Rayna
When she walked off the bus at the fairgrounds, she felt a shiver run up her spine when she saw they were parked next to Jared Boone's bus. His bus was bigger than hers – she couldn't help but compare – but he was a little ahead of her on the trajectory. Truthfully he wasn't that far ahead, but he was a man. She felt a flash of irritation at that reality but tamped it down. It wasn't Jared's fault that country music was still a man's world. And it didn't hurt that he was probably one of the sexiest men in country music. Actually in any genre. But it still rubbed her the wrong way sometimes that because she was a woman it was ten times harder for her to get the same amount of recognition.
It was the first fair of the season, the California state fair. The next one was in North Dakota, then Montana. When she left California, she would have a few shows between Sacramento and Minot. It was a warm day, the sun shining down hard. She looked at Jared's bus. It looked new and his name was written on the side in script along with his face. Hers had her name in block letters but that was all. She would talk to Michael later about maybe making some changes.
"Hello there," came a voice from behind her. She turned around to see Jared standing behind her. She felt butterflies in her stomach and her mouth dried out. He was wearing sunglasses so she couldn't see his eyes. She wished then that she did as well. He nodded his head towards her bus. "You Rayna Jaymes?" She nodded, unable to make her mouth work. He grinned and walked up to her, holding out his hand. "Jared Boone."
After a second she got control over herself and took his hand in hers. "Hey Jared."
"I've heard about you. Aren't you like the next Patty Loveless? Or maybe it's Tanya Tucker." He winked.
She could feel herself blush. "Well, I don't know about either one of those. Yet." She smiled. "I wouldn't mind being the next Reba McEntire though."
He nodded as a slow, sexy grin crossed his face. "Y'all have the same red hair. I can sure see it." He looked across the bus lot towards the fairgrounds. At least it looked like it since she still couldn't see his eyes at all. He might not be at the top yet, but he had what it took. Plus he had a great voice and his debut album had gone bonkers. He turned back towards her. "I see where you're on before me tonight." She nodded. "If you'll wait for me after my set, maybe we can hit the midway for a bit. Get to know each other better." He flashed that million watt smile again and she felt hot all over. And she needed to go back on her bus and change her underwear. "You ready to walk over?"
"Um, not quite. But I'll see you there." She started to turn. "And yes to the midway." She smiled and he smiled back.
"See you later then, Miss Rayna Jaymes." She stood there for a few minutes watching him cross the lot. Then she turned and got back on her bus, surreptitiously grabbing some underwear (even though no one was around) and heading for the bathroom to change. It was so embarrassing to have her body betray her like that. Before she left, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. This is gonna be a great summer.
She had decided she was excited to be on the fair circuit after all. It meant she was on the right upward track, Michael kept telling her. She'd graduated from bars and clubs to a bigger stage, both literally and figuratively, which Watty told her was positive. It was the traditional path for all new country artists – opening for the big stars on spring and fall tours and then the fair and festival circuit during the summer. (She'd already been the opener for the opener for Mary Chapin Carpenter's spring tour leg and was going to be an opening act for Sawyer Brown later in the fall.) She was really hoping she was getting closer to having her own tour. Not just the small theaters, but a real tour, at larger venues. She'd put out 2 records – Cowgirls Love Too Hard was still selling well and Southside of Love was moving up the charts – and she felt ready for that next step. She was standing backstage at the Iowa state fair's main stage. There were still 2 other artists ahead of her, but because it was always possible something could happen, she liked to be there early.
She was particularly excited about the lineup she was part of for the night. George Strait, one of her favorites, was the headliner, but there were plenty of other top country acts preceding him. She was especially excited because Jared Boone was one of the performers that night. In fact, he would go on stage right after her. It had been a few weeks since they'd performed on the same night, and she was looking forward to it. She was definitely a fan. His voice was like butter. A lot of people compared him to Elvis in the looks department. He had those same smoldering heavy-lidded eyes and that same sexy smile. All she knew was just that he made her insides turn upside down.
