The Time Windows
an excerpt

Unfortunately for Loki, all of his careful planning went straight out the window when he saw Nik waiting for him at the baggage claim. She was standing there in what had to be comfortable clothes, but to him she looked like a supermodel. Jeans that hugged her curves but weren’t too tight hanging long over clean black-and-green skate shoes, a lime green satin sleeveless top sliding lithely over her skin when she breathed, and her long dark brown hair falling in her face and catching on the edge of her black hooded sweatshirt the way it always had in high school. A smile lit up his face as Loki whistled a line from a song he knew she’d recognize at Nik to get her attention as he walked up to her.

“Phoenix, my dear, you look marvelous.” He set down his carry-on bag on the floor next to her, wrapped his arms around her waist in the biggest bear-hug he could manage, and spun her around grinning even bigger when he heard her laugh, like a soft wooden wind chime in a perfect summer wind.

“Welcome home, Loki!” she said, once he’d set her down again. He grinned, and after picking up his bag again, he took her hand and squeezed it once, gently, and turned to wait for his luggage to spin out on the carousel.