“You have to let me pick something for you to wear tonight, too. Lorraine’s got a whole rack of shirts for men.”
He grimaced. “Keira.”
“You got all bossy over this dress. It’s my turn. Far as I know, you only have one nice shirt. The one you wore to Jessi and Aiden’s wedding and to every fancy occasion since I met you.” I paused. “Unless you bought another shirt in Switzerland or something. With some other woman.”
Dean touched my chin. “There have been no otherwomen, not for a long time. You know that. There’s only you.”
Warmth rose to the surface of my skin. “Do we have a deal or not?”
He huffed a laugh. “Fine. I could probably use a second nice shirt. Also, you look amazing, so I’d better at least try to look decent.”
Yes, he lookedterriblein that snug T-shirt right now. But he’d agreed, so I was taking the win.
We went out to the main area of the boutique and browsed the rack of menswear. Lorraine perked up. “Looking for something for Dean, too? I might have just the one.”
She came over and picked up a folded shirt from a shelf. It was a button-down, charcoal gray, in a soft fabric that toed the line between casual and dressy.
“You’re a genius, Lorraine,” I said.
“Well, aren’tyouin a good mood. Must be that man of yours.” She gave Dean a wink, and I really hoped that didn’t mean she knew what we’d been doing in the dressing room.
Ugh, she probably knew. At least she didn’t seem mad.
Dean looked like he was holding back a laugh.
“Just need to decide on a size,” Lorraine added, picking up a second shirt. “This one is a slim fit, so it’ll hug all those muscles of yours. Depends on how daring you want to be.”
I smiled at Dean, thinking of how daring we’d both been just minutes ago. He cleared his throat, neck flushing red, and took both shirts. “I’ll try them on. Be right back.”
While Dean disappeared into the dressing room, I went with Lorraine to the register. “Could you snip off the tags for me?” I asked. “I’m going to wear the dress to dinner.”
“Of course, hon.” Lorraine produced a pair of scissors and did the honors. “You know, I was just thinking about you earlier today. Wondered if your ears had been burning from how often your name’s mentioned in town.”
My smile turned careful. “I have no doubt.”
“There was averyflirtatious young man at the market just yesterday, asking the checkout girl about you. Fellow with a cowboy hat and a flashy diamond earring.”
A jolt of cold dashed my happy mood. Was she talking about Donny Phelan?
“Do you know him?” Lorraine asked. “Perhaps another suitor, vying for your heart? Does our Dean have competition?”
“Um,no. Definitely not.” I reached unconsciously for my scarred shoulder, rubbing at it. Lorraine’s eyes followed the movement.
“You’ve certainly been through a lot in the past few months. But with Dean coming back, well… I believe it all happens for a reason.”
I nodded along, even though I wasn’t so sure I agreed.
“Has the sheriff caught the culprits yet?” Lorraine asked in a stage whisper. “There’s been almost no word about suspects. Everyone’s been concerned. Gunmen roaming around Hart County, shooting an innocent sheriff’s deputy in her own home? We’ve had our issues over the years, but I thought that was behind us. What’s this place coming to?”
She reached over to grasp my hand. I managed to keep my expression pleasant.
“At least you have Dean. I just know he’s taking care of you. The way he looks at you? That’s a man who cherishes the woman he’s with. Trust me, my ex-husband didn’t look at me like that even on our wedding day. But Dean? That’s a man head-over-heels in love. You two have such a bright future ahead of?—”
“Thanks, Lorraine,” I said, cutting her off. “I’m going to do a little more shopping.”
I moved away from the register, pretending to browsethrough a rack of blouses just to escape any more comments about Dean’s epic love for me.
That wasn’t love she was seeing. It was lust, mixed with affection and friendship.
