Deacon

Christmas Eve morning they loaded the truck with their overnight bags, presents for Beverly and Scarlett, and a couple of Deacon's guitars. Rayna smiled at him. "Do you always take a guitar with you everywhere you go?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Most of the time. There's almost always an opportunity to use it and with Beverly and Scarlett, well, they like to sing, so there's that."

"Okay. Makes sense." He locked up the house and they got in the truck, pulling out onto the main road. He'd shown her again the route they'd take, letting her know they'd be there before lunch.


As they drove up the coast, they talked about anything and nothing. She asked him to tell her about the history of the beach house, so he did.

"My grandfather built it, my mom's father, back when he was in his early 20s. He actually built it for my grandmother. They had both grown up farther down the coast and came up here when they were on their honeymoon. Fell in love with the area. It was mostly desolate back then, I been told."

She looked thoughtful. "What kind of work did he do?"

He smiled. "He was a fisherman. Commercial fisherman and also took visitors out on deep sea fishing expeditions. My understanding is it was pretty lucrative then and he made a lot of money and built the house for his bride. My mom was their only kid, so she was raised up here on the beach."

"You said you'd renovated it once you moved back."

He nodded. "I did. Not much had been done to it in all those years. My grandparents died kinda young and my father, well, he was kind of a good for nothing anyway, so the house just sort of got shabby. Luckily my grandfather was a good builder, so the house was sturdy, made to stand up to storms. He was kind of ahead of his time with that."

"How so?"

"Well, he put it up off the ground, for one thing. Not as high as the stilt houses, but high enough for a surge. As long as it wasn't too high." He smirked. "He built it with cinder block and then put siding over it so it wouldn't get knocked down. It used to be farther back off the beach but that's changed over the years. There was a big storm came through here in '62 that did a lot of damage, wiped out a lot of houses along the coast, took away a lot of the beach. The house did flood, but it wasn't blown away. One of the lucky ones."

"Do you worry?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. When it's really bad, you gotta think about it. We've had to evacuate a few times. But whatever's gonna happen's gonna happen, so you just hope and pray for the best. And make your house as safe as you can." He sighed. "Anyway, when I moved back, I practically gutted the inside of the house. For one, there was a lot of normal wear and tear that nothing had been done about. There was electrical and plumbing stuff that needed updating. So it made sense to just rebuild the inside. Had to spruce up the outside and put on a new roof and screened in the back porch. I had the money and the time and so that's what I did."

"Well, you know I think it's amazing. Just the way a beach house ought to look. Although I sure don't have anything to compare it to." She grinned. "Our 'stilt house' is just like a big old house up on stilts. It looks a lot like houses you'd see back in Nashville."

He glanced over at her. "What's the story about that? How'd y'all end up here?"

"I really don't know why my father built here. As far as I know there was no history here. I know my mom wanted a beach house and that house was what he had built, because he would never just buy a little old beach house." She rolled her eyes. Then she sighed. "My father is all about appearances. The Wyatts are an old money family in Nashville. From way back."

He frowned. "Wyatt? I thought your last name was Jaymes."

She smiled. "It is. I changed it to Jaymes when I was 18. I think I told you my father didn't support my decision to try to be a country artist." She paused and looked out the front windshield. "He actually told me I couldn't live in his house if I wanted to do that. He wanted me to go to college, find a 'real' job" – she used air quotes – "and then have that traditional Belle Meade life. Something I have never wanted."

He looked over at her again. "So did you leave?"

"Well, he actually kicked me out. Kicked me out of the house. On my 18th birthday."

He frowned. "Seriously?"

She nodded, looking over at him. "Seriously. That's why I changed my name. Officially. I'd been using it for a while, whenever I would sing anywhere. I was Rayna Jaymes. But if he wouldn't support me, then I wasn't gonna keep his name."

"So why Jaymes?"

"That's my mom's family name. She was the one who started me on this path, and I knew she would have supported me in my dreams. So it's really to honor her."

He smiled. "I bet she'd be really proud of you."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think she'd be proud that I tried, but there's not much to be proud of now. I think she'd have been disappointed for me. And she would have scooped me up and just loved me anyway. She wouldn't have turned me away."

He didn't say anything at first. He remembered she had told him her father had essentially abandoned her and her sister after her mom died. And yet he felt strongly enough about her choice of career that he tried to interfere. "Were you happy growing up?" he asked finally.

