Secret Heart: Other Realm, Frost Family Series, Book 3

Lock 4

Willow came around the car and opened up the backseat passenger door. Prophecy unbuckled her seat belt, reached out for her mother's hand, and jumped out of Kazuo's SUV Willow used in town. As soon as the girl's feet touched the pavement of the parking lot, her eyes went wide and she stared up at her mother's face in excitement. "Mommy, they're here, they're here!"

Frowning, Willow stared down at Prophecy. "Who's here, baby?" she asked.

By now the girl was all but jumping up and down in excitement. "We have to hurry, Mommy," she insisted. She began tugging at Willow's hand, trying to drag her toward the inside of the small General Store. "Hurry!" Prophecy's voice cracked with her impatience and excitement.

Unable to do anything but shake her head, sigh, and chuckle a little, Willow obliged. She closed the back door, grabbed her purse from the front seat, closed that door, and then locked the car with the beeper keypad. Only then did she let herself be pulled along into the store. "Alright, alright, baby."

Prophecy dragged her into the store and along through it until they reached the medicine aisle. As they turned into the aisle, Willow's eyes grew wide. Standing there, looking completely calm and unharmed was the man she had failed to kill last night. He was partly blocked by another man, who was honestly a damn giant. Vaguely she recognized him from last night as the guy Aiden had been sitting next to when she approached the bar. The two looked like they were debating what to buy. She inhaled sharply, getting ready to turn right around and retreat.

Prophecy had other ideas.

Without a moment's hesitation, she released her mother's hand and ran the remaining distance to the two men. "Uncle Bren, Uncle Aiden!" she squealed happily.

Both men froze in place, lifting their heads and turning to take in the little girl at the exact same time. Both seemed unsure how they were supposed to react, their faces pulled down into frowns of confusion.

Stopping right in front of the taller man, Prophecy beamed up at him. "Uncle Bren, I'm so glad I can meet you." Bren and Aiden watched the little girl's expression droop, her dark blue eyes filling with sadness. "I'm sorry I have to hurt you, Uncle Bren. Don't worry though. A kiss always makes boo-boos feel better," she told him. Then, clearing her throat, she stretched her arms up above her head, bouncing up and down. "Uncle Bren, pick me up," she told him.

Feeling the fire in his blood and wincing, Bren reached down and lifted the little girl he didn't know or recognize in the slightest into his arms. She promptly wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now you feel better, don't you?"

Swallowing, eyes wide, Bren couldn't find words to ask all the questions rushing through his mind. The little girl smiled widely, patting his shoulder in affection. "Don't worry, Uncle Bren," she told him. "Mommy's going to get mad now and Uncle Aiden's going to be very confused." She paused, lips pursed. "You will be too, but it's okay. We'll be the best of friends and then later I'm going to see my daddy. I can't wait to meet Grandpa Jack and Grandma Nisha," she confessed in a quiet voice.

Willow stormed over. "Prophecy! What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded.

Aiden pushed past Bren and stood in the woman's way, holding up his hands. "J-just wait a second here...What's going on right now?"

Smiling, Prophecy laid her head on Bren's shoulder. "See, Uncle Bren?" she giggled quietly. "It's just like I saw." Bren had no words...

"Wait a second...You!" Aiden gasped, pointing to Willow. "You're the woman from last night!"

Prophecy sighed. She leaned her head to his ear and whispered a secret softly. Pulling back, she kissed Bren's cheek again. "You have to remember what I just told you. Tomorrow, bring Uncle Aiden with you. Put me down. I'm sorry, Uncle Bren." Given no choice, Bren gently placed the girl's sandaled feet on the tiled floor. Like a spring breeze, she skipped giddily over to her mother, taking hold of her mother's hand. "We have to go now, Mom," she explained. "We can get the groceries somewhere else. We just had to come here to see Uncle Bren and Uncle Aiden. Now we can go." She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing Bren's dumbstruck expression and Aiden's slowly darkening one. "We should leave before Uncle Aiden looses his temper." She tugged at her mother's hand once more.