoped. He'd spent time listening to her music and making some notes on song arrangements he would have done differently.
"I think I'm gonna show her a different arrangement on Already Gone," he said to Vince.
Vince visibly blanched, his eyes wide. "What?"
He smirked. "It's too slow."
Vince still looked unsure. "She can be a diva, man. I think it's that red hair, you know? She's got a temper, I know that. She might not be too happy that you're messing with her song."
He shrugged. "I know a bandleader helps with arrangements. If she's gonna consider me for this, I need to show I can do that."
"Well, I don't know what to say, but hopefully it works out for you. I just don't want them blaming me if it all goes sideways."
He chuckled. "No one's gonna blame you."
He had not let Vince know how really nervous he was about having beefed up her song. The song he had to audition with her was a nice little ballad, but one that didn't have enough punch. At least in his opinion. He didn't really know where he'd gotten the nerve to even do that and it could've gone terribly wrong, but it hadn't. She had really liked it.
When he thought about seeing her at first, he'd been struck by how little she'd seemed to have changed. Her hair was longer – a good bit longer – but it made her look sexier, he thought, hanging loose and wavy around her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes, when he got close enough to see them, were the prettiest blue he thought he'd ever seen. There was a very faint sprinkling of freckles across her nose that made her look both cute and sexy. And that front tooth that ever so slightly overlapped the other – the icing on the cake. She was dressed fairly casually, but every bit like the star that she was. Her smile, her laugh. She was perfect. And he fell in love with her all over again.
He'd been surprised that she had offered the job right there. He had accepted, but now he wondered if he'd been too hasty. She didn't seem like she recognized him, so there was that. She'd be his boss. And then, he realized, there was Maisie. He'd done all this without even thinking about her.
He knocked on the door and waited for Audrey to answer. Audrey and her husband Coleman lived 1 street over. He couldn't remember anymore how he and Samantha had gotten to know them, but it had turned out to be a blessing that they had. Audrey had offered to keep Maisie when things started going downhill for Sam. And then she had continued to do that after Sam died, which had allowed him to find local jobs doing session work around town. Maisie was in pre-school now, but Audrey still kept her after school, insisting that he needed a break – and that he needed to find something more permanent.
The door opened and Audrey greeted him with a smile. "Hey there, Deacon," she said. Audrey always had a warm, comforting way about her. She was even keeled and had been a great person for Maisie to bond with. Her husband was a city commissioner and a good man – in addition to being his AA sponsor – so he'd been glad for their influence on his daughter. Audrey stood back to let him in. "Come on in. Maisie's having a snack."
He smiled at the mention of his daughter. "One of your chocolate chip cookies?" Maisie loved to help Audrey make cookies, although help was a relative term. She also liked to eat them.
Audrey shook her head. "Apple slices today." She closed the door. "How did the audition go?"
He smiled a little sheepishly. "It was great. I got the job."
Audrey threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, Deacon, I'm so happy for you. This is fantastic."
"Yeah, I thought so too. But then I remembered that I'd have to figure out something for Maisie. Rayna's got a tour starting up in late April and there's learning her material and then rehearsals and then the actual touring. The good news is that she mostly tours weekends, but the bad news is that I still gotta figure out what to do about Maisie on the weekends."
"Deacon, Cole and I would be happy to keep her on weekends."
He shook his head. "I can't ask y'all to do that."
"You don't have to ask. I just offered. You know Cole and I love that little girl as much as if she were our own."
"That don't seem fair though. Y'all need weekends for yourselves."
Just then came the sound of running feet and a little dark-haired girl came running out from the kitchen. "Daddy!" She threw herself at him and he couldn't help but grin as he picked her up and settled her on his hip. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
He hugged her. "How's my girl?" he asked.
"Great," she said as she looked him directly in the face. Samantha had always said Maisie looked like him, even though he'd been skeptical at first. But as she got older he could see it, even though she had Sam's golden brown eyes and perky nose. Maisie wasn't quite 3 when her mother had died and, although she still remembered her, she didn't talk about Sam much anymore. He'd never given a second thought to coming off the road once Sam had been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer or even in the aftermath of that. He wasn't even sure why he had agreed to the audition with Rayna for her bandleader position, except that it was Rayna Jaymes. He'd assumed he wouldn't get it because of his lack of experience but now that he had, the cold, hard truth presented itself. Maisie. That changed everything.
Rayna
She was confused. Actually, she was confused and irritated. "I don't understand, Buck. What do you mean he's changed his mind? What happened between yesterday and today?" She was standing at the island in her kitchen. "I mean, who does that?"
"I don't know, Rayna," Bucky said, on the other end of the phone. "He just said that after considering everything, it wasn't something he could commit to right now."
"Did you press him? What is 'everything' and why can't he commit 'right now'?"
"I'll press, but he was pretty firm about not saying anything other than that it was personal."
"Well, let me know what you find out. Thanks, Buck." She disconnected. She made an angry noise as she turned to the coffeemaker and poured herself a mug of coffee. She fumed as she added sweetener and a touch of cream. How in the hell could he change his mind in less than a day? He'd seemed so sure, and she had gotten the sense he was excited about the position. Then she thought about the wedding ring and wondered if his wife had put the brakes on. She picked her phone back up and called Vince.
"Hey, Rayna," Vince said when he answered, his voice both friendly and a little surprised. "What's up?"
She launched right in. "What's up is that I offered your friend Deacon the bandleader job and he accepted. And then this morning he called Bucky and declined. Said he couldn't commit right now. What is his deal?"
Vince was silent for a moment. "I haven't talked to him."
"Is his wife one of those women who would feel threatened by him working for a woman?"
"His wife?" Vince sounded confused.
She rolled her eyes. "He's wearing a wedding ring, Vince, so I'm pretty sure that means he's married. Is that it? He took the job without asking for permission?"
There was a long pause. "Deacon isn't married," he said. He sighed. "He probably won't appreciate me telling you his business, but his wife died about a year and a half ago. I think what's on his mind is his daughter."
She felt knocked back. "His daughter?"
"Yeah. She's 4 and the cutest little thing you've ever seen. It's one of the reasons he's stayed close to home."
"Hello?"
She was glad he answered and that she hadn't had to leave a message. "Hey, Deacon. It's Rayna."
"Uh, hi, Rayna." He sounded guarded.
"Listen, Bucky called me and told me you had decided not to take the bandleader job after all. With no real explanation. So I called Vince, and he told me your situation. Don't get mad at him for that, please. I'm glad he told me. I'm sure we can figure out a solution for your daughter. Will you at least wait until we can explore options before you decide for sure?"
"I'm gonna kill him," he said under his breath but loud enough for her to hear.
"Don't do that. One thing you'll learn about me is that I pretty much don't take no for an answer." She laughed a little. "My band members know when I mean business. I also hate to lose someone who's perfect for a job without knowing why. So, I leaned on him a little." She also didn't want to lose him now that she'd finally found him, but she wouldn't tell him that.
"I'm sure he folded like a deck of cards."
She laughed out loud then. "Kind of. Look, come see me today. We can meet at Sound Check. And bring your daughter. Let's talk about what we can do. Will you at least do that?"
The silence on the other end drew out. "I guess I could," he said finally.
"Great. How about this afternoon. Say, 3 o'clock?"
"Sure."
"I'll see you then. Oh. What's your daughter's name?"
"Maisie."
"Maisie. What a pretty name. Well, I'll look forward to meeting Maisie this afternoon."