Deacon

He looked up when Maisie came into the great room after changing into her nightgown. "Hey, sweetie," he said with a smile. She ran over, clutching Rainbow, and hopped up onto the couch, snuggling up next to him. He put his arm around her. "So, what do you think about inviting someone over for spaghetti tomorrow night?"

She looked up at him. "Who?"

"I was thinking maybe Miss Rayna."

She smiled. "Does she like spaghetti?"

He nodded. "I think so. So it's okay for her to come?"

"Yes! Can I wear my crown?"

He laughed. "Yeah, if you want to. I think she'd be okay with that."

She hugged Rainbow close. "I like Miss Rayna," she said. "She's so pretty."

"She is pretty. And I'm glad you like her. I like her too." He paused for a second. "Would you be okay if she started hanging around with us a little more?"

Maisie looked up at him, a confused look on her face. "What would we do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Have dinner together. Maybe go to the park together or watch movies. Stuff like that."

She seemed to be considering that for a second, then nodded. "Maybe she could play dolls with me."

He chuckled. "Maybe she could. You'll have to ask her." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, so it's bedtime. You ready for a story?"

She hopped off the couch. "Yes!" He got up and picked her up, carrying her back to her bedroom.

She was asleep before he finished reading the story. He sat for a minute just looking at her. He was glad he didn't need to worry about whether Rayna would welcome her or not and he was sure Maisie would be happy to have Rayna around, but he knew it wasn't a given. He had not been sure when Maisie was born that he had what it took to be a dad, but now he wouldn't have missed being her father for anything. He reached out and gently smoothed her hair and then leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. Then he got up, turning out the bedside light and putting the book away. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking back at her, and then he closed the door quietly.

He walked down the hallway and went to the phone. He picked it up and called Rayna. "Hey," he said when she answered.

"Hey." She sounded happy to hear from him.

"So, Maisie's okay with you coming for dinner."

She laughed. "I'm glad. What did you say to her?"

"I just asked if she was okay with you coming and she said yes. Well, after making sure you liked spaghetti. Oh, and she's gonna wear her crown. Which means her tiara."

"I'm so glad. That she's wearing the tiara and that she's okay with me coming for dinner. I'm looking forward to it. Is there anything I can bring?"

"You can bring dessert if you want."

"Does she like brownies or cupcakes?"

"Both."

"Sounds like a plan. What time?"

"6:00 okay? She goes to bed at 8:00, although she probably won't want to if you're here."

"Sounds good. And I can always leave at 8:00, if that helps."

"It don't help me, but we'll see how it goes." He wanted her to stay a little longer, so didn't want to close any doors. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it."

He was smiling when he hung up.

He was in the middle of working on a song when there was a knock on his door. He wasn't expecting anyone, but he set his guitar aside and went to open it. He was a little surprised to see Vince standing there. "Hey," he said.

"Hey. Is the little Maisarooni here?"

He smirked. "No. She ain't old enough to date anyway."

Vince laughed. "Good one." He stepped aside so his friend could come in, then closed the door behind him. "I came by here yesterday, but you weren't around."

"I was… out with a friend," he said. Then he decided he might as well come clean. In a week they'd be back on the road, and it would probably be apparent then that he and Rayna were seeing each other. He cleared his throat. "With Rayna."

Vince raised his eyebrows, and a smile crossed his face. "I told you, didn't I?" he said with a chuckle. "She is interested."

He hesitated for a second, then sighed. "Yeah, you were right."

"Dude, this is great," he said, walking over and slapping him on the back. "Too bad you don't drink or we could raise a cold one to you getting back out there."

He rolled his eyes. "How about a root beer?"

Vince grinned. "That'll work." They walked into the kitchen and he handed Vince a root beer from the fridge, taking one for himself. Then they walked back out to the great room and sat. "So, tell me everything," he said when he was settled in.

"What are you, a girl?"

Vince laughed. "I just wanna be able to act cool about it."

He shook his head, but he had to smile. "Well, she asked me if I had any songs she could record so I found a couple. She came by to hear 'em and, well, here's the deal. Turns out way back when we were both at the Bluebird the same night. For an open mic. Never met each other, but I remembered her. I didn't think she remembered me, but she did."

"Damn," Vince said. "Well, you can thank me for getting you that audition. It was fate."

