Page 53 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

“Still, I think I’ll shower,” I say.

“I’ll text Liz and tell her I need two hours,” he says. “Then I’ll join you in the shower.”

I want to argue, but this is his world. If he wants to put them off, that’s his choice. For all I know, it’s normal.

I step into the bathroom. The thing is the size of my whole house. The shower is big enough to have a party in. I try to shake off the unease that’s settled in my chest. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe this is just how things work in his world now. I set the temperature on the digital thermostat outside the shower and step inside.

The water is hot against my skin, and I let it wash over me, trying to clear my head. I hear the door creak open, and a moment later, Jack steps into the shower behind me. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close. I lean back into him, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease a little.

“You okay?” he murmurs against my ear.

“Yeah,” I say, though it’s only half true. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

I hesitate, then turn to face him. Water streams down his face, and he pushes his hair back, looking at me with those beautiful eyes that always seem to see right through me.

“Jack,” I start carefully, “do you think... all this is changing you?”

He frowns slightly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean...” I search for the right words. “Before all this, you wouldn’t have made them wait like that. You’d have been ready to go as soon as they called.”

He shrugs, his hands sliding up my arms. “Yeah, well, maybe I’ve learned I don’t have to jump every time they snap their fingers. And I want to spend more time with you.”

I can’t really fault him for that. I smile. “Then we should make the most of our time together.”

His grin is instant, wicked, and it makes my stomach flutter. His mouth closes over mine and I forget all about the fact we’re supposed to be somewhere.

We dress and head downstairs. There’s another waiting car. “Do you drive anywhere?” I ask him.

“No. I’m thinking about getting a car soon, but it’s easier not having to deal with traffic and parking.”

I nod with understanding. When we arrive at the building that houses the label’s offices, there’s a mad dash to get Jack into the studio.

Dex is sitting at the control board when we walk in. He glances at me. “Ah, now I see why I was called in on my day off.”

I frown. “Why?”

“The muse has inspired our little star,” he replies.

I smile. Jack winks and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

“Let’s do this,” he says.

I sit down on the couch and settle in. I’m excited. This time, I know the songs and they are damn good. Even though I might be a little biased.

Jack sits on the stool in the booth. He’s got the new guitar instead of his old one. Dex gives him a thumbs up. Jack starts singing words we wrote together. My heart blooms with love for him. Yes, it’s harder than hell to be away from him, but I can see how much he loves this.

And he’s so good.

Dex glances over at me with a huge smile. “Kid’s on fire today. I don’t know what you did, but I haven’t seen him like this since he first got into the studio.”

I grin and lean forward to watch him. It’s intoxicating. Maybe this could be my world too. Maybe he and I can be a real team. I don’t expect his label to hire me for marketing, but one day, maybe a label will hire me.

Jack finishes the song. “What do you think?” he asks.

Dex pushes a button and leans forward to speak into a microphone. “I think we got it,” he says. “Ready for the next one?”