Broken Creek (The Creek #1) Read Free Page B

car was the best way to see the sights. Karina directed me as I drove the three blocks to the Japanese restaurant.
    To other people, the town probably wasn’t much to see, but to me, it was a big change from having nothing but an E-Z Mart and a grocery store.
    When we walked in, the restaurant was crowded with people our age and whatever they were cooking smelled divine. Our wait was short, and we were seated in the bar area. Overwhelmed with an extensive menu, I had no clue and couldn’t make a decision. I looked from page to page and tried to comprehend it, but finally gave up.
    “Don’t let me embarrass myself. Help me with this menu.” I kept my voice to a whisper. I didn’t want people to know how much of a hick I happened to be.
    “You’re too cool. I’ll explain it,” she said with a giggle.
    After about thirty minutes, I pretty much understood the various rolls, and we moved on to the next lesson.
    Chopsticks.
    It took longer than thirty minutes for me to master the art of using chopsticks.
    “I think you like a little sushi with your wasabi,” Karina teased.
    “You noticed. I’m already hooked on this stuff and the more it burns my sinuses, the better. I think you’ll need a wheelbarrow to haul me outta here.”
    “You’ll learn to go easy on the soy sauce. It puffs me up like a balloon if I eat too much.”
    Our dinner was fabulous, but expensive. I decided sushi was going to be on-a-treat basis. My scholarship provided extra money, but I still had to be frugal until I could get a part-time job, and according to the nursing school policy, I could apply at the end of the semester for a nurse assistant position at the hospital, provided I passed all of my tests.

The days passed quickly into weeks, and the weeks soon rolled into months. Before long, it was our last week of school before the Christmas holidays. Karina and I were both going home for the school break after we took our last final exam. I’d missed going home for Thanksgiving, but the weather had been bad that week, and Mom and I thought it was best to save the money and come home at Christmas break.
    Karina was helping me fold laundry. “I know your mom will be excited to see you.”
    I twisted my ponytail. “Yep, she’s emailed me every day now that they have created their version of Starbucks with an Internet cafe and free Wi-Fi at the diner. They let her use their computer any time she wants.”
    “You don’t have internet at home?”
    “No, but that’s what I’m getting her for Christmas now that I have the job on the fourth floor starting in January.”
    “She’ll be thrilled. You can Skype. Imagine what you can teach her.”
    I grabbed her arm to stop her from moving around the room for a moment. “Look, my mom and I are tight, but since I’ve come here and started my own life, I realize how much we were co-dependents emotionally, and it was dangerous. I don’t want to go back to that part of my life. The weaning process was painful for both of us, and I can’t do it again. I’m happy moving forward.”
    Was co-dependency just my excuse for not wanting to go back to the creek?
    “And does this newfound happiness have anything to do with Brad?”
    “Brad Crenshaw? My friend from anatomy class? Seriously, no. He’s only a friend, and he has a long-distance gal pal who he talks about constantly. If he isn’t in love with her, it’s because he just hasn’t realized it yet.”
    “Well, he sure comes around here a lot. I thought he was crushin’ on you.”
    “No, he’s crushing on some gal named Jennifer.”
    “Well then, we need to find you a guy. You say you hate being a third wheel to Aaron and me.”
    “When the time is right, he’ll walk into my life.”
    “Do you believe that?”
    “I do. I think fate brings people together. Fate brought Stephan and me together. While it was tragic, at least something good came out of it, as long as it lasted.”
    We grabbed out baskets and headed up the stairs to our