Deacon
He'd asked Audrey if she could stay with Maisie for a couple of hours while he took care of a few things. With him off the road he hadn't needed Audrey as much, so it was nice for the two of them to spend time together. He knew Maisie was excited about it. Now that the holidays were past, they were into the doldrums of winter. Some days were really cold, others were less so. Skies were gray more than blue and it felt a little depressing. Kind of fitting for the mood of the day. He had parked his truck along the empty street – it was actually less a street and more of just a driveway of sorts – and sat for several minutes before he got out. Finally he took a deep breath and got out.
He walked across the grass, crunchy under his feet, until he came to a stone plaque in the ground. He stood there, looking down, and sighed. It was a plain stone marker with just Samantha's name and her dates of birth and death engraved on it. In some ways it felt like it had only happened yesterday and other times it seemed like a lifetime ago. Sam had seemed to rally somewhat after her surgery and follow up, but it didn't last long. It was tough to watch and he was sure it was even worse to go through. She tried hard not to complain or get angry or maudlin, but it had been a losing battle mostly.
When the doctor told him he thought it was time for hospice care, he wasn't sure what to expect or even what it meant. The spare bedroom was set up as her room, with a hospital bed and not much else. He'd put a TV in there in case she wanted to watch but she was rarely lucid enough for that. There was a nurse almost around the clock and always one on call if something happened in the middle of the night. The house felt dark and gloomy, even more than normal. Sickness seemed to hang in the air, along with despair. In one of her better moments, after spending some time with Maisie, Sam had told him he needed to take Audrey up on her offer to take care of her. Until, you know. He hadn't wanted to think about what that meant, but he recognized the truth of it.
That was when things seemed to move downhill fast. Sam was in and out of consciousness and when she was conscious, she was disoriented and confused. She didn't recognize him, could hardly speak at all. It had terrified him to watch, and he had found himself spending more time away from the house. Later, he'd regretted that, but he owned his fear.
One morning the hospice nurse found him in the kitchen and had whispered – although there was no real need to whisper – that she thought Sam was very near the end. Although he'd known it was coming, it was still a bit of a shock to hear it. How soon? he'd asked. Today, tomorrow, the nurse said. You might want to spend some time with her. He'd hesitantly gone into her room and was surprised to find her awake. He was even more surprised to find her lucid and present. He had held her hand and they had talked, about their lives together, about Maisie, about his future and her hopes for their daughter. When she finally stopped talking and then closed her eyes, the nurse came in and checked on her, telling him she thought it wouldn't be long. And so he'd stayed with her, holding her hand until it went limp in his own and he realized she was no longer breathing. And then he had finally wept.
He sucked in his breath, wiping at his eyes. She'd been his first love. Maybe not his true love, but she'd been an important part of his life. She'd given him Maisie and she'd supported his dreams. He knelt down then and put two fingers to his lips, then pressed them against the cold stone. "We miss you, Sam," he said quietly. Then he laid the flowers he'd brought on the marker and stood up. He stood for a few minutes longer, then turned and walked back to his truck.
When he walked in the front door, he found Audrey sitting on the couch and Maisie sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table working on something. They both looked up when he walked in. Maisie jumped up and dropped a crayon on the table, picking up the paper and flying over to him. "Look, Daddy, I drew Rainbow!" she cried, handing him the paper.
He smiled as he took the paper from her to find a remarkably decent rendition of the rainbow colored unicorn. "This is terrific, Maiz," he said. "Is this for me?"
"No. It's for Miss Rayna."
"I bet she'll love it."
"When can I give it to her?"
"Well, we're going to her house for pizza, so you can give it to her tonight. How 'bout that?"
"Okay. I need to add some things." She took the paper back from him and ran back to the table, folding her legs under her as she grabbed crayons.
Audrey got up and walked over to him. "How was it?" She knew where he'd been.
He shrugged. "The same." He sighed. "Someday I'll take her." He nodded towards Maisie, busily working more on her drawing. He started to say something else but stopped.
Audrey frowned slightly. "What?"
He opened his mouth, closed it again, and sighed. "I want to take Rayna to her lake house one weekend, just us." Every time they went Maisie went too and while they loved her being there, he felt like they needed some alone time.
"Pick a weekend and let me know. Cole and I are happy to keep Maisie." She patted his arm. "Don't ever think you can't ask."