They had met at the California state fair when they were performing the same night. On the circuit that followed they didn't always perform on the same night, but whenever they did they would talk. She still didn't feel completely at ease around him. She supposed part of it was that he was 5 years older than she was. He always seemed to be completely at home on the stage and had told her he never got jittery about performing in front of an audience, no matter how big or small. His first album had been a monster hit and he'd followed that one up with another that was doing even better. Deep down inside there was still a little irritation over the fact that it just was easier for male artists to track quickly. She committed herself to doing everything she could to prove that a female artist could do the same.
"Hey there, Miss Rayna." She turned to see Jared standing right next to her and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She reminded herself not to act like a lovestruck fan, hating a little bit that she still sometimes felt that way. I'm an artist just like he is. Jared was from Huntsville, Alabama, just a couple hours down Highway 65 from Nashville. He had perfect teeth, those beautiful smoldering green eyes, and his light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail under his cowboy hat. His chiseled face was clean shaven, except for his moustache, and he had the body of someone who worked out regularly but wasn't overly muscular. He was wearing a T-shirt with the arms ripped off, jeans and boots.
She tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. "Hey, Jared," she said, feeling uncharacteristically tongue-tied. Words flew out of her head. they always did when he was around.
"I see you're on tonight before me. Again," he said with a wink. "How about waiting for me to finish my set and maybe we could walk the fairway."
"That would be, um, that would be great," she said. That was their thing, something she enjoyed, but was always hoping for something more. She felt like the smile on her face was ridiculously large and she felt a little damp between her breasts. Damn, he's hot. And he makes me hot.
She stood on the side stage for Jared's set. He was clearly an entertainer, the crowd practically eating out of his hand. All his songs were up tempo and big, the only way she could think to describe them. It frustrated her how difficult it was for female artists to get recognized and command the same venues and money compared to male artists. She knew this would be Jared's last year doing anything like the fair circuit. His second album was rising on the charts, with 2 singles on country radio. Plus he already had 2 number 1's. She had released her second album the year before and hoped to get another single on radio. She had signed with Edgehill Records when she was 18, to great fanfare, and that had been exciting. At the same time, it had frustrated her to have to sign with a smaller label. Jared was signed with Sony Nashville, one of the big labels, and had all that publicity and support behind him. Edgehill had appealed to her because of the personal touch, but a lot of that was because she was one of only a handful of artists they'd signed. They didn't have the resources that Sony and the other big labels in Nashville had. It was hard to be an up and coming female artist in Nashville and hook up with a big label. It just wasn't fair.
She stood chewing a nail as she focused back on Jared's set. Her songs felt so small next to his. She was still working to get the right chemistry in her band, so she hoped it would get better, but it worried her that she was not only female but a female singing ballads. She loved ballads, but she knew she needed more. She'd have to push on Michael to bring her some more up tempo demos. And she'd have to write more. That was obvious. Even though the thought scared her a little.
Jared had stood with her on the side stage and chatted her up as they waited for her turn on stage. Standing that close to him, actually feeling the heat of his skin against hers, was intoxicating. It reminded her just a little bit about how she'd felt that first time at the Bluebird, when the guy at the bar had focused on her so intently. But of course Jared was real and Mr. X was not. "So, Miss Rayna," he said. "Are you ready for tonight?"
She looked at him and she felt the breath catch in her throat. "Um, yeah," she said, hating that she sounded sort of breathless. She took a deep breath, determined to sound like she wasn't just another woman in awe of him, even though she was. "I'm trying out a couple new songs tonight, so I'm hoping they go over well."
He smiled, his teeth practically sparkling. "No doubt they will. You've got a really great voice. Better than a lot of the other girls."
She didn't really like that he called them 'girls', but she shrugged it off. "Thanks. I appreciate that."
He bumped her shoulder with his. "You got an album coming out soon?"
"Actually my second album just came out last year. Southside of Love." It annoyed her that he didn't seem to remember that. She'd worked really hard on both her albums, choosing the songs carefully, and she was proud of what she'd put out. The label was promoting her next single – Take Me On – but it hadn't gotten a lot of radio play yet.
"Yeah, both of those were pretty good." He smiled again. "Me and you should do a duet sometime. I bet we'd be awesome."
She didn't quite know what to say. But she thought it would be awesome too.
