The Mobile Mistletoe Series (Books 1-4)
Page 1
The Mobile Mistletoe Series
Love Comes for Valentine’s Day
Love Comes for Saint Patrick’s Day
Love Comes for the Fourth of July
Love Comes for Halloween
Jennifer Conner
Table of Contents
Title Page
The Mobile Mistletoe Series (Books 1-4)
Copyright
Love Comes for | Valentine’s Day
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Love Comes for | Saint Patrick’s Day
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Love Comes for | the 4th of July
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Love Comes for Halloween
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
The Mobile Mistletoe Series CONTINUES | The Mobile Mistletoe 2
About the Author
Books to Go Now
Excerpt from Loves Comes for Valentine’s Day
Kara fished in her purse, pulled out a headband, and pushed it over her hair. The band was red with a feather in the middle and a metal wire with a dangling piece of greenery. “Mobile mistletoe. I was the first one to make the pact.” She crossed herself and brought her hands together.
They all laughed and took another drink from their martini glasses.
“But now it’s close to Valentine’s Day, not Christmas!” Jess exclaimed.
“I know. But, because of our pact, I am forced to wear this damn thing until someone kisses me.” Kara spread out her arms and tipped her head in a bow.
“All year?” Jane asked as she raised an eyebrow in question. “You’re telling me if you don’t find a man to kiss you, you’re going to wear that thing ALL year?”
“Yep.” Kara let go of a sigh. “That’s what I said, and I’m good to my word... unless of course I find a man, then... who gets it next?”
“Me!” Zoe shouted. “I’m all in on this man-or-bust game!” She waved down the waiter, but he walked by.
“Good. But I think I’ll have it awhile longer, so you’re safe.” Kara thought of Jack. Could he be the deal breaker for her? What kind of kisser was he? Tender? Or would he be strong and demanding? He seemed like a man who took what he wanted, but she would never know because there was no call.
What had he been doing the last five years? She shook her head. Why did she care? He probably had a girlfriend or maybe even a wife. Despite the trouble he’d gotten into, he was always a nice guy and too good-looking to be single for long.
So why had she let him go?
Another relationship bad decision. Iris seemed to be the queen of them.
Copyright
The Mobile Mistletoe Series
A Books to Go Now Publication
Copyright © Jennifer Conner 2015
Books to Go Now
For information on the cover illustration and design, contact bookstogonow@gmail.com
First eBook Edition March 2013
Second Edition May 2015
Third Edition March 2017
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.
Look for Jennifer Conner’s Other Titles
Visit Jennifer at her website
http://www.jenniferconnerbooks.com/
BOOKS AVAILABLE IN EBOOK, PAPERBACK, AUDIOBOOK, and FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDITIONS
Novels
Seattle Billionaires – A Cup of Danger
Shot in the Dark
Kilt by Love
Coming Soon - Sleep Fall
Kindle World
Carly Phillip’s Dare World
London on a Dare
Bella Andre’s Four Weddings and a Fiasco World
The Wedding Bridesmaid
Sweet Romances
A Home for Christmas
Love on the Airwaves
Love Uncorked
Christmas Dog Tails
Christmas at Central Bark
Christmas Gift that Keeps Wagging
Dog Tags for Christmas
Love Comes for Valentine’s Day
Love Comes for Saint Patrick’s Day
Love Comes for the 4th of July
Love Comes for Halloween
I Hear Angels
Brewing up Some Love
Valentine Surprise
Cupcakes and Cupids
Christmas Chaos
The Christmas Horse
All I Want for Christmas is You
All I Want for Christmas is You
Sexy Romances
Bad Boy’s Second Chance
Cinderella Had it Easy
Love Potion Number 10
Ten Minutes for Christmas
In Love With Santa
The Music of Christmas
Make Me Burn
Winner Takes All
Valentine Encounter
New Year Resolution
Christmas with Carol
Auld Lang Sigh
Rush of Love
Fields of Gold
The Music of Christmas
Historical
The Duke and the Lost Night
The Wounded Nobleman
The Reluctant Heir
Redemption for a Rogue
Time Travel
I’ll be Seeing You Through Time
Walk with me Through Time
Anthologies
Handmade for Christmas Series
The Love List Series
The Pancake Club Collection
A Christmas Kiss is on the List Anthology
Love in Time for Christmas Anthology
Christmas Romance (Best of Christmas Romances 2013) Anthology
Love Under the Christmas Tree Anthology
The Mobile Mistletoe Boxed Set
The Regimental Heroes Boxed Set
Yours for Christmas Anthology
Valentine’s Say I Love You
Love Comes for
Valentine’s Day
Book 1
Chapter 1
Kara Hayward stifled a yawn. Things were tough all over, and she was happy she had a job. Actually, she had three. She had to do what paid the rent and right now that included working part-time at Make-Me-A-Bear in the Southbridge Mall.