He reached out and hugged her. "Thanks, Audrey. For everything."
Audrey smiled. "Anytime." Then she looked around him. "I'm leaving, Maisie."
Maisie jumped up and ran over to hug Audrey. "Bye, Audrey. I love you."
"I love you too, sweet pea." Maisie let go and Audrey walked over to pick up her coat. He helped her put it on and then she grabbed her purse. She looked up at him. "Just let me know." He nodded and then opened the door for her. He watched as she walked down the steps, then closed the door and turned around. Maisie was already back at the coffee table, so he went and sat down on the couch. She put her crayon down and got up, settling in next to him on the couch.
"You have a good time today?" he asked as he put his arm around her.
"I did." She looked up at him and frowned. "Where were you?"
He pulled her close and, surprisingly, she let him. "Just had some things I needed to do." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Maisie."
"I love you too, Daddy." She pulled away, done with the closeness. "So when are we going to Miss Rayna's?"
Rayna opened the door when he knocked with a big smile. "Hey," she said.
"Hey." He stepped in and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. "You ready?"
She nodded. "I am." She reached down to pick up an overnight bag sitting by the door, but he beat her to it.
"Let's go," he said, taking her hand. He let her lock up, then put his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hallway to the elevator.
Rayna
She'd been a little surprised when Deacon had called and suggested they go to her lake house for the weekend without Maisie. But the idea of a weekend alone, where they could be more spontaneous, sounded like the perfect idea. The lake house could be a little drafty in winter, but then there were those opportunities to curl up under blankets by the fire. She turned when she heard the door open and watched as he walked in with the 2 bags of groceries they'd stopped off for on the way. He set them on the counter and then they started unloading and putting things away.
"You want some hot chocolate or something?" she asked when it was done.
"Maybe later," he said. "Why don't I get a fire going though?"
"That sounds perfect." She watched as he brought in wood, then knelt by the fireplace and got the fire started. She walked across the room to stand behind him. When he stood up and turned to her, she put her arms around him and leaned against him. "Thanks for suggesting we do this," she murmured.
He tightened his arms around her slightly. "I just wanted some time alone with you, baby," he said. "I mean, you know how much I love Maisie, but she kind of, you know, can kill a mood."
She looked up at him for a second, then laughed. "You know we're gonna have to get used to that."
He looked a little embarrassed but smiled. "I know, but I can still want alone time with you, can't I?"
She smiled. "Absolutely." She winked at him. "So I was thinking maybe we take advantage of that alone time before we do anything else."
He grinned. "You read my mind."
Much later, they were all tangled up together under the blankets in front of the fire, propped up by the throw pillows from the couch and chairs. The fire was crackling merrily and she felt all warm inside and out. She glanced out the sliding doors and gasped happily. "Babe, it's snowing!" she cried. It was light but still pretty. Snow always made her feel extra cozy, and it was perfect, she thought, for their weekend.
He twisted his body so that he could see, then turned back to her, gathering her again in his arms. "Makes things cozy," he said. He smiled at her. "I like this kind of cozy."
She laughed softly. "Me too." Under the blanket, she ran her hand down his chest, then touched him provocatively. He groaned appreciatively as she stroked him. He was already hard, and she bit down on her bottom lip, heat settling between her legs. He groaned again as he gently moved her hand and then felt how wet she was. He rolled her onto her back, roughly pushing back the pillows, and then moved inside her slowly, dragging out the sensation. She closed her eyes and whimpered. "Oh, Deacon," she whispered as she wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his shoulder and buried her face in the space between.
He didn't move, just balanced himself above her, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he murmured.
She drew in a long breath. "Luck has nothing to do with it," she said softly. "We deserve this."
He smiled, then moved his hands to cradle her face, his thumbs rubbing her cheeks gently. "I love you," he said, his voice gravelly with emotion. Then he bent down and kissed her, softly at first, then more insistently, exploring her mouth, chasing her tongue, exciting her. She lifted her pelvis towards him, wanting more, and he obliged, moving inside her, first slowly then with increased intensity. She was already spiraling up, every nerve ending in her body on fire.
"I love you too," she whispered.
