Blurb:
After being
betrayed and abandoned by everyone in her former high-class life, Nicole is
left to find her way on her own. She finds God while living in a homeless
mission and vows to separate herself from the “well-off” members of society.
Michael has known nothing but love and
acceptance all his life, but when a series of fortunate investments lands him
in the upper class, he has trouble finding a woman who cares for him more than
his money.
As Nicole and Michael' s lives intertwine during
the busy Christmas season and through a surprising connection to the mission,
will they be able to shake the pain of their pasts and find happiness together?
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Excerpt:
As
they headed away from the Christmas display, Michael scowled. “Seriously? The
trashcan is right there. How hard is it?”
Nicole
followed his gaze to a collection of discarded cups. Michael picked them up
one-by-one and tossed them into the trashcan with ease. The last cup, however,
bounced off the can and sticky liquid splattered all over the floor. Michael
moaned.
“No
one saw you,” Nicole said.
Michael
shook his head. “No, I made things worse. I’ll take care of this.” He veered
off to the right, opposite the direction of the main exit. Nicole waited, curious
what he would do. He returned a few moments later with a janitor bucket. He
removed his coat, draped it over a nearby chair, and loosened his tie. She
admired his relaxed appearance, having never seen him without a full suit.
He
mopped the mess and returned the bucket. As he walked back towards the chair to
retrieve his jacket, he noticed her watching. “I thought you’d be long gone by
now.”
“It
was nice of you to clean up the cups.”
“It
would’ve been simple if I wasn’t trying to show off.”
Nicole’s
stomach fluttered as he directed his smile towards her. She wanted to learn
more about this man. They continued walking towards the parking lot, and a faint
tapping sound grew louder. Dread built in Nicole’s gut. Sure enough, as they
approached the glass atrium near the food court, the rain started pouring down
in sheets.
“I’ll
wait here for a while,” Nicole said.
“Not
interested in getting soaked?”
“No.”
Nicole broke off. How much should she share?
Michael
cocked his head, the question in his gaze.
Nicole
sighed. “I hate driving in the rain. A few years ago, the rain was coming down
like this, and I skidded off the road into a ditch.” She shuddered. “I was
stuck for two hours until the tow truck pulled me out.”
Michael’s
eyes widened. “Were you hurt?”
“I
broke my collarbone in three places. It hurt so much. I still get nervous
driving when it’s raining hard. And now, it’s close to freezing—the roads are bound
to get icy.”
“I’m
sorry, Nicole. Would you like a ride?”
The
offer was tempting, but even knowing that Michael didn’t work on Sundays,
Nicole wasn’t about to get in a car with an almost-stranger. “No, I’ll be fine.
I’ll wait until it passes.”
“Would
you like some company?” Michael’s expression was hopeful.
Nicole
hesitated. Did she? Making small talk while serving him a smoothie was safe.
Daydreaming about him was safe, although she’d never admit to Jasmine she did
so. Spending time waiting out the rainstorm was a different matter entirely.
The mall wouldn’t close for several hours. What if they stayed and talked and he
didn’t like her?
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