Free Until Next Time (The Shooting Stars Series) by Michelle Maness Page A

think everything I own is soaked!” she groused.
    “Amy!” Katherine rushed to hug her as soon as she had set her things on the bed.
    “Of course you beat me here,” Amy laughed as she returned her hug.
    “You know me; I’m always early,” Katherine laughed.
    “As opposed to being late everywhere like me?” Amy smiled.
    “Hello, Mr. Mayfield, Mrs. Mayfield,” Amy greeted.
    “Hello, Amy.”
    “Well, hello, Kattie.” Amy’s mom greeted. “Just set that box over there, Brian,” she instructed her son.
    “Brian, this is my roomie, Kattie. Kattie, this is my brother Brian. He graduated from here the year before we came. He is the one who taught me how to play basketball.”
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Katherine smiled.
    Brian looked like a male version of Amy, only taller.
    “The pleasure’s mine. You guys be careful and watch out for these college guys,” he gave them brotherly advice.
    “We will,” Amy assured him. “Shouldn’t someone have warned Lisa about you?”
    “I was a perfect gentleman,” he defended himself.
    “Right, I’m sure you were,” Amy rolled her eyes.
    “I guess we should be going,” Katherine’s parents announced. Amy’s parents left behind them.
    “I am sooooo happy to see you,” Amy hugged Katherine close.
    “It’s good to see you too. I missed you over the summer.”
    “I know, weird huh?” Amy joked.
    “We should unpack,” Katherine tore open one of her boxes.
    “Are these your high school friends?” Amy picked up a photo. Katherine hadn’t brought many pictures the year before for fear it would make her homesick.
    “Yeah, I didn’t see much of them over the summer.”
    “I’m guessing this is Adam with his arms around you?”
    “Yes, it is,” she nodded.
    “No wonder you fell for him.”
    “He is very nice looking but it was more than his looks, Amy.”
    “I know. Did you hear any more from him over summer?”
    “I did actually; he wrote quite a bit and we talked on the phone too.”
    “So where do things stand between you two?” Amy quirked a brow in inquiry.
    “Friends,” she sighed. “Only we don’t talk like friends.”
    “Does he know about Kevin?”
    “I told him,” Katherine admitted, “Not that there was much to tell.”
    “No, you two barely qualified as a couple.”
    “How’s Clark?”
    “Good; leaving again was hard. This is what I get for dating an older man I guess.”
    “Kevin wrote me this summer,” Katherine shared.
    “Oh?”
    “He and his fiancée broke up again so he thought perhaps we might date again. I told him no.”
    “He’s a cute guy but a little dense,” Amy rolled her eyes.
    “I know,” Katherine laughed. “I need to run over to the office and check in on a couple of things.” Katherine folded up her last box.
    “If it is still raining like it was earlier, you’ll want to drive,” Amy advised.
    “It’s still raining,” Katherine grabbed her umbrella. “I’ll be back shortly,” she promised as she left the room.
    She took one look at the cars milling around and decided to walk. She feared she would never find a parking space if she gave up the one she had. She hadn’t yet gotten her parking assignment. Resigned, she snapped her umbrella open and started up one of the many hills on campus. It didn’t take her long to figure out that walking had been a mistake; the wind was threatening to rip her umbrella right from her hands.
    “Kaitlyn!”
    Katherine froze; only one person called her that. Her heart was racing as she turned. She saw him coming toward her and gave up her fight to hold on to her umbrella; she only hoped nobody was in its path.
    “Adam,” she blinked at him as he approached.
    Adam stopped in front of her, framed her face with his hands and a moment later was kissing her deeply. Katherine melted against him, wound her arms around him, and felt elation lift her heart.
    “What are you doing here?” she demanded as she leaned back in his arms to look at him.
    “Getting