The next morning there was a light dusting of snow covering the grassy areas. She was standing by the sliding doors with a mug of coffee. She'd dressed warmly in a pair of jeans and a bulky sweater along with thick socks on her feet. It was a gray day and she was glad there wasn't more snow on the ground. It looked pretty though, even though it just barely covered the grass. Even with the leaves off the trees, she could barely see the fishing cabin across the lake from her. She wasn't sure if it was even used at all. One of the things she'd especially liked about the house was that it felt so secluded and that there was little activity at this end of the lake. She was startled for a second when she felt Deacon's arms wrap around her waist. She smiled and leaned back into him as he rubbed his nose against her neck.
"Morning," she said. He had still been sleeping when she woke up, so she'd quietly gotten dressed and then come out to the kitchen and made coffee.
"Morning," he replied. "Feels like we need some more wood."
"Mm hm. But have some coffee first." She turned in his arms and he kissed her. Then he pulled away and headed for the kitchen. She leaned against the island and watched as he poured himself a mug of coffee. "I had a few song ideas this morning."
He turned and leaned on the opposite side of the island. "You did?" She nodded. "What do you got?"
She shrugged. "Something about a field of wildflowers and feeling the wet grass." She wrinkled her nose. "I know that's kind of, um, nature-y, but it's an image. Maybe it's something a little on the lighter side."
"We can play with it." He smiled. "You said you had a few."
"Well, one more. It's really just a song title. Take A Walk. Not really sure what comes out of that, but maybe we could play with it." She looked over her shoulder at the snow outside. "It's a cold day, there's snow on the ground, and I think it's a great day to write." She looked back at him and smiled.
He nodded. "I'm in total agreement. But first, how 'bout breakfast?"
She laughed. "I think breakfast sounds perfect."
The sun was setting outside when she finally got up off the couch. She felt stiff and stretched slowly. She looked back at Deacon, who was sitting on the floor with his guitar and paper scattered all around him. "How long have we been at this?" she asked.
He looked thoughtful. "Hours." He smiled. "But I think we got some good work done." He set his guitar aside and started organizing all the paper. "3 songs. And a start on another one."
She sat back down on the couch. "Writing with you feels so easy. Like we could write songs in our sleep." She threaded her fingers through his hair. "Watty knew what he was doing when he told us he thought we should write together."
He looked up at her, then pushed himself up and onto the couch beside her. "Yep. I never thought I'd write with someone else, but it feels… good."
She linked her arms around his and leaned her head on his shoulder. "All of this feels good." She sat up and they looked at each other. "I wonder sometimes what might have happened if we'd met back that night at the Bluebird. I think a lot of things might have turned out differently."
"Could be. Or it could be that we met at the right time. If we'd met each other sooner, maybe we'd have thrown each other away by now."
She thought about that. "Maybe. But you're probably right that we met at the right time. We had all these life experiences we wouldn't have had otherwise." She bit her lip. "I know some of yours weren't happy experiences."
He shook his head and breathed in. "Not all. But I learned a lot from everything I went through." He smiled then and kissed her. "And now I'm where I want to be, where I think I'm supposed to be going forward." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. "With you."
Deacon
He had a show at the Bluebird that night, his every other Thursday show he did when he was in town. He had invited Rayna to go with him and she had agreed so he was on his way to pick her up. I don't want to perform tonight, she'd said. Just be in the audience and watch you. Is that okay? He understood that she didn't always want to perform, that she sometimes just wanted to be a fan. While he would always be happy to invite her on stage with him, he appreciated her honesty and looked forward to her being there.
She was waiting in front of her building when he drove up. It was a chilly early February night, and she was bundled up warmly but he could still see her shoulders hunched up close to her ears. When he stopped, she walked out and opened the door to the truck, getting in. When she closed the door she leaned over and kissed him. "Hey," she said with a smile.
"Hey," he said, smiling back. She was rubbing her hands together in her lap. "You cold?"
She laughed. "A little. I probably should have waited in the lobby but I didn't want you to have to park." She put one hand on his arm. "I'm looking forward to this. Are you going to be playing anything I haven't heard before?"
She'd heard a fair number of his songs since the day she'd come over to ask to record one of his songs and then to write with her. But he'd spent a lot of his time on the road writing so he had enough that she wouldn't have heard them all. "Yeah," he said. "I got a few I'm doing that you ain't heard."
"I can't wait."