He smiled. "Yeah, maybe. Anyway, she wanted to write with me and I said yes. And she took me to the place where she likes to write yesterday. So, you know."

"Well, good for you, man. Glad it all worked out."

Just then there was another knock on the door. Who the hell is it now? He sighed, then got up and opened the door. Rayna. "Hey," he said, surprised to see her and also not sure how he felt about her being there when Vince was. Particularly since he didn't know what Vince would do or say.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure." He stepped back and she walked in, then stopped when she saw Vince. Who was just sitting on the couch grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Vince. I didn't expect to see you here."

Vince took another swallow of his drink, then set it down on the coffee table and stood up. "I was just leaving. See you later, buddy," he said with a wink. He headed for the door, but he could hear Vince say to Rayna in a low voice, "You can thank me later." Then he was gone.

Rayna had watched as Vince left and then turned back to him, letting out a little laugh. "Well, that was unexpected," she said. "I'm sorry I just stopped by without calling."

He shook his head. "It's okay." He leaned in and kissed her. "I'll always be glad to see you though." He breathed in. "I told Vince. About us. But only 'cause he brought it up a while back."

She tilted her head slightly. "He did?" He led her over to the couch then and they sat, him putting his arm around her.

"Yeah. He told me he thought you were interested."

She looked at him for a moment, then laughed. "I was that obvious?"

He smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. But to him, yeah, I guess." He ran his hand down her hair. "What made you come by?"

"I don't know. I was out running some errands and I just thought I'd come say hi. I know I'm gonna see you tonight, but you know, I just wanted to see you now."

He looked at her for a long moment. "Long as you're here, you got anywhere else to be right now?" He saw a twinkle in her eye.

"Actually, I don't."

He smiled. "Good." He stood up and took her hand, pulling her up and then leading her to his bedroom.

Rayna

She opened the door to her condo and smiled. "Hey there," she said.

Tandy walked in and they hugged. "Hey yourself. I can't believe I'm just now getting to stop by and see you on your break. You'll be leaving again in just days."

"That's true, but I'm glad we were able to find some time." They walked into her kitchen. "You want some wine?"

Tandy smiled. "Of course." Tandy watched as she poured them both a glass. "So, you said you have news." They took their wine into the den and sat on the couch.

"Remember me telling you about my guitar player?" she asked, unable to hide a smile.

"No. What about him?"

She made a face. "When Charlie left, I hired a new lead guitar player. Deacon Claybourne. And it turned out I had seen him the first time I ever performed at the Bluebird."

"Oh, yeah. And you were already in love with him."

"Kind of. Well, anyway, you know, he's been in my band – and doing great – but it seemed like he didn't really remember me. So, I decided to tell him I remembered him, knowing I could look like an idiot if he really didn't. But it turns out he did."

Tandy frowned slightly. "Why didn't he say anything?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, some blah blah blah about me being 'Rayna Jaymes'" – she used air quotes – "and he was nobody. But it turns out we both kind of felt that same, I don't know, destiny kind of thing about it. And now" – she grinned – "we're together."

Tandy looked shocked. "What? How will that work? And didn't you tell me he has a child?"

"He has a daughter. And she's adorable. And it'll work like any other relationship except that we'll get to work together."

"You aren't worried about that part? What happens if things go south?"

She made an angry noise. "I'm not worried. This feels like the real deal."

"Isn't that what you said about Jared?"

"I was young and stupid when I was with Jared. And this isn't like that at all. Deacon and I are so in tune with each other, especially musically. We both feel like this is for keeps." She took a sip of her wine. "I went over to Deacon's last night and had dinner with him and Maisie. His daughter. And it went really well. They're coming over here Friday night and we'll get takeout. We're trying to do this the right way, especially for her."

"Well, as long as you're not moving in together tomorrow. Take the time to get to know each other." Tandy reached for her hand, a soft smile on her face. "I want you to be happy, babe. You know that. And if he makes you happy, well, I'm good with that. But tell him that if he ever hurts you, I'll come after him with the force of a hurricane."

She stared at her sister for a second, then laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him that," she said.

