While Taye had left after high school graduation and never came back, Charity moved to Denver, then had returned to Snowflake to be with her mother who had become ill. Regret began to plague Taye—maybe she should have stayed in touch more often, visited, called. Now, all those opportunities were gone.

  Taking a deep breath, then releasing it, Taye blinked away the looming melancholy. For the next two hours, she had to keep her mind occupied on happy thoughts, not on the death of a close friend or being unemployed around the holidays, or backing out of the contract to purchase the house she planned to sign by Christmas.

  Clearly, happy thoughts weren’t filling her head. Taye needed distractions as she sighed and glanced to the passenger on her left. The older woman in the aisle seat had her eyes closed, and her head securely rested in a neck pillow. She twisted her mouth in disappointment.

  She turned to Brea and blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “You know, you really shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

  Brea faced her with a frown. “Yeah, I guess not, but you’re a stranger.”

  Checkmate. “True.” She lowered her voice. “But especially older men. Some prey on young girls for...”

  “Sex slaves,” Brea finished.

  Okay, so the girl wasn’t as naïve as Taye had thought after all. “Yes, and they use airports to transport them.”

  “I know.” Brea seemed to dismiss the conversation before Taye could start it, then reached for her backpack under the seat in front of her. As if she didn’t have enough magazines in her lap, Brea took out more. Why?

  Taye smirked. It would have been cheaper and less cumbersome to bring a book, she thought. When Brea began to circle tops, coats, pants, and other garments celebrities and models were wearing from page to page, curiosity got the best of Taye.

  “Plan to go shopping?” she teased.

  Brea turned to her with a pout. Her eyes lacked mirth as she shook her head. “I don’t have any money. If I had it, I’d buy me a sewing machine and make clothes for myself and others—well, maybe.” The light returned to her eyes as Brea pointed out that a celebrity’s dress was an A-line. In her element, Brea turned the page and continued. “This is cute. The contrast denim and print flounce sleeves are trendy,” she said, then she estimated the number of pieces it took to duplicate the outfit.

  For the remainder of their flight, Brea captivated Taye with her knowledge of fashions.

  “That’s probably made of challis, but I would have used a sheer fabric like Georgette.”

  Taye only interrupted when the sewing terminology went over her head. The teenager didn’t miss a beat explaining. “You’re the only adult who hasn’t told me to stop dreaming and said to study hard to get into college—boring. I’d rather draw and create clothes.”

  “I guess you’re a fan of that show Project Runway.” Taye chuckled.

  “Isn’t everybody?” Brea grinned.

  Not me. I’ll look for a sale in a minute for clothes.

  “Do you live in Denver?” Brea asked.

  “Oh, no. I was born in Kansas City, but moved to Snowflake to live with my grandmother. I left after high school to attend KU—the University of Kansas—and stayed.”

  The inquisition started. “Why are you going to Denver?”

  Taye choked before she answered. “A good friend passed away.” That statement didn’t sound true.

  “Oh.” Brea paused. “So you’re going for the funeral?”

  “No. I missed it.” And I miss her. She turned away to wipe away a tear and sniffed. She would never see Charity again on this earth.

  “Please bring your seats and trays to the upright position,” the flight attendant instructed the passengers, so they could prepare for their landing at the Denver International Airport.

  Brea immediately peered out the window, and Taye exhaled. Anymore of Brea’s prying would have Taye bawling. Finally, they touched down, and minutes later, passengers stood to grab their overhead luggage. Although Brea said her brother would be there to pick her up, Taye stayed close as they made their way to the baggage claim area.

  “What did you think about your plane ride?” Taye asked.

  “I’m a pro!” She giggled, and Taye laughed until the girl mumbled, “Uh-oh, there’s my brother—the Big Bad Wolf.”

  Taye searched the crowd and locked eyes with a man so handsome that she could only describe him as dark chocolate mingling with milk chocolate. Everything about him from his Fedora hat, long wool coat, to the way he stood indicated he was not one to be intimidated.