She sat at the bar, the farthest stool to his right, trying to stay as low profile as possible. Unfortunately for her, her red hair had a way of making her noticeable even when she was trying not to be. Luckily she wasn't being bothered much and once he'd started to perform the folks in the audience were focused more on him. His regular slot was always roughly 2 hours long and he'd spent a good amount of time selecting the music he wanted to share. Some friends, including Vince, backed him up, which he appreciated. He'd pulled some old ones to do that night, some that he hadn't performed in a long time. One of the songs was a newer one, called Back Home, that he'd written after the weekend he and Rayna had spent at her lake house.
When the show was over, he spent another 30 minutes or so talking to fans, taking pictures, and signing autographs. Finally the last stragglers left and his bandmates had left as well and it was just him and Rayna, along with the staff cleaning up. She walked up to him as he was putting his guitar away. "You were fantastic," she said.
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Every time I hear you perform I'm so impressed by your songwriting. I feel like maybe a little bit of you has rubbed off on me. Or at least I hope it has." She grinned.
"You were already a pretty great songwriter already, so I don't know that I added much." He got all his gear together. "You ready?"
"Yep." He threw his bag over his shoulder, picked up his guitar and then took her hand as they walked out the back to the parking lot. She got in while he stowed his gear in the back and then they got on the road. They had pulled out onto Hillsboro headed towards her place when she turned to him. "There was a song you did that I really liked – truthfully, loved – and you didn't really say much about the backstory. The End of the Day? What was the story on that one? When did you write it?"
He took a deep breath but didn't say anything for a minute. Then he breathed out. "I told you that I realized I was headed down the path to being an alcoholic. And I got connected with AA through Cole." She nodded. "Well, that's really what the song was about. Plus it was a tough time, with Sam's cancer and all." He sighed. "I think maybe I thought that if I could beat that, she could beat cancer. I actually wrote it about halfway through her… illness."
Rayna didn't say anything at first, but then she turned slightly and rubbed the back of his arm. "It's a beautiful song," she said quietly. "Even if it didn't all turn out the way you wanted it to."
"It was hard. That whole time all I really wanted to do was get drunk. Get drunk and escape from the sickness and the sadness and the pain. But I couldn't. I had to keep my promise that I would quit and stay that way. I still lost her, but I keep the promise for Maisie." He cleared his throat. "I mean, I got sober for me, and my life is better because of it. But when you got a little girl relying on you and you're all she has in the world you gotta stay on the straight and narrow." He glanced over at her and then reached for her hand. "And now there's you. I don't want nothing getting in the way of that. Any of it. You know, sometimes I gotta get away and just be alone. It's not always easy and I've been lucky that Audrey and Cole have been there for Maisie." He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm sure you been there. Wrote about it." He knew from tabloids and general scuttlebutt throughout the music community about what she'd gone through with Jared Boone. She'd never really talked to him about it and he didn't need her to necessarily but he wondered sometimes about how it had changed her.
They turned onto Harding Pike. "Sure. I guess we've all gone through something at some point. I've had my share of trials." She looked at him. "Do you still feel that need to get away?" She was changing the subject.
He shrugged. "Sometimes. Not as much anymore." They had gotten to her building and he pulled up to the front. It was late and while he would have liked to go up to her condo with her, he needed to get back and let Audrey go home. "Thanks for coming."
She smiled. "I really enjoyed hearing you perform. I'm glad I could be there for the whole set." She leaned over the console and kissed him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. And hopefully see you."
He smiled back. "I think we need to talk about rehearsals for the tour and the setlist, so I think we can make that happen."
"Sounds good." She kissed him again. "I love you."
"Love you too." He wouldn't press her. She'd share what she thought was important when she felt it was the right time. He watched as she got out of the truck and then as she walked into the lobby and finally disappeared from his view. Then he put the truck in gear and headed out.
Rayna
They were a week into rehearsals for the upcoming tour. She and Deacon had hammered out the setlist and she was happy with it. Her latest record, Until You Kissed Me, had come out just after Thanksgiving and was still selling well. It had gone platinum in late February and she'd had 3 singles, including the title track, do well on radio. They were all songs she and Deacon had written together and Stompin' Ground had hit number 1 on the charts for 5 weeks.
When they had finished for the day they had headed to Deacon's house, where Audrey was keeping Maisie. It was spaghetti night, so that meant Deacon was cooking. She helped out by making a salad and Maisie entertained them with what she'd done at school that day. After dinner, they watched a movie with Maisie until it was time for her to go to bed. When he came back into the living room, he sat on the couch and she turned to face him, her legs tucked up underneath her. She reached for his hand.
