Epilogue

Eighteen Months Later

Avery Barkley was scrolling through the latest music news on his iPad when a small story caught his attention. "Hey, Juliette!" he called out.

She walked into the living room with Cadence in her arms. She set the toddler down and the little girl ran over to the pile of blocks on the floor and started stacking them. Juliette looked at her daughter fondly, then back at her husband. "What?" she asked.

He looked at her with a frown. "Have you heard about this?" he asked.

She walked over and sat down next to him, peering at his screen. "Heard what?"

He pointed at the short news item. He started reading. "'Sources tell us that Lennox Hill Records has dumped Maddie Jaymes after only one poorly received album. Jaymes is the daughter of country music superstar Rayna Jaymes and her husband, country guitar legend Deacon Claybourne. Jaymes was signed to great fanfare less than two years ago, but never quite lived up to the huge buzz that surrounded her. When she was signed to Lennox Hill, it was seen as quite the coup for the indie pop label, as Jaymes had successfully emancipated from her mother and had her Highway 65 contract voided. Is this the end for the young talent initially billed as the next Taylor Swift?'"

"What?" Juliette cried, pulling the iPad away from him and staring at it. Then she looked at him with anger in her eyes and practically threw the iPad back at him. She jumped up from the couch and ran to get her phone, scrolling down to find Glenn's name. She stabbed at his name and lifted the phone to her ear, frowning, her hand on her hip as she looked at Avery. "What the hell, Glenn?" she shouted when he answered.

Avery sat back and just watched his wife with amusement, not really listening to her side of the call. He knew she'd give him a blow-by-blow recap when she hung up. Cadence toddled over to him just then and he reached down and picked her up. He settled her in his lap and then nodded towards Juliette. "Let's watch your mama get all worked up, baby girl," he whispered to her.

Cadence turned her face towards him and giggled. "Mama funny," she said.

Avery grinned at his daughter. "Yes, she is," he agreed. Just then, Juliette disconnected the phone. She had a look on her face as though she'd just smelled something really bad. "So it's true, I take it?" he asked.

Juliette glared at him. "Apparently so," she said angrily. "Of course, she should never have signed with those scumbags in the first place. She should have signed with Tupelo Creek, according to Glenn, and that witch she was hanging around with talked her out of it." She made an irritated noise. "I still can't believe Rayna and Deacon let that snake near her in the first place." She collapsed on the couch next to Avery and plucked Cadence off his lap and settled her on her own. She leaned over and cooed into the little girl's ear and then looked back at her husband. "I wish I'd been around then," she said, with a sigh, sadness in her eyes. "Maybe if I'd been around she'd have turned to me instead of someone who only cared about what was in it for her."

Avery furrowed his brow. "I don't know if Rayna and Deacon would have thought you were the right person to mentor their daughter either," he said, and then winked at her.

Juliette rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know I'm the last person they'd take advice from, but I think they do know I care about her." She looked sadly at Avery. "I know it has to be heartbreaking for her, but at the same time I think it's the best thing that ever happened to her. I listened to her EP and, to be honest, it was crap. I think every song on there she either wrote with that skank or they found her something similar to it. Not her style or her voice. At all. She's better off finding somewhere else to be."

Avery smiled at her. "So what's your plan?" he asked.

Juliette wrinkled her nose. "No plan," she said. "I'll help her if she wants me to, but she's still got Glenn and he'll make sure she's okay."

"Think Rayna will sign her?"

Juliette looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I actually think Maddie would be better off going with someone else, like maybe Tupelo Creek, if they're still interested. It might be good for her to keep that separation. I'll call her later and see where her head's at." She made a face. "Oh, God, Cadence," she said. "You're a stinker." She got up from the couch, holding the little girl out and away from her, as she swiftly walked back to Cadence's room.

####

When Rayna padded into the kitchen, Deacon looked up from the laptop in front of him on the counter. He watched her as she poured herself a mug of coffee. He couldn't help but smile. God, she's a beautiful woman. It had been nearly two years since they'd hit rock bottom, when Maddie had successfully emancipated from Rayna and they had nearly lost their way in the wake. It had taken some time, and a really good therapist, to help them find their way in that new landscape. Luckily Maddie had come back to them quickly and they had come through it all stronger than ever. Rayna turned towards him, then leaned on the counter top opposite him. "Is it everywhere?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yep."

She sighed. "I have such mixed feelings about it," she said.

"I know. Me too. She got bad advice, for sure."

