Page 15 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

Chapter Five

Jinnie

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I WIPE DOWN A TABLE for the fifth time in ten minutes, scrubbing at a spot that’s been gone since the second pass. The bakery is nearly empty now, just a couple of regulars nursing their coffees in the corner. This has been the longest and shortest day of my life.

“You’re going to wear a hole in that table,” Lisa says, appearing beside me with a fresh towel. She takes the one from my hand. “What’s wrong with you today? You’ve been a million miles away.”

I force a smile. “Sorry. Just tired.”

“Bullshit,” she says. “This is about Jack, isn’t it?”

The sound of his name makes my chest tighten. “Maybe.”

“I thought this was a good thing,” she says. “Why are you sulking?”

“Because he’s leaving, Lisa.” My voice cracks, and I hate how small it sounds. “Memphis is eight hours away. And after that, there’s touring, recording—he’ll be gone for months at a time.”

“So?” She shrugs, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “You can visit. You can go with him.”

I shake my head. “It’s not that easy. He needs to focus on this. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

“You sure you’re not just scared?” Lisa asks quietly.

“Of course I’m scared,” I admit. “What if he gets out there and realizes he doesn’t need me anymore? What if he forgets about this little bakery girl while he’s out there living his dream, surrounded by people who want to be near him just because of the spotlight he’s in?” I take a deep breath to steady myself. “I’ve seen how this goes, Lisa. People leave, and they don’t come back. And even if they do, they’re not the same.”

Lisa studies me for a moment. “Listen to me. You’re not just some girl. You’re Jinnie Parker. And Jack Hayes isn’t just some guy chasing a dream—he’s your guy. If he’s half the man you say he is, he’s not going to forget you. He’s not going to leave you behind.”

I want to believe her. I really do. But the doubt gnaws at me. It’s that same doubt that has kept me up every night since I heard about the offer. I didn’t want to be needy. But he had not really offered me anything concrete. Our relationship was understood but never clarified.

“He hasn’t said much about our future,” I tell her. “He says once he gets settled, we’ll see each other. He hasn’t promised to be faithful. We don’t really have a strong history to fall back on.”

“If he does forget you, he doesn’t deserve you in the first place.”

I let out a shaky laugh, brushing a tear from my cheek before it can fall. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It is simple. You’re not chained to this place. You can leave and chase your dream as well. I think you’ve got this idea you’re trapped here.”

“I know I’m not trapped but this is...home.”

“It’s not the end of the world, Jinnie,” Lisa says. “You’ve been acting like this is some kind of death sentence for you two. It’s not. People make long distance work all the time.”

I shake my head, brushing crumbs off the table even though it’s already clean. “It’s not just the distance. It’s everything. He’s going to be living this whole new life, and I’ll still be here, doing the same thing every day. What if he outgrows me?”

Lisa rolls her eyes and grabs my hand to stop me from scrubbing. “First of all, stop cleaning. You’re gonna rub the finish off this table. And second, you’re talking like you’re some boring old shoe he’s going to toss aside. You’re not. You’re smart, funny, gorgeous, and you’re going places, too. If anything, he should be worried about you outgrowing him.”

I snort, but there’s no humor in it. “Right. Because I’m so impressive working here. I’m not even nineteen and I’ve already been divorced.”

“Stop that,” Lisa snaps, her voice sharper than I expect. “You didn’t fail at your marriage; your ex failed at being a decent human being. Which technically wasn’t even a marriage to legally, you’re not divorced. The marriage never happened. And working here? Yeah, it’s a bakery, but think of it as practice. You’re learning more about social media marketing. We all know you are the reason we stay as busy as we do. People see your posts and get a craving for whatever you’ve posted. You make people happy every single day. That counts for something.”

Her words hit me harder than I want to admit. I slump into a chair, leaning my elbows on the table and resting my face in my hands. “I just... I don’t know if I’m ready to let him go,” I whisper, the words muffled. “What if he doesn’t come back? What if he finds someone else? Someone better suited for the life he’s about to live? Or maybe he decides being single is way better for his career choice.”

Lisa sits across from me, her expression softening. “Jinnie, you can’t live your life waiting for the worst-case scenario. If you love him, then you have to trust him. Trust that he’ll stay true to you, even when he’s out there living that dream. And if he doesn’t? Then it’s his loss. You’re not going to sit at home crying over him. You’re stronger than that.”

I blink back tears, staring at the table. She’s right. I know she is. But that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

The door opens and a mother and her three children walk in. The kids rush to the case already talking about what they want. I quickly wipe my eyes, paste on my smile, and move behind the case to help them.