25 Days

"Just get me a hot chocolate and a nudie mag and leave me in the food court."

I laughed and snorted at my brother and his antics. "I am not getting you a hot chocolate. You'll be jumping everywhere."

He slipped his arm into mine and chuckled at my response. "Where are we eating lunch?"

"It's ten in the morning. I seriously have to get a few gifts today. That's my focus."

"Okay, but that still begs the question. Where are we eating lunch?"

"The Chinese place on the top floor? You like their soup and egg-rolls, right?"

"I do. I'll meet you there. I'm going to go look at the game stores. Like an hour?"

"Two." I pulled from him and walked toward a large department store as the lights and Christmas music beckoned me to come.

"Two? Come on, Sis."

"One and a half." I called over my shoulder and walked in, stopping by the fragrance counter and smelling three different types of men's cologne. The last one smelled like Fi

"Yum," I mumbled and found the largest box of it.

"Chloe?" The feminine voice beside me caused me to freeze. I didn't know any girls in Aspen.

"I'm Kari, Fi

I shook her hand and nodded. "And what can I do for you, Kari?"

"Nothing. I just saw you and thought I recognized you. I'm glad I did. I needed to apologize."

"For what?"

"For being a bitch the other night." She pursed her lips and let out a long breath through her nose. "Fi

"Your point?" I didn't want to be rude, but I couldn't help myself seeing that this bitch was unbelievably rude to me only a few nights back.

"No point. Just an apology. I was jealous and acted like a jerk. I'm sorry."

"It happens." I glanced around to see if he was somewhere behind us. Seemed like him to start sending flowers and people to help me see the good in him. It was ingenious, which was right up his alley. "Did he put you up to this?"

"Fi

"And you think that's me? That I'm a good woman?"

"I don't know, but I think he believes that, which is enough for me." She nodded and turned, walking back into the crowd.

I reached for my phone and dialed his number.

He answered on the first ring, breathless. "Chloe."

"Hey. Sorry it took so long, I was just..."

He cut me off. "No apologies. I told you to take your time."

"You working?" I looked around at all of the people milling about. Most of them were couples, holding hands and having a good time together. It made me long for him all the more.

"Yeah, but I get off around two. You want to get together and talk?"

"No. I want you to join me and Parker on the slopes. He's going to teach me to snowboard."

Fi

"What?” I asked.

"Parker already invited me. The kid's been texting me for the last three days with what to do and what not to do. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't getting involved until you were ready for me too." The sound of his voice caused my heart to swell in my chest.

"So you're his friend for this afternoon?"

"I am, but I was going to text you just after lunch to make sure you were okay good with it."

"Too fu

"He's a good kid." Fi

"At the mall. Getting gifts."

"For your Dad and Parker?"

"And you." I smiled.

"Chloe. I don't want anything but you. Don't buy me anything. Just tell me we can go on a second date and I'll be the happiest man in the world. I don't need things. I need you."

"Wow. From friends to an instant romance. Almost like that crazy love you read about in romance novels."

"We were never friends. That was your dumb rule and it didn't work." He chuckled and I did too.

"True. Come with us today and let's get one over on Parker. Help me pull a prank on him."

"Only if you'll agree to a second date with me."

"Deal."

"What are we doing?"

"Show up like he wants you to and when I see you, I'll throw a fit and shove you backwards. Lose your balance and slide down that small hill by the lift. Drag me with you and let's roll down and play dead until he gets there. Then we'll pull him down and bury his ass in the snow." I was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt.

"Damn. That's a little much. Is that what sisters do to their baby brothers?"

"You bet your ass it is. Help me or I'll get you back too." I took the bag from the lady and thanked her before moving to the next store.

"I'm in. You're too scary to cross, just don't really hit me, please."

I laughed. "Never. See you later today."

"Chloe."

My breath caught in my chest. I prayed that he wasn't about to say that he loved me. I knew it was starting to build to that, but it would have been too much, too early.

"I've missed you. I haven't stopped thinking about you." His voice was gravelly and sensual.

Chills ran down my back and I groaned under my breath. "Stop it. You're making me all hot and bothered in the middle of the shopping mall."

"You gave me a damn fever the first time we went out. I think payback should be hell."

"I'll see you around three, handsome."

"Yeah you will. Be careful, baby."

There was no need to pretend I wasn't interested or to play hard to get anymore. We didn't have time for that drama. My days were ru

I dropped the call and dropped the phone back in my purse, feeling good about the afternoon and evening to come. After we snowboarded with my brother I was going to find a way to get Fi

Letting my thoughts go, I ducked into another store and started my search for the two most difficult people in the world to buy for. My father and my brother.

"What do you buy for guys who have everything already?"

* * * *

Parker was bouncing on the balls of his feet as we purchased our tickets for the lift, the nervousness ru