Out of the Blue Bouquet (Crossroads Collection) Read online

  Published by

  Olivia Kimbrell Press™

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, a Crossroads Collection, Copyright © 2017 by the authors. All rights reserved.

  This book is an anthology of collected works of fiction including the titles: Courting Calla, by Hallee Bridgeman, Seoul in Love, by Alana Terry, A Kærasti for Clari, by Carol Moncado, Premeditated Serendipity, by Chautona Havig, and Out of the Blue Bouquet, by Amanda Tru. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or recording—without express written permission by the authors and publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed or broadcasted articles and reviews.

  Courting Calla, original copyright © 2017 by Hallee Bridgeman.

  Seoul in Love, original copyright © 2017 by Alana Terry.

  A Kærasti for Clari, original copyright © 2017 by Carol Moncado.

  Premeditated Serendipity, original copyright © 2017 by Chautona Havig.

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, original copyright © 2017 by Amanda Tru.

  Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or intended to be used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, places, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental and beyond the intention of either the authors or the publisher. The characters are products of the authors’ imaginations and used fictitiously.

  PUBLISHED BY: Olivia Kimbrell Press™*, P.O. Box 470, Fort Knox, KY 40121-0470. The Olivia Kimbrell Press™ colophon and open book logo are trademarks of Olivia Kimbrell Press™.

  *Olivia Kimbrell Press™ is a publisher offering true to life, meaningful fiction from a Christian worldview intended to uplift the heart and engage the mind.

  Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible are excerpts from many versions and are reproduced in strict accordance with the copyright of the owners.

  Cover Design and Title Graphics by Chautona Havig

  Fonts: Eras Light, Austina

  Cover photos: bondvit/shutterstock

  Library Cataloging Data

  Names: Bridgeman, Hallee; Terry, Alana; Moncado, Carol; Havig, Chautona; Tru, Amanda (Hallee Bridgeman, Alana Terry, Carol Moncado, ChautonaHavig, Amanda Tru)

  Title: Out of the Blue Bouquet; a Crossroads Collection / Bridgeman, Terry, Moncado, Havig, Tru

  p. 6 in. × 9 in. (15.24 cm × 22.86 cm)

  Description: digital eBook edition | Print on Demand edition | Trade paperback edition | Hardcover Case Laminate edition | Kentucky: Olivia Kimbrell Press™, 2017.

  Summary: Five of today's Best-selling Christian Authors weave five unique connected stories where misdirected floral deliveries lead to changed lives.

  Identifiers: ePCN: 2017959111 | ISBN-13: 978-1-68190-104-6 (ebk.) | 978-1-68190-102-2 (POD) | 978-1-68190-103-9 (trade) | 978-1-68190-107-7 (hardcover)

  1. clean romance love story 2. Christian fiction mystery 3. holy matrimony marriage 4. women's inspirational 5. male female relationships 6. spiritual warfare family 7. happily endings flowers

  Each book in this collection is the intellectual property and the copyrighted material of the respective author and/or publisher and is reprinted as a part of this collection (anthology) only once and only by permission of the owners. The publisher makes no claim on, or to, the property of the owners which exceeds that permission.

  Betwixt Two Hearts

  Crossroads Collection 4

  Out of the Blue Bouquet Introduction

  Courting Calla, by Hallee Bridgeman.

  Seoul in Love, by Alana Terry.

  A Kærasti for Clari, by Carol Moncado.

  Premeditated Serendipity, by Chautona Havig.

  Out of the Blue Bouquet, by Amanda Tru.

  Full Table of Contents

  When I was young, my sisters and I loved to read those Christian collections where multiple authors each contributed a story. We called them “potato chip” books because once you started, they were difficult to stop, but they didn’t have any real nutritional value, so to speak. Of course, back then, they were hefty paperback collections that rivaled the Bible in weight. While I remember enjoying the stories, I honestly can’t remember the plot to a single book I read in one of those anthology collections.

  Earlier this year, I was talking to a friend about putting together a collection of new stories. Right now, these multi-author collections are a pretty big deal in the world of ebooks. I am often asked to write books for collections, and I usually refuse, simply because I don’t have the time to write something completely separate from my other series to fit the narrow theme of a collection, whatever that may be. But after my conversation with my friend, I got to wondering if it was possible to put together a collection that was different than the usual and didn’t include the parts I don’t like.

