Rayna
She was starting to get frustrated. Liam was pushing her in a different direction than she wanted to go on one of her last songs for the album. "I thought you were the one who wanted to change your sound," he said.
She frowned. "I am. But I also told you I can't just abandon everything I am to do it. I think I've done a pretty good job listening to you, but on this one I just can't go there." They were working on a song called Platinum Sea, which she thought was the center of the record and she hoped to have it be the name of the record. But she needed it to be a little more country. Elevated country, but still country. She wanted that pedal steel player that he was pushing back on. She huffed a little. "You're like my father, thinking this is hillbilly music, but it's not. It's music that tells stories, stories people can relate to." He was looking amused, which ticked her off. "Let's go dance," she said then. "And drink."
He looked confused. "What? I thought you were trying to educate me on country music."
"I want you to feel it. So we're going to this new place in town that has both of those things. Drinking and dancing." She went and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. She looked at those feet, then back at him, smirking. "I need to see about getting you some cowboy boots, which would make more sense for this, but yours will have to do. Let's go."
He protested. A lot. but she had gotten him to the Wildhorse Saloon. And after a few shots of whiskey, she'd even gotten him on the dance floor. "We're gonna do the two step," she said, smiling at him.
"What the hell is two step?"
"The easiest dance in the whole entire world." She smiled as she took one hand and pulled his arm back around her and took his other hand, leading him onto the dance floor. "I'm gonna show you." She started to dance, guiding them onto the dance floor and into the circle of dancers already there. She proceeded to show him how to do it, although he was very bad at it.
"Are you leading?" he asked.
"For the moment I am." She smiled up at him. "Until you get the hang of this."
He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm never getting the hang of this."
A little while later she got him to do some slow dancing, which he was a little more comfortable with. "Is this better?" she asked.
"Well, I feel like we're doing a whole lot of moving but not getting anywhere," he said.
"But isn't it nice to see how the country folk live?" she said with a laugh.
"Maybe." He smirked. "So which Rayna Jaymes are you really? The new and improved Rayna Jaymes who wants to mix things up? Or the old Rayna Jaymes who gets stuck in the same rut?"
"I think I'm a lot more the first one than the second, but you know this has been a whirlwind of a year and I'm still trying to find my way."
"Tell me more."
She wasn't sure how much she wanted to say but she also knew this wasn't anything serious. Neither of them was in this for the long haul. "Well, I married someone who was basically using me and then dumped me when I won an award he wanted. So, knowing that I made that mistake was kind of jarring, I guess. And then there's this thing in the back of my mind telling me that there's something else out there for me. Someone else out there."
He raised his eyebrows. "Interesting. What's that about?"
She shrugged. "It's silly. But back when I was 16 and did my first open mic at the Bluebird there was this guy who was there. There was something about him that just drew my attention and it felt like maybe he reciprocated. But we never had the chance to meet and so I don't know who he is or even if he's still in Nashville. And it's not like I think about it all the time, but sometimes, when things seem a little... off, he pops into my head. And like I said, it's silly but there was just something about him that made me think... oh, I don't know, like there was someone out there just for me."
He looked at her for a moment. "Ah, so now I know where the platinum sea comes from." She looked away for a second, then back at him. "Right?"
She shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know." But Liam was right. Platinum Sea was the story of a woman looking for something she couldn't name. It was her story. It was how the raging storms stirred up the ocean and when they finally gave themselves up to the calm of something new, the sea looked platinum in the winter sun. They didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"You ready to go?" he asked finally.
She nodded. "Yeah, I think I am."
She had finally gotten the headlining tour she'd been dreaming of. With her first 3 albums selling so well, the label felt she was ready to take that step. It was still not 20,000 seat arenas, but 6,000 to 8,000 seat theaters and smaller arenas was nothing to dismiss. She had 40 dates and almost all sold out as soon as tickets went on sale. She didn't have an opening act, but it didn't matter. She had arrived. And with the new album, she was looking forward to this being the first of many headlining tours in her future.
The Platinum Sea album launch was the week before she went out on tour. The song would be the first single released to radio, the day of the launch. Following that would be the release of the video for the song. Critics who'd listened to the album pre-launch were enthusiastic about the new sound. The label still had some hurt feelings about her insistence on using a producer outside the approved list, but they were definitely pulling out all the stops on publicity. Then two weeks before the tour started her lead guitar player, Charlie, sprained his wrist.
