striped-green high-collared dress greeted us.
“Greetings, and welcome to my shop. I’m Cora, and what can we get you today?” She flashed her teeth at Liam while her lust flashed into my mind.
Oh yes, this is a pleasant surprise. What a hot slice of man pie.
I held back a chuckle. I instantly knew when Cora dragged her eyes away from Liam and saw me.
Eh, what’s this? She can’t possibly be wanting a dress from my collection. I’ll be the laughingstock of the town. Is she his lover?
I sucked in my breath.
“I’d like a dress for my—” Liam began.
“Sister,” I interrupted. “Nothing too fancy. Just sensible, since I lost my trunks during our travel.”
Cora’s smile brightened like the stars. Oh, that’s what I thought. There’s no way a handsome man like that would ever be seen with that sickly-looking thistle. “I’m sure, I have something that would be to her taste in my back room. Let me get it.” Cora waved a polished nail through the green curtains. She disappeared into the back.
“Brother?” Liam uttered.
“Yes, well, I don’t have a ring on my finger, and without it, it would look like I’m your lover by the state of my undress. So this is the best course of action.” Heat rose to my cheeks as I tried to explain. “Plus, she fancies you.”
“What? No, she doesn’t.”
“Yes, she does. She thinks you are a hot slice of man pie.”
“She said no such thing,” Liam scoffed, and he shuffled away from me. I could tell that the revelation of her liking him unsettled his usual stoic self.
“But I don’t think I’m welcome here,” I whispered.
“Nonsense, this is a dress shop, and you need a dress. Why wouldn’t you be welcome?”
“It’s not that simple. She has a certain clientele, and I don’t fit the mold.”
“That’s ridiculous. There are plenty of pretty dresses here.”
I was about to explain further when Cora waltzed out of the back room with a simple brown shift dress and wrap belt. My hopes dropped at seeing the boring earth tone dress that was very similar to the ones I already owned. There goes getting something beautiful and different.
“How’s this for your sister?” Cora held up the dress to her own petite frame. “It is sturdy fabric, can be worn for multiple days without showing wear and dirt from travel.”
My hands clenched, digging into the red cloak. “It’s fine—” I began.
“It’s hideous,” Liam spoke up.
“I assure you, this is well within a reasonable range for your sister.”
“Madam, don’t let her current state of travel fool you, for she may look like a piece of coal”—I shot Liam a disgusted look, but he was too far into his rant to stop—“but under that layer of dirt is a precious gem.”
My mouth dropped open and so did Cora’s. She stuttered, “M-maybe, if you give me a price range, I can have something made up and delivered to you.”
Liam walked over to the dress in the window, a long-sleeved sky-blue dress with a matching riding cloak. “We’ll take this one.”
“But sir, that’s very expensive.”
“And throw in riding boots, silk stockings, and any underthings she may need.”
Liam reached into his belt and pulled out enough gold to pay for the dress and then some, tossing it on the counter. By Cora’s internal dialogue, I knew he vastly overpaid. She bobbed her head and quickly undressed the stuffed mannequin in the window.
“That’s far too extravagant,” I exclaimed. “I’m fine with the simple brown one—really.” I rubbed my temples to keep away the buzzing that was coming from the townspeoples’ thoughts.
Liam walked over to me and leaned down. “You tried hard to hide your disappointment from me, but it was clear as day. I wasn’t going to see you in that plain brown thing.” He reached out and lifted my chin so I looked into his serious eyes. “Not when you deserve so much more.”
I looked away, and as soon as contact lessened the pain came back. I winced.
“Will you tell me what’s going on?” he asked.
I shook my head. “You will despise me when you find out. Think that I’m weak. I can’t stand for that to happen.”
He sighed. “I can sense you’re in pain, and being near me lessons it, correct? Because of—” he hesitated. “My magic.”
I nodded.
Liam frowned as if he still didn’t believe. “I still don’t understand, but I will do anything to keep that look from your pale eyes.”
“What look?”
“The one where it looks like someone killed your favorite pet.”
I snorted. “I don’t look