Convincing Lina: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Book 2)
Page 26
Turn the page for a sneak peek at Siera London’s Chasing Ava. Logan and Ava’s story is book one in the Bachelors of Shell Cove series.
Ava stood in the elegantly adorned grand foyer outside of the Coastal Towers ballroom, her feet rooted to the plush carpeted floor. Anxiety kept her frozen with the posed angles of an ill-placed statue. A random assembly of colleagues made eye contact, offered greetings and moved along without a second glance. She should not have agreed to come out tonight.
Straight ahead, she had a clear view of the city’s namesake, Shell Cove, and the larger Queens Bay in the distance. A scattering on waterfront mansions, private docks and yachts dotted the waterscape. With her peripheral vision she met with the frown of her best friend.
“Ava Elaine Walters you can not back out. You are two size-seven stilettos away from the party.” Lina chided.
Lina James, her best friend from elementary school gave extrovert at new meaning. The two of them couldn’t be more divergent. Lina was cocoa to Ava’s butterscotch complexion. Ava’s petite frame lacked the fluid poetry of Lina’s full curves. Lina had the type of figure teenaged boys cut out of magazines and hid under their mattresses. Ava lived her life backstage while Lina chose center spotlight.
She’d allowed Lina to talk her into a group social thingy. Ava had sworn off non-clinical social interaction six years ago. If she hadn’t known them before spring semester of sophomore year there was a “no admittance sign” firmly tacked on her inner circle.
Pop tunes wafted into the lobby with every evening gown clad young woman exiting the ballroom. A reliable indication, that the Shell Cove Medical Center party had hit its full swing to Ava.
“It was a mistake to come. Thanks to you and Jace I left the house on a Saturday night. That’s celebration enough for me.” Tonight would be cataloged as another foolish decision, in a not so comedic list of errors.
“It’s a Christmas miracle.” Lina rolled her eyes heavenward the hint of laughter reflected on her face.
“Don’t worry about driving me back home. Go join Jace inside. The valet can hail me a cab.”
“I’m not worried because we are going to sashay through this door together.” Lina pointed to the twin ornate brass handles on the twenty-foot high doors.
Ava ground her teeth in frustration. Nothing grated her nerves more than friends and family telling her what to do. The worst part, they genuinely believed she needed direction. The fault lay with her. How had she sunk to making those closest to her feel responsible for her life? It was official. She had baby-bird syndrome. Dependent, too weak to leave the nest. She should have been a nurse in the United States Navy, like her college roommate Jana, but fear kept her tethered to this familiar, costal Florida town. Pathetic.
“We both know what’s waiting for you at home.” Lina placed her hands on her hips, careful not to crease the fabric. Ever the diva. Hands on her hips meant Lina was ready to drive her point towards a home run.
“How could ‘we’ know that when I’m not at home?” She smiled at her snappy come back.
Her response earned a “you’ve got to be kidding me” look, from Lina. Taking her arm Lina led her to the coved seating area away for the ballroom doors.
“I know all about your grandmother’s Holy Ghost hook-ups. Let me activate my super powers and predict your future. This, my reclusive friend, is a retelling of the voicemail you received before we picked you up tonight.”
Lina paused before raising her elbows and stacking her forearms in an, “I Dream of Jeannie” imitation. Of the two of them, Lina was hands down the Grand Diva of dramatic gestures.
“Granny Lou has invited another borderline social security recipient to Sunday dinner.” Ava gave no outward appearance of hearing the statement. Lina continued on. “She’s hopeful that you’ll show a remote interest in the male species before Jesus calls her back to heaven.” At that, her best friend offered an, I know I’m right expression.
Did the entire populace know her grandmother had taken on the mission of finding Ava a matrimony eligible man?
Unfortunately for Ava, her grandmother’s social circle consisted of the community seniors club and the church auxiliary. Louise Stanton, affectionately known as Granny Lou was e-harmony, match.com, and a well meaning, but meddlesome church mother packaged into five foot two inches of sparky banter and sequined Velcro comfort shoes.
Ava rolled her eyes heavenward, taking in a deep breath. A telltale sign that Lina’s assessment of the situation was accurate. Ava loved her family, but she didn’t do relationships.
The silence stretched between the two women. Ava squirmed like a toddler in a car seat under her friend’s scrutiny.
“Your silent routine doesn’t work with me Ava. Which wife-seeking, God-fearing deacon has she invited to Sunday dinner?”
Never one to let you off the hook Lina held an expectant gaze. Ava gave a resigned sigh then offered the name of her would be suitor. “Deacon Hill.”
Ava knew the exact moment Lina recalled the porky gentleman. Wide eyes stared back at Ava as Lina’s mouth opened and closed several times before she hid her smile with a carefully placed palm over her red velvet colored mouth. Lina would risk her friend’s ire by laughing, but never would she suffer an accidental smudge to perfectly painted lips.
“He’s the one with the three adult children and five grandkids living in the house.” A vestige of humor at Ava’s expense shone in her eyes.