  He also wore a serious expression as he seemed to track their movements like a security detail. He did look menacing. Brea’s imposing brother stepped forward, then towered over both of them.

  “Hey, Donovan,” Brea greeted dryly.

  Taye nodded a silent greeting. To stare would mean she was mesmerized by God’s perfection. She faced Brea. “It was nice meeting you. Have a Merry Christmas.”

  Suddenly the teenager gave her a tight hug, something Taye thought the girl would have given her brother first.

  A glance at Donovan revealed he was watching the exchange with curiosity, then he moved closer and extended his hand. His deep voice seemed to magnify his persona of the Big Bad Wolf image. “I’m Donovan Edwards, and you are?”

  “My friend,” Brea answered and wouldn’t let Taye go.

  There was definitely tension going on between the siblings. Whatever fireworks were about to explode, Taye needed to escape or take cover. Detangling from Brea’s hold, she gave the brother her full attention and accepted his hand and smiled. Up close, she noticed the resemblance, especially their eyes. Because of their age difference, they appeared to be father and daughter versus sister and brother. “Taye Thomas. It’s nice to meet you.”

  His eyes twinkled. Where mischief played in Brea’s, his eyes seemed to dance in fascination. “I hope she wasn’t a bother. This was her first time flying solo.”

  Taye lifted a brow at Brea. “So, you’ve flown before?”

  “When I was small, but I don’t remember.” She shot darts at her brother.

  “You have a remarkable young lady as your sister.” She was about to add mature until Brea stuck out her tongue at Donovan. Scratch that compliment. “I’d better hurry to pick up my rental car so I can get a good selection.”

  “We’re not strangers, so we can give you a ride,” the teenager offered and eyed her brother. “She’s going to Snowflake. Her friend died, and she missed the funeral. She was sad on the plane.”

  Do you want to give him my weight and height too? Taye thought she had hidden her emotions pretty well, yet the sadness was visible.

  “I really don’t mind.” Donovan’s deep voice softened, and compassion shone from his eyes about her plight. “I live about forty minutes from there—an hour tops in traffic.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t want to intrude.” She declined. “Thanks anyway.” Taye had to get on the road before it got late and to beat holiday traffic from Black Friday sales, road conditions and snowfall.

  “We’re friends now, so if I want to talk to you again...” Brea asked. She didn’t hide her eagerness.

  “I’m on Facebook.” Anybody could be found on social media these days, so there was no need to exchange numbers.

  “I’m not.” She squinted at her brother. “The Big Bad Wolf won’t let me have an account. He told my aunt social media wasn’t a safe place.”

  “Too many predators,” she and Donovan said at the same time. They glanced at each other with amused expressions that the two strangers were on the same page.

  Brea’s brother was a smart man. What Brea called overbearing, Taye sensed love and protection. She would welcome the doting, protection, love and the camaraderie of a sibling. It would have been nice to have a little sister. Brea could benefit from chats about life’s lessons from a woman’s point of view.

  “Here’s my number.” Taye handed Brea one of her business cards she had left from a recent networking event. “Talk to you soon,” Taye said out of habit—a habit she would have to cease, considering she hadn’t spoken with Charity soon enough before her death.

  “Happy holidays,” Taye said, then began to make her way in the other direction, but not before hearing Donovan take his sister to task. “What did I tell you about talking to strangers?”

  Taye smirked. Yep, a protective brother was what the teenager needed.

  “We’re friends now. Besides, don’t you think she’s pretty?”

  If Taye slowed her steps, she might be able to hear his answer, but she couldn’t. She was on a mission.

  Donovan Edwards withheld his irritation with his sister. Brea hadn’t been in Denver five minutes and already she had shut down communication with him. He didn’t have any parenting expertise. To be honest, his sibling skills were limited because of their age difference and his absence when he was away at college, then building a career.

  Despite the distance, Donovan took his role as big brother seriously. He was always there for Brea if she wanted to talk, which was on the decline as she grew older. When did Donovan become the bad guy and her newfound seatmate was the good guy—or in Taye’s case, the good pretty lady?