She pinned on a bright smile and drew her attention back to the round green kiddie table. She sat with a boy and a girl she guessed to be around six. Bear making and babysitting. It was a service the store offered. For an extra fee, parents could leave their precious little ones for up to two hours of peaceful shopping at the mall. The area was cordoned off to resemble a medieval castle and was run on a check in-checkout system with matching ID wristbands for the parents and child.
The red-headed boy tugged on her gingham print apron and asked,
“Are you married?” Not waiting for her answer he added, “You’re pretty.”
“Thanks.” It wasn’t that she didn’t like little kids; she’d never been around them enough to feel comfortable. “No Billy, I’m not married.”
“But it’s almost Valentine’s Day!” the blonde girl exclaimed. She was missing her two front teeth so her words came out with a lisp. “You need to be married if you’re a big person and it’s Valentine’s Day!”
Kara laughed. “You don’t need to be married. You are just supposed to have someone special to spend the day with.”
“Do you?” the girl asked.
“What color eyes should your bear have?” Kara tried to distract them with a change in the conversation. “And then after that, you get to stuff your bear and pick out an outfit for them to wear.”
There was a commotion out in the mall. Kara tried to see over the castle wall but her view was partially obstructed by grey blocks of Styrofoam. Angry voices filtered in, making her and the kids jump up from their seats to see.
A crowd formed around two young men yelling at one another. One swung his fist and punched the other in the face. The crowd held their cell phones high to capture the event and egged them on. One clutched the other’s coat and swung him around and into the Make-Me-A-Bear store. He crashed through the flimsy castle wall and landed on the floor next to her and kids.
Kara cried out and grabbed the children by the backs of their shirts. She yanked them behind her just as the man fell across the table. “What are you doing?” she yelled at the two fighters as one came after the other. “Stop! There are little kids here!”
They ignored her pleas and escalated the fight.
Brittany, her co-worker screamed and ran behind the counter that held the cash register. The store was small and crowded with merchandise so there wasn’t much room for the fighters to maneuver as more people streamed in. One of the fighters hit a table filled with bear merchandise and it flew into the air.
The little girl next to her was crying. Kara turned the kiddie table over on its side and pushed the two kids behind it for protection. “Stay there!” she ordered. The dark-haired man tripped over the collapsed wall and tumbled towards her.
She shoved with all her might at the man’s back as he stepped closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Brittany’s red apron. A second later spray missed the man, who’d dodged to the side, and hit her square in the face.
The burning and gagging sensation was instant. Pepper spray. Brittany told her she’d bought it for protection. But not from her!
Someone in the crowd yelled, “Let’s get out of here, the cops are coming.”
“I have an outstanding traffic warrant!” Brittany screamed again and, in her blurred vision, Kara saw her run out into the mall with the can still in her hand. Kara stumbled back and fell to her knees coughing and choking. Her eyes were on fire and she couldn’t breathe.
She patted her hands across the carpet and crawled across the floor until she found the two children. “Are you okay?” She had to rely on what they said since she could barely see them through her hazy vision.
The girl choked back a sob. “I want my mommy.”
“I know honey, but for now I want both of you to hold onto my skirt and not let go until I tell you to, okay?”
“Okay,” two little voices said.
Kara wanted to rub her face, but didn’t want to get any of the pepper spray on the children. Her body quivered as she fought for restraint. She reached down and felt the two little hands clutched tight in the material of her skirt.
At least the kids were okay.
Chapter 2
Jack Hartman heard the commotion of people running and shouting before he saw it. Having eyes in the back of his head, his cop’s instinct took over.
Something was wrong. He broke into a run.
Seeing the turmoil was inside Make-Me-A-Bear, his heart stopped. He reassured himself he hadn’t heard gunfire. He grabbed a teenager and demanded, “What happened?”
“Fight. But it’s over. I missed it.” The teen looked disappointed as he shook Jack’s hand off and went back to his friends.
Jack pushed his way through the crowd. Two cops, Brad and Fred from the precinct were huddled around a young woman, a boy... and his niece, Ada. Thank God. He let out the breath he’d been holding for the last few minutes.
The woman had a protective arm around the kids.
“Uncle Jack!” his niece cried out.
“Are you okay?” he asked, and dropped to his knees to hug her.
Jack started to take the girl’s hand but the woman stopped him. “Sorry, sir. No one is taking these children until I can verify that your security bracelets match.”
He held up his wrist. “It’s right here.”
