In My Father's Shadow Read Free Page A

the minute strands of hair
hanging in her eyes and glanced at the dry erase board behind her
teacher. They were only on rule number seven. The class was going
to take forever. She wanted school to end so she could hunt down
Cole in the music room and feel him out – see if he was sensing the
change, too. She wanted to look into his muddy brown eyes and see
that familiar affectionate look he always flashed her when she was
around him. She just wanted everything to be like it used to be
before that….event early that summer.
    A shimmer of excitement shimmied up her spine but she
pushed it away. She couldn’t get all ga-ga over it- Cole was her
best friend. She just needed to handle it like an adult and not
like some little lovesick school girl. Cole’s friendship was far
too important for that.
    ***
    The music room was quiet and dark when Ally entered
and it took her a few minutes to locate him near the drum kit in
the corner, drum sticks poking out of his back pocket. He was
handsome, she had to admit, with his shaggy dark hair, his tall,
hard frame, and his big brown eyes. Quite a few of her classmates
had expressed an interest in him and had even asked Ally to
intercede on their behalf. She hadn’t though, claiming that his
love life was his own problem and she wasn’t stepping into that
mess.
    He brushed his fingers lightly over the cymbals and
she smiled, knowing he was probably taking a trip down memory lane
– thinking of all the lessons his father had patiently given him.
The only thing he loved more than playing the drums was his father
and nothing had made Cole happier than when Nate Crawford had
finally been awarded sole custody of his son. The entire custody
battle had been ugly and Ally still shuddered when she recalled the
pain in Cole’s voice when he’d call her, trying his best not to
cry.
    She watched him now, smiling proudly at how he’d
turned out, even after spending much of his childhood with his
bitter, drug abusing mother. It hadn’t taken him long to open up
and become the easy-going, smiling person he was now once he’d
moved in permanently with his father and Ally hoped she’d never see
the sullen, unhappy Cole again.
    “Thought I’d find you here,” Ally said softly,
ripping Cole from his thoughts. “Are you okay?”
    He nodded and smiled as he tapped the snare drum.
“Just wonderful. What’s up?”
    She shrugged and sat on the piano bench, her eyes on
him as he continued to inspect the drum set. She ran her fingers
softly over the keys. “Where’s everyone else?”
    “RJ went to hunt Ren down,” he said as he spun around
and slid on the bench next to her. “Don’t you have volleyball
practice?”
    “Doesn’t start until next week,” she murmured. “Have
anyone in mind to take Steve’s place?”
    Cole sighed and she could practically see the wheels
turning in his mind, flipping through the files on the people he
knew at school that’d be talented enough to take the vacant spot in
his band. “No. RJ wants to put a notice up in the Student Center. I
imagine we’ll get all kinds of freaks if we do that.”
    “Parker Milten plays,” she suggested. “At least
that’s what I heard.”
    Cole smirked, a teasing glint in his eye. “You got
the hots for him, don’t you?”
    Gasping, she punched him lightly on the arm. “I do
not!” A slight twinge touched her cheeks and she ducked her head to
hide it. Sure, at one time she’d harbored a secret crush on Parker
– he was adorable in her opinion – but that crush had fizzled out
before she’d ever made up her mind whether she’d wanted to act on
it or not. Now, she thought as she peeked at Cole through her
eyelashes, his cute face and charming personality paled in
comparison to Cole.
    “Whatever, you liar,” Cole said, laughing. He grabbed
her hand as she swung to punch him again and pulled her closer. A
tiny smirk toyed with the edge of his lips and his breath brushed
across her check. She shivered in response.