She hesitated a second. "I'm not sure," she said. "I don't remember being unhappy, but I also know that there was a lot of tension in our house. I was certainly happier when my mom was alive." She looked over at him. "When I look back on it now, I don't think my parents were... happy. Tandy says they were very different people. She said she thought my father really loved my mom, but that my mom needed something more, whatever that means. I think I was too young to really understand what was going on around me. You know, because I was 12 when my mom died and that's a tough time to be without a mom." She sighed. "And then, of course, Daddy was never around, so that wasn't fun."

"Why was your dad so against you going into country music?"

"That's something I'm not really sure about either."

"Because it can be hard to make it?"

She shook her head. "I don't think that mattered at all. And it's not really about it being music, I don't think. It's that it's country music. He hates it. And I don't really know why, except that it feels like it has something to do with my mom. But I don't know why, and Tandy says she doesn't know either."

"Do you believe that? That your sister doesn't know?"

"I think it's possible she knows more than she admits to. I mean, she was 16 when Mom died. But she's never shared anything with me, if there's more to the story."

"But you decided to do music anyway."

"I did. I felt like it was what I was meant to do." She sighed. "And I know you don't really understand why I didn't jump at the chance to do a demo, but I guess what it is really is that I don't want to fail again. I don't want my father to think he was right."

"Sounds like you and your father still don't get along so good."

She barked out a laugh. "That's an understatement. And it's why I won't go back and ask him for help. Or for anything really. Right now, even more than before, I feel like I'm out from under him and I'm doing something that makes me happy. I'm not depending on him – not that I was – and I'm doing something I love." She smiled at him. "With you. I feel freer than I've ever felt in my life."

"So that's why you don't wanna go back?"

"It's a lot of it."

"What's the rest?"

Rayna

She leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. "I was seeing someone before I left. Actually, it was kind of an on and off thing for several years. He was someone who was – is – a friend of my sister's. A very nice guy but I feel like I went out with him because it was, um, comfortable." She opened her eyes and looked over at him. "I think my father was hoping that this guy could make me change my mind about pursuing music. So he pushed it. Which would make me pull away. But then we'd see each other again and start dating all over again. Like I said, it was comfortable."

He looked over at her briefly. "Did you love him?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I guess in some ways I thought I did. Like I said, he is very nice. He has a good job. He's very handsome. He treated me really well and so I guess I thought maybe I was. So when he asked me to marry him, I said yes." She noticed Deacon's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he was keeping his focus on the road. "But then when everything started to fall apart with Belcourt, it made me think about everything, and I gave him the ring back."

He was silent for a long minute. "Do you think you made a mistake?"

She shook her head, even though he wasn't looking at her. "No, not at all. And I broke it off back at the end of the summer. He kept begging me to take him back, but I just knew I couldn't. It wasn't right. It wasn't what I wanted. So I decided to leave town and I came here. To gain some clarity, clear my head. Rethink my life." She reached over and put her hand on his arm. "And I met you. And everything in my life changed."

He looked at her then and she thought she caught a little hint of hurt in his eyes. "You sure?"

"Yes. I realized, when I met you, that I never knew what love really was. I never knew how wonderful life could be with the right person. You believe that, don't you?"

He gave her a quick smile. "I got no reason not to."

"Deacon, you've completely changed my life. You've made me feel loved and truly cared for. You've taught me how to find my voice. I can't imagine my life anymore without you in it."

He reached over and took her hand. "You changed my life too, Rayna. I can't imagine it without you now." He squeezed her hand gently. "You don't gotta do nothing you don't want to. We'll do whatever you want."

She smiled at him. "Right now all I want to do is spend Christmas with you and your family. Then we can come back home and not do anything until after the first of the year."

He smiled back at her. "Sounds good to me."

Deacon

They pulled into the driveway of the modest bungalow Beverly and Scarlett lived in just before lunchtime. He could see the lights on the Christmas tree positioned in front of the living room window. He and Rayna got out of the truck, and he had gone around to the back to get their overnight bags when the front door opened, and a little blonde pixie ran out.

"Uncle Deacon! Uncle Deacon!" He waited for her to reach him, and he grabbed her up and swung her around, smiling happily.

"Hey there, Scar," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas!" she cried.