Liam was still in town, and she asked if he'd be willing to fill in. "No," he said.
"Oh, come on. What else are you doing?" she smiled, beguilingly she hoped.
"I don't want to do your old music. That was why I didn't want to work with you in the first place, remember?"
She rolled her eyes. "But now you've worked with me and you know me. It wouldn't be for long. Maybe the first couple weeks, which is just 5 shows."
He looked at her and then sighed. "Only because I like you. 2 weeks. Nothing more. If you ask me for 3, I'm gone."
"Of course. Anything more than 2 would be too much." She gave him a side eye.
"I mean it. It's one thing to produce your album, it's another to have people see me playing country music."
She smirked. "But you like me," she said. "That's what you said."
He pointed at her, a little smile crossing his face. "Don't push it."
She clapped her hands gleefully. "Thank you." She stood up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. "I promise I'll make it up to you." she laughed.
He raised an eyebrow, but he was still smiling. "Oh, you bet you will."
2 weeks stretched out to 3 and then to 4 when it took Charlie's wrist a little longer to heal than expected. Liam complained but he stayed. The last night they went up to her hotel suite and she made sure he knew how much she had appreciated his help. They were leaning back against the pillows, breathing heavily, and she looked over at him. "You know, you could probably sign on with anyone's band now and be a respectable country guitar player," she said with a laugh.
He shook his head, smiling. "No, not happening. I've stayed too long as it is."
She rolled over onto her stomach and grinned at him. "You've enjoyed it. You know you have."
He chuckled. "I've enjoyed this," he said, nodding at the bed. "But I think we both know this is the end of the line."
She knew that. He had helped her immensely with a reboot of her music. It had been a lot harder than she'd expected and had worked her creative muscle in ways she didn't think was possible. But she thought it was worth it. He had also helped her get over the hump after Jared. It was nice to have someone to have fun with, knowing it wasn't serious. "Yeah, I do. I do really appreciate all of it, Liam. I hope you know that."
"I think I do," he said. He sat up then and pushed back the covers, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He never stayed the night, so this part was actually easy. She admired his body as he picked up his clothes and got dressed. Then he leaned over the bed and gave her a quick kiss.
"Will I see you in the morning?" she asked.
He shook his head, the hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm heading out tonight. There's a plane waiting for me at the airport to take me to London. I had to push that back to accommodate you, so now I need to get going."
She sat up in the bed, the sheets wrapped around her. "Have a safe flight then," she said. He gave her a little salute with two fingers to his forehead and then turned to head for the door. He walked out, not looking back. She sat there for a couple minutes, then fell back on the bed. Well, that's the end of that chapter, I guess.
Tandy came along with her to her New York City show. She was performing at Radio City Music Hall and was looking forward to being in the iconic theater as well as having her sister there with her. When they arrived in New York, they went to the hotel first. The tour manager had booked a 2 bedroom suite that had great city views. Bucky had made sure there was champagne in the room and so they sat in the living area drinking the champagne before she needed to head over for sound check.
She reached over and hugged her sister. "I'm so glad you're here," she said.
Tandy smiled. "Well, I never want to miss a chance to be in New York City. And to see my sister on stage. But I had some news I wanted to share too."
"What kind of news?"
"Mack and I split up." She was so surprised that at first, she didn't know what to say. Tandy hadn't mentioned any kind of trouble, but she also hadn't seen her sister recently. Her eyes flicked over to Tandy's left hand, and she saw her rings were gone.
"When? Why?" she said, when she recovered a bit.
Tandy sat back against the couch. "Remember when I told you marriage was hard?" She nodded. "Well, it's especially hard when one person isn't interested in working at it."
"Mack?"
"Yeah. I mean, Mack's a good guy but I don't think he was ready to give up the no responsibility part of life. And to be honest, he's not as driven as I am, which probably contributed to that."
"No one's as driven as you."
Tandy chuckled. "I think you're right up there. I mean, you're hitting your marks pretty well, considering you've only been doing this 5 or 6 years. That takes a lot of drive and determination."
She reached out and grabbed her sister's hands. "Are you okay? Do you feel sad?"
"I'm fine. Mack moved out a few weeks ago and I'm redoing the townhouse. It'll be the Tandy Hampton showcase."
"You're not going back to Tandy Wyatt?"