The plan had been to drive up to the lake house and do some writing together and be back in time to pick up Maisie. However, the best laid plans often went awry, and after about an hour of tossing ideas around, they ended up in the bed of the main floor bedroom. She believed that at some point they wouldn't feel the need for sex every day, but she hoped it was a long time coming. The sheet was barely covering them, and she was breathing heavily and could feel the light perspiration on her skin. She rolled onto her side to look at him and he smiled. She lifted her hand to smooth back his hair from his forehead and he ran his hand up her side and then began to caress her breasts. She moved her hand to his hip and leaned closer for a kiss. "How much do you think we wrote?" she murmured.

"Maybe 3 lines?" He chuckled. "At this rate it'll be a year before we write a complete song."

"You could be right. Although…."

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Who says we can't write here? I bet we could come up with some pretty lyrics right here."

"You might be right." He let go of her and sat up, then turned and got up from the bed. She watched as he headed for the great room, admiring his naked body as he did. Her nipples were still hard, and she felt a pleasurable ache in her core. She wondered if they would be able to do this on the road. It would be a bit challenging, but surely they could. Where there's a will there's a way. He walked back in with a guitar and the notebook they'd been writing in. He tossed the notebook on the bed and then got back under the sheets, sitting propped up against the headboard, his guitar across his lap. He looked over at her. "You ready?"

She sat up, tucking the sheet up under her arms, and grabbed the notebook and opened it where the pencil had marked where they were working. "Okay. Here's what we've got. 'It was no accident, me finding you. Someone had a hand in it long before we ever knew. Now I just can't believe you're in my life, heaven's smilin' down on me as I look at you tonight'." Words came into her head, and she jotted them down as she said them out loud. "I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars. He sure knew what he was doin' when he joined these two hearts'." She looked over at him. "What do you think?"

He smiled. "I think you've got something." He started to work out a melody on the guitar and then he reached for the notebook and pencil and jotted down the chords. Then he looked back at her. "I think I like this kind of writing."

She leaned over and kissed him. "See? I'm always right." He gave her a sly smile, taking the notebook and tossing it on the floor and leaning his guitar against the bedside table. Then he took her in his arms and kissed her back.

She decided to order pizza for Friday night dinner. She knew Maisie liked pizza and Deacon had told her the little girl's favorite kind – ground beef and extra cheese. She'd gotten root beer because she knew that's what Deacon drank, and she had fruit punch for Maisie. She had straightened up the house and now all she had to do was wait. It was the first time they would be at her place, and she wanted it to be comfortable. She got dressed – way too early – in jeans and a t-shirt. It made her wonder what Maisie might wear.

She sat down at her piano since she had a lot of nervous energy. She had the music sheet for the song she and Deacon had written at the lake house, and she picked out the chords on the piano, singing the lyrics softly to herself. It had been a fun cowrite. It was a love song, and it was written based on the feelings they had for each other, which meant that it was hard to turn off the heat. So they'd given in to it when the sexual tension ran high, and they had barely finished the song before they had to leave. She'd told him there was no cell service and she didn't have a landline, so they were very isolated. Not a bad situation to be in, but they had to be mindful of time. Still she thought they'd ended up with a really good song for their first try. She was certain there would be many more in the coming days, weeks, and months.

She had started working on something else, just bits and pieces. She didn't know if she would end up writing it all herself or cowriting it with Deacon. They had agreed that they would still write on their own, but they wanted to keep exploring the idea of writing together. She got up then and picked up her phone.

"Hey, Watty," she said when he answered. "You got a minute?"

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Well, I took your advice, and I asked Deacon to think about writing with me and he said yes. I think he might have been a little hesitant at first mainly because he mostly writes alone, but he did say yes."

"Have you gotten together to do any writing yet?"

"We have. We even have a complete song already."

"Already? That's fast."

She smiled. "It's amazing how in sync we are. Although that could also be because, well, we're together now. Together together."

There was a pause on Watty's end. "Well, that's something I wasn't necessarily expecting."

"I never told you that the night I first sang at the Bluebird he was there. We didn't meet that night, but it turns out both of us remembered it. At the risk of sounding silly and romanticizing it, we both had kind of an epiphany moment about it. But our lives went on until now. And then we met, when he auditioned for me, and we discovered that the spark was still there."

"He seems like a decent fellow, and I know he's a fantastic songwriter, which was why I had recommended talking to him about writing together. I'm glad it's worked out and it sounds like we should expect some great music out of this partnership."

