Choices of the Heart - A Christian Clean & Wholesome Contemporary Romance: Bradley Sisters, #1
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About this ebook
A potential love interest…
A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity.
Lauren Bradley wants both. But she can only choose one. Which one do you think it will be?
In this Christian Clean Romance book, Lauren Bradley wants to purchase Emilia's, a quaint Italian restaurant.
But her goals of buying the restaurant are thwarted by Andrew, a handsome man who also wants the restaurant.
Will Lauren forego a chance at love and true Christian Romance by negotiating a better deal than Andrew? Or will she follow the tugging of her heart?
Andrew wants to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a restaurant. But there's one problem, he's attracted to Lauren and must outbid her for Emilia's.
Will his business savvy take over at the expense of driving Lauren away? Or will he sacrifice his business goals for a chance at true Christian Romance?
You'll want to find out the conclusion to this feel-good Clean Romance novel for women.
Get your copy now!
Other titles in the Christian romance series by Kelsey MacBride:
-Desires of the Heart: Megan's story
-Passions of the Heart: Tiffany's story
-Redemption of the Heart: Katie's story
Don't miss out on these inspirational love stories of faith, family, and romance.
Read more from Kelsey Mac Bride
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Choices of the Heart - A Christian Clean & Wholesome Contemporary Romance - Kelsey MacBride
Chapter 1
Newport Beach, California
The woman was pure evil, I tell you, sent by the devil to bring me down.
Oh really?
Lauren Bradley furrowed her brows and stared at the young man with spiked brown hair and black glasses sitting across from her as he took a bite of his prime rib. The guy was tall and handsome with a fit body. It was apparent he visited the gym frequently.
I bought her gifts, took her to fancy restaurants, and even paid her car loan. And what thanks did I get? At least she could have offered to repay me for the loan.
That must have been devastating.
Lauren tilted her head, her curly blonde hair cascading down her shoulders.
That woman has no idea how she’s turned my whole world upside down by leaving me. I can’t sleep at night, can’t focus at work . . . my life’s ruined.
The young man paused, staring pensively down at his plate of food before continuing with a question, Have you ever loved someone that much?
Lauren hesitated. She wished she could have replied with a resounding yes,
but the fact was, her love life was on life support, and she desperately wanted to do something about it. Her church friends told her to be patient and that God would bring the right Proverbs 31 man at the right time. Trust and pray,
they would say. But while Lauren practiced that faithfully, it was hard to quell the urge to be proactive and put herself out there so the perfect soul mate could find her.
Her date continued to pour out his woes, but her mind was in another world, dreaming of what her divinely appointed soul mate would look like. Would he have blonde hair, blue eyes, or dark hair with piercing brown eyes?
A loud voice startled her.
Lauren shook her head and looked up.
Are you listening?
He said.
I’m sorry? That must have been awful.
Lauren didn’t know why she was being polite. She badly wanted to tell the guy he was self-centered and deserved to be dumped. Lauren wanted him to know that any decent, self-respecting Christian woman would never put up with his better-than-thou attitude. Instead, he needed to read Proverbs 31 to see what kind of man he needed to become for any respectable woman to date him. But she bit her tongue and smiled.
You haven’t been listening, have you?
He frowned, pursing his lips together.
Lauren set her fork down. Look, I’m sorry your last relationship didn’t work out. I can see it meant a lot to you. But I don’t think you and I are very compatible with each other either.
Lauren forced a smile. She never found the dirty job of letting a man down comfortable.
How can you say that? You haven’t spent enough time getting to know me. I haven’t finished telling you what my counselor said—
Lauren held up a hand. Tom, you seem like a nice man, and I had a nice evening. But I think we’re better off as friends.
Their conversation was interrupted by the chime of Lauren’s cell phone. Glancing down at the screen to check the caller’s I.D., she looked up at Tom. Excuse me, but I have to take this call.
She got up from the table and headed toward the rear hallway of the restaurant, brushing past decorations of white Christmas lights and garlands of pine trimming.
Turning her attention to the call, she began, Raymond, hey—any news on the restaurant?
The voice on the other end sounded tired. I just got off the phone with the broker. I’m afraid I have bad news.
Chapter 2
What is it?
Lauren's voice pitched higher as sweat formed on her palms.
I'm sorry to bother you at dinnertime, but the agent said there's a higher offer on the restaurant.
What!
A knot formed in her stomach. It had taken over two years to find the perfect restaurant, and now her lifelong dream of being an entrepreneur was slipping out of her grasp.
Did he say by how much?
There was more than a hint of desperation in her voice.
"He's not allowed to divulge that.
She raised a hand to her forehead. Who's the buyer?
The broker wouldn't say much other than he lives out of state.
Lauren paced the carpeted hallway, glancing absent-mindedly at the gold-framed oil paintings on the wall. Frustration creased her forehead. Raymond, you know I've reached my maximum. I can't afford to offer more, and this restaurant is important to me. So you have to close this deal.
Calm down, Lauren. I know you want this restaurant, but I'm afraid we'll have to counter with a higher offer if you want to buy this business. I don't come across many gems like this one. If you don't grab it now, you may not see another opportunity like this in a while. Is there anyone in your family who might be interested in co-owning the business with you?
Lauren considered the option for a second. She knew Raymond was right. It was a beautiful seaside restaurant with burgundy awnings and black trim, situated in the upscale tourist section of Newport Beach. The location had a lot going for it due to the heavy foot traffic, especially during the summertime. Without a doubt, it was a dream location for a novice restaurant entrepreneur like her. After the owner suddenly died of a heart attack, his widow immediately listed it for sale. The listing broker was a friend of Raymond, which was how Lauren had made one of the first offers on the business.
But now there was competition. Yet Lauren refused to let the opportunity slip away without a fight. First, she had to convince one of her sisters to join the business venture. Her youngest sibling Katie was attending college and worked part-time as a receptionist at a law firm, so she would be out of the question. On the other hand, Tiffany's new medical career began to take off, so she might be a possibility. That left Megan, her oldest sister, who worked as a wedding coordinator for a private country club.
After giving herself time to gather her thoughts, Lauren finally agreed to consider an alternate plan. I'm not sure. But I can talk to Tiffany and Megan and see if they're interested in partnering with me.
That would be great if they could help you out.
Is there anything else I can do to win the seller's approval?
What's worked for my clients is sending a heartfelt letter expressing your sincere passion for the restaurant and how you'll carry on their tradition of providing great food to their customers. It might sway them into giving your offer serious consideration.
That's a great idea. I'll whip one out over the holiday,
Lauren replied, biting her bottom lip.
I'll be taking New Year's off, so see what you can do, and we can talk the next day.
I'll do my best.
Lauren paused briefly before adding one last comment, And, Raymond?
Yes?
This mean's the world to me. Please do your best to make it happen.
Don't worry, Lauren,
Raymond's voice was steady and comforting. I can't perform miracles, but I promise to do my best. Enjoy your New Year's Day!
Happy New Year to you too.
Lauren ended the call.
She was determined to buy this business no matter what it took. Good food and family gatherings had been the highlights of her childhood, and this Italian restaurant would provide the perfect opportunity to keep their family bonded.
The best time to approach her siblings would be at the family get-together on New Year's Day at Megan's house.