Eli tried not to stare, but she was directly in his line of sight. Her wavy brown hair, so dark it looked nearly black, was held back by a headband matching the eye patch. It must have been one of the ones that tied at the base of the neck, because, despite the length of her hair, several inches of headband hung down even further.
He made his eyes travel back upward and not check out the rest of her like he would have a few weeks earlier. Could he find a way to get close enough to her to see if her hair felt as shiny as it looked? His fingers curled as he imagined them running through it, pulling her close...
No! Eli reminded himself that he wasn’t in town to find a relationship, or based on his more recent past, a hook-up. He closed his eyes as familiar notes filled the air.
On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suff’ring and shame
A random commercial on the radio a few weeks ago with strains of the song playing in the background, had convicted him like a ton of bricks.
How I love that old cross
Where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain
The only Bible verse he’d known as a child, the same one from a few weeks earlier, the one his grandmother had quoted often, ran through his head. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst.
He wasn’t that man anymore. Redeemed. Washed clean. Or so he understood from the online research he’d been doing.
So I’ll cherish the Old Rugged Cross
‘Til my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
The promise of a crown someday had caught his attention as a child, and for the moment, was enough to keep his eyes where they belonged. Closed or focused on the screen for the unfamiliar second verse, and not on the feminine curves a few feet away.
During the slight break between songs, Eli saw Eye Patch Girl take sips of water from one of those silver mugs everyone seemed to have. This one was decorated with a St. Louis Cardinals baseball motif. So she either liked the game or someone in her life did.
Eli blinked. How had it not occurred to him sooner?
The worship leader told them to greet those around them. Eye Patch Girl turned and gave the woman standing next to her a big hug.
No ring.
At least he wasn’t stalking a married woman.
His agent and publicist would have loved that.
“Hi.”
Eli blinked as a hand appeared in front of him.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Travis.”
Eli smiled and took the man’s hand. “Eli. I’m just in town for a few days.”
“Pleasure to meet you. Do you have family in the area?” Before Eli could respond, a crying baby caught Travis’s attention. “Sorry. My wife is in the kids’ church today. Nice to meet you.” He turned and picked up a baby out of the car seat.
Before Eli could notice anything else, his attention was called back to the stage. Blessed Assurance. His eyes closed and he could hear his grandmother’s voice as he snuggled close to her when he was little. “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation...”
His phone buzzed, but Eli ignored it. He’d promised himself this would be a distraction free time. He hadn’t counted on a pretty girl being the distraction. In all of the reading he’d done recently, he’d come to understand the Evil One knew his weaknesses well.
And beautiful women were Eli’s biggest weakness.
It took supreme effort, but Eli kept his attention on the service and not the dark, shiny hair just over to his right. It didn’t help when a guy, a few years older, sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. Even after he released her, his fingers played with the hair at the nape of her neck until it appeared she smacked his abdomen.
So no ring, but not unattached.
The disappointment felt palpable.
About the time everyone stood to leave, Travis and his now-sleeping baby turned around. “Would you like to join us for Sunday school, Eli? We’d love to have you.”
Eli hadn’t considered it. “I’m not sure yet.”
Before Travis could say anything else, Eye Patch Girl swept into the aisle. “I get that baby, Travis Harders. Hand her over.” Her words were somewhat slurred but not too bad.
Travis chuckled. “Like I would keep her from you.”
Eye Patch Girl reached for the infant, tucking her into her shoulder. “She’s pretty perfect.”
“Tell Abi that. She kept her up all night and woke up Mark. He ended up sleeping with me.” Abi must be his wife, but who was Mark?
It didn’t matter. Eli knew he should leave but couldn’t make his feet move.
“And you probably didn’t get any sleep with a three-year-old in bed with you.” Maybe that was Mark.
“Nope. Oh, hey.” Travis turned. “Mia, this is Eli. Eli, Mia. He’s in town for a few days.”
Mia snuggled the baby a bit closer and held out her other hand. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“Same.” When he took her hand, Eli was certain his heart stopped. He’d worked with some of the most beautiful women in the world, but none of them could hold a candle to this woman and her half-a-working-face.
Mia didn’t seem to be affected by the contact the same way Eli was. He didn’t intend to follow them as they walked out of the sanctuary, but they were headed the same way he wanted to go. In the lobby, he noticed Mia getting sideways glances from passersby. The same ones he was getting.
The same ones he always got.
Travis and Mia, still holding the baby, turned into a classroom.