She walked around the island to stand next to him, looking over his shoulder at the screen. "Is it bad?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I think it's more that she's our daughter that makes it news." He looked at her. "You gonna try to sign her?"

She gave him a quick smile. "I've thought about that. Would you be surprised to know that I'm not sure?"

He shook his head. "I think it's what people will expect. She's your daughter, you have a label, she was signed there before." He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "If you want to give her an offer, you could, see what she thinks. I really think it'd be good just to give her some space though."

She put her hand on the back of his neck, threading her fingers through the hair on his nape. She leaned in for a brief kiss and then smiled. "I think you're right." She kissed him again, letting her lips linger against his a little longer this time, letting her hand drift down his back. "Did she say anything to you after she heard from Glenn?"

He shook his head. "Nah. She ain't even brought it up. Just kinda kept to herself about it."

She was quiet for a moment. "Maybe she'll talk to you about how she's feeling. What she wants to do next. Now that she's had a night to sleep on it."

He stood up, sliding his arm up and over her shoulder, pulling her close and planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Maybe," he said with a smile. "You want me to do a fishing expedition?"

She looked up at him. "No, of course not. But, you know, she confides in you a lot. Just be there. To listen."

Later that morning, he walked over to the music room. He could hear the sound of the guitar, stopping and starting, as though the person playing was jotting down the music as they went. He stood just inside the door, leaning against the door jamb. Maddie was huddled over her guitar with a notebook beside her on the couch. She looked up when she heard his footsteps. "Hey," he said.

She gave him a sad smile. "Hey." She set her guitar aside. "So how come you're still here?" she asked.

"Don't need to go in. Helps having a good manager." He nodded towards her notebook. "What you working on?"

She sighed. "Just some songs I'd kind of put off before." He walked over and sat down next to her. "Because, you know, it wasn't the right sound." She rolled her eyes, making a face, then all of a sudden tears appeared in her eyes.

He frowned, reaching out and putting his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," he said.

She looked up at him, trying to smile through the tears. "You know, I'm actually really glad this happened because I really hated it there, but it's so embarrassing. I caused all that trouble for nothing, really."

He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "Hey, it's not nothing. Sometimes we gotta learn and it ain't always easy. But it ain't the end of the world either."

"I was just so miserable, Dad." She sighed. "It seemed easy at first, writing those songs with Cash, but when she was gone it didn't seem…authentic. It wasn't me, you know?"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I do know."

"You never had to compromise yourself though," she said.

He shook his head. "That ain't completely true. I did have to fight for what I wanted on my albums. But then neither one did that well either. But I made compromises. Like staying in your mama's band."

She looked surprised. "But I thought you wanted to do that."

"Oh, I did. I wanted my own career too though. But she needed me. And I loved her. So I sacrificed, for her. I stayed in the background for a lotta years. And when I did get a shot, well, you know. I went out with Luke. I wouldn't have done that, except I wanted my shot. So I compromised there."

Maddie sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She looked at him with a question in her eyes. "So did Mom know you wanted your own career?"

Deacon nodded. "She did. And she supported me. Let me know I could go if I wanted." He hugged her. "And we'll do that for you too."

"I don't know what to do."

"You don't gotta decide now."

She sat back against the arm of the couch and nodded. "I know. I think maybe I want to just take some time. Figure out what's next."

He smiled encouragingly. "Sounds like a really good plan to me."

She bit her lip. "Do you think Mom would be mad if I took a break?" she asked.

He frowned. "She would want you to do the best thing for you, Maddie," he said. "You know that."

She took a deep breath. "Even if it meant not signing with Highway 65?" she asked, a little hesitantly. "Or working with Daphne?"

He reached out and took her hand. The hardest part of having Maddie back in their lives had been remembering she was independent and on her own. Even though she was now eighteen, the fact that she had been emancipated meant she made her own decisions and choices. She often asked their opinion, but she set her own direction. He knew it was still tougher for Rayna and, although she would accept Maddie's decisions, she would be disappointed, he knew. "Baby, you make whatever decisions are right for you," he said then. "She will understand. I promise."

She smiled then and leaned in to hug him. "Thanks, Dad, for being so supportive," she said.

"Of course, sweet girl," he said, with a smile. "I just hate how it all went down for you." She nodded, but didn't say anything. He thought for a moment about how far they'd come in the past year and a half. They all had, rebuilding their family. It wasn't always easy, but he was grateful they'd found their way. He raised his eyebrows. "So why don't you take a break and come down to the club with me?"

