Coming Attractions
Read Coming Attractions Online
Authors: Robin Jones Gunn
Peculiar Treasures
On a Whim
Coming
Attractions
BOOK THREE
Copyright
ZONDERVAN
Coming Attractions
Copyright © 2009 by Robin’s Nest Productions, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gunn, Robin Jones, 1955 -.
Coming attractions / Robin Jones Gunn.
p. cm. Katie Weldon series; bk. 3)
ISBN 978-0-310-27658-6 (pbk.)
1. College students Fiction. 2. Self-actualization (Psychology) Fiction. I. Title.
PS3557.U4866C66 2009
813’.54 dc22 2009010832
EPub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-56088-3
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| | For my wonderful daughter-in-law, Kelly Joy. You bring a touch of calm wherever you go. I am so grateful for the way God brought you to our son and knit your hearts together. You are a gift to all of us. |
Table of Contents
K
atie checked the time on her phone and pulled her sweatshirt’s hood over her dancing red hair. Upper campus at Rancho Corona
University could be surprisingly cold this time of year. Especially when the winds came up.
“Come on, Rick. Where are you? So much for your romantic idea of meeting up here at nine. It’s 9:15, and I’m freezing.”
Tapping out a third text message to her tall, dark, and tardy boyfriend, Katie hit Send and looked around. Another couple
had made themselves cuddly and comfortable on the bench where Rick had told her to meet him. She stood to the side, under
the row of shivering palm trees. Even their decorative strings of white twinkle lights seemed to tremble with the chill.
Katie coughed. Her throat was hurting more than it had at dinner in the cafeteria, when she had loaded her tray with soup,
applesauce, and two glasses of orange juice.
I can’t do this. Rick, you’ll just have to come to my dorm if you want to see me tonight. It’s too cold out here.
Starting back down the path to lower campus, Katie texted Rick again as she walked. It wasn’t like Rick to leave her waiting,
and even more unlike him not to respond to her messages. He was organized and efficient and…
Her cell phone rang.
“Hey, don’t be mad.” Rick’s voice came across loudly. She could tell he was on speakerphone, which meant he was in his new
car. “I left my phone at the café and had to go back for it. I’m on the road now. Sorry I’m late, Katie. I can be there in
a half hour.”
Katie ignored the apology. She had heard a few too many of those lately. Three months ago Rick and his brother were presented
with an opportunity to open not one but two new cafés. Ever since then, Rick had been “on the road.”
“Let’s just reschedule, Rick. I’m — ”
“No, we can’t reschedule. It’s Valentine’s Day!”
“Oh, really?” She would have expanded her sarcastic remark, but her head was pounding. How could a tickle in her throat escalate
so quickly to feeling as if she were swallowing razor blades?
His voice softened. “I have something for you.”
“I already received the flowers. They’re beautiful. Thanks, Rick. You really don’t have to give me anything else.” Katie was
feeling a familiar awkwardness over the gift-giving imbalance that had existed in their relationship since they officially
started dating last summer. Rick enjoyed giving. So did Katie. The problem was that she could rarely come up with gift-type
expressions of affection the way Rick could. She felt forever behind in the gift-giving department.
“I want to give the present to you tonight. Come on, Katie. Don’t be mad at me. I’m really trying here.”
“I’m not mad. Honest. I don’t feel well. It was too cold and windy on upper campus, so I’m heading back to my room. Besides,
another couple was on our bench.”
“That’s not a problem. Are you back at the dorm yet? I’ll meet you there. We can go get something to eat.”
Even though Katie knew better than to argue with Rick when he had his mind set on something, she switched her phone to the
other ear and said, “I’m really not hungry. I think I have the flu.”
“Listen, I can be there in fifteen minutes. Twenty at the most. Take some cold pills and drink some orange juice. I’ll come
up to Crown Hall and give you a call when I drive into the parking lot. We’ll decide what to do then.”
Katie hung up, already knowing what she would want to do when he called later. It was the same thing she wanted to do right
now: curl up in a ball under a warm blanket and sleep off this creeping crud.
Over half the girls on her floor had been hit with this year’s variety of the flu. Just days ago Katie had bragged about how
her prevention tactic had succeeded this year. She had spent the past three weeks drinking loads of herbal tea and downing
lots of vitamin C. Her immune system was fortified against the attack.
Or so she thought.
The way she felt now was quickly surpassing anything a cup of tea could fix. It bugged her that Rick couldn’t just let her
be sick in peace.
As she entered Crown Hall, she avoided looking at any of the Valentine’s Day couples seated in the lobby and made her way
to Nicole’s room. Her friend Nicole was the other resident assistant who shared with Katie the responsibility of overseeing
the welfare of the fifty-four students on their floor. Katie knew she was going to need someone to cover on-duty hours for
her as this virus ran its course.
Knocking on Nicole’s half-closed door, Katie pushed it open and announced, “Guess what? I got it.”
“You did? Oh, Katie, let me see!” Nicole jumped up and dashed toward her.
“What are you doing?” Katie pulled away. “I’m telling you I have the flu. I don’t think you want to get close to me.”
“Oh!” Caught off guard, Nicole froze in place. She nervously flipped her dark, silky hair behind her ears as her smooth complexion
took on a rosy hue.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Nicole returned to her bed on the other side of the room. “I just… Hey, I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well.”
“Not half as sorry as I am. How long did you have this bug?”
“Almost two weeks.”
“I can’t be sick that long.”
“Hopefully it won’t be that long for you.”