Eli hesitated. A sign next to the door told him it was the College and Career group. That was probably as close as he would get to a class for his demographic. The name in parentheses matched Travis’s last name. Was the new dad the Sunday school leader? And did Eli want to go in?
No. Not really. But he did want to find out more about the girl with the eye patch.
With a deep breath, he stepped through.
Mia snuggled Baby Rose close as she sat in a chair next to her next older sister.
“You’re going to have to hand her over eventually,” Lani whispered, then blinked. “Is that Eli Whitaker?”
Mia glanced over her shoulder. “His name’s Eli. I don’t know his last name.”
Lani popped up. “You should. He’s on that show, the one Dad loves so much.”
“An actor?” Maybe that explained why he looked familiar.
“He’s probably in town for the movie.” Lani scurried over to Eli’s side. Mia couldn’t hear what was being said, but Eli smiled at whatever it was. Of course he did.
Mia turned her head until her cheek rested against the downy hair on Rosie’s head. She didn’t need to see her sister flirting with the guy who would never remember Mia existed. That might be a bit harsh. No one would forget a girl wearing an eye patch at church.
But a minute later, Lani returned to sit by Mia while Eli sat on her other side.
“I hope you don’t mind?” Eli asked, shifting to sit a bit further away.
“Not at all.” Mia’s heart pounded so loudly in her ears that she feared it would wake Rosie. Fortunately for the baby’s nap time, her grandmother took her from Mia.
Julie and Keith Harders had led the Sunday school class for as long as Mia could remember, with Travis filling in often for his parents and even leading units from time to time. She loved it, always had, but knew she wouldn’t be able to focus with Eli Whitaker sitting next to her.
Even if she still had no idea who he was.
The name sounded familiar. The eyes were too. Maybe he’d attended Trumanville High with her older siblings or grew up in one of the other small towns in the area. That was more likely. Everyone in Trumanville knew everyone else. She’d been at every home football ga
me and most home basketball games at Trumanville for seven or eight years. She’d know if he was from Trumanville. If he grew up nearby, she probably ran into him a time or two.
But now, all she could focus on was the brush of his suit coat against the skin of her forearm. She couldn’t see him, not with the patch covering her left eye, forcing it to rest.
“Mia.” Julie Harders caught her attention as prayer request time came around forty-five minutes later. “You told me earlier you only wanted to explain once. Tell us what’s going on?”
Mia shrugged. “I went to urgent care Friday morning. I have Bell’s Palsy. The left side of my face doesn’t work right. The eye patch makes my eye rest when I don’t need it so that I can use it when I do, like to drive. I’ve also got a sinus infection, but shouldn’t be contagious. And I’m glad I don’t graduate until August so hopefully I won’t have to get my diploma looking like this.”
There were sympathetic murmurs from around the room as Lani squeezed her arm. Keith called the room to order and said a quick prayer before promising to post the prayer requests on the group Facebook page.
“And don’t forget everyone’s welcome at our house for lunch if you don’t have anywhere else to go.”
Lani leaned around Mia. “Eli, you’re more than welcome to come with us. We’re going to my aunt’s house, and she always has plenty. I know Madi would love to meet you, too.”
Madi? Why would their oldest sister want to meet Eli, besides his insane hotness?
“Mia will show you how to get there,” Lani went on. “I’m sure you’ve got a car with you, but she rode in with Mom and Dad today.”
Great. Way to make her sound like a pathetic loser, even if the decision meant she didn’t have to drive.
“You don’t mind, do you, Mia?” Lani looked at her expectantly.
“Uh, no.” Her voice sounded slurred, even to her own ears. Mia glanced out the open door. The double doors leading into the sanctuary were still closed. “Can we get out of here before everyone else leaves? I really don’t want to talk to anyone right now.” She stood and grabbed her purse.
Lani and Eli were on her trail, but as she hit the hallway, the doors opened and people began to stream into the foyer. She stayed close to the wall, head down, and tried to avoid talking to anyone.
It didn’t work. She got hugs and questions from no less than four people. It took at least ten minutes to make it outside where Eli waited.
“Sorry you didn’t make it out as fast as you wanted,” he said as he approached. “I’m happy to drop you off at your aunt’s house.” He stepped off the curb and crossed to the parking lot with Mia lengthening her stride to keep up. Eli even lifted a hand to wave his thanks at a car that stopped to let them cross.
“What about you?”
“I don’t want to intrude on your family’s day.”