  Maybe if their mother had another son, Donovan guessed the bonding would have been different, but with a girl... What did he know about raising a young lady? Their aunt Sadie had become too old to put up with Brea’s shenanigans.

  “She’s starting to skip classes and act out at school as if she’s a kindergartener,” Aunt Sadie, his late mother’s oldest sister, had said in a frantic phone call. “I tried to help, but she’s becoming more rebellious. You need to come get her.”

  “I’m sorry, Auntie, for all the drama Brea is putting you through. I can come and get her the beginning of the year.” Promoted to assistant vice president of operations at Centura Health soon after obtaining his second master’s degree, Donovan was on the top of his career path. His boss was on a month-long vacation in Europe, and Donovan took charge until his boss returned at the beginning of the year.

  “She’s out of control. Come now, or send for her, Donovan. Christmas is a time for peace on Earth. I need peace in my home. I thought I could give Brea some tender motherly love, but it seems she needs a firm hand, so now it’s your turn to be the parent and steer her in the right direction.”

  That had been the end of the conversation, so Donovan booked Brea a one-way ticket, and their aunt would send the rest of his sister’s things in a week. So here they were together, not

  under the best circumstances. Brea would live under his roof until she graduated from college. He had her life all mapped out.

  Questions swirled in his head on how best to tap into a sullen teenager and gain a friend as he drove to his suburban condo in Englewood. “Ah, I haven’t decorated my place for Christmas or began shopping for gifts. Want to do it together?” he asked in an upbeat tone.

  She didn’t look his way when she replied, “Nah, unless when we go shopping, you’ll buy me a top of the line Janome professional sewing machine. Because you can afford it, the price tag is only seven hundred and seventy-five dollars.”

  Not that again. His sister had pestered their aunt after taking some kind of home economics class disguised under a distinguished-sounding name. The only problem was the girl had become obsessed and wouldn’t attend other classes, and when she did, she was either late or napping because she had stayed up all night. He was not about to feed her addiction to clothes, fabrics, and according to his aunt, binge-watching Project Runway.

  Didn’t she know that clothes were so cheap online people didn’t spend the money for custom-made clothes? Seamstress jobs were a dying art in the country. He had to get her focused on STEM curriculum, science, technology, engineering and mathematics were the future of high-paying career jobs. Maybe he should try negotiating. “If you can promise to do well next semester at the high school here without any trouble and maintain a B average, I’ll consider it.” How was that for being firm as a parent?

  “I’m cool with a GED, then I’m moving to New York where all the fashion designers live.”

  Donovan exhaled as if he were smoking a cigarette. Yep. Like his Aunt Sadie had said, Brea had a one-track mind, and his aunt was depending on him to get her back on course. After all, his aunt had blamed him for spoiling Brea—sending her money and gifts when the girl needed attention. “We’ll talk about it.”

  “Taye thought I had talent.”

  Did she? Donovan lifted a suspicious brow as he kept his eyes on the road. What all did Brea share with her? If only he had been a passenger in disguise to get some pointers. “That pretty lady doesn’t know you like me and Auntie.” His sister had no comeback.

  Donovan hid his smile, thinking about his chance meeting with Taye Thomas. The woman was beautiful to perfection—long lashes and dark brows and eyes that seemed naturally outlined with an artist’s stroke with her fair skin as the backdrop. Exotic was the way he would describe her. Even though she had heeled boots, he still towered over her by at least half a foot. She smelled good too. When he shook her hand, he could tell her fingers were slender, even wearing his leather gloves. If he had seen her in passing, Donovan would have definitely taken a second look.

  In hindsight, Taye had been smart not to let him give her a lift, although he was harmless and would have enjoyed finding out more about her. What was it about her that caused him to have an instant attraction?

  He was surrounded by women day in and day out seeking his interest. Some were cute and polished, too, but what he was looking for was “the one” he wouldn’t let slip away. Based on his initial reaction to Taye, he wondered if that was what it felt like to meet the woman he shouldn’t let slip away.

