Prologue

She paced around as the chilly wind bit into her skin making it impossible to exhale properly without inhaling frost and chattering her teeth. She wondered how long she would have to stand in this cold before he arrived.

“Darling, it’s chilly out there!” Her mom’s chirpy voice jolted her from her thoughts.

She rolled her eyes. “I know, Mom.”

“Then I guess it’s time for you to get your ass inside, young lady.”

She heard the door open and close, and she knew her mom was standing right behind her.

“Mom, just a few more minutes,” she pleaded, gazing up into her mom’s soft brown eyes.

Her mom shook her head. “Why would you wait for a boy at ten years old?”

Her cheeks flushed and she knew the cold had nothing to do with it. “Mom, I just want to say goodbye.”

Her mom raised a brow at her. “Then I guess you can do it over the phone.”

She puckered her lips, frowning slightly. “But mom, I don’t have a phone.”

“I know. I meant with my phone. You could call his grandpa and wish them a safe trip.”

She sighed. There was no way she was getting her way tonight. Besides, she had tried her best waiting for him.

“Come on, princess. If he was going to come, he should have come by now. His flight is in the next hour,” her mom said.

She nodded knowing that her mother was right, but it didn’t stop the tears from threatening to spill from her eyes.

She headed into the sitting room and walked past the dining table.

“Don’t you want to eat your lunch?” her mom asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not hungry, Mom.”

With a heavy heart, she headed upstairs and went straight to her bedroom. She was feeling numb from the cold, and she saw her lips had turned blue.

Quickly, she stripped and headed into the bathroom, filling the bathtub with scents and hot water. She relaxed in the tub and allowed the tears to roll down her cheeks. She had thought that something special was going on between them, especially after his letter, but maybe she had been wrong.

She stepped out of the bathtub and dressed in a loose-fitting top with cute Mickey Mouse shorts then she slipped under the comforter allowing sweet memories to lure her asleep.

***

She jerked awake with a start and wiped the sweat from her brow. She knew something had jolted her awake, but she had no idea what it was until she heard it again.

It was a sound on her closed window. Someone was throwing a rock at her window, so she pulled it open and peeked out. She was surprised when she saw him standing below, holding another rock ready to throw.

“Took you long enough,” he chuckled as he climbed into her window.

“I don’t understand. What are you doing here?” she asked with a frown.

“I came to see you. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye,” he replied.

Her frown deepened. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a flight out of the country?”

He shrugged and grasped her wrists, startling her. “We had a situation, so grandpa postponed our flight.”

“Oh,” she muttered.

He kissed her cheeks. “I had to see you before leaving. I’m sorry I came late. I like you so much, and I will see you when I’m back.”

She smiled. “I like you too.”

He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Promise to wait for me.”

She nodded. “I promise.”

He swung out of the window, and she stared at him till she couldn’t see him. Then she lay back on the bed and imagined something—their future—and she was lured back into dreamland with a small smile on her lips.