Mia chuckled. Even that sounded odd with her face only half working. “Mama Beach will be offended if you don’t come now that you’ve been invited.”
“Mama? I thought Lani said she was your aunt.”
“She is. Everyone’s called her Mama Beach for years, except for when she’s in court.”
“She’s a lawyer?” he asked as he clicked a button to unlock a car.
“A judge.” Mia wrinkled her nose as best she could, following Eli between two cars. He opened the passenger door for her. “I guess she’s technically a lawyer, too, but she’s been a judge as long as I can remember.”
Eli took her elbow as she started to lower herself into the sports car. She looked up to see something serious in his chocolate eyes. Was he as affected by the jolt of electricity flowing between them as she was?
“What?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Just this.” He leaned forward and kissed her.
Order Now!
He’s a Hollywood hunk.
She has half a working face.
What could possibly go wrong?
Beaches of Trumanville
Book 1
Mia Beach has spent her life being overlooked.
And she’s just fine with that.
It’s far better than being seen and found lacking.
Especially with her recent diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy.
So when a Hollywood hunk shows up, she decides to keep her distance.
Eli Whitaker has different plans.
He’s fascinated by the girl with the eye-patch, and her faith in a Savior he’s just coming to know.
Paparazzi and a stunning revelation from Eli’s not-so-distant past may derail his chances at an Happily Ever After TV movie career before it begins - and, combined with her own family’s indifference, convince Mia they don’t have a future.
Because Mia knows… Small Town Girls Don’t Marry Hollywood Hunks.
About the Author
When she's not writing about her imaginary friends, USA Today Bestselling Author Carol Moncado prefers binge watching pretty much anything to working out. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not hanging out with her hubby, four kids, and two dogs who weigh less than most hard cover books, she’s probably reading in her Southwest Missouri home.
Summers find her at the local aquatic center with her four fish, er, kids. Fall finds her doing the band mom thing. Winters find her snuggled into a blanket in front of a fire with the dogs. Spring finds her sneezing and recovering from the rest of the year.
She used to teach American Government at a community college, but her indie career, with over thirty titles released, has allowed her to write full time. She's a founding member and former President of MozArks ACFW and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.
www.carolmoncado.com
[email protected]
Beaches of Trumanville
Small Town Girls Don’t Marry Hollywood Hunks
The Monarchies of Belles Montagnes Series
(Previously titled The Montevaro Monarchy
and The Brides of Belles Montagnes series)
Good Enough for a Princess
Along Came a Prince
More than a Princess
Hand-Me-Down Princess
Winning the Queen’s Heart
Protecting the Prince (Novella)
Prince from her Past
Guardian of her Heart (related novella,
Betwixt Two Hearts Crossroads Collection)
Serenity Landing Second Chances
Discovering Home
Glimpsing Hope
Reclaiming Hearts
Crowns & Courtships
Heart of a Prince
The Inadvertent Princess
A Royally Beautiful Mess
The Indentured Queen
Her Undercover Prince
The Spare and the Heir
Beyond Titles & Tiaras
The (Elusive) Princess
It’s (Royally) Complicated
Crowns & Courtships Novellas
Dare You
A Kaerasti for Clari
Love for the Ages
(available free as a thank you to newsletter subscribers - click here to join)
Serenity Landing Tuesdays of Grace
9/11 Tribute Series
Grace to Save
Serenity Landing Lifeguards
Summer Novellas
The Lifeguard, the New Guy, & Frozen Custard
(previously titled: The Lifeguards, the Swim Team, & Frozen Custard)
The Lifeguard, the Abandoned Heiress, & Frozen Custard
Serenity Landing Teachers
Christmas Novellas
Gifts of Love
Manuscripts & Mistletoe
Premieres & Paparazzi
Teachers of Trumanville
Christmas Novellas
Love on Parade
The CANDID Romance Series
Finding Mr. Write
Finally Mr. Write
Falling for Mr. Write
Mallard
Lake Township
Ballots, Bargains, & the Bakery (novella)
Timeline/Order for Crowns & Courtships and Novellas
1. Love for the Ages
2. A Kaerasti for Clari
3. Dare You
(the first three can be read in any order,
but technically this is the timeline)
3. Heart of a Prince
4. The Inadvertent Princess
5. A Royally Beautiful Mess
6. The Indentured Queen
7. Her Undercover Prince
8. The Spare and the Heir
9. Beyond Titles & Tiaras
10. The (Elusive) Princess
11. It’s (Royally) Complicated
Love on Parade Page 8