"I hope so. But that's kind of why I called you. I feel like maybe the two of us writing together might change my sound. What do you think about that?"

"Rayna, I think it's only going to be a plus. You've always written from your heart, and I don't expect that will change. Deacon's got a real touch with both lyrics and music and I think together you'll create amazing songs. I'll be waiting to hear when you've got a few you can share."

She felt a sense of relief. "Thanks, Watty. I think we're gonna write great music too so I'm glad you're excited about it."

When they hung up, she felt good about the future. She knew the music would be great. She could tell already. Deacon would make her better, like he already had.

Deacon

He got Maisie settled in the back seat of the truck and then he walked around to the driver's side and got in. He looked back at his daughter. "You ready?" She had the small box of brownies he'd bought earlier in the day on her lap, holding them close. She nodded. He turned back and started the truck, pulling out onto the street. "We gotta stop to pick up the pizza on the way to Miss Rayna's house," he told Maisie.

"What kind?" she asked.

"Hamburger and extra cheese," he told her.

"My favorite!" she cried. He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled at her reflection.

"I told Miss Rayna that was your favorite. That's why she ordered it."

Maisie was quiet for a minute. "Why are we going to Miss Rayna's?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, Miss Rayna and I thought it would be fun for the 3 of us to spend more time together."

"But why?"

He and Rayna had talked about how they would tell Maisie about their new relationship, but he figured he had an opportunity to get that conversation started ahead of time. "Well, Rayna and I like each other. A lot. And we want to see more of each other when we're not on stage." He wasn't sure how much she would understand so he was surprised at her response.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

He choked off a laugh. "I guess so. Are you okay with that?" He watched her in the mirror.

She nodded. "I love Miss Rayna. Does she like you too?"

He grinned. "Yeah, she does."

"Good. I like it." She smiled.

"I'm glad you do." And then he breathed a sigh of relief.

He parked the truck and got both Maisie and the pizza they'd stopped off for on the way over. He tried to take Maisie's hand, but she wouldn't take it. I have stuff in my hands, she'd said. As they approached the building, she looked up at him.

"Is this Miss Rayna's house?" she asked.

He smiled. "Well, she lives in one part of this building. So it's not all hers."

"Okay." He smiled. She'd been excited about coming over to Rayna's ever since she'd gotten home from school. She had pondered over several outfits before deciding to wear a pair of jean shorts and a plain white t-shirt. It had surprised him that she'd chosen something so… normal, but he'd kept his mouth shut about it. She was wearing a pair of sparkly tennis shoes, something she'd begged for when she'd seen them, so she had a little bit of fancy.

They took the elevator to the 4th floor, which was the penthouse floor. They walked down the hall to Rayna's condo and knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened, and Rayna was standing there. "Hey, y'all," she said with a smile.

Maisie marched in with the brownies, then turned to look at Rayna. "Daddy said you're his girlfriend now," she said.

Rayna glanced at him, then back at Maisie. "I am. How do you feel about that?"

Maisie smiled. "I like it! Can we ride on your bus now?"

Rayna had a look of surprise on her face but covered it well. "I guess so, if you want to. And your dad says it's okay." She reached for the box in Maisie's hands. "Can I take this?"

Maisie handed the box to her. "Yes. And Daddy's got pizza! Hamburger and cheese!"

"Well, how about we take all this into the kitchen so we can eat the pizza while it's still hot." She led the way, Maisie trailing after her. He followed. Rayna had set the small table in her kitchen, so he put the pizza box there. He saw that she'd already put glasses of root beer on the table and a glass of fruit punch for Maisie. He appreciated that she had done that. No sense having Maisie get upset about not having her favorite drink. Rayna looked at them. "I guess we can go ahead and eat."

Maisie fell asleep on the loveseat in Rayna's den after a fun dinner where his daughter entertained them with all the latest on what was going on in her summer school. It felt comfortable, the 3 of them, and he hoped Rayna felt the same way. He looked up when she walked in and sat down beside him. He put his arm around her. "We had a good time," he said to her. She put her hand on his cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

"So, it sounds like it came up that we're seeing each other," she said.

"Well, you know how she is. She wanted to know why we were coming here for dinner and then she asked if you were my girlfriend. I told her you were. I hope you don't mind."

She smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. I know it was our plan to see how she felt about us spending more time together, but it sounds like she's okay with things."

"Well, she told me she loves you. And then she wanted to know if you liked me too."

She laughed. "I hope you said yes."

He grinned. "I did." He leaned in and kissed her, letting the kiss draw out and deepen. He'd have to leave soon to take Maisie home, but he was glad to get some one-on-one time with Rayna, even if it was just kissing. He drew her into his arms, and she sat on his lap. Then he put his arms around her and she put hers around his neck and kissing. He still wasn't sure how he'd gotten so lucky as to have her in his life, but he wasn't going to question it. He was just going to enjoy it.

Rayna

She was looking forward to getting back on the road for the second half of her tour. They were starting on the West Coast so they would be flying out to LA. Bucky had arranged for buses for them to use for their shows up and down the coast and into the Southwest. They would stay out on the road for the next 3 weeks and she was looking forward to having some days to relax and spend time with Deacon and Maisie. Now that she and Deacon were seeing each other, they had talked about what that would look like while on the road. The relationship was still really new and neither one of them wanted to push things too quickly. She did think that they wouldn't get much intimate time together, which she was disappointed about. Obviously if Maisie weren't in the picture things would probably be different but they would deal with it. She adored Deacon's daughter, and she couldn't be mad about her. She couldn't help but think about how much had changed in the space of 10 days.

When she got to the boarding gate for their flight, she saw that Deacon was already there. She walked up to him and sat in the empty seat beside him. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey." He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

She looked around then. "Where's Maisie?"

He gave her a sly smile. "Not here." She raised her eyebrows. "Audrey called last night and talked me into letting her stay with them while we're out here. Maisie was being kind of mopey about missing so much summer school and she was excited about staying with Audrey and Cole."

"Won't you miss her though?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It'll be tough but I told her I'd call her every day. I think she kinda didn't understand what it meant that I was leaving at first, so she got a little weepy this morning when I dropped her off with Audrey. That's when I told her I'd call her every day and that before she knew it, I'd be back." He raised his eyebrows. "Maybe we can figure out how to occupy that time."

She laughed. "I actually think it'll be easy." She leaned in a little closer. "What would you say if I asked Bucky to cancel your hotel rooms for this leg?"

He looked pensive, like he was thinking it over. "Well, it would save you some money…."

She swatted his arm. "That's the last thing I care about, but yes, it would." She breathed in. "I'm already excited just thinking about it."

He smiled. "Same, baby. Same."

She stood in front of the windows in the penthouse room looking out over the ocean. She loved looking at the sand and the surf, the waves breaking along the shore. She was looking forward to the next several weeks, even more than usual, because she and Deacon would have a chance to have quality time together. He was downstairs meeting with the band to talk about the upcoming schedule and the set list, then he would come upstairs. She'd been a little surprised at how nonchalant Bucky had been when she'd talked to him about cancelling Deacon's rooms.

She and Bucky were sitting in first class for the west coast flight. She always felt a little odd about it, but Bucky – and Watty – had convinced her she deserved it. Having her band flying in coach made her slightly uncomfortable, but it wasn't like it was unusual for other artists. One day she hoped to be in a position to afford her own plane and it would solve that problem. She was flipping through a magazine, not really reading it, and Bucky was reading one of his boring books as they made their way across the country. She closed the magazine and sighed, then looked over at her manager. He looked up from his book and at her.

"So," she said. "Um, I have a favor to ask."

Bucky gave her a knowing smile. "You want me to cancel Deacon's hotel rooms while we're out west," he said, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out at first. "How did you know?" she asked finally.

He grinned. "Vince tipped me off. And when I saw Deacon without Maisie, I asked Jill to take care of it."

She swallowed. "So now Jill knows."

He was laughing then. "Rayna, everyone knows. You know Vince has a big mouth, right?"

She rolled her eyes but then smiled anyway. "Yeah, he is kind of a girl in that way." She shook her head. "It's very new. Watty had suggested I see if Deacon would be interested in writing together and one thing kind of led to another, pretty quickly actually."

"Well, I don't think anyone is surprised. The chemistry has been there from the beginning. And I'm looking forward to seeing the kind of music it inspires."

