Page 71 of Where the Music Grows

She shifts uncomfortably, glancing toward the back where Jinnie disappeared. “Look, it’s not my place to—”

“Please, tell me about her ex so I don’t make the same mistakes,” I plead, hoping that will keep her talking.

“That asshole keeps dragging things out. He’s intentionally trying to make her life hell.” She leans closer. “He won’t sign unless she pays him off. Total gold-digger. He’s not going to sign those divorce papers unless there’s something in it for him. Poor Jinnie is dealing with all of this on her own. I didn’t even know about it until last week.”

My head is spinning. Married. Jinnie is married? The woman I just spent the night with, the woman I’m falling for, has a husband somewhere.

“Is he around?” I manage to ask. Then remember I’m pretending I know more than I do. “I mean, if I’ve got a jealous husband coming after me, I want to be ready.”

Lisa snorts. “I’m pretty sure you can take him.”

I swallow, glancing toward the door where Jinnie disappeared. “What’s she giving him to make him sign?”

“I don’t know. She’s been saving every penny to pay for the lawyer. That’s why she’s always picking up extra shifts. That damn lawyer is robbing her blind. Extra this. More of that. Lawyers are snakes.”

I try to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I’m reeling. All those conversations about dreams and futures, and she never once mentioned this massive part of her life. I find myself questioning everything. Is she really eighteen? Do eighteen-year-olds get married and divorced before they’re nineteen?

Holy shit.

I slept with a married woman. I’m a lot of things, but contributing to adultery is not something I want on my record when I go to meet my maker.

Lisa looks at me with concern. “Forget I said anything. It’s not my place.”

But the damage is done.

Jinnie returns then, with a box that I assume is filled with those chocolate muffins I had been craving up until two minutes ago. “Special delivery,” she says. “I have a minute. Let’s sit down and eat.”

“Uh, I can’t. I have to go.”

She studies my face, her smile faltering. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Just remembered I have something to finish at Aggie’s. She’s probably wondering why I didn’t come home last night. It was rude of me not to call.”

It’s a weak excuse, but I need air. Need space to think.

Jinnie’s brow furrows, but Lisa swoops in, distracting her with a question about the day’s orders. I can’t tell if Lisa knows the bombshell she dropped on me and did it on purpose, or if she really thought I knew.

“I’ll, uh...see you later?” I say.

Jinnie nods, but confusion flickers in her eyes. “I’ll walk you out.”

“No!” I blurt the word out. “I mean, you stay. I’m fine.”

She looks really confused. “Okay. Should I call you when I’m off?”

I nod. “Yeah, just let me know.”

I’m out the door before she can ask anything else.

I get in my truck and sit for a few seconds. I barely notice the heat. My mind is spinning. I don’t even know her. I thought I did, but it turns out Jinnie has a lot of secrets. Big ones. What else isn’t she telling me?

I start the truck and roll down the window to get some air. I know I need to ask her about it—but is it my place? If she didn’t offer the information, is it right for me to ask? And what about last night? What the hell was that about?

There are just too many thoughts for me to try and get straight. I need to do something. Something physical. For the first time, I don’t want to write a song about what I’m feeling. Because I don’t know what I’m feeling.

I pull to a stop next to Aggie’s truck and jump out. Aggie is in the greenhouse.

“Hey,” she calls out. “I take it you had a good time yesterday!”