She turned her attention back to Jared, smiling as she watched him. Just then he looked over in her direction, then looked at the audience. "So I was just thinking I might bring someone out here on stage to sing with me. What do y'all think?" The audience roared its approval. Then he looked back over at her. "I was just talking to someone today about doing a duet with me. I know I'm putting you on the spot, but how about you come out here and sing Ball and Chain with me, Miss Rayna?" He held his hand out. She was stunned and for a second couldn't move. But then she started to slowly walk towards him. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her ears, putting them in. Someone handed her a microphone and the next thing she knew she was standing on the stage next to Jared Boone, smiling at the crowd.
As Jared and his band launched into the song, she was grateful that she knew every word to every Jared Boone song.
When the doorbell rang, she hurried to the front door of her condo. She opened it, throwing her arms open wide. Tandy stepped in and they hugged. She'd been so busy she hadn't seen her sister since the wedding and couldn't wait to hear all about married life. She had moved into the condo in the West End area of Nashville in March, her first place on her own. She had loved staying at her grandmother's house but felt like now that she was making money and gaining traction in her career that she needed to really be on her own. The condo was a cute 2 bedroom with floor to ceiling windows, plus a kitchen that had been recently renovated that she barely used, nestled in one of the more secluded neighborhoods west of downtown. It made her feel like a grown up.
"I'm so glad to see you," she said as she hugged Tandy.
"I feel like I need an appointment to see you these days," Tandy responded, with a grin.
"That's not true. Although I guess I have been busy." She closed the door behind her sister. "Do you want a glass of wine?"
"How do you have wine?"
She shrugged and smiled. "Someone may have given me a bottle."
Tandy arched her eyebrows and smiled back. "Grandmother definitely likes to break the rules," she said with a laugh.
They walked into the kitchen where she poured them both a glass of a very good red wine Celeste had gifted her with when she'd come home from touring with Sawyer Brown. Then she led Tandy to the small den, where they sat in a cozy loveseat in front of an electric fireplace. It actually was the dining room, but she had no need for a dining room, so she'd taken down the chandelier, installed recessed lighting, and had the electric fireplace put in. It was where she spent most of her waking hours when she was at home. There was a stack of books on one of the end tables, books she didn't have time to read. There was a TV in the corner that she rarely watched. Her writing notebooks were on the coffee table along with pens and pencils. And there was a turntable and a CD player next to stacks of CDs and records. "How's married life?" she asked her sister.
"It's fine." She sensed a lack of enthusiasm in Tandy's voice.
"Uh oh. Sounds like the honeymoon's over."
Tandy shook her head. "No, it's not that. We're just both so busy it feels like we never see each other."
"Maybe you need to take another honeymoon." She laughed.
Tandy smirked. "You might be right." She took a sip of her wine. "Mm, this is quite nice. Celeste has good taste in wine." She sat back. "So tell me everything. You made it sound like there's a big story."
She smiled. "Well, there kind of is. I know I've told you about Jared." She could feel herself blush, something she hated. She felt like it made her seem so young. Like a teenager, which she finally was not. "We're going to record a duet version of Ball and Chain and release it. Fans were just over the moon about it every time we performed it. He even came out one night when I was touring with Sawyer Brown and we sang it during my set."
"So does that mean you're his ball and chain?"
She frowned. "No, of course not. Why would you say that? You don't even know him."
Her sister nodded. "That is true. But I've heard you talk about him enough and I've read enough to know that I think you should be careful. Don't get too deep into this. You're still young. You have this wonderful career that's just starting to blow up. You should still enjoy life."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're just 24, Tandy. And married. You don't think that's young?"
Tandy shrugged. "Not as young as you, sweetheart. You're still a baby."
She slammed her glass down on the coffee table, causing the wine to slosh around, a few drops landing on the table. "I'm not a baby, Tandy. I've been on my own since Daddy kicked me out when I was 17."
"Daddy didn't actually kick you out, Rayna. You chose to leave."
"After he told me I couldn't pursue my dream and live in his house. Seems like he was kicking me out to me."
Tandy breathed in deeply. "Well, whatever. I don't want to debate that. I'm just saying not to tie yourself to one man right now. Give yourself time to really enjoy what you have and experience everything life has in store for you."
