Page 26 of Unlocking Melodies

“Because you're trying too hard to be exactly what everyone remembers.” He started the truck. “Maybe instead of chasing Past Jimmy, you should figure out who Current Jimmy is.”

“Current Jimmy is very confused,” I offered.

“Current Jimmy is doing just fine,” Caleb grinned. “Even if he does talk about himself in the third person.”

On our way back from the feed store, Caleb's phone buzzed. “Liam's done with his morning radio interview. Want to swing by and grab him for lunch?”

“He does radio interviews?”

“Local station loves him. The whole indie-artist-makes-good story.” Caleb turned toward the town's entrance, where the wrought iron arch announcing 'Welcome to Oakwood Grove'looked like something from a Hallmark movie. “Plus, he always gets the request lines going crazy. Especially when he plays that song about-“ He stopped abruptly.

“Let me guess - another thing I'd know if I could remember?”

“Sorry,” he grimaced. “Still working on the whole 'not constantly referencing your past' thing.”

We found Liam leaning against the arch, guitar case at his feet, chatting with what appeared to be a small fan club of local teenagers. He waved them off when he saw us pull up.

“How'd it go?” Caleb asked as Liam climbed in.

“Played the new song, dodged questions about the album release date, and managed not to say anything too controversial about the Nashville scene.” He turned to me. “You hungry? Because you need real food. Mrs. Henderson's tuna surprise doesn't count.”

I watched him navigate the lunch crowd like a professional politician - gracefully fielding questions about my health, deflecting too-personal inquiries, and somehow making everyone feel heard while actually saying nothing. Past Jimmy had clearly rubbed off on him.

“Here we go!” Sarah appeared with plates we hadn't ordered. “Two Jimmy Specials.”

I stared at what appeared to be the world's most perfect sandwich. “I created this?”

“Three AM inspiration,” she grinned. “Something about how grilled cheese was boring and needed an adventure. You were very passionate about the caramelized onions.”

The first bite was a revelation. Past Jimmy might have been confusing as hell, but he knew his way around sandwich architecture.

“Oh god,” I groaned. “I'm a culinary genius.”

“And modest too,” Liam smirked.

An elderly woman in a colorful sweater set materialized at our table. “Jimmy, dear! How wonderful to see you out and about.”

“Miss Patty,” Liam supplied quietly. “Retired music teacher.”

“Such a shame about your memory,” she continued, patting my hand. “Especially with the talent show coming up. You always do such a wonderful job organizing...” She trailed off meaningfully.

“I'm sure someone else can-“ I started.

“Oh, of course, of course! No pressure at all.” Her expression suggested all the pressure in the world. “Though if you did feel up to it, I have some thoughts about the judging criteria...”

She was interrupted by a police officer stopping by our table. “Good to see you, Jimmy.”

“Officer Dawn,” Liam nodded.

“Just wanted you to know we're keeping an eye on things.” Her gaze flicked to the newspaper on the counter - something about Ramirez's arrest that everyone kept trying to hide from me.

Before I could ask what exactly needed watching, Nina swept in with an armload of ledgers and a determined expression.

“Scoot over,” she commanded, sliding into our booth. “I know you're taking a break, but The Watering Hole's books miss you.”

“Do books have feelings now?”

“These ones do. They're very emotional about proper data entry.”