Thinking about what it had already inspired was like a jolt of lightning right to her core. She smiled. "I'm pretty excited about it myself."

She wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. She had some tour publicity the next day and then some free time afterwards. The show wouldn't be until the day after that, and she'd had an idea that she wanted to share with Deacon. Hopefully he would be up for it. Just then she heard the click of the door lock, and she turned as he walked in. Just like every time she saw him, her heart started beating a little faster and she felt a lovely sense of lightness. She practically ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. She stood on her toes and kissed him, first a quick kiss, then a longer, deeper one.

When she pulled back, she looked deep into his eyes. "I had an idea and I hope you like it," she said.

They were sitting at the outdoor bar at the small resort along the Mexican coast about an hour south of San Diego. The sun was going down and there was a light breeze. Along with a series of ceiling fans across the tall roofline of the bar, the breeze kept the area comfortable. They were both drinking a tonic with lime. Once again she realized what a gem she had in Jill. Her assistant had researched, found, and made a reservation for one night for them at a cute little beachside hotel, all white walls and that red Spanish tile roof. She and Bucky were worth their weight in gold. She'd rented them a car to drive down in. They didn't bring anything other than Deacon's guitar. He'd told her he almost never went anywhere without it. You never know when a song'll come to you.

When they'd driven into the little beach town, they'd stopped at a local clothing store and she found a pretty off-white sundress for herself and a white button down shirt for Deacon. He'd told her in no uncertain terms he wouldn't wear anything but his jeans, but he wasn't averse to the shirt, so she took it as a win. It was late in the afternoon before they got there, after she'd finished all the mind-numbing publicity for the west coast leg. She didn't mind doing it except that people seemed to always ask the same questions over and over.

There were shadows now as the sun sank ever lower in the sky. The bartender came over to check on their drinks and ask if they wanted anything to eat. After a moment considering it, they asked for guacamole and chips, and the bartender left.

"I was reading about this place while you were getting ready," he said.

"Anything interesting?"

"Kind of town where people on the shady side would hide out. Ladies of the night taking advantage of men and vice versa."

She smiled. "Interesting. Like people in the shadows."

He nodded. "Exactly. I guess this place is so small it's kind of off the grid. Or it was. It kind of made me think of a couple grifters, meeting up, making a connection, but since they're both kind of sketchy it's a back and forth kind of situation. Feels like there could be a song there."

The bartender came back with the guacamole and chips. She smiled at him and nodded, then looked back at Deacon with a tiny frown. "Really?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Something dark, something sexy. Two people trying to pull something on the other and not get caught. Or letting the other person take the fall." He got the attention of the bartender. "You got a pen I could borrow?" he asked. The bartender nodded and brought one over. He grabbed some napkins and started writing things down, passing them to her as he did.

I had a past, a dark past. Then he started writing on both sides of the napkin. Liquor store, easy score – I take the money, later honey. Bustin' out, I got a card from Mexico – I gotta go, I sent a card from Mexico. She was having a hard time putting it together and understanding what he was trying to do. "I don't get it," she said.

"You ever hear of call and response?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"It's a way 2 people can sing together, like a duet, but not exactly. One person calls, or sings, a line, then the other person responds, the response. So like here" – he pointed to one of the side-by-side phrases – "one person would sing 'liquor store' and the response is 'I take the money'. Then 'easy score' and the response is 'later, honey'." He looked at her. "That make sense?"

"It's starting too. So, it's almost like a conversation?"

"Yeah. See, what I'm thinking is these 2 grifters are trying to pull one over on the other but at the same time there's a pull between them, something sexy between the 2 of them."

She still didn't completely understand. "What if you put some music to it? Then maybe it would make more sense what you're doing."

He grinned. "Good thing I brought a guitar."

She laughed. "Yes, it is." He threw some money on the bar, and they left, without finishing their drinks or the guacamole, and hurried back to their room.

The next day, while they hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, they both felt energized as they drove north to San Diego, anxious to debut Postcard from Mexico to the band at sound check.

Deacon

"Maisie?" he called out as he headed down the hall. "Sweetie, are you ready?" He got to her room and looked in. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, then opened them again. Maisie had completely changed clothes and the ones she'd had on were scattered on the floor of her room. The only consolation was that it was one of the more normal outfits he'd seen her wear in a while. Her little overnight bag was lying open on her bed, empty. He sighed. "How come you aren't ready?" he asked.