She could feel her blood boil. She had had enough of her father trying to run her life. She didn't need her sister to do the same thing. She had fallen in love with Jared, and he loved her. They were good together. And she could make up her own mind about her life. She clenched her fists in her lap. "Let's not talk about this anymore, okay?"
After a second, Tandy nodded. "So tell me what your plans are now that you're in Nashville for a while."
Tandy hugged her tightly as she left. "I don't mean to be a meddling older sister," she said, looking contrite. "But you're my sister and I love you and I want only good things for you. In so many ways, I envy you. The whole world is at your feet and I just want you to experience everything you can while you can."
She smiled at her sister. Tandy had looked out for her since their mom died and she truly didn't know what she would have done without her. "I know you want the best for me," she said. "I just want you to trust me that I'll make the right decisions for me."
Tandy hugged her again. "I do."
After her sister left, she picked up the wine glasses and put them in the dishwasher. Then she went back into the den and curled up on the loveseat, pulling a throw blanket over herself. She watched the fake fire in her fireplace for a few minutes, promising herself yet again that one day she'd have a house that had a real fireplace in it. Like the one at her father's house and the ones at her grandmother's. There was something cozy about a real fire crackling away. Not only did she want that fireplace, but she wanted the whole deal. The house, the fireplace, a family, and someone to come home to. A man who would love her and support her, someone she could love and support as well. She smiled to herself, wondering if that man might end up being Jared. But the face that floated in front of her was the face of the mysterious singer/songwriter from the Bluebird, the man with the smoldering eyes and the slightly scruffy look. The man whose fingers she'd watched play over the strings of his guitar, then wondered how they'd feel against her skin. And the voice she'd imagined whispering words of love in her ear. Just then the phone rang and startled her out of her musing.
She picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hey, darlin'." She smiled at Jared's slow drawl.
"Hey, babe," she said. "What's up?"
"I got us studio time next week to record Ball and Chain. You still in?"
"Of course."
"Great. Sound Emporium on Tuesday at 11. We can rehearse a bit and then lay it all down. This is gonna be fantastic."
"I think so too. I'm looking forward to it."
When they hung up, she pushed aside the thoughts of the mystery man and replaced them with Jared. He was real, not a mystery. Good looking, sexy, with that boyish charm. Always whispering the things she loved in her ear. And she knew how his fingers felt on her skin. She wished Tandy weren't so unenthused, but it didn't really matter. She knew Jared was the real deal. She didn't need anyone else to tell her otherwise.
When she got to the studio, she found out that Jared had changed up the arrangements on the song so that they alternated verses and sang the chorus together. She was very touched that he wanted to do that and that he was open to giving her some spotlight, but then she also realized she shouldn't have been surprised. She'd found him to be very generous and kind and she was sure that was why he'd done it. He was certainly the bigger star than she was at the moment, but she did hope some of his star power would rub off on her.
They rehearsed the song several times and then got set up to record it. In her headphones she could hear Jared's band do the opening as she waited for her cue. They were standing about a foot apart on the studio floor and she turned towards him when it was time for her to start. She smiled at him and he flashed a megawatt smile back at her. She felt a little shiver of excitement run up and down her spine as she sang out to him.
I get along without you baby if I only could ... There ain't a thing about you baby that does me any good ... But still you try to keep me here well, is that just your pride ... Everyday with you is like a roller coaster ride ...
Deacon
He was home for a few days. Sam was at work, so he took the opportunity to meet Vince at a non-descript Mexican place not far from the Music Row studios. His friend was already there, with a beer and a bowl of chips in front of him. He slid into the seat across from Vince and, after ordering a root beer, picked up a chip and dipped it into the salsa.
"How's it going on the road?" Vince asked. "Tired of riding the buses yet?"
He smirked. "It ain't so bad. The band's actually got a pretty comfortable bus. What about you? You ready for the buses?"
Vince sighed. "I'm wondering if it's ever gonna happen. Too bad I can't carry a tune or write a song. Maybe it wouldn't be so frustrating to be left behind."
"I'm sure you're making all the ladies of Nashville happy though."