"Merry Christmas to you too," he said. He turned towards Rayna, who was standing there watching them.

"Is this your girlfriend?" Scarlett asked, as he set her back down on the ground.

Rayna stepped in front of him and held out her hand. "I'm Rayna," she said. "You must be Scarlett. Your Uncle Deacon has told me all about you, but he didn't tell me just how pretty you are."

Scarlett beamed. "You're pretty too, Miss Rayna," she said.

He watched the two of them, then out of the corner of his eye he saw his sister come out onto the porch. She crossed the yard and gave him a quick hug. "Hey, Beverly," he said. He looked over towards Rayna. "This is Rayna. Rayna Jaymes."

Beverly gave Rayna a tight smile. "Thank you, Rayna, for getting my baby brother to drive inland."

Rayna smiled. "I told Deacon I wanted to meet y'all. I'm so glad you invited us."

"He doesn't come see us near as often as he should. Scarlett and I are looking forward to getting to know you." Beverly looked back at Deacon. "Come on in." She turned and headed for the house. He and Rayna followed, Scarlett hanging on to Rayna's hand tightly. He could tell already that his niece was smitten with Rayna and that made him happy.


He dropped their bags in one of the bedrooms. Rayna had followed him with the bag of Christmas gifts. She looked around the room. "This looks like it must be Scarlett's room," she said. It was obviously a little girl's room, all pink and white.

"Yeah. There's just 2 bedrooms so Scar will sleep with Beverly." He reached for the gift bag, and she handed it to him.

"It's a nice little house," she said.

He nodded. "It is. They like it here."

"I feel bad that we're taking Scarlett's room."

He shook his head. "Don't. She don't mind." He smiled. "Come on." He put his hand on the small of her back and let her walk out of the room in front of him.

Rayna

Beverly's house was a cute little cottage on a quiet street, a plain wreath with only a red bow on it hanging on the front door. It looked well maintained on the outside and was clean on the inside. There was a small but pretty Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, the lights twinkling. There was a stocking hanging from the mantle, red with white trim and Scarlett's name in white glitter across the front. There were a few other Christmas do dads, but the decorations were sparse.

She watched as Deacon took the presents they'd brought out of the bag and put them under the tree, Scarlett trailing after him to help. She looked around and then headed for the kitchen, where she found Beverly pulling mugs down from a cabinet. The kitchen had a warm smell of cinnamon and nutmeg. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked.

Beverly turned and looked at her. "That's okay. I was just going to get us all some cider." She started to dip into a pot on the stove, filling the mugs.

"Thanks for having us. I was happy we could come."

Beverly gave her a little smile. She couldn't decide if Deacon's sister was happy they were there or not. "I'm glad you got him to come."

"He doesn't come often?"

Beverly shook her head. "He's kind of a loner. Always has been. Keeps to himself, which means he doesn't stray far from the beach."

She remembered the bartender from the Beachcomber saying something similar. "I heard that recently. Has that always been the case?"

Beverly handed her 2 mugs and nodded. "He's gone through most of his life with his head down. He keeps a lot inside." She smiled briefly. "I think you've probably helped him with that."

She smiled gratefully. "I hope so." Beverly headed for the living room, and she followed behind her.


After lunch Scarlett took her hand and led her back to the bedroom where she and Deacon would be sleeping. She glanced at Deacon, and he smiled, so she let Scarlett take the lead. The room looked exactly like a little girl's room, painted pink and filled with girly things. She noticed then that the bed wasn't a twin, but it wasn't as large as Deacon's queen. Not that it mattered. Usually they slept close together and she, for one, wouldn't mind the forced closeness.

"Such a pretty room, Scarlett," she said, smiling at the little girl.

Scarlett beamed. "Mama painted it pink and she let me decorate it." As she looked around the room, almost everything was pink and white and frilly, except for a multi-colored quilt that was folded at the bottom of the bed. She had noted that Scarlett was a pretty little girl, with her big blue eyes, fair skin, and blonde curls. She had a little girl's voice that she suspected she'd grow out of at some point. She lit up though when she smiled. She sparkled really. She wondered about Scarlett's life. Beverly seemed introverted and probably had to work a lot. Scarlett's father wasn't really in her life, Deacon had told her, and she had empathy for his niece. Growing up with just 1 parent wasn't easy. Scarlett had walked across the room to a bookcase where multiple dolls were displayed. Most of them were Barbies and it reminded her that Deacon said she loved them.

