Choices of the Heart--A Christian Clean & Wholesome Contemporary Romance by Kelsey MacBride

Author:Kelsey MacBride
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: clean romance books, clean romance novels, Christian romance novels, Christian romance books for women, Christian romance fiction, Christian romance books, Christian romance kindle books
Publisher: Kelsey MacBride
Published: 2014-06-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

"Great choice!" The Nordstrom saleswoman with silver hair and a bob cut clapped her hands enthusiastically.

Lauren handed her the Guess Midnight cologne. Justin's birthday was in a week, and he had mentioned he was out of it. So she figured it was the safest gift to give, especially since Justin was a picky person when it came to presents.

Lauren paid for the cologne and continued exploring the rest of the mall, navigating the crowd of weekend shoppers. Then she stopped inside a bed and bath supply store to appreciate the colorful display of scented body lotions and candles inside the front window. Lauren's eyes landed on a glass container with purple wax, and she lifted the jar to her nose to take a whiff. The smell of lavender permeated her nostrils, calming her spirit, but she set the candle down. As much as she enjoyed the lavender, buying a scent Justin found offensive was fruitless.

Lauren was beginning to have doubts about their relationship. While she continued to prayerfully submit their relationship to God, the peace she longed for never came. Lauren was too afraid to break it off, fearing losing a good catch and being single again for a long time. She would rather suffer from a bit of incompatibility than live in peace alone.

Then the sound of a familiar laugh caught her attention. Lauren instinctively turned to stare at a couple with their arms embraced around each other as if they were new lovers. But her eyes widened as she watched the handsome man lean over and give the petite, dark-haired woman a lingering kiss on the cheek. An ache formed in her gut as she watched him whisper something in her ear, which caused the woman to giggle with embarrassment.

Lauren's body tensed, and her breathing quickened. Again, she couldn't believe what was unfolding before her eyes, as if she were watching a TV show about cheaters. Only this time, she was the victim.

Without warning, the bag in her hand slipped, and the candle crashed to the ground. The loud noise distracted the man, who turned in her direction and gazed at her face. He smiled for a second, not recognizing her. But the smile faded quickly, and his jaw dropped when he realized who she was.

Lauren wanted to run and hide, to escape the nightmare she was experiencing. But her legs weakened, refusing to cooperate.

"Lauren!" he yelled as he pulled his arms from the woman. "Wait right there!"

Justin bid farewell to his companion, who then disappeared into a store. Then he made a beeline over to Lauren.

There was a scowl on Lauren's face as her anger intensified. She badly wanted to yell at him and ask how he had the nerve to do something so vile. Something that would destroy her trust in men. But instead, she took a deep breath.

Justin stopped in front of her before straightening his shirt collar. Then he took a deep breath and smiled. "Lauren . . . what are you doing here?"

But Lauren could sense his voice's mixture of shock, curiosity, and guilt.

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