“Or the back of Silver,” she said. “All the stars above us.”
“Or the back of the truck—”
“—Silver,” she insisted.
“—Silver,” I said, even though I still thought it was a terrible name for the old Chevy. “All those mosquitoes around us.”
She tipped her head down, her eyes, gold like autumn honey, peering over the top of her sunglasses. “I love you,” she said. This, her forever vow.
“I love you, Lula.” This, my forever answer.
“But you are gonna lose that bet,” she said.
I chuckled, and the feelings wedged behind my breastbone broke up and lifted away.
“You think you’re going to win?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“Against me?”
“I have spent decades on this road, Brogan Gauge.”
“So have I.”
“But I’ve spent them finding magical items. Items that I’ve sold to the highest bidder.”
I knew all this. I’d been with her every step of the way, even if she hadn’t always seen me. “Sure, but Headwaters will buy anything you wave under their nose.”
“His, I think,” she said. “His nose.”
We’d never met the mysterious antique collector with a thirst for arcane and magical items. We didn’t care who they were as long as the money was deposited into the bank on time.
“My point is,” she said, “I know a valuable thing when I see one. A magical thing.”
“That so?” The deep burr in my voice made her focus on me. It was a beautiful thing being the full focus of that woman. “I know a valuable thing when I see one too,” I said. “The most valuable thing worth living for.”
I lifted her hand to my lips and pressed a soft kiss on the back of her cool fingers, holding eye contact the whole time.
The glitter of tears surprised me.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered, and I didn’t know if I should let go of her hand or pull her closer.
Emotions were difficult and mostly snuck up on me unexpected. Maybe on her too. Neither of us were navigating the change as well as we wanted.
I pulled her toward me. “Lu, I—”
She tugged her hand away and sniffed. “Oh, no. None of that sappy stuff. You can’t distract me with sweetness, Brogan Gauge.” Her voice wasn’t quite steady, but almost.
Almost happy. Almost light.
She unlatched her seatbelt, rolled down the window a few inches, and opened the door. “I have a bet to win.”
She slipped down out of the cab, closing the door behind her.
Lorde lifted her head and tracked Lu strolling around the front of the truck.
“You stay here, girl,” I said with one last stroke over her silky ears. She shook her head then settled back to napping.