"Wow, you have quite a collection of Barbies, Scarlett," she said.

Scarlett nodded. "Uncle Deacon always gets me them for Christmas and my birthday." She pointed at one with Barbie wearing a long pink gown with sparkling butterfly tulle over the skirt. The bodice was multi-colored, and the sleeves were pink bouffant tulle. She had long blonde hair with a pink ribbon in it and was carrying some kind of wand or scepter. "She looks like you," she said. "Except you don't have blonde hair." She smiled a little shyly. "She's my favorite."

"She is very pretty. And thank you for thinking I look like her."

"Do you have Barbies?"

"Not anymore. I had a few when I was about your age, but I don't know what happened to them. And I don't remember them being this fancy either." Scarlett then introduced her to all her dolls, telling her a little about each one.

"How did you and my Uncle Deacon meet?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject away from dolls.

She smiled. "I was walking on the beach and got caught in a storm and he rescued me."

Scarlett looked like she was thinking that through. "Do you love him?"

She laughed a little. "Yeah, I do."

Scarlett smiled then. "Good. He needs a girlfriend." She sounded so grown up.

"I need a girlfriend?" She turned at the sound of Deacon's voice at the door. He had a smile on his face, and she could see the love he had for his niece in his eyes.

Scarlett nodded solemnly. "Yes. So you're not lonely out there."

He cut his eyes over to her for a second and then looked back at Scarlett. "You think I'm lonely?"

"Mama says you're a lonely."

He looked confused for a second, then smiled at her. "You mean your mama told you I was a loner?" Scarlett nodded. "I'm really not, but I do live alone at the beach." He looked at her again. "Or I did. Until Rayna came along."

Scarlett smiled. "Do you love her?"

"I do." He glanced over and smiled at her.

"Good. 'Cause she loves you too."

He laughed. "Well, I'm glad we've got that settled."

Deacon

Rayna was nestled in his arms in the bed in Scarlett's room. It wasn't a big bed, but he kind of liked the idea that they could sleep so close together. They'd had a good day. They had all pitched in to help Beverly make a nice Christmas dinner, although Scarlett's contributions were mostly to put water in glasses and set the table. It was a fairly warm night and they walked up and down the several streets in the neighborhood after dinner, looking at the Christmas lights. One of the few good memories he'd had growing up was his father taking the family out to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. It was one of those experiences that had made him hope for something better, but it never lasted. Before Scarlett went to bed, they all sang Christmas carols accompanied by him on the guitar. She was excited about Santa, and he was afraid she'd be up before the sun was the next morning.

He kissed Rayna on the forehead. "I think it's safe to say Scarlett's in love with you," he said.

She looked at him and smiled. "She's such a sweet little girl. She seems so gentle and loving."

He breathed in. "She is. I know it's been tough on Beverly, raising her up without her ex and working a full-time job. But there's an older woman in the neighborhood who's been Scarlett's babysitter since they moved here, and she keeps her after school and when Bev has to work." She was silent for a few minutes and he wondered if she'd fallen asleep.

"Do you want a family someday?" she asked, breaking the quiet.

He thought about that. "I think so," he said. He'd not thought it was possible for him to aspire to that, considering the way he'd been raised. He had not had a good role model for being a parent.

She looked up at him. "Are you afraid to?"

"Maybe."

She sighed. "I think we've both had stuff happen that makes us wonder. I know I have. I don't have a mom to tell me what to do or how to be a mom. That's scary." She smiled. "But I can see us living our lives together, making music, and having that family. Figuring it all out together."

"Me too." He surprised himself a little when he said it, realizing he meant it. He could see making a life with her, and everything that would entail. That was what his song for her was all about, after all.

She gently scratched his cheek with her fingernails. "Are we crazy to be thinking things like this? Is it all happening too fast?"

Beverly had asked him the same question. This just seems like you're rushing into something, baby brother. I can see y'all care about each other, but is it really love? I just don't want you to get hurt if she goes back to Nashville. He shook his head. "Nah. I think sometimes you just know when someone's the one. I knew from the first moment I saw you that we were meant for each other." He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "We're in this together. For the long haul."

She smiled. "Good. I feel the same way."

