“Brogan.”
“Well, of course. I’moneof the greatest things, but certainly not theonlygreatest thing to sing about.”
She huffed a short laugh, and I moved toward her, crowding up into her space, wanting to catch her happiness like a wish in the air. Wanting to be the one who made her feel that way.
“The song isn’t about you.” She added another shirt to the others over her arm.
“No?” I slid my hand under the pile of clothes she was holding, finding her fingers there and slotting mine between them. “Then what’s the greatest thing in all the world that the poor boy in the song is searching for?”
She lifted her gaze to mine, and I knew what coal felt like right before the match hit.
“Love,” she said. “The greatest thing is to love.”
“And to be loved.” I tugged her hand, wanting her closer, needing to kiss her.
She swayed, just a little, and I couldn’t look away from the gold, gold, gold of her eyes.
Then she dumped the heap of clothes into my arms and shoved my shoulder. “Try them on. Especially the jeans. It’s too hot for wool.”
I blinked, frowned. “But…”
“Dressing room.” She pointed toward a shower stall at the back of the shop. “And you still haven’t found something valuable.”
“But…”
“Are you giving up on our bet already?” She was walking backward, her eyes still on me, that smile gone wide now.
I smirked. “Oh, not a chance.”
She made big eyes. “Then you better shake a leg, hot shot. Clothes first.”
“I have enough clothing.”
“Jeans.” She pointed one more time, then spun and put that sway in her hips that always got me wanting.
When Cupid had snapped me back into the living world, he’d snapped me with my clothes on. While I appreciated it, wearing wool in summer in Missouri was like walking around in a wet, hot blanket full of leeches. All wool trousers had done so far was remind me why the civilized world had moved on to other materials.
Like cotton.
Maybe Lu was right. Maybe I needed new clothes.
I clomped off to the changing room. I didn’t see the need to try clothing on, but this was only the second time I’d bought anything since coming back to the living world. That first time I’d gotten my shoe size wrong, and the shirts I’d blindly grabbed off the rack were too tight in the arms.
The changing room was a particle board closet with a mustard shower curtain on a rod. I stepped in, closed the curtain and rested my back against the back of the closet, my shoulders almost touching either wall.
I closed my eyes and swallowed the edge of panic, letting the tightness in my chest and stomach shudder through me.
It was a lot, this world. Most days it was more than I could handle.
But I didn’t want Lu to know that. Didn’t want her to think I wasn’t strong enough to be at her side.
“This is how life’s always been, Brogan,” I whispered. “You wanted this. You begged for this. So you better damn well get used to it.”
I inhaled, held the breath, focusing on the stretch of lungs, the soft drumming of my heart. The woman and teens were laughing, all of them too loud. One of them dared another to try something on, which they must have done, if the wild cackling indicated anything.
The old guy at the cash register was rustling empty hangers in the box beneath the counter, making sure we all knew we were being watched.
And Lu…well, Lu was sunlight pulling me heavenward.