“That’s the one.” Ava curled her fingers against her temples forcing a breath through her pursed lips. A high definition image of the aged, wide girthed man danced a gig across her mental LCD screen and she cringed.
“Save tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow. Tonight is about us having fun. This isn’t a matchmaking attempt by Granny Lou Incorporated. Come on, Ava please.” Lina flashed her million-dollar smile. Ava was unmoved. The queen of improvisation, her friend switched tactics.
Lina’s pout heaped on another layer of ever-present guilt, but she couldn’t give her family or friend what they wanted. They wanted her to be open, welcome a date with a nice man, and be social. But being social led to meeting new people. Meeting new people, led to making connections. Connecting to new people, especially men, made you vulnerable. She didn’t want to be vulnerable. Not ever again.
“Argh, stop making me feel bad, Lina.”
“So let me get this straight,” Lina stepped closer, their shoulders near touching. “At the tender age of twenty-six you prefer to be alone on Saturday night with thoughts of a dreadful Sunday dinner looming rather than walk into a fundraising gala with me?” As the reality of Lina’s words settled between them Ava felt the sadness reflected in Lina’s gaze.
“You’ll be with Jace.” Ava stated matter of fact. “I’ll spend the night watching the two of you doing the humpy dance.”
“Ewe, I am so not into watchers”, Lina said crinkling her nose. Her best friend always kept the mood light.
“You know what I mean. Besides, I think I forgot my ticket.” She diverted her eyes to heaven offering a silent forgive me Lord but desperate times required desperate measures.
“Excuse deferred. It’s your work anniversary. The Shell Cove Medical Foundation covered your ticket price. Now apologize to the Lord for lying,” Lina countered with a snap of her fingers. “The ticket is a formality. Your name is on the attendee list.”
Ava quickly scanned her mental Rolodex for any plausible excuse that would get her back to the safety of home.
“You can meet some new people tonight. There are other nurses here. They’re our peeps, waiting behind these doors.” More people entered the foyer, bubbly voices talking one over the other, eager to join the festivities. The rhythmic beat drawing them into the ballroom like a pied piper.
Ava raised a brow in doubt. She wasn’t likely to meet a single person. She knew it, so did Lina.
“Stop worrying about everything. It’s a party packed to capacity with gray suit wearing administrators. A few pocket p
rotector wearing clinical researchers and a truckload of fashion deficit doctors.” Lina fashioned a mock pocket protector in the middle of her leather bustier, then mimicked stuffing it with pens. Ava released a snort of laughter at her friend’s antics.
“Nothing is going to happen. Do this as a gift to me.”
A gift. She had little reserve left in her emotional tank to offer anyone. Ava needed to gift herself a box of hope. One big enough to drown out the self doubt, the emptiness that plagued most aspects of her life.
Some days the emptiness weighed so heavy on her chest that emotional collapse seemed better than to greet another day of nothingness. The loneliness abated with work. Tending her garden helped, but the emptiness was a stealth army slowly advancing through her existence. It threatened to devour the fragile threads of a new beginning she desperately clung to.
Relationships and connections were out of the question, but the truth couldn’t be denied. She was lonely. Tonight was a beacon cast in a sea of endless night. She was all dressed up with somewhere to go. Heck, she was here lingering in the foyer, on the outside catching glimpses of life through the cracks.
She had reason to celebrate. Her Navy nurse commissioning application was complete except for the employer endorsement. The unsuspecting, navy blue, file folder containing her future had been hand delivered to Kathryn Quest, the pediatric nurse manager this morning. Perhaps, one night of fun to capstone the budding joy she felt at having taken this uncertain step would fuel her emotional tank. Only two people knew what she had done. Lina wasn’t one of them.
Ava proffered her elbow in acceptance. This was an evening dedicated to goodwill, and she had her best friend to share it with. She worked side by side with several of the attendees. Her safe zones were home and work-everything would be fine. Lina interlocked their elbows, gently guiding Ava to the ballroom doors.
“Okay, I’ll take the plunge.”
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Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading Gideon and Lina’s story. This is my second contemporary romance novel from the Bachelors of Shell Cove series. I truly appreciate your continued support, and someday I hope to tell you face to face the impact you’ve had on my life.
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I’ll meet you between the covers. Wishing you all the best that life has to offer.
Happy reading,
Siera
About the Author:
Siera London is a Amazon bestselling author who served twenty-two years in the United States Navy before starting her writing career. She knew she wanted to be a writer when she kept searching for interesting topics to write. Siera tried fiction writing first, but when the words of the page bored her to tears, she decided to write what she enjoyed reading. By day, she is a nurse practitioner. At night, she writes sizzling romances with emotion and humor.
Growing up in the Navy, Siera loves to travel. A semi packed suitcase is usually on standby in her closet. A lover of all things culinary, she often tests new recipes on unsuspecting dinner guests. Siera lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband, and a color patch tabby named Frie. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, teaching or volunteering in the local community. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America.
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Catching Rebecca Excerpt
Chasing Ava Excerpt
A Note From the Author
About the Author