She looked at him and smirked. "I thought you didn't need to go."

He grinned sheepishly. "Well…I hate to not at least check in." He stood up. "Come on," he said. She laughed and got up as well, following him out the door.

####

Maddie was spending most of her days in the music room. Sometimes she just sat and brooded, but mostly she wrote. She knew she didn't have to make any decisions right away, but she also didn't like the feeling of being at loose ends. She had told her dad the truth when she said she was glad to not be tied to Lennox Hill anymore. As excited as she'd been the day she signed her contract, she felt nothing but relief to be free of that. She knew that the whole debacle with Vince Pierce had tainted her time with the label. It didn't matter that he was a scumbag and that his career had effectively been ended then, she was seen as a troublemaker and someone who didn't know her place.

She looked up at the knock at the door. She smiled happily when she saw Juliette standing there. She jumped up and hurried over to hug her friend. "I am so glad to see you," she said.

They walked over to the couch and sat down. Juliette took her hands and smiled at her. "How you doing?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "Good. I'm really good," she said.

Juliette looked at her carefully. "I hope so," she said. She sat back. "So what's next?"

Maddie shrugged. "I don't know yet. I really, really don't want to make any quick decisions this time."

"That's smart," Juliette said. "Take some time and think about what you really want to do."

Maddie smirked. "Well, I already know what that is. I want to be just like you." She laughed.

Juliette smiled, but she shook her head. "Oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea. I'm not exactly the best role model. And certainly not one your parents would want you to emulate."

Maddie made a face. "I'm pretty sure that as long as it's not Cash, they don't care."

Juliette rolled her eyes. "God, Maddie, I don't know what you were thinking, getting involved with her. You know, I asked around about her and didn't hear much that was good. Kacey actually had to kick her off her tour when she got too much in her business."

Maddie looked surprised. "I didn't know that. I thought she was writing with Kacey."

"Oh, God, no. Well, I guess she tried, but Kacey didn't like her style. And then she got a little crazy."

Maddie breathed in. "I guess I was the last to know," she said softly, feeling a little foolish.

Juliette frowned and leaned in, reaching for her hand. "Oh, no, no, don't feel like that. I'm just glad it's all over. And that you're back in Nashville where you belong."

Maddie smiled wistfully. "I feel like there are so many expectations, though, you know? I mean, nobody's really talked to me about it, well, except for Dad a little bit. I keep waiting for Mom to ask me about signing with Highway 65. And for Daphne to want us to be a duo."

Juliette looked at her compassionately. "And you don't want to do any of that, I take it."

"I don't know," Maddie said with a shrug. "I'm just not sure of anything right now. Well, except that I want to write the kind of songs I used to write. The music that's me."

"If you could do anything right now, what would it be?" Juliette asked.

"I think I'd just like to be able to try out all this new music I'm writing. See what people like. Explore all the possibilities." She smiled shyly and lifted her shoulder. "And then decide."

Juliette smiled and sat back. "Then I think that's exactly what you should do."

####

When the back door opened, Daphne looked up from where she sat on the couch in the den. She watched Maddie walk in and put her purse on the counter. Daphne thought she had a somewhat thoughtful look on her face. "Hey, Maddie," she said, and Maddie turned towards her, a smile lighting up her face.

"Hey, Daphne," she said, as she walked over to where Daphne was sitting. She seemed genuinely happy to see her there. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Daphne set aside her history book and sat up. "Mom's at Bridgestone. The Exes are playing tonight. And Deacon's at the club." She smirked. "Where he always is."

Maddie laughed and sat down next to her sister. "He's not always there," she said.

Daphne shrugged. "Well, a lot. And he's there tonight. I think they're having a showcase or something."

"I wonder who he's showcasing," Maddie mused.

Daphne looked down. "I don't know." She looked back at her sister. "I keep hoping I'll get a showcase someday."

Maddie knitted her brow. "You're still signed to Highway 65, right?" Daphne nodded solemnly. "What's going on with that?"

"Nothing." Daphne frowned. "I get to go on stage with Mom sometimes, when she does a show, or I get to go to Deacon's place once in a while, but nothing." She looked at Maddie. "When Mom signed us, it was us, Maddie. And now there's no us, so there's no me either."

Maddie looked surprised. "I'm sure that's not true, Daphne." She smiled then. "I'm sure Mom's told you the same thing she told me – that she wants to protect you. And be careful with the places you perform."

