Read Online Ellie's Song by Lisa Page - Free Book Online

 
     
     
     
    Ellie Morg an tucked a strand of pale blond hair behind her ear as she blew on her chamomile te a. She was sitting at a little table in the corner of the Sit-n-Sip coffee shop watching people come in from the snowy street for a warm beverage to ward off winter’s chill.
    It was nice to be back in her hometown of Danning to see her family again and sh e did love Christmas, though the length of her holiday break from college was just about how long she could stand it t here. She ’d always thought of herself as a city girl. Sh e loved the action that big cities were immersed in . Being in Chicago showed her just how much she had been missing in this boring town. All the shopping on Michigan Avenue , the fun night life and the many opportunities for a vocal performance major were not to be found in dreary Danning , Indiana .
    As she sipped her tea, her eyes caught a glimps e of a man outside on the sidewalk. A man walking with a spring in his step, who made her take a second look. Even underneath his winter jacket, she could tell he was broad-shouldered and muscular. He had dark hair, cut short , but she could tell that it held a natural wave. She was hoping he’d turn off the sidewalk and into the coffee shop so she could get a better look. And she smiled to herself when he did just that. Life in Danning was looking up.
    He walked in the door and rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them as he made his way to the front of the line. He gave the barista a friendly greeting and then his order. There was something about his voice sounded vaguely familiar to her .
    After getting his large cup of coffee to go, he looked around the shop as he turned to walk out . His eyes stopped to rest on El lie and he gave her a warm , friendly smile. Suddenly there was a spark of recognition in his eyes . “Ellie?”
    She blinked and set down her tea. Luke ? She wondered how she didn’t recognize him before then. This handsome stranger was someone she knew!
    “Luke Williams! It’s been a long time!” She smiled back at him as he walked over to her table. Luke was a couple years older than her. They had met whil e performing in the high school musical together .   She remembered what an amazing voice he had and how cute he had been, too, even back then . He was an inspiration to her when he left to study in New York on a vocal talent scholarship and then when he really made it big by landing a role in a Broadway show . He was probably one of the last people she’d expected to see back in town. He was even bet ter looking than she remembered; time had been kind to him.
    She watched as he looked her over and wondered if he was surprised at how much she had changed since they’d last seen each other. She was still short and petite, that much hadn’t changed, but t he last time he’d seen her she had been a ponytailed 15 year old with braces. Definitely not her most attractive phase, but three years of braces had been worth it for the smile that it gave her. She was often told that it was her best feature.
    “ Wow, look at you, you ’re all grown up!” h e said as he pulled out a chair and sat down next to her . He smelled of cold winter ai r and spicy men’s cologne .
    “Hey now , you’re not that much older than me, you know.”
    She saw his mouth curve up into a smile that made her heart beat a little faster.
    “ Well I think you’ve changed a lot more than I have. What have you b een up to? Do you live in town?”
    “In Danning ? Are you kidding me , ” she laughed. “ No way! I’m only back for Christmas break. It’s my last year at Northwestern. A nd what are you doing back here? I thought you were a big Broadway sta r now. Are you visiting family?”
    He grinned sheepishly an d shrugged. “Nah, it was a f un time but my Broadway days are behind me . I moved back here this year to take a job as a music teacher at the high school.”
    Now it wa s Ellie’s turn to feel a bit sheepish and she wondered