"So, I wanted to let you know that I've been thinking about maybe buying a new house," she said.
He looked surprised. "Really? I guess I didn't realize you were gonna go ahead with that."
She shook her head and smiled a little. "I wasn't really. But the condo has just started to feel kind of small lately, you know? And I just want a little more space."
"Wow. Okay. Huh."
She put her other hand on his arm. "This isn't anything for you to worry about. But you know when we were looking I just kind of got the bug. I know we put the whole moving in together on hold for a while, so this isn't me trying to push you or anything. And I had put it all aside, truly I did, but the realtor actually called me about one house we looked at that's still on the market. It was the one we looked at near Brentwood. I don't know if you remember."
He looked thoughtful. "Um, not sure."
"Well, anyway, it's really farther out than I wanted to be but there's a cute little house over near Radnor Lake that she sent me the details on that looks perfect. I want to go look at it, but I wanted to let you know."
He was silent for a moment. "Would you mind if I came with you when you looked?" he asked finally.
She smiled. "I would love that, babe. I'll schedule something and let you know." She turned then so she could tuck into his side, and he put his arm around her. "Maybe when the time is right, it could be our place," she said. She looked up at him.
He leaned in and kissed her. "That's what I was just thinking."
She thought the house was perfect. She thought Deacon liked it too as they walked through. It was much larger than her condo but not nearly as large as most of the homes in Belle Meade and other exclusive neighborhoods. It was a 1920s era home that had been extensively renovated, yet still retained a lot of the historic charm. It had 4 bedrooms and an open concept area that included a chef's kitchen – which she didn't need but also didn't mind having – as well as a cozy den with a fireplace and a dining room area. The primary bedroom was on the main floor and opened to a 4-seasons sunroom facing the backyard. The upstairs bedrooms were spacious and there was a nice common area that could be used a number of ways. It was on a nice sized wooded lot with lots of privacy. There was even a space on the main level that could be turned into a music room.
They talked about it after rehearsal and she was anxious to hear his thoughts. "What did you think?" she asked.
"It was definitely you," he said.
She frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It's a beautiful house, Ray. I can see you in it. That room you thought could be a music room would work, I think."
"But could you ever see yourself in it? And Maisie?"
"Probably." He sighed. "It's a lot fancier than what we're used to. That ain't a bad thing, but it just is what it is. I know it's a lot like the other places we looked at together. It just seems to fit… you."
She breathed in. she wasn't sure what to make of his comments. "I love your house, Deacon, you know that. But I really can't…."
He shook his head. "I know. You need something more private. I get it. I do. I guess I just never saw myself being able to have a place like that. You're in the stratosphere and I'm, well, I know who I am. I'm a sideman, trying to fit into your life."
"You don't think you fit into my life?" She was surprised – and disheartened – to think he felt that way.
He grabbed her hands and shook his head again. "No, no, no, that's not what I'm trying to say. I'm just saying that it's a big change. For Maisie and for me. We ain't used to the life you have." He moved a little closer. "I love you, Rayna. Being with you, well, it's better than I ever could have imagined. Doing all this with you – it's what I dreamed of, when I let myself go there. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all. I never thought I'd get the gold ring, ya know? I never thought I was meant for it."
She pulled her hands gently from his and put them on either side of his face, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "You deserve the gold ring, Deacon. All on your own, not because of me. We deserve this, all of this. We've both waited so long for this." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "Are you okay if I buy this house?"
He smiled. "You don't need my permission, but of course."
She did buy the house. At the beginning of June she got the keys and spent 3 crazy days between tour weekends moving everything from the condo to the new house. By the time she showed up at the bus to leave for Chicago, she was exhausted. As soon as she got on the bus, she headed down the aisle to the artist's suite and collapsed on the bed.
She opened her eyes with a start. She blinked several times as she tried to reorient herself. She turned her head to see Deacon sitting on the bed, a smile on his face. She sat up, trying to shake off the cobwebs. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked.
He nodded. "Apparently so."
"How long have you been sitting there?"
"Not long. Maisie's taking a nap so I thought I'd check on you." He ran his hand over her hair and down her cheek. "You shoulda let me help with the move."
