Crazy Dreams by Dawn Pendleton Read Free Book Online Page B

an early riser. Did I hear you leave the house at six?” He sat on one of the barstools, not stepping into my little domain.
    “Yeah. I went for a run.”
    “Why?” He looked so confused.
    I laughed a little. “Exercise is good for you that’s why.”
    “I don’t work out unless I have to,” he mumbled.
    My brow rose. “Liar.”
    “Okay, my trainer says I have to three times a week,” he said.
    I let out a full laugh that time. “You have a trainer? I’m a model and I don’t even have a trainer.”
    “Yeah, what’s up with that?”
    “What, me not having a trainer?” I asked, flipping two omelets in the pan. It did smell good and my stomach growled.
    “No, I mean you being a model, period. Why would you go into that kind of profession?” He choked a little on the word profession , but I chose to ignore it.
    “I didn’t really choose, I guess,” I explained, sliding each omelet on to a plate and then setting the fruit I’d sliced up next to each egg. I put a plate in front of him and I stood across from him with my plate, not wanting to sit.
    “Thanks,” he said, digging in.
    “It was more like I didn’t have a clue what I wanted, so my mother chose for me,” I continued, using my fork to push the fruit back and forth across my plate. “I never fought her or anything, so it became a routine. It wasn’t until Rainey died that I realized it wasn’t what I wanted.”
    “Dallas never talks about her,” Stone commented, his voice low.
    “About Rainey? I’m not surprised. I think he feels a lot of guilt, ‘cause he didn’t really pay too much attention to her before she died. He didn’t even know about her leukemia for the longest time. None of us did. She kept it well hidden. But he harbors that guilt of not being there for her.” I took a bite of my omelet. Even though I was hungry, it didn’t taste as good as it should. Talking about Rainey was difficult.
    “Even when he explained who you were, in relation to him, it seemed like he had a hard time saying her name. I’m sorry that the two of you lost your sister.” He looked so sad, so helpless. I could relate.
    “There’s nothing that can be done now. There wasn’t much they could do before. Part of the reason I’m here is to get away from all the sadness. Everything back home reminds me of her. So I thought getting away would help.”
    “Has it?” he asked, his eyes deep and soulful.
    “I’m not really sure. I mean, this city is gorgeous, so full of life, but it hasn’t really been long enough for me to decide how I feel. So I’m still on the fence,” I explained.
    “I understand what you mean about getting away. That’s why I left Pennsylvania,” he admitted, scooping the last of his omelet into his mouth.
    “Oh yeah? I thought you wanted to be a star.”
    He shrugged. “I do and I don’t. It was a means to an end. Of course, I’d love to be a star, but I’m willing to sell one of my songs to a well-known artist, too. I’ll take whatever I can get. But most of all, I had to get away from my home town. People never left, never pursued their dreams. It’s kind of depressing.”
    “Some people’s dreams are to stay in their small town,” I said, thinking of Rainey’s best friend, Gabby. Her whole life, she wanted to stay in Casper, and she got her wish. She even had her happy ending, with her baby and Wolfe’s daughter, too. Her dream was a family.
    Stone snorted. “Not my style.”

Eleven
     
    Stone
     
    Breakfast was amazing. The girl could cook. Even with peppers and random shit in the eggs, it tasted good. I wasn’t a big fruit eater, either, but everything was fresh and full of flavor. I tried not to pay attention as she slipped a succulent strawberry into her mouth. I focused on my own fruit, instead.
    When I finished chewing, I looked at her again. “Don’t get me wrong – I like my small town. I just don’t want to live there for the rest of my life. I want something more.”
    She nodded.