Jamie Sr. did pulloff a miracle by way of a private jet. Brinton had made him promise to make a donation to half a dozen environmental conservation groups to ease her conscience.
Nonetheless, Jamie Sr.’s generosity was no match for Nashville-area traffic on a Friday night. Brinton had been watching Jamie’s livestream since she hopped into Michael’s waiting SUV. It was already 8:34. Jamie was playing a six-song EP, which, by her count, might go on for another few minutes.
He was already halfway through the fifth song.
By the time the SUV lurched into Jamie’s driveway, he’d finished his set. The crowd was cheering, and he was taking a bow. The show was over. And she had missed it, probably the most important performance he’d ever given.
It was cruelly fitting, given the star-crossed quality of their relationship.
Frozen in her seat, she dropped her phone into her lap. Disappointment snaked around her heart, growing tightereach time she exhaled. Why had she waited so long to see him, to say what she needed to say?
Now, it was pointless. The moment—theirmoment—had passed. He had moved on.
“I’m sorry, Miss Brinton. I tried to get us here quick as I could,” Michael said. The sadness in his big, brown eyes almost made tears spring to hers.
“It’s okay, Michael. Probably for the best. Actually, um, can you take me back to the airport?” Her former bravery squandered, she was embarrassed and wanted to go home.
Then, Jamie started speaking into the microphone.
Jamie peered across the crowd.Sammi was sitting with Rhett, Cory and Priyanka next to them. Tex and his wife, Loretta, a petite woman with a ’50s beehive hairdo, waved from the front row. He waved back, almost too overcome with emotion to speak.
But he had one last song to play.
“I wanna thank y’all for coming and supporting me through what has easily been the biggest transition of my life. These songs and stories I shared with you tonight mark the beginning of an exciting road ahead. But I have one more for you. It’s not on the EP. Hell, I only now decided to play it. But it’s dedicated to someone incredibly special to me.”
Just because you ain’t in the same room, it don’t mean you can’t reach her.
Jamie Sr.’s words reverberated in his mind. He looked to his father, who sat next to Tex, for reassurance. He nodded back.
Jamie looked straight into the camera in front of him. “She’s not here tonight, but I pray that she’s watching. Brinton,I miss you something fierce, and I’m begging that one day, you’ll come back home to me. I hope you’ll give me another shot, so I can…”
His voice broke off as the emotion swelled in his throat. Even as supportive whistles and pops of clapping rang out from the crowd, he let himself cry. For himself, for Brinton, and for the past that he couldn’t change.
He dried his eyes with the back of his hand and chuckled. “For the record, I didn’t write this one.”
He let the smattering of laughter pass. “This one’s a cover of ‘Cherish the Day,’ originally performed by the incomparable Sade. Baby, I know it’s your favorite song. I hope you love it.”
Brinton’s heartfluttered in her chest.
Holy shit.
Only those words spiraled in her mind, because she was overtaken by Jamie’s stirring rendition of her favorite song, a gripping story of the intertwining of souls between lovers.
Should she move? Should she stay there?
Her phone buzzed incessantly as Athena and Shay blew up their group chat.
Shay: OMG you better open-mouth kiss him, or I’m gonna scream!
Mom: Brinny, he loves you! How romantic
Brinton tried to catch her breath as she typed.
Brinton: Ugh, mom, please don’t use that emoji
Mom: What? They’re tears of joy! I saw it on online
Brinton: Not in this context