"I had to put on new clothes, Daddy," she said, her tone suggesting he was an idiot.

"I see that." It was hard not to smile. "But you need a nightgown and something to wear tomorrow plus your brush and toothbrush. You're spending the night with Audrey and Cole, remember?" It was the last night of Rayna's tour, and they were in Nashville. Audrey had suggested that Maisie spend the night. So you and Rayna can have some time to yourselves. He smiled to himself when he thought about it. But he needed to get Maisie in gear first, so he focused back on her. "Sweetheart, let's get you packed up." He went to her dresser to get a nightgown.

"No, no, no!" she shouted as she ran over. "I'll get it." She pushed at him and pulled open a drawer, pulling out a nightgown at random. She then went and shoved it into the bag. Then she grabbed a top and a pair of jeans and shoved them in the bag as well.

"Underwear, Maiz," he said. "And shoes."

She held up one foot with her new pair of pink cowgirl boots. "I'll wear these."

"Okay." He went down to the bathroom and got her toothbrush and hairbrush and brought them back, handing them to her to put in the bag. Then he watched her zip it up. He hoped she'd put underwear in there, but if she didn't, she'd just have to wear what she had on the next day. "Alright, let's go. I'm running late." He wasn't really, but if he didn't light a fire under her, Maisie would dawdle for longer. She snatched up her bag and Rainbow and announced she was ready. Together they walked out to the truck, and then he dropped her off at the Carlisle's.

He walked down the hallway until he got to Rayna's dressing room. The door was partially open, and he could see her sitting in a chair in front of the mirror, wearing her pre-show robe. He knocked on the door and she shifted her eyes until she saw him. She smiled. "Come in," she said. Then she looked at her hair stylist. "I think we're good. Thanks." The hair stylist passed him in the doorway, giving him a smile, and then he walked in, closing the door behind him. She got off the chair and walked into his arms, giving him a warm kiss. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hey." She took his hand, and they went over to one of the couches and sat. He put his arm around her. "I dropped Maisie off, but not until after she tried my patience a little."

She smiled. "You just need to let her be."

"Oh, I do. But she still can be stubborn as hell." He kissed her again. "So, you're coming back to my house tonight?"

She nodded. "That's my plan." Every day he'd spent with her had solidified his feelings about her. She'd slid seamlessly into his and Maisie's lives. Maisie adored her and Rayna felt the same about his daughter. Vince had been right about the band and crew. Everyone accepted the change in his and Rayna's relationship pretty easily. They'd kept things mostly private otherwise and they both liked it that way. "I'll get changed after the show and then we can go." She smiled. "I'm so glad there's no after party or anything to go to."

He smiled. "Me too." He still didn't often attend – he'd long since shared with her why – but he understood it was a necessary thing for her to do. He leaned in then and gave her a long, lingering kiss. "You ain't nervous about tonight, are you?"

"I don't think so. It's home. I'm just ready for it to be over. It's been a long tour." She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled broadly. "I'm just glad you've been beside me the whole ride. I know I shouldn't say this, but Charlie leaving was a blessing in disguise." There was a knock on the door and they both turned to look at it before looking back at each other. "Okay, that's Susie."

He smirked. "I can't watch you get ready?"

She laughed. "No. You need to get the guys ready anyway."

He sighed good-naturedly. "I suppose." He stood up and reached for her hand, pulling her to her feet. He kissed her again. "See you on stage," he whispered in her ear. Then he walked over to the door and opened it. "She's all yours," he said to Susie, who was standing in the hall. He took one last look at Rayna and then headed for the band room.

Rayna

She watched Deacon as he left her dressing room. Her heart still beat faster every time she saw him. He more than validated her initial impression of him every single day. That it took so long for their paths to finally cross seemed crazy. That he was everything she'd ever dreamed of was magical. He'd become her co-writer and they had written beautiful songs together. Although they both still wrote on their own, she thought the songs they wrote together were their best. She'd fallen in love with his daughter the moment she laid eyes on her. Tandy had been right about that. She knew the little girl tried his patience 'a bit', as he would say, but she'd found Maisie's independent streak endearing.