She frowned and shook her head. "No. You needed the time with Maisie. And moving isn't fun."
He chuckled. "I'm sure it's not. I ain't done much of it."
"The good news is that when we get back to town everything will be unpacked and the house will be all put in order. I hired a decorator who helped with just translating my vision and her team will take care of all of it while I'm gone."
"What's your vision?"
She smiled. "Like my lake house, only elevated just a smidge. Still casual." She tucked her legs underneath her and leaned in to kiss him, her palms on either side of his face. "You'll still fit right in," she said softly. "You and Maisie both."
Deacon
He was standing on the balcony of the hotel suite, looking out over the Boston Harbor. It was late June and after the 2nd Boston show they would be returning to Nashville for a 2 week break. It was early morning so it still felt pleasant outside. Rayna was downstairs doing publicity for the local media and Maisie was still asleep. Not that he hadn't had a good experience on his first tour with Rayna, but this time he felt more comfortable with everything. Plus it didn't hurt being in a relationship with her. This time there had been no pretense that they weren't in a relationship, at least as far as sleeping arrangements were concerned. He and Maisie rode on her bus – which was also conducive to songwriting – and they shared her hotel suites at each stop.
He smiled a little. Being a bandleader had gone more smoothly than he could have imagined. He'd been nervous when Rayna had first offered him that role, wondering if he really could manage a band and handle her expectations with regard to song choices, arrangements, and set lists. It had been challenging but he'd been energized by that challenge. When he became Rayna's principal co-writer, his comfort level with handling the music side of things had increased. They were a team. She was the boss but when it came to the music and what happened on stage, they were together. And when they weren't, they would find a way to navigate their differences.
So much had changed in his life and there were many times when he wanted to pinch himself to be sure it was all real. Back when he had first seen Rayna on that stage at the Bluebird, he was still single. Yes, he was seeing Sam, but had they been able to meet that first time he was pretty sure he would have cut Sam loose. Of course, that would have meant no Maisie and he couldn't quite let himself wish things had been different. It had all happened the way it was meant to, was how he looked at it.
"Daddy?" He turned at the sound of Maisie's voice behind him. Her hair was disheveled and she was rubbing her eyes. Rainbow was tucked under one arm.
"Hey, sweetie," he said with a smile.
"Why are you out here?"
"Well, it was sunny outside so I thought I'd get a little fresh air." He gestured to her. "Come here." She walked up to him and leaned against his leg. He smoothed her hair down a little with his hand. "You sleep okay?" He felt her nodding her head against his leg. "You hungry?" Another nod. "How 'bout you go get dressed and we'll go get some breakfast."
"Okay," she said, and he turned to watch as she walked back into the suite. He decided to follow her back inside and closed the slider behind him. When she got to the door to her room, she turned back to look at him. "Where's Miss Rayna?"
"Downstairs. Talking to some important people."
"Sounds boring."
He laughed as she walked into her room and shut the door. "Don't take too long, Maiz," he called out, then went and sat on one of the couches in the room. He sat forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. On this tour Rayna had arranged for 2 bedroom suites whenever possible so that they could all stay together. It didn't seem to affect Maisie, just like it didn't when they would occasionally stay the night at Rayna's new house. It still was mostly Rayna coming to his house, but Maisie had been interested in the new house and had even 'claimed' a bedroom, which had surprised him.
"Daddy, can I have my own room at Miss Rayna's?" she asked as they drove over one evening not long after Rayna had moved into the house.
He was startled by that. "I think you'll have to ask Miss Rayna," he said. He wasn't planning to stay overnight that night. They were just going over for pizza. Rayna had a meeting at the label the next morning and would need to be up early. He cleared his throat. "Why do you want your own room?" He watched her in the rearview mirror.
She shrugged. "Well, if we have sleepovers, I could have my own room."
"Well, you should ask her."
He smiled to himself. She had asked. Rayna had seemed just as startled as he had been but they both had seen it as progress. Rayna had let Maisie pick out the room she wanted and then told her she could decorate it any way she liked. That had gone over really well and the first thing they'd done was paint the room a nice lilac color. It was sparsely furnished, with really just a bed and a chair, but Rayna had assured her they would work on it after the tour was over.