Tandy shook her head. She pulled her hands away and got up, walking over to the window and looking out for a second, before turning back. "I think you had the right idea. Daddy's not thrilled but it's really not his decision. And Mack doesn't care. So here I am," – she threw her arms out to the side and grinned – "Tandy Hampton, on the prowl again."
She got up and walked over to her sister, hugging her. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
Tandy had a mischievous look on her face. "Good. Because you never really told me the details on your manager Bucky. Give me the scoop."
As Bucky walked her to the stage, she thought about Tandy's interest in 'the scoop' on her manager. She gave him a quick glance. Bucky was a few years older than Tandy, single, and eligible. He was one of the nicest, kindest people she'd ever met but he also could be tough when he needed to be, which was usually on her behalf. Tandy could do a lot worse than Bucky. Of course, Bucky might not be able to handle the tiger that was her sister.
When she walked out onto the stage and jumped into an old hit – It's My Life – she glanced quickly at the side stage and saw that Tandy was already talking up Bucky. He had a really big smile on his face. Her mood lightened up as she headed for the edge of the stage, reaching down to touch the hands of her fans standing there. Maybe Bucky would be Tandy's Liam.
Deacon
The little girl was born screaming at the top of her lungs, her tiny face screwed up and red, her arms and legs flailing. The nurse brought the baby around. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked Sam. For a minute he thought Sam was going to say no, but then she nodded and the nurse put her on Sam's chest. The baby calmed down some once Sam held her, although she continued to whimper. Sam was tired and in pain still and so it wasn't long before the baby was taken to the nursery to be checked out.
He went into the waiting room while the surgical team took care of the post-birth process. When they brought her out, she reached for his hand. As he walked alongside Sam as she was taken to a room, she looked at him, weariness showing in her face. "Maisie," she said, and he frowned a little. "I want her name to be Maisie." He wondered if there was someone in her life who'd been important to her named Maisie, but she looked drowsy so he decided to wait to ask. Maisie. It sounded like a happy name for a happy little girl, and he hoped it would be prophetic for their baby daughter.
Once Sam was settled the nurse brought in the baby. "Will you be breastfeeding your baby?" she asked.
Sam looked at the nurse, then at him, then back to the nurse. "No," she said. "No, I'm not going to do that."
The nurse looked surprised at that but covered it with a smile. "Oh, okay then. I'll see what I can do about formula for you." She leaned down to hand the baby to Sam, who looked like she didn't want to take her. She did though and he was glad to see her smile at the baby. The nurse touched his arm as she left. "I'll be back with some formula," she said quietly.
Sam looked up at him. "She's really small, isn't she?"
He nodded. "Well, I guess 'cause she came early. They said she was healthy though." He watched as Sam ran a finger over the baby's cheek and then her tiny fingers. "Maisie's a pretty name," he said, and she looked up. "What made you pick that?"
She shrugged. "There was a case worker I had when I was probably 10 or 11 and she was really nice to me. Her name was Maisie. She was the only one who actually got me with a decent foster family."
"What happened with that family?"
She sighed. "They ended up having another baby of their own and couldn't keep a foster."
He wasn't sure what the right thing to say was. "I'm sorry," was all he could come up with.
Her face seemed to go blank. "It happens. It's the luck of the draw and I didn't get lucky much."
He walked over to stand next to her and the baby. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Thanks," he said. "For Maisie."
She gave him a thin smile. "I'm really exhausted. Would you mind taking her?" He reached down and took Maisie from her, not completely sure he was doing it right. He brought her in close and hoped he was keeping her safe. When he looked back at Sam her eyes were already closed.
He walked gingerly over to the chair in the room and sat down, trying not to jiggle the baby. She was looking at him with serious eyes. He was grateful she wasn't crying, and he hoped she'd be a good baby. The nurse walked in then with a bottle and showed him how to feed Maisie. The baby took it right away and the nurse looked pleased. "I'm glad she seems to be taking to it," she said. She gave him a towel that she put on his shoulder and explained how to burp her when she was done with the bottle. Then she patted him on the shoulder. "Let us know if y'all need anything. Someone will be back in a little later to help with changing her and showing you that." Then she left the room and it was just the 3 of them.
He watched Maisie as she sucked on the bottle, and he felt a little overwhelmed. My daughter. It scared him a little to think he would be responsible for a baby. And then having to be there as she grew up. He loved his little niece Scarlett but he'd never really thought of himself as being a father. And now he was one.