Daphne scowled. "It's not even that, Maddie. I don't want to do this by myself. I want to sing with you. And I've been waiting, ever since you got kicked off your label, for you to come talk to me about that, but you haven't. And you haven't talked to Mom and Deacon about it either, because I asked." She stopped and took a breath, after saying everything in a rush. She felt more sad than angry. "Are we ever going to perform together again? Because that's what I want. It's what I always wanted."

Maddie sat back and looked a little uncomfortable. She looked away and ran her tongue over her lips, taking a deep breath. She finally looked back at Daphne, who wanted to burst into tears. "The truth is, I don't know what I want to do next," she said gently. "I made so many mistakes and now I have the chance to do things right." She smiled at her sister. "I love singing with you, Daphne. I do. And I do want us to do that more. But I don't know if that's what I want for my career. Please don't be mad."

Daphne couldn't hide her tears anymore and turned her face away, trying to get herself under control. When she finally turned back she saw that Maddie had tears in her eyes as well. "I don't want to be mad," she said. "But that was all I ever wanted. I loved performing with you. I don't really want to be on my own, like you."

"But why not?" Maddie asked. "You have a beautiful voice."

She took a deep breath. "I think I'm like Deacon was. I like being the support. He told me that he had wanted to be out front too, but after a while he thought it was better supporting Mom. And he was happy doing that. I think I would be happy doing that. With you."

Maddie reached for Daphne's hand and smiled softly. "I love singing with you, Daphne. That won't ever change. I just don't know what I want to do next. You never know, maybe I will want to go back to duets." She squeezed her sister's hand. "But I might not. And actually, I think that won't be the way I go. But that shouldn't hold you back."

Daphne was quiet at first and then she pulled her hand away slowly. She sighed and then got up from the couch and looked down at Maddie. "I want you to follow your dream, Maddie," she said. "But I really was hoping, when you came home, that we could do it together. And I waited, hoping you'd change your mind." She breathed out. "I just really miss singing with you."

Maddie got up and pulled Daphne into a hug. "Maybe Dad will let us sing together at Claybourne's," she said. "I could ask him."

Daphne peered closely at her sister. In the last year and a half, she'd gone through a growth spurt and was now just barely a head shorter than Maddie, which made her feel less like a kid. "Maddie, so much has changed," she said. "Dad went to prison and you got emancipated and everything just was all mixed up. And I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I know you're not," Maddie said. She took a deep breath. "How about this? While I'm figuring out what's next, you and I can sing together. Whether it's at Dad's place or somewhere else. We can still do that. We can always do that. It may not be what both of us do completely, but we can do it for now."

Daphne smiled. "I would love that," she said. "I really would."

####

After checking on Daphne, Rayna headed for Maddie's room. As she always did, she said a quick little prayer of thanks that Maddie still seemed to want to be close to them. She wondered, sometimes, if she'd ever lose the vague sadness that still seemed to linger after the emancipation situation. She'd been deeply hurt by Maddie's turning away and by her actions in making that happen. She was always aware of the fact that Maddie didn't have to be with them, that she chose to anyway, and that seemed to help.

In the aftermath of that, she and Deacon had spent nearly a year in therapy which, while painful, had helped them sort through all the complicated pieces of their lives together. As hard as that year had been, it had felt healing – and necessary – to get them where they were today. She had felt relieved, and she knew Deacon had as well, to confirm they truly were meant for each other. It had helped to dissect the pain and darkness of their relationship, to ensure they didn't repeat those old patterns. What she had been afraid of, and had tried to shield herself from with Teddy and Luke, had been worked through and resolved and she'd never felt happier. And the fact that they had their family together had made it all the sweeter.

She stood at Maddie's door, leaning against the door jamb. Maddie looked up. "Hey, sweet girl," she said.

Maddie smiled. "Hey, Mom. How were Scarlett and Gunnar?"

Rayna smiled. "Good, as always."

"Is Dad home yet?"

Rayna shook her head. "Not yet. But he called me while I was on the way home and said he'd be leaving shortly." She walked over to Maddie's bed and sat down. She reached out and touched the notebook Maddie had been writing in. "What are you working on?" she asked, with a smile.

Maddie shrugged. "Just working on some songs. I'd written down bits and pieces of things over the past year or so. You know, stuff I couldn't use at Lennox Hill." She made a face. "But now I want to finish them. Or figure out if they're worth finishing."