He appreciated Rayna's willingness to take things slowly. He also knew he needed to really talk to Maisie about his and Rayna's future plans. She was clearly accepting of Rayna and wasn't bothered by Rayna's presence in their lives, even when it meant overnight stays. Maisie was a smart girl, but he wasn't sure how much she understood and he'd been hesitant to just lay things out on the table. He wasn't sure why that was, but it was time. He loved Rayna, wanted to make a life with her, have a family with her. Maisie would be a huge part of that. Just then she opened the door to her room and he looked up.
"I'm ready," she announced. He shook his head but couldn't help but smile. She was wearing a fairy outfit she'd gotten for her birthday. It was light green and had a short skirt made of shiny material and a filmy thing over the skirt that Rayna had told him was tulle. Not a tool, silly, tulle. T-u-l-l-e. It makes things look fancy. And pretty. He hadn't let her bring the little wings that came with it which had prompted a tantrum of major proportions, but she seemed to have forgotten about that as time went on. She was also wearing her pink boots.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "Don't you look… pretty."
She smiled happily. "Thank you."
He stood up. "You ready?" She nodded. He held out his hand and she took it, holding it all the way to the elevator.
"Hey, Daddy." He looked over at Maisie walking around the corner into the kitchen.
"Hey, sweet girl." She climbed up onto one of the stools at the island. "Pancakes okay?"
She smiled. "Chocolate chip?" she asked.
He smiled. "Chocolate chip." He finished up the pancakes in the skillet and slid them onto a plate, which he then walked over to Maisie's place at the table. He slid the syrup closer to her. "There you go. Fresh pancakes." He watched as she grabbed the syrup, took off the top, and poured a healthy portion onto the pancakes. Then he put the rest on his plate and stood opposite her at the island, pouring syrup on his own. He waited a couple minutes as she ate, then cleared his throat. "Hey, Maiz, I wanted to talk to you about something." He cleared his throat again. "So, you know Rayna is my… girlfriend." Girlfriend sounded so high school-ish to him, but he didn't think his daughter would understand partner or significant other. Maisie nodded, her mouth full. "And we like each other a lot."
Maisie frowned, then swallowed. "I thought you loved her," she said.
He smiled. "Yeah, I do. I love her. And she loves me. And we both love you. I was just wondering what you thought about maybe the 3 of us being a real family. Like being together all the time, in the same place."
Maisie nodded. "I like it."
He felt some relief. "You do?" She nodded again. "And so we'd all live together."
"At our house or at her house?"
"Well, probably her house. It's bigger and you'd have a bigger room and a bigger backyard." He was hoping that her interest in having a bedroom at Rayna's house meant she was more open to that than she had been when they'd looked at houses months ago. "What do you think?"
She looked thoughtful and he fought the impulse to laugh. She liked to think she was older than she was, at least in her actions, so watching her seem to work through the idea in her head was enjoyable. "I think it sounds good," she said then.
Really? "Really?" He was a little surprised it had been that easy. She nodded and started to say something, but he shook his head. "Not until you finish what's in your mouth," he said sternly.
She finished and swallowed. "I like my new room," she said. "Miss Rayna said we could make it a princess bed." He knew that because Rayna had told him. She had taken Maisie furniture shopping and they had slowly added some new stuff – a dresser for any clothes Maisie brought and a rocking chair. "And she said I could get a doll house if I wanted."
He lifted his chin slightly. "Ah, okay. Well, maybe when the tour is over we can figure all this out." He pointed at her plate. "Finish up before it gets cold." He took a bite of what was on his own plate and decided cooled off pancakes were just not that great. Then he noticed Maisie pushing at what was left on her plate. "If you're done, why don't you go get dressed."
Maisie dropped her fork on the plate. "Okay!" She hopped off the stool and ran back towards her room.
He grabbed her plate and scraped the leftover pancakes from both plates into the trash before he put the dishes in the dishwasher. As he cleaned up the kitchen, he breathed an inward sigh of relief. Maisie seemed okay with the direction he and Rayna were headed in. Now he just needed to finalize his plans for the end of the tour.
