Page 76 of Unlocking Melodies

“I did not.”

“On a cocktail napkin. I still have it framed somewhere.” His smile softened. “After that, we were pretty much inseparable. You saw something in my music that I couldn't even see myself yet.”

I stared into my coffee, wishing I could remember that night clearly instead of just feeling its echoes. “Sounds like Past Jimmy was pretty brave.”

“Past Jimmy was exactly who you still are – someone who fights for what he believes in.” Liam pushed a muffin toward me. “Even if you don't remember all the battles yet.”

“Think I'll ever get it all back?” The question came out smaller than I intended.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” He shrugged. “But you're still here, still fighting. Still saving drunk musicians from themselves, just with a slight memory upgrade.”

The kitchen screen door creaked open, announcing Jake and Elliot's arrival. They moved into the space with practiced synchronicity – Jake heading straight for the coffee maker while Elliot automatically reached for their usual mugs. No words needed, just the kind of comfort that came from knowing someone's rhythms by heart.

“Afternoon,” Jake said, pouring two cups with the precision of someone who'd memorized exactly how his boyfriend took his coffee.

Elliot accepted his mug with a soft thanks, absently fixing Jake's collar where it had folded wrong. The gesture was so casual, so naturally intimate that it made my chest ache with something between envy and hope.

“Your Martha's taking this neighborhood watch thing seriously,” Elliot said, leaning against the counter with the easy grace of someone used to much faster movements. “Though her tactical approach needs work.”

“She's determined,” I defended. “Even if her stealth skills are... questionable.”

“Like owner, like chicken?” Jake suggested, earning a snort from Liam.

“I'll have you know my stealth skills are excellent,” I protested. “Just ask Mrs. Henderson's surveillance team.”

“You mean the one currently trying to hide behind a clearly insufficient shrub?” Elliot nodded toward the window where, sure enough, opera glasses glinted in the afternoon sun.

“At least they brought snacks this time,” Liam observed. “Those stakeouts must work up an appetite.”

Jake tried to maintain his serious sheriff expression but failed when Elliot bumped his shoulder playfully. “Focus, babe. We're here on official business.”

“Right, because nothing says official business like watching a chicken spy on a billionaire,” Elliot grinned, then caught my confused look. “What?”

“Just...” I gestured vaguely between them. “Sometimes I forget you're actually a famous racing champion and not just the guy who keeps stealing Jake's coffee.”

“He does make the best coffee in town,” Elliot admitted, earning an eye roll from his boyfriend.

“Only because Sarah banned him from the diner after The Coffee Incident,” Liam stage-whispered.

“We don't talk about The Coffee Incident,” Jake and Elliot said in unison, then shared the kind of look that made my chest tight with its easy intimacy.

Jake's expression shifted then to what I was starting to recognize as his sheriff face. “Jimmy, got a minute?”

Something in his tone made me straighten. “Sure. Garden?”

They walked towards the back garden and Jake didn’t waste any time asking questions.

“What's he really doing here, Jimmy?” Jake asked. His sheriff voice carried the same protective edge I'd heard him use when warning tourists about dangerous hiking trails.

I watched Gary and Ethan by the cow pen, their body language telling two very different stories. Ethan looked like he was conducting a particularly tense board meeting, while Gary maintained the relaxed pose of someone at a casual lunch date.

“He's trying,” I said finally, the words feeling inadequate even as I spoke them. “And I think... I think I want to let him.”

Jake's expression softened, concern replacing his professional distance. “You're sure about that?”

“I'm not sure about anything lately,” I admitted, watching Ethan's hands move in sharp gestures while Gary remained frustratingly calm. “But he hasn't done anything wrong. Not since he's been here, anyway.”

“That you remember,” Jake pointed out gently.

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