Page 18 of Echoes of a Southern Song

Chapter Seven

Jinnie

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THE BAKERY’S OVEN TIMER beeps for what feels like the hundredth time today. My arms ache from lifting tray after tray of sourdough, my apron dusted with flour and sticky with raspberry jam from the thumbprint cookies. Lisa wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, grinning at me across the counter.

“I think we just broke our personal record,” she says, nodding toward the nearly empty display case.

I roll my stiff shoulders. “Only because Mrs. Henderson ordered two dozen extra cookies for her garden club.”

Lisa laughs. “Bless that woman and her sweet tooth.”

Lisa grabs a towel and starts wiping down the counter. “Hey, Jinnie...I’ve been meaning to ask—how’s everything with Jack? I know I overstepped, but he was asking, and I just I didn’t mean to spill your business like that. I thought he knew.”

I pause, a tray of cooling cookies in my hands, and give her a small smile. “It’s okay, Lisa. I’m not mad. Honestly, it might’ve been better that Jack knows. He’s been very supportive.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Supportive, huh? So, what’s the deal? Any progress on the annulment?”

I set the tray down and sigh and wipe my hands on my apron. “Not really. His lawyers are contesting it now. We’re going to have to go to court, apparently.”

Lisa’s eyes widen. “Court? What does he even want? He’s the one who walked out.”

“That’s what I keep asking myself,” I say with a bitter laugh. “Mr. Langley, my lawyer, thinks Sam’s just stalling for some reason. Maybe money, maybe just to make things harder for me. Who knows?”

Lisa shakes her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “What a jerk. He doesn’t get to disappear and then come back like this.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, staring at the flour-streaked countertop. “But I guess it doesn’t matter what I think. The court will decide. I have a feeling it’s going to end in divorce. The whole world is going to know I eloped in Vegas. Is there anything more cliché?”

I push the thought away, focusing on the task at hand. The less I dwell on Sam, the better.

“And Jack? How’s he handling all this?”

“He’s been amazing about it. He doesn’t push me to talk if I don’t want to, but he listens when I do. And he offered to help with the lawyer fees. He wants Sam out of my life for obvious reasons.”

Lisa whistles low under her breath. “That’s a big deal. Most guys would run for the hills at the first whiff of drama like this.”

“I know,” I say quietly, my fingers dragging through flour on the counter. “That’s why it means so much that he hasn’t.”

“You really like him, don’t you?” Lisa asks, her voice softer now.

I look up at her and nod, unable to stop the small smile that tugs at my lips. “Yeah, I do.”

Lisa grins, tossing the rag into the sink behind her with a flourish of mock drama as she says, “Well, thank goodness for Jack. If he’s as good as everyone is saying, that guy is going to be a big star one day. Do you think you’ll have a big mansion in Nashville? Or maybe a cute ranch with a massive house.”

Lisa’s question catches me off guard. I laugh, shaking my head. “A mansion in Nashville? I think you’ve been watching too many country music reality shows, Lisa. Jack’s just starting out. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

She grins, leaning against the counter. “Oh, come on, Jinnie. You’ve seen him on stage. You’ve heard him. He’s got ‘star’ written all over him. And if that happens, you’re going to be right there with him, living the dream.”

I chuckle, trying to keep it light. “Sure, sure. I’ll have a pink Cadillac parked out front and a closet full of cowboy boots.”

Lisa laughs, but her words linger in the back of my mind. The truth is, I haven’t really let myself think about what Jack’s future might look like—or where I fit into it. Sure, we’re in this thing together now, but what happens if he starts booking bigger gigs? What happens if he gets signed to a label and has to tour? Would he even want me along for that ride? I’ve got baggage. I’m a small-town girl. I’ve already seen the way women look at him. He’s hot. And if they knew how good he was in bed, I’m not sure I would stand a chance at keeping him.

I don’t know if I could compete.

I grab a tray of cinnamon rolls and start arranging them in the display case, my hands moving on autopilot as my thoughts spiral. Jack’s dream is clear: make it big in music. He’s so passionate about it, so determined. It’s one of the things I admire most about him. But where does that leave me? Do I just follow him wherever his music takes him? Or do I chase my own dreams, even if they lead me in a different direction? The thought of being apart from him already feels like a dull ache, but I can’t let myself become the kind of person who puts their life on hold for someone else. I’ve been there before with Sam, and it didn’t end well.

Lisa must sense my angst because she nudges me gently with her elbow. “Hey, don’t overthink it, Jinnie. You guys are good together. And who knows? Maybe your dreams will align perfectly. Or maybe you’ll figure out how to make it work even if they don’t.”