Impossible Love: An Unforeseen Destiny Novel Book One by Kimberly Readnour Page A

as if she’s embarrassed. “Yeah, and I know the U of I is where my loyalties should lie being I live so close to Champaign, but I love Purdue. I’ve always wanted to be a Boilermaker.”
    “What the heck is a Boilermaker?”
    She laughs. “It’s a long story, but the nickname dates back to the late eighteen hundreds. Between Purdue’s rich engineering habits and football team, the mascot developed.”
    Okay, that didn’t help explain anything, but I let it drop. I’ll Google it later. “And you graduate in May, right?”
    “Yes.” Kayla sighs. “But I plan on attending graduate school. I’d like to obtain my Nurse Practitioner license in Family Medicine.”
    “Oh, that’s ambitious.” I’m not sure why that surprises me. Kayla’s disposition has always been on the serious side. No wonder she isn’t like any of the girls I’ve been with.
    “Yeah, I set my goal high, but not too high. I didn’t want the commitment it takes to become an actual physician. Believe me; their courses are tough. One of my best friends, Brian, is on track to become a doctor. I wouldn’t want his regime. Mine’s worse enough.”
    My jaw ticks. Brian? Her best friend is a male, and he’s studying to become a doctor? Why the hell is she messing around with me? Shit. I clear my throat.
    “That’s good.” I scramble to switch topics. I need to steer the conversation away from the golden boy M.D. “Did you and your mom go sightseeing today?”
    A huge smile crosses her face, and I know she’ll go into another monolog about the island’s beauty. I can’t help smiling in return. I love her ramblings.
    “Yes. We went to Allerton Gardens.”
    “I love that place. I’m sure you saw the Moreton Bay fig trees?”
    “Heck, yeah. That’s one of the first things I wanted to see. I loved Jurassic Park growing up. I can’t believe how tall and wide those trees are in real life. Robert Allerton was a unique character. Such a visionary.” She smiles as if recollecting a memory and then glances at me. “Did you know where he moved here from?”
    “Somewhere in the Midwest, I believe.”
    “Yeah, my hometown. Monticello. His massive house still stands along with the grounds. It’s called Allerton Park. He donated the land to the University of Illinois…”
    We walk hand in hand along the stretch of beach as she rambles‌—‌every once in a while I smile, not so much at what she says, but at the passion in her voice. I could listen to her for hours on end.
    A large rocky cliff stands in our path, marking the end of our shoreline. Not wanting to play mountain climber, we turn around to head back.
    The beach is more deserted than earlier. The cries and screams of children have died down. We pass a volleyball game that’s still going strong, and Kayla’s stare lingers as it had earlier when we walked past.
    “Do you like playing volleyball?” I ask.
    Kayla nods and squeezes my hand. “I played in high school.” She faces back forward, and we resume walking. “I do miss it.”
    “Not me. I hated playing the sport—”
    “Hey, Kayla,” a male voice interrupts from behind us.
    We turn around, and Kayla breaks into a huge grin. “Ray, back at playing the game I see.”
    Who the fuck is Ray? And how does she know him well enough to warrant that smile?
    Ray’s gaze drops to our joined hands, and a hint of confusion crosses his face. He averts his eyes back to Kayla. Not liking the way he’s eyeing her, I drop her hand and place my arm around her shoulders.
    “Yeah, did you two want to join? There’s always room for more players.”
    Am I a dick if I want her to say no?
    Kayla glances over at the volleyball net. The longing in her eyes makes it apparent how badly she wants to play. But considering I just said I hated it, I’m not surprised when she shakes her head instead. And I feel relieved. Yeah, I’m a dick.
    “No, I’ll pass this time.”
    “Ah, come on. We could use your spiking skills.”
    How well does this