He gave her a long, lingering kiss. "We better get some sleep. I predict Scarlett's gonna be up really early tomorrow."

She laughed and put her arm around him, pulling herself closer. What he said was true. They were meant for each other. And he wouldn't get hurt if she went back to Nashville. Because he'd already decided he was going to gently push her in the direction of the demo. And then he'd go back with her, if she wanted to do it. She was worth it.

Rayna

She was jolted out of a deep sleep by loud knocking on the bedroom door. She opened her eyes and pushed herself up onto her elbow. She looked down at Deacon, who was rapidly blinking his eyes. "What the hell?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. The knocking came again.

"Santa came!" Scarlett cried out from the other side of the door.

She laughed softly. "I guess Santa came," she said.

He pulled her back down onto the bed, wrapping her up in his arms again. "I don't think Santa brought us nothing though," he said with a lazy smile. "Or maybe what Santa brought me is right here in my arms."

She laughed again, a little louder this time. "I think you could be right. But I also think we need to go celebrate with Scarlett, don't you?"

He let her go and closed his eyes. "I guess. But it looks like it's still dark out."

She sat up. "It is. But she's 7 and she's excited about Santa. Weren't you at that age?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, frowning. "We never knew what to expect at Christmas."

"Really? Did you ever not get presents?"

He tried to pull her back down, but she resisted. "We got presents, but you never knew what the day would bring." She leaned over to kiss him, but he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down onto his chest. She laughed. The knocking came again along with the twist of the doorknob, which fortunately was locked.

"Come on!" Scarlett called out and then they heard her running feet, back to the living room.

She pulled away and scrambled off the bed. "Let's go, babe," she said as she walked over to her bag and fished out her robe. She slid it on and watched as he sighed, then finally got up. He pulled on his jeans and put on a flannel shirt. He took her in his arms and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Merry Christmas." Then she stepped back, took his hand, and led him out of the bedroom and into the living room.

The tree lights were on, along with one of the lamps. She could smell coffee coming from the kitchen. Scarlett came scampering out of the kitchen and threw her arms around her. "Merry Christmas, Miss Rayna!" she cried. Then she hugged Deacon. "Merry Christmas, Uncle Deacon!" Then Scarlett grabbed her hand, dragging her into the living room.

She and Deacon sat on the couch, watching as Scarlett excitedly tore into everything under the tree. Her excitement grew with every present she opened as she declared each one better than the last. She watched Beverly and was glad to see a softness on her face and a sparkle in her eye as she watched her daughter's excitement. It must be hard to be a single parent, having to do all this on her own. The weariness she'd seen in Beverly's face the day before was replaced with smiles. She linked her arm through Deacon's and leaned her head against his shoulder. Something deep in her soul told her that one day the two of them would be watching their own child on Christmas morning, just like this. He turned his head and smiled at her, covering her hand with his.

Deacon

They got on the road in the early afternoon, after Scarlett had fallen asleep on the couch after a hyped up Christmas morning and brunch. Beverly had told him she liked Rayna and thought she was good for him. Something he definitely agreed with. Rayna was quiet as they drove out of town and made their way to the highway, heading back to the coast. He reached across the console for her hand. She turned towards him and smiled. "You okay, baby?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm glad we went. Beverly was very kind and Scarlett, well, Scarlett is beyond adorable."

"Yeah, she is. It surprises me sometimes how happy she always is."

"Why is that?"

He sighed. "Well, it ain't easy for them. Beverly's in a pretty good place now, but you know, growing up like we did leaves a mark. Hers was the same as our mom's disease. They call it bi-polar now, but it made things tough for her. All the stuff we went through, then all the stuff with her ex. It took a toll. I had to come take care of Scarlett for a while so Beverly could get the help she needed."

She looked surprised. "She seems good now."

He gave her a quick smile. "She is. A lot of it is knowing she's got Scarlett to take care of, so she's good at staying on her meds and doing the work. It was a tough life. We all ended up with scars some way or another."

She didn't say anything at first. They drove a little further and then she finally asked. "So you said you all had scars and Beverly's was mental illness." Her hands were in her lap and in his peripheral vision he could see she was twisting them. "What was your scar?"

