Explosive Alliance Read Free Page B

really, really enjoying the hot strength of this man's touch against her elbow. Ah, geez, was he actually leaning closer, his nostrils flaring as if catching her scent like a stallion choosing a mate?
    No problem, then, unless he got worked up over the smell of Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen.
    She eased her arm free. "We're building a new life. I appreciate your taking the time to say hello—" Now wasn't that a whopper lie? "But my daughter and I are about to eat lunch."
    "Cupcakes," Kirstie whispered from around Paige's leg.
    Resting his guitar on the cement, he lowered to one knee in front of Kirstie. "Sounds like my kind of meal."
    Was he angling for an invitation? For what possible reason? She hated being suspicious, but when someone you loved betrayed you so totally, trusting strangers was all but impossible.
    "Well, goodbye, Captain, we need to get mov—"
    Kirstie released her death grip on Paige's thigh and inched forward. "Will you show me the airplanes? I'll give you half my cupcake."
    "Kirstie," Paige shushed low. "Captain Rokowsky probably has—"
    "Bo." He tapped the name tag on his flight suit. "My name's Bo."
    "He has other things to do."
    Bo glanced over at the three men and then back. "I'm afraid your mom's right."
    Kirstie's disappointed sigh huffed up to rustle sweaty bangs. Then her spine straightened with her old spunk. "What if I gave you my whole cupcake? It's chocolate with sprinkles."
    "Sprinkles, huh?" He scratched his square jaw. "That's a tempting offer, but my boss is going to come looking for me soon, and he gets cranky when we're not on time. I just wanted to say hello before debrief."
    "De-what?" Kirstie's curiosity about all things flying overtook her shyness. As much as Paige wanted to run, she couldn't bear to stomp on the spark returning to her daughter.
    "Debrief. That's when we talk about the flight so we can learn how to do things better the next time," he explained with surprising patience for a young bachelor with "player" stamped all over his godlike body and confident strut.
    "Oh, kinda like how I hafta go to school."
    "Exactly. But are you coming back tomorrow? I could work around those other things to spend an afternoon with two pretty ladies. If it's okay with your mama, of course."
    He grinned up with unrepentant mischief, as if he knew darn well he'd maneuvered her by offering in front of Kirstie. Yet why offer at all? Didn't he have better things to do? It wasn't that deserted in Minot.
    "Are you always this accommodating?"And full of bull, she silently added.
    "I aim to please." His smile kicked up a notch, his perfect face somehow enhanced all the more by his ever-so-slightly crooked teeth. "What do you say, ladies? Are you going to stand me up tomorrow?"
    "No way." Kirstie's curls bounced with her shaking head. "You betcha boots we're coming back. Mama promised."
    Whoa. Somebody stop the Mack truck force of this guy and her daughter. "Hello? I'm here, too."
    "Mama always keeps her promise." Kirstie rolled right on. '"Course sometimes she says 'maybe,' but that means she's not sure and she never promises 'less she knows for sure, 'cause it's important not to lie."
    "She's right." Bo nodded sagely. "Sounds like you've got a good mama, Cupcake."
    "Kirstie. My name's Kirstie Adella Haugen and my mama's name is Paige."
    "Well Miss Kirstie Adella Haugen..." Scooping up his guitar, he stood, killer grin rising in wattage along with him. "I'll meet you and your mama at noon tomorrow over by the Thunderbirds' booth. All right, Paige?"
    Her stomach flipped like one of those planes in flight. She wanted to say no, no and hell, no.
    But Kirstie smiled.
    Paige sighed, defeated by a hip-high six-year-old, no less. "Yes, thank you."
    Kirstie's squeal was ample reward. "I'll see you tomorrow, Captain Bo."
    "Looking forward to it, Cupcake." Winking, he pivoted away, swinging his guitar back over his shoulder.
    Watching him swagger off, a glint of sunlight dancing through the hint of curl in his