He heard Maisie start to cry in the other bedroom. Sam had gone back to work as soon as her doctor had told her she could. He'd been a little surprised, thinking she'd want to stay home for at least a little while with Maisie. I can't, Deacon. I really need to feel productive again. I can't just stay at home all the time. Sam was an attentive mom, but he'd noticed she wasn't as maternal as he'd thought she might be. Back when she had asked him about their future, she had seemed ambivalent about having a family, and he had suspected she wasn't thrilled to find out she was pregnant, although he certainly wasn't around enough to know for sure. He had wondered more than once if she'd wanted a baby at all.
He had definitely felt anxious about being a dad, worried that he wouldn't know what to do. And when the baby turned out to be a girl, he was even less confident that he would be able to raise a daughter. He remembered though when the nurse had brought her to Sam's room. Since she was asleep, he had taken Maisie and fed her. For a tiny baby who'd been so loud at birth, she seemed settled and calm. She stared up at him with surprisingly alert blue eyes, her tiny fingers opening and closing on the blanket she was wrapped in. He felt something seem to rise up inside him and for a second, he couldn't breathe. Then she smacked her tiny lips, and he felt his heart seem to expand with what he realized was love. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before in his life and was bigger than any love he'd had for any other person.
As Maisie had grown, Sam would tell him their daughter looked like him and now, at 3 months old, he was starting to see it. He got up and walked down the hall to her room. He crossed over to her crib and found her lying there all swaddled up, her face screwed up as she whimpered fitfully.
He smiled down at her. "Hey girl. What's going on?" he said as he opened the blanket and picked her up, pressing his lips gently against her forehead. He carried her to the changing table and changed her diaper, then put her into a clean onesie. She smiled then and made little breathy cooing noises as she stretched her arms towards him. "You hungry, sweet girl?" he murmured, as he headed for the kitchen. He prepared a bottle for her and then settled down on the couch to feed her.
As much as he loved spending time with Maisie, he worried that Sam wasn't developing as much of an attachment to her. She left the morning routines to him, getting out of the house early, and often going to bed early. She didn't seem to have bounced back to her pre-baby self, which worried him a little. When he had tried to talk to her about him working again, she seemed disinterested other than asking who would take care of the baby. He tried to get her interested in Maisie, but it seemed as though it was mostly his job to be the caregiver.
He had just finished feeding Maisie and had put her on his shoulder to burp when he heard a knock on the door. He frowned since he wasn't expecting anyone. He got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, he found Audrey Carlisle standing on the porch. She and her husband Coleman lived down the street and he and Sam had met them not long after they moved in. He knew, because Sam had told him, that they were probably 10 or 12 years older than them and had no children of their own. They were kind and friendly and he'd been glad to see she had started making friends with the neighbors. Even though the neighborhood they lived in was kind of transitional, it was a welcoming area and people were friendly.
"Hey, Deacon," Audrey said with a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"No, not at all," he said, standing back so she could walk in. "Sam's at work though."
"That's okay. I really wanted to check in on you. And bring this." She held up a covered dish that he hadn't noticed at first. "It's a chicken casserole. I know you're probably both doing fine with food, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to bring it by."
He smiled. "Thanks, Audrey," he said. He walked towards the kitchen as she followed. Just before he got to the fridge, Maisie let out a loud burp. He opened the fridge for Audrey to slip the dish in. "Sorry about that," he said. "I just fed her."
Audrey closed the fridge door and turned back to him with a smile. "No problem. It's what babies do, right?"
He smiled. "I guess you're right." He turned Maisie around in his arms and tossed the towel on the kitchen counter. She made a little noise and then seemed like she was smiling.
"Could I hold her?" Audrey asked.
He looked at her. He wondered why she and her husband had never had kids. She stopped by every now and then to check on them, never enough to be intrusive, and he'd found her to be kind and generous. And she was such a natural with Maisie. "Sure," he said, handing Maisie to her. "We can sit if you like." He held his hand out towards the living room.
"That would be great." They walked over to the couch and Audrey sat down with Maisie. He sat in one of the chairs. He watched as she smiled at Maisie, prompting the baby to smile back and coo a little. Then she looked up at him. "How's Samantha doing with everything? Work and a baby too?"
He sighed. "She's okay. I think maybe she went back to work too soon because she's really kind of exhausted every day and goes to bed early. But she really wanted to go back and be productive, she said."
