Page 22 of Chasing Sunrise

Chapter Five

The gunshot blastedin Kasey’s ears. The bullet seared his leg.

He jerked awake, covered in sweat. He’d dreamed of the holdup again. The dream never changed. And he woke up at the same spot every time.

He hadn’t had the dream in years. Right after it happened, he seemed to have it every night. Dr. Youst assured him it was normal and would ease over time. Thankfully, she’d been right.

He snatched his phone off the nightstand. He’d silenced it yesterday before he’d gotten toTiny’sand hadn’t checked it since. The time showed nearly eleven. He rarely slept this late, but he’d not fallen asleep until four.

Ten text messages and six missed calls. He ignored them. Last night, while they’d had a private moment, Kasey told Zack and Dre what happened with Harper, and they’d made plans to have lunch today. He needed to catch a shower, stop at Ralph’s Barber Shop, and get to Zack’s by one.

Against his better judgment, he brought up the Star Breeze website on his phone. The footage of his disastrous break-up would air soon. A part of him didn’t want to watch, another part wanted to know exactly what they showed.

Star Breeze’s intro filled the screen. The first story highlighted Gemini, the popular actress and the host of the reality showChasing Sunsets. Nine months pregnant, she stood on a beach in a white gauzy dress that resembled a tent. The next clip reported a politician having an affair with an employee. Then a panoramic view of the star-filled night in Colorado where he’d proposed to Harper filled the screen. He turned up the volume.

“Reality celebrity Hunter Kase was recently on shoot sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Not only does the park have dunes, it’s also an International Dark Sky Park. Dark sky parks are protected land for scientific, natural, and educational purposes because they possess exceptional starry nights and thriving nocturnal environments.”

Harper loved everything celestial, and he thought it’d be the best place to propose.

“He took a night off to bring his girlfriend, Harper Hastings, to the park. As you all know, Harper is a world-renown model and the producer ofHunter Kase. They’ve been dating the last two years. Star Breeze caught this exclusive of the couple.”

A deep calming breath later, Kasey saw himself on his knee, holding out a box with a two-carat diamond. “Harper, will you marry me?”

“I can’t, Kasey.”

The shot froze with him on his knee.

Kasey hit the side button of his phone, and it went dark.

Well, the episode was out. Hopefully, he could start to put it behind him.

Texts began flooding his phone screen. It vibrated with incoming calls. He answered none of them, unsure how to act or what to say. It was painful enough without the world knowing what happened. Facing people would be challenging.

He groaned.This is accomplishing nothing.

Pity party over, he rolled out of bed. The same bunk bed he’d used as a kid. Opening a drawer on the dresser, he pulled out some clothes he’d left here. He’d been in such a rush to leave Colorado he hadn’t even packed a bag.

The book he’d brought up from downstairs last night sat on the nightstand. He’d only gotten through one chapter before he’d passed out. Plus, his mind hadn’t been clear. Hopefully he’d find time to read it today. Book club tonight might be an excellent distraction.

~

The Hunter’s houselooked different in the light of day. Without the cloak of night, Amanda could now make out the gray stone and white Hardiplank. Two old oak trees canopied the yard and evergreen bushes lined the front of the house.

Shelly Hunter opened the door. “Amanda, come in.” Streaks of gray peppered her short, brown hair. Some might think of her looks as plain, but her personality bloomed larger than life. The first time Amanda met her, she appreciated the woman’s intelligence and humor. Shelly asked, “Did you find the house okay?”

“I knew where it was after driving Kasey home from Quinn’s party last night.” She noticed a set of carpeted stairs to the left of the front door leading to the second floor.

“Oh.” Shelly seemed surprised.

Amanda followed her through the house.

A long hallway opened to a game room on the right and a dining room to the left.

At seeing the table up against the wall and the chairs in a circle on the other side of the room, she stopped. Although simple in design, the table top was a spectacular, thick piece of dark, natural wood with live edges, knots, and a low sheen finish that accentuated the beauty of the wood. “Is that a Nakashima dining table?”

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