Free Mile High Love by Tracy Cottingham Page A

it.”
                  
“Excuse me?”
                  
“You heard me.  There are plenty of good business opportunities out there.
Nope,” she shook her head.  “He wanted a connection to you, and he found
one that was perfect.”
                  
“He didn’t come looking for me, Lonnie.”
                  
“Maybe not.  But now that he’s found you he isn’t about to let go either.”
                  
“Whatever,” Cassie tossed the pillow at her from behind, and jumped off the bed
just in time to miss her retaliation.  “Abby, did you fall in?”  She
headed into the bathroom to see if her daughter had turned into a prune. 
“Oh Abigail, what are you doing, honey?”  Cassie’s feet slipped on the
water that was pouring over the edge of the tub.
                  
“Sorry mama,” Abby looked up from a face covered in soap.  “I needed more
water for my bubbles, and so I moved that dial like you and Auntie Lonnie do.”
                  
“Lonnie,” Cassie leaned her head around the door.  “Can you call down to
room service and get some more towels up here?”
              
“Sure,” her sister’s voice got closer.  “What happened?”  She asked
when she peeked around the corner.  “I didn’t know she knew how to turn
the water on,” she made a face and whispered to Cassie, and threw her the extra
towels they had brought back with them from the pool.  “Use these for
now.”
                  
“Don’t feel bad,” Cassie threw the towels they had on to the sopping wet
floor.  “It was a hidden talent until today.”  She saved the last
towel for her daughter.  “Come on you, out.”  She groaned when she
picked her up out of the water, marveling at what a big girl she was getting to
be. 
                  
“I didn’t mean to let the water out.”  Abby’s voice was muffled by the
towel drying her mom was
    giving her hair.  “I will try again next time.”
                  
“Yeah right,” Cassie finished her hair, and laid out some fresh clothes.
                  
“Not that one,” Abby whined, “I want the pink one, the one with the Mini Mouse
on it.”
                  
“Abby, the pink one is short sleeved, if you go out again tonight it’s liable
to get windy, and I don’t need you getting sick.”
                  
“I could wear it if I want to,” Abby was doing her best to put her foot down.
                  
“Abigail, you’re getting on my last nerve, now put this on.”
                  
Abby didn’t say no, but she didn’t move to put it on either.
                  
Cassie was about to bring the outfit to Abby, when Lonnie stepped in. 
“Let me handle this,” She took the shirt from Cassie and walked over to her
niece.  “Abby, if you don’t put this on, I won’t take you back to the park
again to check out the Pirates of The Caribbean after we eat.”
                  
“Okay,” Abby smiled up at her aunt and let her help her into the shirt.
                  
“Blackmail, it works every time,” Lonnie chuckled wickedly, loving every minute
of the look Cassie was throwing her.
                  
Cassie was about to say something but the doorbell rang, and she went to get
the towels instead.
                  
“That’s strange,” Cassie put the extra towels down on the side table, and
fingered the edge of an invitation the bell boy found in front of her door.
                  
“What’s that?”  Lonnie asked while she bent to help Abby get her shoes on.
                  
“I’m not sure,” Cassie eyed the paper skeptically, “It looks like an invitation
to a party tonight.”
                  
“Maybe Gunnar’s sorry he’s been