Vince had a reputation as a bit of a womanizer, although the truth was that he really just played the field, settling down occasionally to one woman for a few weeks or months before deciding to see what else was out there again. He laughed. "I'm trying," he said. "Actually I was trying to get Sam to hook me up with one of her friends – Carmen, I think her name is – but I think she told her to steer clear." Rather than looking unhappy about it, Vince grinned.
He frowned just slightly. "You've seen Sam?"
"Oh yeah. She and her friends hit a lot of the same places I do, so I'm always charming to them."
The server came by just then to take their orders and then he put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "How often do you see her?"
Vince narrowed his eyes just a bit. "Now and then." He double dipped his chip in the salsa. "What's going on?" He tossed the chip in his mouth.
He got another chip and skipped the salsa. He shrugged as he chewed on the chip. "Nothing. I guess. She came out to see me a few weeks ago and I sorta got the impression she was lonely."
"Well, I'm sure she misses you being around, dude. But I've never seen her do anything, you know, that she shouldn't. And she's always with friends. She takes care of herself pretty well."
He nodded. He wasn't sure how he felt about her going out while he was gone, but he felt a little better that at least it seemed harmless enough. "Well, when you see her just kinda keep an eye on her for me, okay?"
"Sure, buddy."
They changed the subject then to sharing what was going on for each of them. Vince had auditioned for a couple of bands, but nothing yet. He was okay with it because they weren't 'name brands', as he called them. "Just keep auditioning," he said. "Someone's gonna hire you. You're a damn good bass player."
Vince grinned. "You're damn right I am," he said. "I know that big ass tour is just around the bend." The server was back with their food then and they focused on eating.
When he came off the road in late September, he had considered not going back. He was sensitive to the fact that Sam was essentially living on her own without him, even though she always told him she understood what his career entailed. Even if he was a solo artist, it wouldn't have been much different. They talked about it over Chinese takeout.
"You want me to go back to working around town?" he asked.
She frowned slightly. "No. Why would you think that?"
"Well, I just know you get lonely being here by yourself."
She shrugged. "It's not always so bad. I get together with my friends sometimes and that helps." She reached across the table and grabbed his wrist. "This is what you want to do. I would never try to stop you from doing it. It was hard at first, but I want you to be happy doing what you love." She smiled. "I do miss you though and always look forward to when you come home."
He smiled back. "Me too." His smile faded and he sighed. "But I don't want you feeling lonely."
"Well, why don't we go out tomorrow night? There's a cool local band playing at Exit/In."
"Sure, we can do that."
Things seemed to return to more of a normal routine. He continued to write and do writers' rounds and spotlights around town. He managed to get invited to a showcase for Nashville Music Group, but he ended up not being signed. He was able to make some decent contacts though and was surprised, just before the holidays, to be approached by Merle Haggard's road manager about possibly coming out on tour with him in the spring. It would be for 8 weeks and, since Merle was an artist he looked up to, he was excited for the opportunity. It would mean having to give up Dwight's tour, but he felt like he'd be able to find something else, either another tour or session work. Sam seemed happy it was a shorter time period.
The night before he was scheduled to leave town, they headed for the 5 Spot to see a new band. His bags and guitars were packed and sitting by the front door, ready to leave the next day. Merle's tour was starting on the West Coast, so he would be flying out to LA to meet Merle and his band for rehearsals beforehand. When they got to the bar, Vince was there so they grabbed a 2 top, pulling over an extra stool. Vince got everyone a beer to start the night out, as they waited for the band to come on stage.
"You ready to go out with the Hag?" Vince asked, nudging him with his elbow.
He grinned. Vince had been so jealous. Merle Haggard was one of his heroes too and now he was threatening to learn how to play lead guitar to try to hook up on the next big tour. "I guess. I don't know what to expect."
Sam rubbed his arm. "You'll be awesome. Like always."
He leaned towards her and kissed her. "Thanks, baby," he said with a smile. "I hope you're right."
Vince snickered. "Maybe I need to pretend I want a solo career and then suddenly I'll get asked to join a big time band."
He snorted out a laugh. "Maybe you just need to practice your bass guitar more." Vince laughed out loud and sucked down his beer, then got up and headed towards the bar. He was glad his friend was a good sport. He knew for a fact that if the situations had been reversed he'd have been pissed at a comment like that. But he also knew that sometimes it was the luck of the draw. Being in the right place at the right time. It was just too bad that it wasn't what he really aspired to.