"Rayna?" She turned to look at Susie.

She smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm ready."

After the final encore, she and her band left the stage. She felt both exhilarated and exhausted. Nashville was always a comfortable place to perform, and the crowds were always enthusiastic and embracing. The song they'd written in Mexico, Postcard from Mexico, continued to get a very positive reaction. It was different from her other material but was proving to be a fan favorite. They had also tried out a couple other new songs she and Deacon had written and gotten a very positive response to them, so she also felt satisfied. Bucky and Watty were waiting on the side stage. She hugged both of them.

"What a great show, Rayna," Bucky said. "Not surprising, of course, but amazing."

Watty took her hands in his. "You were fantastic, my little songbird," he said. He then nodded towards Deacon. "And I think he has had a lot to do with that."

She looked over her shoulder at Deacon, smiling. "Yes, I think you're right," she said to Watty.

"You ready for a break?" Bucky asked, a smile on his face that said he knew that was an understatement.

She laughed. "I am. I'm gonna take a few weeks off and just take it easy."

Bucky laughed. "Right," he said, and she knew he knew that probably wasn't going to be the case.

She put one hand on Bucky's arm and the other on Watty's. "Thanks, y'all, for everything." After one more hug for each, she and Deacon headed down the stairs and then down the hallway to her dressing room. He closed the door behind them, and she stepped around him and locked it, turning back to look at him. He raised an eyebrow. She smiled. "I don't know about you, but I need a little something before we go." One of the things that had changed since her relationship with Deacon had changed is that they both got incredibly turned on by their stage interaction. The heat had gotten turned up, especially with respect to songs they'd written together, something they both agreed had been a positive for radio play. But it had the consequence of making them so hot for each other that they often had to satisfy the itch in her dressing room after the show. Not that either of them complained about that.

He pulled her close. "I could use some of that too," he murmured in her ear.

She looked at him and bit her bottom lip. She slid her arms around his waist and then settled her hands on his ass, pressing herself closer, feeling his arousal and knowing it matched her own. She ran her tongue over her lips, then kissed him. The kiss turned passionate quickly, but it wasn't what she wanted, and she knew he knew that. She took 2 steps back and reached for his belt. As she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans, he pulled the top she was wearing out from her waistband. Then he unzipped her pants as he walked her backwards to her hair and makeup counter and he kissed her again, deep and long. She moaned. She wanted him so badly.

He let her go long enough to start to push her pants down over her hips. She stepped out of her shoes and helped him pull off both her pants and underwear. She was breathing hard, and she moaned again when he touched her. "Oh, babe," she murmured. He turned her around so she faced the mirror. She stared at his face in the mirror in front of her and felt herself tingle all over. Almost without realizing she was doing it, she spread her legs open, waiting expectantly for him to press against her from behind. When he did, she let out a long, low moan, and adjusted herself to him.

"Oh god, Ray," he whispered as he pushed inside her. He pushed her hair to one side and kissed her neck, letting his hands slide under her top and cup her breasts. She kept pushing back against him as he moved inside her, tilting her head to one side and closing her eyes. His kisses paused. "Open your eyes, baby," he murmured, before putting his lips behind her ear. She did as he asked. She was nearly breathless as she watched, and it ratcheted up the heat inside her. Within just a few minutes her orgasm had overtaken her, and she had leaned her head back as she moaned over and over. She was barely aware that he'd moved one arm to wrap around her waist as he thrust into her over and over, finally letting go, crying out with his release.

She leaned back against him, her eyes closed, as she listened and felt his heavy breathing behind her. She drew in a deep breath and then let it out, turning in his arms as she did so. "That was a nice way to end the night," she said.

He smirked. "That wasn't quite the end," he said. He kissed her on the forehead.

She chuckled. "No, I guess it's not." She put her hands on his chest and pushed gently. "We should get out of here then so they can clear all this out." He gave her a lazy smile and stepped back to let her move around him. She changed into the clothes she was leaving in, putting her stage outfit on the couch. When she turned around, he was smiling. "What?" she asked, feeling her cheeks burn just a little.

"Cute ass," he said with a wink. She made a face, then walked over and swatted him gently. Then she picked up her purse and overnight bag and looked at him expectantly. "You ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm ready."

They unlocked the door, walked out and then headed for the garage.