Page 22 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

I shake my head. “Nothing. Just trying to memorize you.”

He crosses the room in two strides and pulls me against his hard body.

“I’ll send for you,” he murmurs against my lips. “First chance I get.”

I nod, because what else can I do?

The next twenty minutes passes in a blur—packing the last of his things.

And then it’s time. My heart is lodged in my throat. I can barely breathe. He hugs me so tight it feels like he might actually break my back.

“I’ll call you when I land,” he says.

I nod.

“And I’ll send you the studio schedule. Maybe you can visit soon.”

I nod again.

“This isn’t goodbye, Jinnie.”

I force a smile. “I know.”

He kisses me one last time, and then he’s walking away, down the porch steps and disappears into the trees. I wave back, my fingers trembling. And just like that, he’s gone.

The tears come fast this time, hot and uncontrollable. I don’t wipe them away. I let them fall because I know the truth.

I’ll never see him again.

I go back inside and close the door. I don’t bother with my coffee. I flop onto my couch and cry like my heart has shattered. I’m so glad I have the day off. I don’t have the strength to make coffee let alone deal with a stream of customers. I’m perfectly happy staying right here on the couch and imagining Jack with Liz on a tiny private plane, drinking champagne and him moving on.