Add A Little Mistletoe: Born to Fly, #5

CHAPTER ONE

Black Friday

Bye, Hon, the woman spoke in a voice loud enough to carry over the noise of the crowd. And it was raucous. Keeping her hands tight on her children and purchases, she leaned in to give her friend a kiss. Thanks for coming and meeting with me.

Aspen Townsend returned the kiss. "Drive carefully. And you’re welcome. I have a bit more shopping to do. Although, I wouldn’t have come on the busiest shopping day of the year. Black Friday indeed. She kissed the kids. Bye, you two."

Bye, Auntie Aspen, the twins chortled as they waved chubby hands in her direction.

Kelly Pratt smiled at her childhood friend. Aspen knew she had changed from the bookworm she had been when she went off to that California college, USC to most. But now she was home, back where she—according to what Kelly told her repeatedly—belonged.

Later, Aspen. Kelly began to turn her kids toward the exit. She stopped and faced her friend again. Oh, I almost forgot, she said mysteriously. Aspen waited for her to continue. "He came back to town this week."

She furrowed her brow not following this mysterious claim. "What are you talking about? Or rather who are you talking about?"

Maneuvering so she was right by Aspen’s ear, Kelly leaned in closer, her dark eyes shifting side-to-side as if expecting the devil to jump out at her admission. Colt Larkin, she said, as if it were not only newsworthy, but heart-stopping.

To some it may have been. To Aspen Lajoia Townsend, it was terrifying, for many different reasons. Swallowing hard, she blinked and said, Who cares?

The gleam in Kelly’s eyes told her she didn’t believe the careless attitude. Just thought you would want to know, you know, before you run into him in town. It’s not big. You know you’ll see him. She smiled. I have to go. Talk to you tonight. A quick wave and Kelly and her twins were gone.

Aspen ran a trembling hand over her face before squaring her shoulders and walking on. She wasn’t about to let the memory of one embarrassing incident bring her down. Straightening her immaculate oatmeal suit, Aspen stepped onto the escalator and let it take her up to the next level. Four hours later, Aspen was ready to fall over. The crowds were horrendous and the attitudes worse. But she was done with her shopping.

Finally.

Readjusting her purchases, Aspen stopped to look at a dress she thought her mother might like, it was pale pink in color. Bracing most of her weight on one hip, she mentally ran through her finances to see if she could finagle it.

Aspen knew she could afford the dress. She had a well-paying job and was one of the top professionals in her field. Without further thought, she walked into the store to purchase the dress. The woman gave her a stressed-out smile as she bagged up the sale.

Thank you, Aspen said in a gentle voice.

You’re welcome and Happy Holidays! the saleswoman responded with real emotion.

And to you. Aspen gave her a smile as she added the bag to her extensive collection. Now, it’s time to go home.

Moving briskly through the ever-growing throng of people, Aspen stopped to wait for a group of elderly people. She might be tired, but shoving through her elders was simply not done.

Suddenly she was hit from the side around knee level. Righting herself, Aspen glanced down to see a cherub-faced, towheaded little boy holding onto her leg. His face and hands were covered in chocolate, which was transferring to her lighter-colored suit.

You have got to be shittin’ me! What did I do?

She estimated his age to be four or five. He had big blue eyes that sparkled as he looked at her and grinned, showing off his missing front tooth.

Hi, he bubbled, totally at ease with her.

Forcing back her anger, Aspen looked around for his parents. Nothing. No one seemed to be looking for him, a bit of a shock considering the size of the area and the number of people.

Hello, she said, trying not to wince as the sticky, warm chocolate made its way to her skin.

You’re pretty.

Despite the situation, Aspen grinned. Thank you. She shifted her leg to try and get him to let go. He did with one hand, but the other wound tighter in her pant leg. Where are your folks?

The boy sighed and stood smiling up at her with his smeared chocolate face.

Okay, then, Aspen mumbled.

Unca. Unca! the boy yelled at a person who was striding toward them. The look on the man’s face was near to panic.

αβ

The childish voice rang over the rest of the noise inside the Mall of America. Heaving a sigh, he lasered in on where the sound came from.

His heart still hammered harder than when he climbed on the back of a two-thousand-pound bull in a chute.

It was bedlam in here. No one in their right mind would go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, especially here. That would explain why he was here. Too many jarring hits from a bull. Or the batting of eyes from his baby sister.

