Free When Dreams Come True (The Star Series Book 1) by M. Stratton

least, that was what she told herself.
    Looking at the countdown Hannah had installed on her computer, it showed she was going to be seeing him in just seventeen more days. They were scheduled to wrap on his current movie, and then they’d have about a week together before he had to be off again to a fundraiser in Paris and then an exclusive one-week theater performance in London. Instead of focusing on the date he’d be leaving her again, she tried to focus on the fact that they’d have a whole week together.
    Shaking her head, she knew she was just fooling herself. She was as weak as her mother. There she was, a woman in her thirties, and yet she felt like she’d give any teenaged fan-girl a run for her money on who knew more about him, or would sigh more over his pictures.
    Her eyes dropped to the time and saw it was six in the morning. She’d already been up for a couple of hours and was on her second pot of coffee. It was her week to go to the grocery store, and she knew she had to suck it up and get it over with before the heat became too unbearable and the ice cream would melt on the way home. Sighing, she got up from her desk and went to get changed, frowning when she realized that her pants were too loose on her. She made a mental note to add more junk food than normal to the list. Hannah would give her a hard time, but she hadn’t realized she’d lost so much weight.
    Driving down into Tucson from her house at the base of the Catalina Mountains was always a breathtaking trip. She loved the fact that she wasn’t in the heart of the city, but close enough that it didn’t take much time at all to get where she needed to go. Absentmindedly she went through the store, adding things from the list and whatever struck her fancy. It had been so long since she’d cooked that she decided to pick something up and make dinner that night. She’d always loved to cook and maybe it would be good for her to remember there were other things in life besides writing, and not being able to get her boyfriend out of her head.
    She stopped in the middle of the aisle and shook her head, trying to get the whole ‘boyfriend’ thing out of her mind. What was he really? She felt like he was more than just a boyfriend, but if he was more they’d be spending a lot of time together. They hadn’t been able to meet up in person since Los Angeles. Grabbing what she needed quickly, she suddenly wanted to get back home. She finished her shopping and stood in line, waiting to check out. Looking at the magazines she couldn’t stop herself when she saw Will on the cover of one. Reaching out her shaking hand she took it and a goofy smile spread across her face. There he was. She opened to the article on him and started reading while keeping one eye on the line. Trying not to sigh, she read his answers to the questions and could hear him speaking the words, the tone and lilt to his voice rising and falling with each turn of phrase.
    “Excuse me.”
    A voice came from behind her and she turned to see a woman about her age looking at her with wide eyes. “Yes?”
    “I don’t mean to be so… I’ve never met…” The young woman blushed. “Can I ask? Are you Melissa Loring?”
    “Yes, I am.” Lissa blinked rapidly when the woman started jumping up and down and let out a small scream.
    “Oh, my gosh, I love your books. I’ve read them all, so many times.”
    “Thank you.” It was the first time anyone had recognized her in public and not at a book signing, and it was a strange feeling. She didn’t feel she deserved that reaction at author signings, let alone in the checkout line of the grocery store.
    “I can’t wait for your next book. And oh my, your movie! I definitely can’t wait for that to come out. That was one of my favorite books you wrote, and…” She pointed to the magazine, her voice rising. “Will Martinsson is starring in it. I can’t wait! Is it true you two are dating? Can I get your autograph? Do you live