He thought about what to say. "I'm an alcoholic," he said finally. "It wasn't like my dad, not that bad. But I would drink and have a hard time stopping. When you're around it all the time it's easy to just go with it. It's one of the reasons I don't go to Nashville a lot." He paused. "I was drunk the night Vince died. I'm kinda surprised I wasn't in the truck with him. But I guess I wasn't ready to leave or something. And the next day, when I found out what happened, I stopped. Just like that. I went to an AA meeting and I stopped."

"Is that one of the reasons you came back here?"

He nodded. "I had to get away from it. I knew I couldn't do it if I stayed." He looked at her. "And it's another reason why I don't stay long when I do go."

She reached over and put her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. For you and for Beverly. I can't even imagine growing up like that. Taking that burden on." He glanced at her again and she smiled, a compassionate smile. "It seems like you've both figured out how to move past it. Right?"

"It'll always be a battle. Some days easier than others. You're up for that?"

She smiled again. "I choose you exactly the way you are." He reached for her hand again and squeezed it gently.


They ate sandwiches in front of the fire, the Christmas tree lights twinkling. "I think Scarlett liked her Barbies," she said.

He nodded. "She did, didn't she. She hit the jackpot this year." Beverly had also gotten 2 of the dolls for her and Scarlett had been over the moon. He leaned over and brushed his lips across her cheek. "And she liked you too. Loved you actually."

She turned towards him and smiled. "She's adorable. 7 going on 17."

He chuckled. "She is kinda cheeky, ain't she?" He put his arm around her and pulled her back against him. She laid her head against his shoulder as he threaded his fingers with hers. "It was fun watching her today."

"You could have that too," she said.

"I guess." She turned to look at him. "You make me think it could be possible."

A smile slowly crossed her face. "I was thinking that today too. What's that line in your song? 'A family that always calls me home.' We could have that. Someday."

He kissed her, letting it linger a bit. "Yeah, we could," he murmured.

Rayna

She looked up at him, the firelight creating a romantic glow around them. She loved the feel of his skin against hers, the rug against her back. 8 weeks ago, she hadn't known this man. Now he was the center of everything for her. He'd awakened something in her she hadn't known even existed and she knew without a doubt that she would never have known it if not for him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, putting her hands on his cheeks and pulling him in for a kiss. The flicker of desire started again, deep down inside her. She let go of his lips. "I love you," she whispered.

He smiled, his eyes reflecting the flames in the fire. "I love you too," he said softly. He moved slightly and entered her again and she moaned with satisfaction as she adjusted herself to him and then matched her rhythm to his. Even though this wasn't all there was to their relationship, this most intimate part of their lives fed her soul. It replenished her, refocused her. Recentered her on what was the purest part of them. She didn't realize she had tears in her eyes until he wiped them away with his thumbs, right before he kissed her and then wrapped her up in his arms as he carried her away to the heights of fulfillment.


They were wrapped up in the blanket and each other, propped against the couch facing the fire. She ran her fingers across his jaw. "I was thinking about the fact that it feels like my life didn't start until the day you found me in the rain. Like everything has changed."

He nodded, looking a little emotional. "I never thought anything like this was possible." Then he smirked, a twinkle in his eyes. "And then there you were in my kitchen, and I got a little peek at your underwear."

She gasped, pretending to be shocked. "So it was just my underwear you were interested in?" she asked, a smile on her face.

He chuckled. "Not really, although I have to say, that was pretty sweet."

She laughed. "Would you believe me if I told you I fell in love with you on your front porch? And that I thought you maybe felt the same way?" She shrugged. "So, I figured why not just help things along a little."

He raised his eyebrows. "You are a little minx," he said with a laugh.

"Mm, maybe. Or maybe I just knew what I wanted. Or who." She kissed him. "Tell me you didn't feel the same."

"Oh, I think you know I did. I knew I was in trouble soon as I saw you."

She smiled. "Well, I know we've got this time, this week, with nothing much going on and I had an idea."

"What's that?"

"I'm on board. I'm committed to the idea of the demo. After the first of the year, let's do it and then let's take it to Nashville and see what happens. If it goes well, then I guess we'll figure out a plan from there. If it doesn't, we come back here and figure that out." She sighed. "Actually, I think we're gonna have to figure out how to make sure this place is always part of the plan."

He kissed her on the forehead. "I like your plan. And I think it's the right plan."

Deacon

She picked at her breakfast, lost in thought. He looked across the counter from her. "Those eggs not good?" he asked with a smirk.

