Free Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (The Secrets of Somerled) by L.L. Muir

something appropriate—anything that wouldn’t ruin the memory of her first, and possibly only, kiss. Very soon, they were going to go through Hell together and then she’d take her place in the circle. Nothing could stop either from happening, but she had this one mortal-esque memory she could take with her.
    If she didn’t say the wrong thing now.
    Her lips moved. No words came out, but the movement got his attention and he pulled her mouth close and kissed her again. For a moment, she imagined a tingling in her toes. She pulled back and wiggled them, testing. Nothing.
    “Sorry.” Jamison dragged his hands slowly off her face, like a blind man, memorizing.
    “Please don’t be sorry. I didn’t mind.”
    Oh great. She may as well embroider “take me, take me now,” on her shirt. He was probably thinking “easy lips, easy hips.”
    He was frowning. “Sorry if I’m not any good. I haven’t kissed much.”
    She pulled herself back to her side of the car and looked out the window. No one was gawking through the glass, thank Heavens. A nurse made her way across the parking lot and got into her car.
    Wow. Even if she had no sensation and no taste, she still realized what an incredible kisser he was. She’d seen women weep over such kisses, and not in the movies, either. His first serious girlfriend was in for a happy surprise. It shocked her, the sudden understanding she had for women eaten alive with jealousy.
    He rubbed his hands on the knees of his jeans. Sweaty palms? Nervous maybe? She needed to acknowledge what he’d said.
    “I’m sure you won’t be surprised when I tell you I’ve never kissed anyone before, and even I know that was...staggering.”
    His hands stopped moving. He turned to her and grinned.
    “Staggering’s good, right?”
    “Oh, good. Definitely good.”
    She gave in and grinned back.
    Eventually, he looked away. “Well, I guess I’d better go see him now.” He flicked the door handle.
    “Yeah. He’ll be wondering if you’re coming.”
    He wasn’t moving. Did he want a kiss good-bye? Oh, wow. Did she want a repeat of ‘staggering’? Of course she did, but should she? Wouldn’t she just be more upset, being deprived again?
    What the heck? She could always go pretend to cry in the field, not that it would give her any relief.
    Jamison turned to her quickly, as if he’d just made up his mind. He reached out with one hand and laid it along her neck, his fingers pulling only slightly. She could easily resist.
    But she didn’t.
    Oh man. She was so going to be spending some time in that field tomorrow!
    “Don’t forget the letter,” she whispered against his lips.
    “Letter?”
    “You need to find the letter and make your mom read it.”
    “Oh, that letter.”
    She hoped he’d remember. She didn’t even remember him getting out of the car.

CHAPTER NINE
    Jamison begged his mom to let him miss school on Wednesday to unload boxes, even though he’d miss seeing Skye and wouldn’t be able to mess with Mr. Evans. He had to find that letter. He couldn’t sit through another day of classes while he could be helping his granddad. He would spend all day with the man if he were allowed to, but finding the letter would be better in the long run.
    Because his mom stayed home too, he couldn’t tear the place apart and then put it back together again, so he searched in spurts, between unloading boxes. After only a couple of hours, Jamison was freaking. The house wasn’t large. He’d searched everywhere.
    It was getting to be lunch time and his mom hadn’t been making any kitchen noises, so he went looking for her. He found her in the small room off the living room, the one she’d put her desk in. The carpet was orange and yellow retro shag and the light fixture was a milk-glass ball surrounded by white wrought-iron swirls. The walls were covered with small yellow and white squares that had always seemed cheerful; now it all looked like a Hippie hate-crime. It almost took away his