A Better Reason to Fall in Love by Marcia Lynn McClure Page A

alligators, refrigerator magnets, something called “beignet mix,” T-shirts, and a small spin-rack loaded with CDs. The spin-rack was sitting on the counter near the register, and Tabby quickly began searching the CD titles.
    “He’s good, isn’t he?” the gift shop clerk said as she moved to the counter.
    “The performer?” Tabby asked, feigning ignorance.
    “Yeah. Jagger Brodie…as hot as the summer days are long,” the girl said, smiling.
    “He’s very good,” Tabby said. She felt the ridiculous heat of jealousy rising in her. The gift shop clerk was really pretty—dark-haired, dark-eyed, with skin like the smoothest milk chocolate. Tabby wondered how well she knew Jagger. She could well imagine Jagger’s finding this woman attractive. What man wouldn’t?
    “Do you know him?” Tabby asked.
    The young woman smiled. “I do,” the girl said. “He’s my distant cousin…but distant enough that I can still wish I knew him better…if you know what I mean.”
    “Yeah…I know what you mean,” Tabby said, forcing a smile.
    “I mean, really…can you imagine kissing a mouth that can sing like that?” the woman whispered.
    Tabby shook her head, forcing another smile—even though she was pretty much astonished at the woman’s frankness. “Nope,” she managed.
    “You should get a couple of his CDs,” the woman said. “They’re great!”
    Tabby watched as the girl spun the CD rack. She quickly lifted two CDs off, handing them to Tabby.
    “These two are my personal favorites. You’ll love either one of them.”
    Tabby nodded. “Thanks. I’ll just get them both,” she said, handing them back to the woman.
    The gift shop clerk smiled, and Tabby wondered what it would be like to be so uniquely pretty.
    “Good choice,” the woman said.
    Tabby ran her debit card through the purchase machine, punched her pin number in with the stylus pen, and returned the debit card to her back pocket.
    The clerk put the two Jagger Brodie CDs in a brown paper bag with Sweet Genevieve’s printed on the outside and then handed the bag and a debit card receipt to her.
    “There you go. Enjoy!” the woman said.
    “Thanks.”
    “You’re not actually buying one of that guy’s CDs, are you?”
    Tabby startled, gasping as she turned to see Jagger Brodie standing behind her. He was leaning against the gift shop doorframe, feet crossed, hands casually shoved in the front pockets of his jeans. Tabby felt the heat of a deep blush warm her cheeks. He looked as if some high-end fashion photographer had posed him there. Jagger Brodie was far too attractive for his own good—or hers.
    “Actually,” she said, dropping the receipt in the bag while smiling and feigning the appearance of calm, “I bought two.”
    Jagger sauntered forward and reached out, tugging at the edge of the bag to open as he peered inside.
    “You really did buy two,” he said, grinning a grin that caused Tabby’s knees to feel like pudding.
    Tabby shrugged, still feigning calm. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
    Jagger’s grin broadened to a smile as he said, “I would’ve given them to you for free, you know…or given you the download info for my site.”
    “You have a site?” Tabby asked, smiling.
    “Of course,” he said. “Though I’m pretty bad at maintaining the blog. Still, I could’ve given you the info to download those songs and saved you thirty bucks.”
    “Don’t you let your Maw Maw Genevieve hear you saying that, Jagger Brodie,” the pretty store clerk flirted. It was obvious, by the look of sheer admiration and almost panting delight in ogling him, that the store clerk really had a thing for Jagger. “You know she thinks you shouldn’t give so much away.”
    “It’s about the only way I can get people to listen to it, Delilah,” Jagger told the clerk. “You know that,” he added, winking at her.
    “I’m glad to pay for them. They’re worth it,” Tabby said, drawing Jagger’s attention away from the clerk and