“Yes...” she paused. “But, that’s the problem, sir. I have pepper spray in my eyes and I can’t see your bracelet.” She sniffed, and broke hold of the little hands only long enough to wipe her running nose.
“Hey, Jack,” Brad said when he spotted him. “What are you doin’ here? This is you day off. You go lookin’ for trouble?”
“Isn’t this your sister’s kid?” Fred asked as he pulled a pad from his pocket to take notes.
“Yeah,” Jack mumbled. “She was here making a bear... I thought she’d be safe.”
“I’m safe.” Ada pointed to the green overturned table. “The lady tipped that circle over and told us to hide behind it. And then she pushed the guy in his back that was fighting.”
Jack glanced over at the destroyed section of the store.
“Why don’t you take your niece home,” Brad said. “We’ll deal with this.”
“I can’t tell if they’re police?” the woman whispered, more to herself. “I can’t see them.” Panic slid across the young woman’s face as she grasped the kids’ hands tighter.
Jack looked at her. With her blood-red eyes and running nose, she was in pain but stayed with the children. His respect for the woman went up tenfold. How could he be upset? This is exactly what he would have done in this situation. Being half blind, she had no idea who they were from Adam.
He turned and answered Brad, “Ada and I are going to stick around here until the boy’s parents come back. With children this small, you can never be too careful with their safety.”
“These bad men came in and broke up the castle, and then another lady screamed and sprayed icky stuff in her eyes!” Ada waggled a finger.
Ada tried to pull her hand free and run to him, but he stopped her and stepped back. “Ada. Everything’s fine. I’m here and it looks like this nice lady helped you too. I want you to stay with her for a few more minutes.”
“Ma’am.” He touched the woman’s arm. “What’s your name?”
She flinched and blinked. He knew she was trying to focus her eyes as she dabbed at her running nose. “Kara. My name’s Kara.”
“I know your first priority is keeping these kids safe. Do you have a back room with a sink?”
She nodded.
He bent down and asked the little boy. “What’s your name?”
“Billy.”
“Ada and Billy, I want you to keep hold of Ms. Kara’s apron... just like you are. You’re doing a great job.”
The two little faces beamed after receiving the praise. He smiled down at Ada and fought to keep his voice steady. Ada was so little... God, she was so young and helpless.
Jack reached for Kara and said, “Take my arm. The kids are attached to your skirt and not going anywhere.” The four of them wound through the destroyed store and into the back employee lounge. He led Kara to the sink and turned on the water. “I’m going to guide you over the sink.”
He spotted the small refrigerator in the corner and mentally crossed his fingers as he opened the door. The antidote he needed, a half-gallon of milk was there.
Jack tried to keep the conversation light. “So who’s the healthy eater here? Milk and a salad?”
“It�
�s mine,” Kara admitted.
“Lean over.” He guided her head down toward the sink. “I’m going to pour milk over your eyes to clean out the pepper spray.”
She followed his instructions. He emptied the jug over her face and then used his hand to scoop a stream of water.
They did this for a few minutes until Kara said, “It helped. Thanks.”
Jack lifted a clean towel off the counter and handed it to her to dry her face.
She blinked again. “It still hurts, but I can see slightly better.” She looked down at the kids who were still clutching her apron.
“They’re fine,” he said.
Kara nodded, and he thought she was going to cry but instead, she tipped her chin up. “Can I see your bracelet, sir?”
“Jack.” He held up his wrist. She stared at his bracelet for a long moment and then the girl’s. “They match. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before, sir... but....”
“Jack, and that’s fine. Under stress, lots of people would have just let them go.” He looked around. “Are you the only one working today?”
Kara shook her head. “No. My co-worker, Brittany, freaked out when the fight started. She’s the one who shot me with pepper spray.”
“You got sprayed by your co-worker? Man— that’s messed up.”
She smiled. Even with her red nose and eyes, Kara was pretty. Her hair was a deep auburn and her face a perfect heart shape. “Brittany doesn’t deal well under stress. I’m sure she’s still running.”
“I’m happy Ada was here with you and not your ditsy co-worker.”
Brad stepped into sight. “Miss, if you’re ready, I need to take a statement.”
They turned when they heard an agitated voice from within the store.
“Where’s my baby?” They came out to find a large woman waving her hands in the air. “Billy!” she shouted and ran towards the boy to scoop him up.
“Can we see your bracelet, ma’am?” Jack asked. “The lady here needs to match them for security purposes.”
The woman harrumphed as she held out her arm. Kara checked the bracelets and nodded.
“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer! What kind of a place is this?” the woman yelled and took a step toward Kara.
Jack stepped in front of her. “It’s a place that kept your child out of harm’s way when a random fight broke out in the mall. Instead of suing, I’d be thanking this woman.”