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“Jim,” his mother’s tone was urgent, and immediately drew his attention away from the display of stinky perfumes he had been eyeing dispassionately. “That man just took my purse.”

Instantly alert, Jim turned to see the man she pointed out who was hurrying from the store, Winona Kirk’s small black purse in his hand.

They’d gone to the mall for Black Friday shopping since his mother was visiting him in San Francisco for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Jim! Be careful. He could have a weapon,” she yelled after him as he took off running.

He was gaining on the guy in no time, after all back in high school he’d been on the track team, but the guy had become aware Jim was chasing him and had began to shove people out of his way and Jim didn’t want to see anyone getting hurt.

“Hey! Stop that guy! He’s a thief!”

He didn’t have much hope anyone would listen to him until suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a hand reached for the thief’s arm and down he went.

Jim came to a standstill a few feet away to see that the thief had been stopped by a tall, good looking Vulcan who stood next to a beautiful dark-haired Earth woman wearing a blue head scarf.

Just then, his mother rushed up to him.

The Vulcan, Spock was his name, Jim knew, reached down and removed Jim’s mom’s purse and handed it to her.

“Yours I believe.”

She beamed at him. “Thank you so much.”

A security guard appeared with the lady with the blue scarf. She pointed down to the still unconscious man.

“There he is. He stole this woman’s purse.”

The security guard lifted the thief to his feet and took him away.

Jim smiled and leaned in to give Spock a very quick, though not particularly discreet kiss. “You always have perfect timing.”

Spock’s dark eyes sparkled. “I do try. This is my mother, Amanda.”

“And my mother, Winona.”

“And to think our lunch was almost ruined by that thief,” Jim’s mom said, as she took Spock’s mom’s hand in her for a quick press of welcome.

“We were just leaving that store when Mom stopped to look at something,” Jim told Spock as they all fell into step. “The restaurant is this way.”

My days of going out into crowds for Black Friday shopping are LONG OVER, Thank God