Page 35 of Where the Music Grows

“Lots to do. You know how it is.” I’m already backing toward the door.

“Nice seeing you again,” Jack says.

“Yeah. You, too.”

The screen door slams behind me. I power-walk down the driveway, heart pounding.

Stupid. So stupid.

The last thing I need is another charming guy turning my life upside down. Not when I’m finally getting things under control. Not when I have real problems to deal with.

Max greets me at the tiny house door, weaving between my legs. I scoop him up, burying my face in his fur.

“Musicians are always going to be bad news, Max. Remember that.”

Chapter Twelve

Jack

The screen door slaps shut behind Jinnie, and I watch through the window as she marches down the driveway, her ponytail swinging with each quick step.

Aggie chuckles beside me. “Well, that was abrupt.”

I turn back to the kitchen, rubbing the back of my neck. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Not unless ‘thank you’ is offensive these days.” Aggie picks up her glass. “Jinnie’s always been...spirited.”

I glance out the window again, but she’s already disappeared into the trees. There’s something about her—the way her nose scrunched when she smiled, the quick wit hiding behind those sharp, pretty eyes.

“So, she’s your niece?”

Aggie’s lips twitch like she knows exactly what I’m doing. “Mm-hmm. My sister’s daughter. Lives in that tiny house on their property.” She pulls out her phone. “You should see her work. The girl’s got talent.”

She scrolls through a feed full of artfully arranged pastries—croissants gleaming with glaze, cupcakes piled high with buttercream swirls, cookies decorated with intricate designs. Every photo is styled perfectly, the lighting just right.

“That’s all her?” I take the phone, zooming in on a chocolate cake that looks too pretty to eat.

“Yep. Does all the baking and the social media.” Aggie beams with pride. “Tripled their business in a year.”

I remember the bakery that first night. It had been everything to me. It was exactly what I needed at a dark point in my life. The girl behind the counter with flour on her cheek had taken pity on me. “She sold me day-old muffins when I was broke,” I say. “I was trying to figure out how I was going to make five dollars stretch. I think it was one of my humblest moments. I’ve never been that close to being destitute in my life. And to top it all off, she was the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen there to witness my humility.”

Aggie smiles and shakes her head. “She is a beautiful young lady. And that sounds like her. She has a soft spot for strays.”

“I guess the two of you have that in common.”

She laughs softly. “Never be ashamed for falling on hard times. We’ve all been there. I’m glad it was my Jinnie who was there for you.”

“Me too,” I say.

I hand back the phone, but my mind stays on Jinnie. The way she’d looked at me when she recognized me—surprise flickering into something else. Not quite annoyance. Not quite interest. Something in between. She almost looked like she was afraid of me. Not afraid like she thought I was going to physically beat on her. But like she thought I was going to snatch her heart and make a break for the border.

“You were really lucky,” Aggie says as she refills my iced tea. “What were you going to do if you hadn’t found me? If you’d just been sleeping in those woods and I’d never walked by?”

I shake my head, watching the condensation form on my glass. “I don’t even want to think about it. I would’ve figured something out, I guess. But meeting you—” I look up at her. “It changed everything.”

“The universe has a way of putting people where they need to be,” she says with a small smile.

“I just can’t believe how fortunate I am. First Jinnie with those rolls, then you finding me in the woods. It’s like...I was meant to end up here.”