She slowly turned her eyes towards him and then smiled a little. "They're fine. I'm just, I don't know, too jittery to eat or something." She looked back down at her plate. "I'm sorry." She looked at him. "I feel bad that you went to all this trouble."

He shook his head. "It ain't no trouble." He leaned towards her. "You don't gotta be nervous, you know. You got this." They were going to Colin's studio that afternoon to cut the demo. She'd tossed and turned all night, even though he'd told her not to worry.

She smiled a little more. "I hope you're right. But I am nervous. Not only could someone listen to this but they're gonna hear my songs. Songs I either wrote or cowrote. I mean, it could be that singing my own songs isn't the answer either."

"I don't believe that. You have a beautiful voice, so if they didn't want to make a record with you, they didn't have the right songs. I've listened to enough people sing my songs to know that if it ain't the right song there's nothing you can do about it. It won't sound authentic. You sound authentic when you do your music."

She reached across the counter and grabbed his hand. "Thank you. For all your support and for going through this with me. It means everything, you know."

He smiled. "I'm just looking forward to hearing you in a studio."


She still seemed a little nervous when they got to the studio, but Colin put her at ease pretty quickly. They rehearsed for him first, doing one song she wrote – This Town – and 2 songs they'd written together – Fade Into You and Love Until It Hurts.

"Those are excellent," Colin said with a grin. "Rayna, I don't know your background, of course, but I think if you take this demo back to Nashville, there's no way someone isn't going to have a lot of interest in you. Probably a lot of someones."

Rayna blushed a little. "Thanks for that. I'll be honest, this scares me a little. I've been trying to make it for 6 years and I kept hearing no. I thought I had finally gotten my chance with Belcourt Records and then it all just blew up. Deacon's been so encouraging" – she smiled at him – "and now you doing this for me, someone you just met, is so generous."

Colin shook his head. "Belcourt really missed out it sounds like."

"I told her I thought having her own music would make a difference," he said.

"I agree," Colin said. "I can hear your truth in all 3 of those songs. It sounds authentic. I can hear your heart in each one. This is going to be a pleasure to record." He smiled and clapped his hands together. "You ready to get started?" She nodded. "Alright, let's do this!" He turned and headed for the sound room and they looked at each other. She took a deep breath and he reached for her hand, squeezing it quickly.

"You got this, baby," he whispered. He was so proud of her for taking the chance and it made him realize it was time for him to do the same.


He put his arm around her and pulled her in close as they walked out to his truck. It was a chilly day with a brisk breeze, but the sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining. "You were great, baby," he said with a grin.

She smiled. "I felt so, I don't know, alive in there," she said. "It felt good. Not uncomfortable or like it was a wrong fit. It felt like I really was singing my truth. You were right, Deacon. It felt like me."

He kissed her. "You're gonna do this, Ray. I feel it in my bones."

She laughed. "Are you sure that isn't the cold you feel in your bones?"

He grinned. "Well, that too. But I mean it, baby. You were awesome. We need to figure out when we're gonna go to Nashville. Soon as Colin gets the demos we can do it." He opened the truck door so she could get in and then shut it. He walked around to the back of the truck and put in his guitar, then got in next to her.

She was looking at him. "Don't we need a plan for what we're doing when we get there?"

"I think we make a list of all the labels and who their A&R heads are and drop off a demo for each one of them. See if we can get you set up with some gigs around town. I can get some of the guys I know to help with that. That way when we drop off a demo, we can also let them know where you'll be and when so they can come out and hear you live."

"Wow. You've really thought this out."

He smiled. "'Course I have. We're going all in on this, baby."

She breathed in. "So, what if someone wants to see me? And then they want to sign me? What then?"

He frowned. "I don't know what you mean. That would be a good thing, right?"

"I mean for us."

He reached for her hand. "It means we let it all play out. Together."

"You'd stay there with me?"

"Yeah. Where else would I be?"

"I thought you didn't want to go back to Nashville."

He focused on the road for a moment, not saying anything. Then he glanced over at her. "I'd do it for you." He sighed. "Maybe I do need to face this… thing. All I know for sure is that if you get a chance to live your dream, I'm doing it with you. And that means being in Nashville." She was quiet and he glanced at her again and saw a tear roll down her cheek. "Rayna?" She turned to look at him.

