Page 1 of Fools in Love

Prologue

Thirteen-year-old Kate stood just outside her new school and couldn’t help but do a little dance of excitement.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, kiddo?” Her father looked down at her.

“I’ve been waiting for this my entire life,” she answered.

She shuffled her big duffle bag and held onto her dad’s hand. It wasn’t the first time she’d been in the big city, but it was the first time that her parents would be leaving her here for an entire year. All by herself.

After today’s orientation, they would be heading back home to Pride, Oregon, without her. She was a big-city girl now, having just moved up from one of the best dance schools on the West Coast to the School of American Ballet.

She squeezed her father’s hand and tried to hold back the excitement as they walked through the main doors.

She really had been waiting for this moment all her life. From the moment she could walk, Kate had danced. Or so her parents always said.

Her mother had enrolled her in the closest dance studio shortly after her third birthday, after Kate had begged her to do so every single day for an entire month.

She’d sweated and improved—bloomed, really—more than anyone else beside her. She’d quickly moved up to a larger school after a scout had spotted her. Then another. In the following years, she’d gone from a small regional school to one of the best in the state. Now, she was going to SAB.

She was only thirteen, which she knew limited the roles she could perform, but she had high hopes of becoming the youngest prima ballerina SAB had ever seen.

Ten years later….

Kate held onto her father’s hand as she made her way slowly towards her parents’ house. The crutch under her left shoulder did little to help her walk. Her father taking most of her weight helped the most.

He was as strong as she remembered and just as handsome as ever, even with the new streak of silver hair running along his temple.

“Easy, kiddo,” he said in a deep voice.

“Dad, I’m fine,” she told him for the billionth time since she’d hobbled from the hospital room into his waiting arms.

“You don’t look fine,” her mother said, frowning at her. “You’re too pale. Are you in pain?”

She was, but Kate didn’t want them to worry. Her mother would just shove another pain pill in her, and then Kate would spend the next few hours in a daze.

She was home.

For the first time in almost thirteen years, she was home for more than just a weekend or holiday break.

That thought made her slump a little more on her dad’s shoulder. It wasn’t that she didn’t love home. It was… the best. But being here meant her dream was officially dead. Her entire life gone.

Everything she’d spent all of her life working for had disappeared in one misstep by her partner. Then she and all her dreams had come crashing to the floor, broken and useless.

“Here.” Her mother patted the sofa as their two dogs rushed over to sniff the bags her mother sat down at the base of the stairs. “We’ve given you our room so you don’t have to go up and down the stairs.”

“I am not going to—” she started but stopped when her father gave her a look. Sighing, she nodded. “Thanks.” She sat down on the sofa, where her mother had fluffed a pillow for her. Instantly, her father lifted her right leg and laid it gently down on the ottoman.

Just having the weight off it helped with the pain, and she realized just how tiring the trip home had been.

“You need some rest,” her father said, setting the duffle bag down next to her other bags. Everything she owned was in the two rolling suitcases and the large duffle bag that she’d moved to New York with.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But for now, I’d like to sit out here.”

Her father handed her the remote for the television.

“I’ll go make you some lunch,” her mother said. Kate thought she saw her mother wipe a tear from her eye as she headed to the kitchen, but she’d turned away too quickly to be sure.

“Dad?” she said as her father sat beside her.