So, there you have it.

On Nashville Season 3 Episode 1, Rayna James discarded the marriage proposal of Deacon Claybourne and chose to to marry Luke Wheeler. *sigh*

However, knowing that some of the fans might be more than a little irate about yet another setback for 'Dayna,' remember what Exec Producer Dee Johnson told us yesterday when she said about Rayna's answer: "There is an answer in episode one, but answers change." (Read the whole interview here)

In the meantime, I was on the Nashville set earlier this week and Charles Esten, who plays Deacon, talked exclusively to me about the potential fallout from Rayna's decision and he asked that I pass on the following to fans once last night's episode aired. Here's what he had to say:

My guess is, and it’s probably a good guess, that there’s going to be a lot of very angry or disappointed people that Deacon and Rayna did not get back together. On the heels of this, I’d love to address that.

What nobody understands more than I would or Deacon would about why people would be upset that this couple didn’t finally get to come together...that this dream of them being married and coming together didn’t happen. Nobody’s more torn up about it than Deacon. So I totally get it, but I also get that sometimes that’s how life is. Right at the point you think everything's going to happen for you, it just doesn't, and life keeps it a little more interesting for a while.

But I’d say hang in there because if it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for, and it’s worth it to just keep hoping for, and believe me, it’s not something that we’re leaving behind. Deacon and Rayna are always going to be a part of each other’s lives. This is just one more chapter of that, and if you know and if you can feel that connection between them, then you can imagine that we know about it too and it won’t be taken for granted. It won’t be taken lightly and it’ll just bring more story and maybe down the road we’ll hopefully get to that place that so many would like to see.

What do you think Nashville Fanatics? Are you going to hold out hope for Deacon and Rayna or are you tired of being jerked back and forth with their relationship? Let us know!

Nashville airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.