Read Online Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman - Free Book Online Page B

mirror for the dozenth time. Unfortunately, nothing had changed. Not only was she tired from getting up that morning to coach Brandy, but her hair was a complete wreck and her jeans were too tight. She turned sideways to look in the mirror at the stomach pooch she had developed recently. In the three years since she’d stopped running, she had gained weight, but this was different. It didn’t make sense—she hadn’t been eating more than usual. Maybe it was just the last vestige of her former self slipping away. No more washboard abs, just her metabolism slowing from a sprint to a crawl.
    Great. Just great.
    She walked down the stairs, wishing she’d thought up an excuse not to go tonight. No, that wasn’t true. She wanted to go out with Koen more than anything, it was just that the whole thing was so out of her control—and that drove her crazy. Running had been in her control. Her grades were under her control. The upcoming job interview was under her control to at leastsome degree. But whether or not Koen liked her, or was bored out of his mind tonight, well, she didn’t know what to do to control that.
    “Don’t you look nice.” Nana was sitting in the living room, knitting a pink blanket for the neighbor’s new daughter. “What’s this young man like?” Sabrina sighed and sat down on the ottoman at her grandmother’s feet. “Perfect. Amazing. And way out of my league.”
    “Hmm, somehow I doubt that. You’re in a league all by yourself.”
    “Spoken like a true grandmother.” Sabrina smiled at her, thankful for the unconditional love shown by both her grandmother and her mother. They were the two people she could always count on for support.
    Dingdong.
    Sabrina felt the doorbell all the way down into her stomach. She stood up and started for the door, her legs a bit wobbly. This is stupid. You see the guy almost every day. You studied with him just two nights ago. Relax, you freak! Sabrina pulled open the door, hoping her face didn’t reveal the level of sudden panic she felt.
    And there he stood, smiling at her. The dark blue shirt he was wearing made his eyes look all that much brighter, his white-blond hair that much lighter. His grin was just a trifle lopsided, causing his dimple to stand out. He looked even better than his usual level of perfection. “Hey.” He just looked at her and waited for a response.
    “Uh, hey. Come on in, I’ll just get my jacket.” She walked into the living room and picked up her jacket from the chair where she’d laid it. “Nana, this is Koen Conner. Koen, this is my grandmother.”
    Nana stood to her feet and stuck out her hand toward him. “Louise Springer, nice to meet you.”
    “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Springer.”
    He turned his charming smile on Nana, who nodded her approval. “You two have a nice time this evening.”
    “Oh, I’m sure we will.” He turned toward Sabrina. “You ready?”
    Nana, behind him now, widened her eyes and gave Sabrina the OK signal with her fingers. Koen must have caught the general direction of Sabrina’s smile because he turned around to see what she was looking at. Thankfully, Nana pulled her hand down just in time and sat back in her seat, looking every bit the innocent grandmother.
    They walked out the door and down the sidewalk toward Koen’s beat-up white pickup truck. He held the passenger side door open for Sabrina. “Ma’am.” Oh, he was adorable.
    A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Jerry’s Lakeside Grill. It was a local favorite, with casual American fare, cozy fireplaces situated throughout the dining room, and one entire wall of windows providing amazing views of the lake. Even now, in mid-February, with the surrounding trees bare of leaves, the setting was beautiful.
    Koen walked up to the hostess. “Reservation for Conner.”
    The hostess looked down her list. “Ah yes. Let me go make certain your table is ready.”
    “Sabrina? So nice to see you again so soon.”
    Sabrina turned