"I suppose that is hard. And what about you?"
"Me? I'm good. I'm taking care of Maisie all day and, you know, if Sam's tired, I do nights too."
"Are you planning to go back out touring?"
He shook his head. "I don't think it would work. I'd like to be able to get back into some of the studios and do session work. Play guitar for demos and artists who need it. That kind of thing."
"Cole said you play in some of the clubs around town. At night."
"I do. I did. I can't do that much either."
Audrey looked down at Maisie, then back at him. "If you need to do some work during the day, I'd be happy to watch Maisie for you." She smiled. "I have a fair amount of free time and I'd love to do it."
"Really?" Audrey nodded. "That would be great. I'll run it by Sam, so she knows but I think she'd be happy for you to do that."
"Great. Just let me know and I'll be available." She looked at Maisie again and then back at him. "I think she's asleep."
He jumped up and reached for the baby and then Audrey stood up as well. "Thanks for bringing by the casserole," he said.
"Anytime." She smiled. "I'll let myself out so you can put her down." She put a hand on his arm. "Just call me anytime."
He watched as Audrey left and then he walked back to Maisie's nursery, gently placing the sleeping baby in her crib after swaddling her. He stood watching her for a few moments, thinking about what her future might be like. He hoped he and Sam would be able to provide her with a loving home, raising her up together. But Sam seemed distant, and he was still feeling his way along, not sure he was doing anything right. He needed to figure out his own path too. He needed to be able to do music. He couldn't imagine his life without that.
He'd needed some time away and he and Vince had gone fishing. It was usually a time for drinking beer as well, but he'd made sure he didn't overdo it. Sam was home with Maisie and it was on his mind the entire time he was gone. Audrey was nearby though in case Sam needed anything. At the same time, it felt good to get away.
"How's the little princess doing?" Vince asked, as he cracked open another beer.
"She's growing like a weed. I never knew babies changed so much so fast. She sleeps longer, which is good. She watches me when she's awake. Follows me with her eyes. It's crazy." He smiled. "She's got the best smile." She did. Even though she was his child, he recognized that she was a pretty baby. "She waves her hands and feet around and makes noises now."
Vince grinned. "Somehow I never saw you as a dad. Hell, I sure don't see myself as a dad." He cast his line back in the water. "Too bad she's not a boy. You could teach a boy to fish."
"Girls fish too," he said.
Vince laughed. "I don't know. I see that girl being a girly girl. She's gonna run you ragged when she's old enough to date."
He cast his line and looked out over the water. "She ain't gonna date." Vince just laughed.
When he got home, he put his fishing gear away and then went inside. He didn't see Sam in the living room or their bedroom. Then he heard some noise coming from Maisie's room, so he walked down that way. He was surprised to find Maisie on the changing table and Sam dressing her. She turned around as he stood in the door, lifting the baby and holding her against her body.
"Hey," he said softly.
Sam smiled a little. "Hey."
"How'd she do?"
Sam nodded. "Good. Audrey actually showed up not long after you left and she stayed for a while and helped me with changing her and feeding her. I just changed her on my own and I think I did pretty well."
Maisie looked content. "Looks like you did," he said. He held out his hands. "You want me to take her?"
She shook her head. "I need to spend more time with her." He felt like his heart was in his throat. She looked at him a little sadly. "I know I've kind of left everything up to you and that's not fair. I want to do better. I need to be a better mom."
He nodded. "Why don't we go sit in the living room?" She followed him and they sat on the couch as she held Maisie. He looked at the two of them. "You're gonna be a great mom," he said.
She looked at him gratefully. "I don't know. I realized when she was born that I didn't know what to do and I was actually kind of scared. Of her, really. I didn't think I had any skills to be a mom and that I'd screw her up. But I don't want you to feel like you've got to do it all."
"I don't, baby," he said, even though it was exactly how he'd felt. "She's a really good baby, so I think it will feel natural real quick."
She smiled. "She looks so much like you, Deacon." She looked back down at Maisie, taking her hand. She didn't look back up. "I'm gonna do my best. She deserves that." When she looked back up at him, he saw such sadness in her eyes.
"I'm still here," he said. "You don't gotta do it all on your own."
"I know."
He watched Sam with Maisie and felt like she was warming up to the baby. "Tell me about the lady you named her after."
