Mistletoe and Mayhem - Cheryl Bolen Page 0,280

England, Scotland, and Europe. Her books are centred on the themes of love, honour, and family.

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ONCE UPON A KISS GONE HORRIBLY WRONG

~ Prequel to the Once Upon a Kiss Series ~

by

BREE WOLF

England 1801: MISS ANNE THATCHER ought to choose a husband. That, however, is easier said than done for no man manages to capture her attention, her interest, her heart. The only man she has ever loved is Tobias Hawke, her childhood friend who has always been like an older brother to her, troublesome but loyal.

Anne cannot think of him without remembering how he used to hide frogs in her bed when they were children. He is her friend, not a suitor, and yet, lately, whenever she finds herself looking into those chocolate-brown eyes of his, Anne cannot help but wonder…

…what if he kissed her?

TOBIAS HAWKE, brother to Viscount Barrington, no longer sees the little girl he once knew when he looks at his childhood friend Anne Thatcher. To him, she’s no longer Little Annie, and the thought that she might still think of him as Little Toby disturbs him greatly. Yes, she is his confidante, his friend, the one woman who knows him like no other, but…

…what if he kissed her?

Neither one of them dares to risk the friendship that connected them since childhood…until Christmas arrives, and they find themselves pushed under a sprig of mistletoe.

What if?

Prologue

Somewhere in England, Winter 1790 (or a variation thereof)

Eleven years earlier

The snow crunched under her feet as eight-year-old Annie Thatcher raced across the white meadow after her best friend, Tobias Hawke, second son to Viscount Barrington. Small flakes clung to her dark curls peeking out of her hood and settled on the tip of her nose, making her sneeze. Still, Annie pressed on even though her legs began to ache as she fought to keep up with Toby.

When he reached the edge of the frozen lake, he jumped in the air, a wide grin upon his red face. He roared in triumph and pulled his woolen hat off his head, throwing it in the air. “Yes, I made it. I told you I’d be faster than you, Annie.” He gulped down a lungful of air. “You still have some growing to do.”

Pulling to a halt, Annie fell to her knees into the snow, panting. “But I wasn’t far behind. I almost had you.”

Walking over, Toby nodded, then held out a hand to help her up. “Yes, you did good. You’re getting faster every day.”

“You truly think so?” Annie asked, gazing up into his smiling face. “Truly truly?”

Toby laughed, and his chocolate-brown eyes shone with warmth. “Yes, Annie, truly truly.” He kept tossing his hat in the air, catching it a mere second before it hit the snow. “But why do you want to be faster than me?”

Annie shrugged. “It looks like fun.” She regarded him curiously. “Don’t you always try to outrun Phin? He’s older and taller than you, but still you race him. Why do you try if you know you won’t win?”

Toby shrugged at the mention of his older brother. “Well, I don’t know I won’t win. It’s unlikely that I will, but not impossible.” Again, he shrugged before once more tossing his hat in the air as high as he could. “So I keep racing him, and perhaps one day I’ll win. Perhaps one day I’ll best him.”

Annie couldn’t quite understand Toby when it came to this competitiveness between the two brothers; however, that didn’t matter. If it was important to Toby, it was important to her. It was as simple as that. “And that’s why I race you,” she decided. “To help you practice.”

A warm smile lit up his face. “That is so kind of you, Annie. Thank you.” Again, his hat flew up in the air, but this time a strong, icy wind caught a hold of it and carried it off.

Toby’s eyes widened as he stared at his woolen hat, dancing through the air until it caught on a barren branch of an oak tree high above the ground. “Oh, no.” His voice was faint as he trudged through the snow, closer to the tree. “Mother will be furious. She specifically told me not to lose this one, too.”

Indeed, Toby had lost, torn or otherwise ruined countless hats while Annie had lost, torn or otherwise ruined countless ribbons. “Then let’s get it down,” she suggested and marched closer to the tree, her eyes travelling upward along the branches.

“I