Sam dragged him away a little earlier than usual because he had a plane to catch the next day. Vince had gone off to chat up a beautiful brunette at the bar, so there was no reason to stay anyway. But he stumbled a bit on the way to his truck and she snatched the keys out of his hand. He scowled. "What did you do that for?" he snarled.
"You're drunk, Deacon," she said, sounding exasperated.
"No, I'm not."
"You just tripped over your own feet. How many beers did you have?" He thought back and realized he wasn't really sure. She made a scoffing noise. "See? You can't even remember." Then she shook her head and when she looked back at him, her expression had softened a bit, along with her tone of voice. "More than you should have if you're driving. Good thing for you is that I only drank 2 beers." Which was because, as usual, she'd spent a large portion of the night on the dance floor. He frowned again. Then she smirked. "So I'll drive us home."
"I'm okay," he said, trying to reach for his keys. She slipped them into the pocket of her jacket. "Damn it, Sam." She picked up her pace and he was forced to follow. He finally gave up and let her drive.
Turned out she was right. He may not have thought he was drunk but he had a hangover the next morning that said otherwise. Sam brought coffee and 2 aspirin into the bathroom as he was showering and left it for him on the edge of the sink. After he dried off, he popped the aspirin in his mouth and downed them with a big swallow of hot coffee, coughing a little bit from the heat as it went down his throat, but he was grateful. When he had gotten dressed, she had eggs, bacon, and toast ready for him. The food helped immensely, settling his stomach and helping to chase the headache.
She sat down across from him with her coffee. "Ain't you gonna eat something?" he asked.
She smiled. "I already did."
"Well, thanks." He ate a few more bites. "And I guess you were right. At least about having too many beers."
She laughed. "And the hangover, right?"
"Yeah." In his head he told himself he wasn't drinking anymore. He was learning that he needed to stay away from it, because it sure didn't seem like he could handle it really well.
He was sitting on the plane, his head resting against the seat back, his eyes closed. It sounds like this Merle Haggard person is maybe into drugs and stuff. Promise me you'll stay away from all that. He smiled to himself. He figured it would be nothing different than what had gone on when he'd been touring with Dwight, but he'd handled it then and he was sure he could handle it now. He wasn't an alcoholic. He didn't crave alcohol, didn't even drink often. He wasn't worried. But it was nice that Sam cared. Actually, considering she was his wife, that probably should have gone without saying, but it was nice to have someone care about him. He'd grown up not feeling that, although he supposed his mom did care about him and Beverly. She just wasn't able to protect them very well. Sam didn't need to protect him, but she looked out for him. Same as he did for her. They looked out for each other. It felt good. Solid.
He fell asleep as the plane sped down the runway and didn't wake up until they landed in LA.
He was surprised he'd actually been able to sleep on a wooden bench, but he was pretty sure it wasn't for very long. More likely I passed out. He took a deep breath and then sat up, leaning back against the cinder block wall, closing his eyes. He had a headache, his mouth tasted like sandpaper and sour whiskey, and his hand and jaw were sore. He shifted slightly and winced, having forgotten about his ribs. The headache and the sour whiskey taste were from a hangover, the rest of it from the fight he'd gotten into the night before at a bar out in Goodlettsville. He rubbed his aching jaw and sighed.
He had no idea what time it was. He was sitting in a windowless holding cell and the other occupants looked about like he did. He didn't know if Sam would make him spend the night or not. Except maybe he already had. Through the fog of his hangover – or maybe he was still a little drunk – he remembered she was pissed. He remembered the anger in her eyes as the cop led him out of the bar, right after she turned away from him. Everything felt bruised, including his insides, just remembering how she'd looked. He felt a lump in his throat and unexpectedly he felt like crying, but he held it in.
When he thought back over what had happened, he admonished himself yet again. Just like he had all the other times he'd gotten drunk and then told himself he wouldn't do it again. He wouldn't have either, he told himself, except that Sam was dancing on the little dance floor and this guy seemed to be putting a move on her. It didn't look like to him that she was discouraging it either and as he sat watching he'd gone from beer to whiskey as he got angrier. He remembered the guy trying to kiss her and just before he punched him, he acknowledged now that Sam was pushing him away. But he hadn't been able to stop himself at that point and he knew he was almost as angry at her as he was the guy hitting on her.
