Page 17 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

Chapter Six

Jack

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THE PEPPERS AND ONION sizzles as I stir them in the pan, The scent of roasting chicken filling Jinnie’s small kitchen. I hum under my breath—one of my new songs—as I check the oven. I’m making chicken fajitas for her. It’s one of the easy meals I learned to cook a long time ago. I love the aroma. It’s all pretty basic, but sautéing peppers and onions makes me feel like I’m a professional chef. And it smells damn good.

She should be home any minute.

The table’s set with her favorite blue plates, the ones with the tiny sunflowers around the edges. There’s even a candle flickering in the center. I wanted tonight to be perfect. Jinnie’s been working every day and with me trying to get as many of the chores done for Aggie, we hadn’t spent a lot of time together. Part of me felt like she might have been avoiding me.

But dismissed that idea. She was happy for me. She told me she was looking forward to seeing me on stage. Tonight, I’m going to spoil her. It’s going to be the first of many nights I get to spoil her. Tonight, I’m making her a simple dinner. But I’ve got big plans for the next time I get to spoil her. I’m going to take her to a five-star dinner. We’ll ride in a limo and then I’ll take her out on the town.

And then when I really start making money, I’ll take her on a private jet and whisk her away to Paris. Or Milan. We’ll stay as five-star hotels and eat room service naked in bed. There will be champagne.

My phone buzzes in my pocket.

Liz: Contracts are signed and waiting. Can’t wait to get you in the studio.

I grin, tapping out a quick reply before shoving my phone away. Tomorrow. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be in Memphis, starting my real career. The thought sends a thrill through me.

The front door opens and Jinnie walks in.

Her eyes widen as she takes in the set table, the steaming food, me standing there with a ridiculous grin.

“What’s all this?” she asks, setting her bag down slowly.

I walk over to her and pull her into a hug. “Our last supper,” I joke, kissing the top of her head.

She stiffens slightly in my arms, but when I pull back, she’s smiling. “You cooked?”

“Yes,” I say, leading her to the table. “Sit. Relax. Let me pamper you.”

I pull out her chair, then kneel to untie her work shoes. Her laugh bubbles up, genuine and surprised, as I slip them off. “What are you doing?”

“Gotta make sure you remember me fondly while I’m gone.”

The words taste bittersweet, but I push past it, jumping up to carry the food to the table. Jinnie watches me with a soft smile as I bustle around the kitchen, filling her plate with perfectly roasted chicken, sizzling peppers and onions, and a dollop of sour cream on the side.

“This looks amazing,” she says, picking up her fork. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

“I’ve got hidden talents,” I tease, sitting down across from her. “You’ll find out about them all eventually.”

She takes a bite, her eyes closing as she savors it. “Okay, this is really good.”

I grin, watching her eat. “Told you. I’m a man of many surprises.”

I scoop more of the veggie mix into the center of my tortilla. She takes a bite of her fajita and glances up at me.

“You’re staring,” she says with a shy smile.

“Can’t help it.” I reach across the table, linking our fingers. “Gotta get my fill.”

She smiles and takes another bite. The candle between us flickers. For a moment, everything feels perfect. But there’s something in her eyes—a shadow I can’t quite place. She’s quieter than usual, her smile’s not quite reaching her eyes. I want to ask her what’s wrong, but I’m scared of the answer. Scared that she’ll say what I already know: that she’s afraid of losing me, just like I’m afraid of losing her.

“How was work?” I ask.

She shrugs, pushing a stray piece of onion around her plate. “Same as always. Busy. Hot. Flour everywhere.”