  “Never turn down a blessing.” Taye could hear Charity’s admonishment as Taye climbed behind the wheel of the mid-size rental car. Her friend had been too trusting to a fault. She saw the good in people—sometimes before people saw it in themselves.

  “Right. I don’t think so,” Taye mumbled to herself. Even with her limited finances and the money she had to splurge on the rental, Taye had to follow the advice she’d given Brea: Be wary of strangers, even handsome ones.

  An hour later, Taye whispered thanks to the Lord for safe arrival as snow-covered mountains seemed to part ways to reveal the quiet sleepy valley town of Snowflake. The entrance reminded her of a snow globe. After a few minutes, she turned onto Main Street. Nothing seemed to have changed. The quaint shops, some with lights strung around the windows, were buzzing with locals and tourists looking for those holiday bargains.

  She followed the path on Main Street and turned off onto Big Bear Road. It once had been a familiar place called home. Her late grandmother, Eleanor Harrison, would be proud to see the Rocky Mountain Bed and Breakfast she’d opened still flourished today with additions that only enhanced its beauty. The woman had worked hard to become an entrepreneur before her time.

  Getting out of the car with her overnight bag, Taye stared at the two-story rustic-style home. Numerous windows were trimmed in precision with white Christmas lights while golden lights illuminated from inside.

  Upon her first arrival to Snowflake, Taye felt she had been banished to a country with its natural décor. By the time she graduated high school, Taye had fallen in love with the warm, inviting home where a lost little girl was nurtured into a woman. The tranquility that surrounded the house prompted Taye to many self-reflective moments.

  She walked up the winding path to the wide wooden door and opened it. The aroma of gingerbread was the first to greet her. After kicking remnants of snow from the walkway off her boots, she walked farther into the foyer that spilled into a great living room. A roaring fire danced in the fireplace, causing her to shiver from the cold. Closing her eyes, she took a few minutes to breathe in good memories, which engulfed her in addition to the gingerbread.

  Mrs. Theresa “Miss Tessie” Rose rounded the corner with a platter of fresh cookies. When she saw Taye, she handed off the treats to the young woman manning the counter and opened her arms.

  Although Theresa had been a married young woman when Taye first came to Snowflake, for some reason people called her “Miss Tessie.” She had looked up to Taye’s grandmother and learned all she could about the hospitality business where Taye had no interest but to get out of Snowflake as soon as she graduated from Snowflake High School.

  “Welcome home. You finally made it!” She wrapped Taye in a tight hug then released her. “Look at you! You remind me of your grandmother, bless Eleanor’s soul.” She folded her hands and cast a look toward heaven.

  Miss Tessie took her suitcase, then helped unbutton Taye’s coat as if she were a little girl again and shooed away her hands when Taye tried to assist. The woman behind the check-in counter gave an amusing shrug. Then Miss Tessie looped her arms through Taye’s and introduced her to anyone within sight.

  “This is Taye Thomas, granddaughter of Eleanor whose doors were always open, whether a person could pay for a room or not...”

  Taye smiled as she listened while her host gave her a tour, pointing out updates to the bedrooms and baths upstairs.

  Nostalgia hit when she walked into what had once been her grandmother’s bedroom. The décor had changed, but the feeling remained cozy. After Taye unpacked her few things, she joined Miss Tessie in the living room.

  “Child, it’s been forever since you’ve been back,” the woman chatted away, retrieving old memories about Taye’s time in Snowflake she had forgotten.

  “I can’t believe Charity’s gone,” Taye almost whispered, not wanting it to be real.

  Miss Tessie shook her head. “She was so young. Didn’t know she was even sick. Maybe after you meet with her attorney in the morning, you’ll have all the answers.”

  The next morning, Taye blinked back tears as she left the law offices of Green and Sons. The meeting was short but not sweet. Maybe it had been a dream. Suddenly a chilly blast came out of nowhere and seemed to slap her cheek, confirming she was not dreaming. She pulled out Charity’s letter from her purse. The attorney said she had penned it days before she died. Had Charity been that sick that she felt she wasn’t going to make it to the holidays? Taye didn’t stop the tears this time as she stared at the words.