Just then the door opened, and a guard stuck his head in. "Claybourne!" he called out. He opened his eyes and looked over at the guard, sitting forward. The guard's expression seemed one of irritation, but he probably was irritated at everyone, he guessed. "Let's go."
He got up and walked out of the holding cell, following the guard. "Someone pay my bail?" he asked.
"You're lucky. The charges got dropped."
He felt a sense of relief he knew he shouldn't have felt. He stopped to pick up his belongings and then the guard buzzed him out. He was surprised to see the sun was starting to rise and then he glanced over and saw Sam standing over to the side. He smiled as he walked towards her. "Hey, baby..."
She glared at him and, without a word, turned and walked out of the detention center. They were almost at her car when she stopped and turned around to face him. Her face was tight and he could see the set of her jaw. "You were lucky this time," she said, her voice low and angry. "Next time you might not be." She made an irritated noise. "What were you thinking?"
He frowned. "I was thinking I was keeping some jackass from hitting on you."
"I can take care of myself, Deacon. Or have you forgotten that?"
"I ain't forgotten, Sam. But I'm supposed to take care of you."
She raised her eyebrows. "I never asked to be taken care of. I know we're married, but I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself. I don't need – or want – you to step in."
He huffed as she walked around to the driver's side and got into her car, leaving him to fend for himself. The ride back home was silent.
When he closed the apartment door behind him, she threw her purse on the couch and whirled around to face him. "You wanna know what really made me mad about last night?" she said, raising her voice.
"What made you mad?" He was angry now himself.
"The fact that you got drunk. It's not like you and it makes you very unpleasant to be around. Trying to hit that guy is just the kind of stupid thing you do when you drink too much."
"Trying to?" He ignored what she'd said about him getting drunk. He was mad enough at himself about that.
"You barely glanced him. You did more damage to the post than you did to him."
"Then why'd I get arrested?"
"Because the bar owner wanted you to. You're just lucky the guy didn't want to press charges. But this is just the kind of stupid stuff you do when you're drunk. And I don't like it."
All of a sudden the anger flowed out of him. He was only home for a few days before he headed back to the tour and he really didn't want to spend it fighting with Sam. "I'm sorry, baby," he said. "You're right. I guess I just was... stupid, like you said. Maybe you don't need me to protect you, but I'm probably gonna do it anyway. But I don't wanna fight with you. I ain't here long enough for that."
"I don't want to fight either. And I don't want you drinking like that anymore. Were you doing that out on the road?"
He shook his head. "Nah. And you're right. I gotta stop doing it at all." It wasn't true though. He liked going out with the guys in the band and he didn't want to tell her there had been enough nights when he'd had too much to drink. Some nights he could stick to club soda, some nights just a couple drinks. He knew better and he didn't know why when he came home he had trouble with it. It should've been easier in Nashville.
"I hope you do," she said before she walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out stuff for sandwiches.
She didn't bring up the fight again, but things didn't fully go back to normal. She at least kissed him and told him she'd miss him at the airport, but it felt like there had been a shift. He just hoped that by the time he got home again things would be back to normal. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat, rubbing his hands over his face. There were things about her that he didn't know, just like there were things about him she didn't know. He shook his head. What a pair. He was thinking again that when he finished the next 5 weeks of the tour that maybe he needed a break. It was feeling too much like they were moving in different directions.
It was sometime after the first of the year when he heard the song Ball and Chain on the radio, the Jared Boone song remade into a duet between Jared and his girlfriend Rayna Jaymes. He hadn't thought about her in a while and was strangely disappointed that she would get involved with someone who didn't come across as genuine or authentic. Of course, he really didn't know anything about Rayna Jaymes. Perhaps she wasn't genuine or authentic either. For some reason he'd imagined she would be, but he realized that just because he'd felt drawn to her didn't mean she was a good person. He shrugged it off, putting her out of his mind again. He had enough going on in his own life and no time to think about someone he didn't even know.