She looked at him and sighed. "Maisie was my very first case worker, when I got put in the foster system. She was so kind and so nice to me. I was so young and scared and she made me feel like everything would be okay. She wanted the best for me, and I think she did the best she could to find a good foster family for me. The first one was okay, but after that it wasn't the same. She went on to work with other kids and I had a new case worker who was crap. I never blamed Maisie for how things worked out. I'm not even sure she knew. But she was the kindest person I ever had in my life, so I guess I hoped our Maisie would turn out like that too when she gets older." She paused. "The other reason I knew I had to get past my fear is because I know you need to get back to working."
"I'll see if there's work at the studios around here, so I'll be here too."
"You don't have to. If you find a tour, you should do it."
It made him a little nervous to think about being gone. "I don't know..."
"You should do what makes you happy, Deacon. Don't say no to anything. promise?"
He hesitated for a second, but he could see in her face that she needed him to promise. He was nervous about whether she really was comfortable with the baby, but he could see that she cared about her. And Audrey was close. "We'll see what happens," he said. "I'll promise you that."
He and Vince met at a Chinese restaurant for lunch near Music Row. He'd been able to easily fill up his calendar with session work. Studios were happy to use him, and he was able to pick the days he wanted to work. Audrey had taken on childcare for Maisie, but he tried to allow at least 1 day during the week so that she didn't have to be there every day. She had assured him it was fine, but he just didn't like taking advantage of her generosity.
He got to the restaurant first, but Vince showed up fairly soon after, sliding into the booth across from him. "You're never gonna believe it, man," he said. "I'm going out on tour with Tracy Byrd as his bass player."
"Who?" He felt like he'd been out of touch with what was happening in the music world.
Vince shook his head good naturedly. "I know. He's a new guy. Put out an album last year, I think, that didn't do so well, but has a new one out this year that's doing better and he needed a bass player." A server came to take their orders and then left. "Weird isn't it, how you're going back to studio work from being in touring bands and now I'm going to move on."
"Well, I got obligations you don't have." He took a sip of his water. "Funny thing is, Sam said if I wanted to go back to touring I could. I mean, if I got an offer."
"Would you do that?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it would depend on who and what the schedule's like. If it's someone who's doing weekends only, that could work. But that's gotta be someone pretty established. I don't think I could hook up with someone just starting out."
"I guess that's true. This Tracy guy's gonna be out for quite a while. All of those smaller places and a lot of 'em. I'm joining up with them somewhere in Georgia next week."
He smirked. "You better be sure where in Georgia."
Vince laughed. "I got the schedule at home. I'm good. You know, even if this guy isn't the biggest deal in the world, it's a start, right?"
"Absolutely. Gotta start somewhere."
"Except you started with Dwight."
He laughed. "That's only because he saw me. How'd you get on with this Tracy guy?"
"His drummer. Melvin. You know him, he's done a lot of studio work."
"Yeah, I do know Melvin. I didn't know he was touring though."
"He was working in studio on Tracy's record and that's how he got pulled in."
"You just never know." Just then the server came back with their food and they dug in.
Right after Vince left to join up with Tracy Byrd, he got a call seemingly out of nowhere to play guitar for John Michael Montgomery on his tour. He'd never met John but found out he'd been recommended when his guitar player had gotten into a bad motorcycle accident. John needed someone quickly and the offer had been made. John was a newer artist, although he'd been around a while, but he'd broken out quickly when he released his first record. His second was already climbing the charts. The tour wasn't strictly weekends only, but Sam had encouraged him to accept. He would still be able to spend a couple days a week at least in Nashville, most weeks, but he still felt a little uneasy leaving her. She was bonding more with Maisie, but he still worried.
"You're sure you're okay with this?" he asked as he was packing. She was sitting on the bed watching him.
"Yes. I know you want to do this, Deacon, and you should. I'll be fine and Audrey's around if I need anything. And you'll still have some time to come home."
"I don't know. Maisie's still so little."
She smiled. "Well, you've had a lot of time with her. Now it's time for us girls to have some girl time."
He couldn't help but smile at that. "I guess." He zipped up his duffle and put it by the door. Then he came back over and sat on the bed next to her, pulling her close for a kiss. She responded, putting her arms around his neck. It had felt like so long since they'd been this close and he kissed her harder, letting himself just feel everything about her.
When she pulled away for a moment, she looked deeply into his eyes. He pulled her down onto the bed with him. When he kissed her again, he could hear her soft moan and it made him wish he didn't have to leave after all.