Rayna
She was standing on the stage, her arms above her head, as the final notes of Already Gone echoed through the arena along with the roar of the crowd inside the Gaylord Entertainment Center. She was tingling down to her toes and she couldn't contain the smile on her face. It was the last show of the tour and she had crossed her fingers when they had decided to book her at the arena. She'd never headlined her own show in a venue that large and she was really hoping it wouldn't end up half empty. Technically it wasn't a sellout but it was close and the arena looked and felt and sounded full. So she felt pride in having been able to accomplish that and she knew she was on her way to where she wanted to be. She'd been dreaming of an arena tour since the beginning. Not small arenas but the major arenas in major cities. This night made her feel like it was within her grasp.
This was only the beginning though. Now that the tour was over, Deacon and Maisie were moving into her house and they would truly be able to start their lives together. Life didn't feel like it could be more perfect. She waved her arms again and then turned towards Deacon. The rest of her band was heading off the stage in front of them as he draped his arm over her shoulders and she pulled her ears out. The house lights came up as they made their way backstage. He pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek.
"You killed it, Ray," he murmured into her ear. "Like always."
She looked at him and smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you." She put her arm around his waist as she handed off her mic to one of her crew. Then she saw Tandy standing next to Bucky and she grinned. She stepped away from Deacon and walked over to hug her sister. "I'm so glad you're here," she said.
"I wouldn't have missed it. You were amazing. As always." Tandy stepped back. "What's next?"
"A break," she said and laughed. "And then we'll decide." She glanced back over her shoulder at Deacon, who smiled.
Tandy reached around behind her and grasped Deacon's arm for a moment. "Hold her to that," she said.
Deacon nodded. "I will."
She then hugged Bucky. "Thanks for everything, Buck. I hope you have something good planned for the next little while."
Bucky glanced over at Tandy with a gleam in his eyes, then back at her. "I'll figure something out." The spark she'd seen between her sister and her manager turned out to be a real spark and when Tandy separated from her husband, it became a real thing. She was afraid Tandy would turn out to be too much for sweet Bucky, but she wasn't going to interfere. "Call me when you need me."
"I will." Bucky put his hand on the small of Tandy's back and the two of them headed towards the hallway. She turned back to Deacon. "I want to change, but then are you ready?"
He looked a little hesitant at first but then he nodded. "Yeah, sure."
She looked at him curiously, then took his hand. "I'll change quickly, okay?" He nodded and they walked down to her dressing room. As she changed out of her onstage outfit and into jeans and a long-sleeved blouse, he seemed distracted. He was sitting on the couch and she sat next to him to pull on her boots. "Is something on your mind, babe?" she asked.
He looked at her. "What?" He shook his head. "Sorry, just kind of going through things in my head."
She smiled. He often thought through the evening's set, deciding if there needed to be any changes. "Well, the good news is we're done so you actually don't need to do that."
He looked at her and smiled back. "Yeah, you're right." He got up then and grabbed his jacket as she got her own, pulling it on. As they headed out of the dressing room to the hallway, he stopped for a second. "You mind if we take a little walk first before we go? You know they just opened the Shelby Bridge for people to walk on and I thought we could go look at the skyline from there."
"You don't want to just go home?" He just looked at her. She shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
"It won't take more'n 10 minutes."
She nodded. "Okay."
He was right that it didn't take long to get there but the incline was steeper than she expected once they actually got onto the bridge itself. There had been a lot of talk about the conversion and how it would link the East Bank with downtown for pedestrians, especially with the new football stadium across from downtown. When they got to an observation area, he pulled her into it. It was a great place to look at downtown, especially at night with the buildings lit up. The building known locally as the Batman Building was the crown jewel of the downtown skyline and she had to admit, as they stood there, leaning against the railing, it was breathtaking.
She was a little mesmerized by the view but then caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She realized Deacon had moved and when she turned towards him, she saw him drop down on one knee and she gasped, putting one hand over her mouth. He was looking up at her, holding a little black box in his hands. He was smiling but she could also see some tears in his eyes. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she felt herself shiver, even though she wasn't really cold.
"Rayna, I've loved you since the first time I ever laid eyes on you. We been through a lot on our own since then, but it's all come full circle. I still love you and I'll love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"
She felt tears in her own eyes and she smiled down at him. "Yes," she said. "Absolutely." He took her left hand and slid the ring on the next to the last finger. As he stood up, she held her hand up and looked at the beautiful diamond ring, the only one that mattered, and she knew this was meant to be forever. She then looked at him, her beautiful man, the love of her life, the man she'd loved since the first time she'd seen him, and reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her back, kissing her, sealing the deal.