She’d panicked the moment when he’d come back with ice cream

He’d cried off to pick up a surprise and had come back to bedlam. His nephew had vanished.

Heading the same direction, he had been, Colt felt a huge wave of relief flow through him.

Dale stood next to a woman, his face and hands covered in the remains of his ice cream and now the leg of the woman. One chubby hand was clenched to the material of her pants, the other waving at him.

Oh, Jesus, Dale, Colt said, dropping to his knees and hugging his nephew, mindless of the stickiness smearing him. You scared us. What were you thinking running off like that?

She’s pretty, the cheerful answer came.

Pulling back from his nephew, Colt took the time to look up. She stood silent amongst the overwhelming noise of the mall. His eyes moved over her face and he could tell by the muscle jumping in her jaw she was pissed. Who would blame her? Her suit was ruined.

He paused and ran back over her body. He took stock of her five-foot-six-inch frame. If he guessed, she was one hundred twenty pounds and she carried it brilliantly. Lots of curves in all the right places. High cheekbones set off her mocha-colored face, giving it an almost haughty look.

Thick black hair fell around her shoulders. She had light brown eyes, which right now sparked with anger. As his gaze ran down over her full chest, smaller waist, ample hips and down to her feet and back up he was met with one arched brow.

Dale was right. She was very pretty. And very familiar.

αβ

The moment the boy yelled out for the man; Aspen felt her temper rising again. It was insane to allow your child to get away from you, especially during this time of year. Some of her anger dissipated as she witnessed the relief, he had over finding the child.

When he finally acknowledged her, she was stunned by the eyes that stared at her. Liquid silver. She had been taken in by a pair of them before. As his gaze moved over her body, Aspen felt herself respond to his blatant appraisal. Tamping it back under control she waited for him to stop taking her measurements and look in her eyes again.

I take it he belongs to you, Aspen stated.

Why is my voice so deep?

Standing with one effortless motion, the man smiled at her before lifting the child into his arms. In a way, yes. The response was smooth and deep.

Aspen looked at the man before her. Hell’s Bells. He was tall, over six feet. Solid tanned muscle was covered by jeans and a tight short-sleeve brown shirt. His hair was shaggy, almost unkempt, and sandy brown; it reached to the collar of his shirt. Then there were his eyes…silver. Hot, molten, mercury.

Dale!

The screech stopped either of them from saying anything further. A blonde woman ran as fast as she could, as pregnant as she was, up to them. Oh, my baby. What were you doing? Are you okay? Tears poured down her pale cheeks.

He’s fine, Lizzy, the masculine timbre assured the woman as child was passed from man to woman.

Where was he? she asked, her face buried in her son’s hair.

This woman right here had him with her.

Blue eyes, so like the young child’s, looked up at her. You? You had my son?

Aspen nodded. He sort of ran into me.

Thank you, the woman gushed. She fell silent as her eyes took in the ruined pants. Oh, no. Tell me he didn’t do that. Her finger pointed to the stains on Aspen’s pants. The woman sat her son in his stroller and got out a wipe for his face, cleaning it, an embarrassed flush all over her pale face.

Don’t worry about it, Aspen tried to assure her.

Those blue eyes flew up to meet hers.

I can’t ignore it. He probably ruined them. But if they can be cleaned, I would like to pay for the cleaning or to replace them.

No, really. It’s okay. These pants have had much worse than chocolate on them. Don’t worry about it. She adjusted her packages, so they covered a bit of the stains. Her goodwill had just about hit the end of her rope and she didn’t want to lose it here.

I feel just horrible. The woman stood up. A frown crossed her face once more. Then her expression grew more confused as she leaned back and looked at her. Aspen?

She narrowed her eyes slightly. Yes? That’s my name. Do I know you?

The woman sighed. Elizabeth Larkin…well, its Buchan now. Lizzy. We’ve met a few times in town. I live in Tuttle as well.

Aspen bit the side of her tongue to keep from panicking. Lizzy. Of course. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you. Good to see you. I’d heard about Dale, but this is the first time I have gotten to see him. Larkin. That means the silver-eyed guy with her is…her brother. Damn it Kelly, I hate it when you’re right.

I don’t know if you remember me or not, a masculine voice broke in. I’m Colt, her older brother. His hand was stretched out waiting for her to take it.

Why the hell didn’t I recognize him? Well, twenty years does change a man. With a calm she didn’t feel, Aspen put her hand into his