"I wouldn't want to do it without you," she said. "None of it would be worth it if you weren't there with me." She smiled. "So thank you."

Rayna

"Hey, Tandy," she said when her sister answered the phone.

"Rayna. I'm so glad to hear from you."

"I'm sorry I haven't called before but I've been busy. And now I have some news."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "You're not marrying the beach guy, are you?"

She laughed. "Deacon. And no, that's not why I'm calling. I actually wanted to let you know I'm coming back to Nashville. We both are."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad you're finally coming home. You've been gone too long."

"It's not necessarily for good, Tandy. But this guy here that Deacon knows – well, I guess I know him too now – helped me make a demo with some songs Deacon and I wrote, and Deacon's convinced me to give this thing one last try. So we'll be coming back next week so I can drop those off and then do some shows around town."

"How long do you plan to be here?"

"I don't know exactly. Deacon helped get me some spots at different places over the next 3 or 4 weeks, so at least that long, I guess. The idea is to try one last time to see if I can get a record deal. One that will stick. If it doesn't work out, I guess I'll just head back here with Deacon."

"How long is he staying?"

"As long as I need him. Tandy, I really want you to meet him. I think you'll like him, and you'll understand why he's so important to me. I love him. And he loves me. And we're actually building a life together."

"Rayna, you haven't known him that long. How can you know that?"

She scoffed. "Because I do."

"Are you sure he isn't just grabbing onto the idea you have money?"

"Actually I don't have money and you know that, Tandy." She was angry now. "Besides, he makes a lot of money songwriting. He's had a bunch of number 1's and lots of other hits, so he doesn't need anyone else's money. I'm offended you would even suggest that."

"Well, I'm sorry, sweetie, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. I had to ask." Her sister sounded a little peeved, which made her angrier.

"You know, I could have just come to Nashville and not told you at all. Maybe I should have."

"No, no, don't say that. I'm sorry. But you know I worry about you. And I love you."

"You make it hard sometimes." Tandy was silent on the other end of the line. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know. I'm not exactly sure what day we'll be there, but I'll call you. We'll stay at mom's condo, if that's okay."

"It's your condo, Rayna. You know that."

"Whatever. I just wanted to let you know."

"Well, I'm glad you're coming. I can't wait to see you."

Just then she heard the back door close. "Okay. I gotta go." And she hung up. She smiled when Deacon walked into the great room with a box. He came and sat down next to her.

"Here they are," he said, handing the box to her.

She took a deep breath and then she opened it. Inside were stacks of demo CDs labeled with her name and the names of the 3 songs. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she looked at them. "Wow," she said softly. Then she looked up at him. "I've never had demos before. I always had to wait for someone to see me perform."

He smiled. "I know it can happen that way sometimes, but we'll be able to make sure everyone in Nashville hears you this time around."

She gave him a side eye. "Well, if they'll listen to it. Maybe they'll see it's me and toss it in the trash."

"If they do, it's their loss." He put his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss. "I think this is gonna change some minds though." He looked pensive. "What would you do if someone contacts you and says 'Rayna Jaymes, I want to sign you to my label'? What would be the dream?"

She sighed. "Well, the key word there is 'if'."

He shook his head. "When you sign that record deal, what's the dream? How do you see it play out?"

It wasn't that she'd never thought about it, because she had. She'd known from the beginning what it would look like – she'd put out multi-platinum albums, have lots of #1's on radio, sell out arenas – but as the years went by those dreams had faded. And even when she'd gotten a record deal, it hadn't felt the way she'd thought it would. She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Sure you do. When you decided you wanted to be an artist, what did that look like to you?"

She sighed, then told the truth. "Multi-platinum albums, tons of radio play, and lots of #1's. And selling out headline tours." She smiled a little. "I wanted to be the Queen of Country Music. The future of country music."

He grinned. "I think you could do that. You got half an album of songs already, maybe a little more. We can write the rest. All it takes is one person to believe in you, see your talent. And I'll be right there by your side. I'll be your first band member."

She laughed. "You might be my only band member."

He shook his head and smiled encouragingly. "Nah. You'll be on stage with a full band singing your heart out before you know it. You'll have those flashy, sexy outfits and the crowds will go wild. I can see it."

She felt unexpectedly emotional. She put her hand on his cheek. "What would I do without you?"

"You ain't never gonna find out," he said, and he kissed her hard.