Rayna had been impressed with the touch Maddie had seemed to have with respect to songwriting, at a very early age. The songs she'd worked on with Deacon had been brilliant, which had made it all the harder to reconcile that with the totally out of character songs she'd written with Cash. The song she'd heard Maddie perform during her showcase had made her stomach turn. It had none of the delicate nuance she'd had before and, in Rayna's opinion, had been straight up trash. She hoped her daughter was moving away from that kind of songwriting. "It was always harder for me to write by myself," she said. She blushed a little. "I was so embarrassed after your father listened to some of the songs I wrote when I first met him."

Maddie looked surprised. "Did he tell you they were bad or something?" she asked.

Rayna laughed. "Or something. You know, he was always sweet enough not to tell me they weren't good. He would make a suggestion or ask me some question to make me think about things another way."

Maddie gasped. "Oh my God, he's done that with me too," she said. "Oh, wow."

Rayna reached for her daughter's hand and squeezed it gently. "He's such a wonderful songwriter. He always thinks he's bad with words or public speaking, but he writes such beautiful lyrics. He always made me better. And I'm guessing he made you better too." She winked. "We're very lucky to have him."

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, we are." She smiled knowingly at her mom. "So ask me. I know you want to."

Rayna smiled a little sheepishly. "I guess I'm too easy to read," she said, with a chuckle. "Do you know what you want to do next? Where you want to go?"

Maddie shook her head. "I don't, for sure. But I was hoping maybe I could just be part of the family for a little while, while I figure it out." She smiled then. "And I had an idea that I wanted to talk to you about."

####

Deacon walked up onto the stage at the club. It wasn't unusual for him to do that, but tonight was kind of a special night and he was feeling inexplicably nervous. He leaned into the microphone and put a smile on his face. "Thank y'all for coming out tonight," he said. "So, for those of y'all that don't know me, I'm Deacon Claybourne, the owner of this joint." There was enthusiastic applause and cheering. "I see a lot of familiar faces out there, but new ones too. We're always happy to have new people check us out and we appreciate all y'all who keep coming back." There was more applause. He put his hands in his pockets. "I opened this place about a year and a half ago. I wanted it to be a place where singers and songwriters could come and try out new stuff or launch a career. I wanna say I never coulda done this without the support of my wife, Rayna." He took one hand out of his pocket and pointed towards the back of the room where she stood. She smiled and waved at the enthusiastic response.

He took a deep breath. "She's been the one constant in my life. I couldn't have done none of this without her." She was smiling a smile he knew was just for him and he smiled back. "I also couldn't have done this without my family. One of the things I've learned, not just over the last year and a half, but over maybe the last fifteen years or so, is how important family is. How important my family is. My family of friends as well as my blood family. And then the family Rayna and I made together." He stopped for the applause and smiled a little sheepishly. "Having my wife and both my daughters here tonight is extra special." He looked over at Maddie and Daphne, standing next to Rayna, and smiled at both of them. "So I'd like them to come up on stage here with me and we'll do a little family number for y'all."

His family. There had been a time when he never thought he'd have this. And when it finally happened, a series of bad decisions had almost destroyed it. He and Rayna never forgot how fortunate they were to have Maddie back and, now that all of that time was behind them, they were ready to move forward together, all four of them. This night would be the beginning of that and it was Maddie who had come up with the idea.

As Rayna and the girls made their way through the crowd to the stage, he walked over and picked up his guitar from the stand, while someone set up four stools across the stage. Rayna approached him first, sliding her arms around his waist for a hug, leaning in to brush his lips with a kiss and a sweet smile. She went and sat on one of the end stools. Daphne came up next and he hugged her tight, whispering "I love you" in her ear. She grinned and went to sit next to Rayna. Then Maddie stood before him and he slid his arm around her shoulders, drawing her in and kissing her forehead, grateful, as he was every day, that she was here with them. He took the other end stool and Maddie sat beside him with her own guitar.

He leaned towards the mike. "I wrote this song a really long time ago, but I think it's stood the test of time." He paused for a moment. "I should tell you that this is a kickoff of sorts. Rayna, Maddie, Daphne and me are gonna work on some music together and do a little performing together. Tonight's our first night." As the crowd enthusiastically cheered the news, he turned towards Rayna and the girls and smiled, then looked back. "I definitely gotta life that's good, ya know? Hope y'all enjoy."

He and Maddie started the intro and then he smiled as they all started to sing. Sittin' here tonight / By the fire light / It reminds me I already have more than I should / I don't need fame / No one to know my name / At the end of the day, Lord I pray, I have a life that's good….

The End