  As often happens, the “what ifs” lead me down a path to something better than I would have thought possible. What if I could arrange a multi-author collection so that all of the books were independent and could be part of each author’s universe, yet they had a point of intersection drawing everything together? What if the reader didn’t understand how they were all connected until they read the last book? (Hehehe!) What if it was a unique collection, unlike any that has been done before? And… what if it was memorable and more than a set of potato chips?

  And thus, the idea for a Crossroads Collection was born. A few minutes, and a nice hot shower, later, I had the idea for the “Out of the Blue Bouquet.” I thought about it for several weeks without mentioning anything. I frequently have great ideas that never go anywhere. Then I told my friend. She loved the idea, and from there, the rest is history. I recruited some other fabulous authors who loved the idea as well, and we worked to create a collection unlike any that has been done before.

  Now it’s your turn to read and enjoy. Each story is a brand-new, never-before-published, complete, independent story. It may be part of the author’s other series or have a part in one of their fictional universes, but it is also a stand-alone story. For instance, A Kærasti for Clari, by Carol Moncado takes place in the universe of her fictional country, complete with modern-day royalty. Other stories take place in a variety of settings, with no two in the same place. Seoul in Love takes place in Seoul, South Korea and has a more serious angle, while Premeditated Serendipity, by Chautona Havig includes a more humorous set-up. Courting Calla, by Hallee Bridgeman is first in the line-up and involves deception and a dark secret that threatens to destroy a budding romance.

  All of the books are Contemporary Christian Romances, but all told in the styles of the individual author. Finally, the last book, Out of the Blue Bouquet, penned by me, ties all of the books together while telling its own story. (I’m so thrilled that I got to write that last book!) It is a mixture of fun and serious and may make you both laugh and cry at times. So read each individual story, but make sure you read them all to understand the full story!

  The good news is that after you read this collection and love it, you don’t have to feel sad that it’s over. You get a glimpse of the worlds of five wonderful authors who each have a full “playlist” of books for you to check out and enjoy. Each author has listed her books at the end of her individual book, or another easy way is to type the author’s name into the search of whatever retailer where you got this collection.

  Also, this isn’t the only Crossroads Collection that will be published. At the end of the collection, you will find a link to
sign up for my newsletter. If you enjoy this unique set, I encourage you to sign up for the newsletter to find out when the next Crossroads Collection will be released. I have some exciting plans with a variety of different authors for 2018!

  I encourage you to help spread the word about Out of the Blue Bouquet, a Crossroads Collection. This is a limited-time collection, at a limited-time price. Eventually, the collection will be disbanded, and the titles will only be available on an individual basis. If you love it, talk about it so others can enjoy it too.

  Finally, it is my hope and prayer that, as a reader of this collection, you come away with more than the fleeting enjoyment of a potato chip. May you escape into a world of enjoyable fiction, but may you also find something touching that gives you a different perspective. It is my prayer that you may recognize the good things that God has planned for all of life’s “out-of-the-blue bouquets.”

  Happy Reading!

  It is my very great pleasure to introduce the first book in this collection. I have been very blessed to call Hallee Bridgeman a true friend of mine for several years now. She has been a blessing in my life and is an author and a woman I admire.

  My story, Out of the Blue Bouquet, finishes up this Crossroads Collection of stories and ties all of these stories together. Hallee’s story has a little more serious flavor than mine, which works perfectly because she is awesome at suspense and writing exciting parts! Courting Calla is a Christian Contemporary Romance, but it also involves deception and a dark secret that threatens to destroy all trust and any chance for a future.

  As authors, it is really thrilling for us to think about how readers experience the stories we write. I am excited for you as you begin your journey through all of these stories. Thanks again for reading! May God use all your trials for good, turning life’s accidents into “out of the blue bouquets.”

  Happy Reading!

  Author of Out of the Blue Bouquet

  a Dixon Brothers Novella by

  Published by

  Olivia Kimbrell Press™

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE

  Courting Calla by Hallee Bridgeman

  Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.

  Some scripture quotations courtesy of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  Some scripture quotations courtesy of the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas-Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Library Cataloging Data

  Bridgeman, Hallee (Hallee A. Bridgeman) 1972-

  Courting Calla / Hallee Bridgeman

  Summary: Ian knows Calla is the woman God has chosen for him, but Calla is hiding something big. Can Calla trust Ian with her secret, or will she let it destroy any possible hope for a future they may have?

  ISBN: 978-1-68190-034-6 (ebook) ISBN: 978-1-68190-035-3 (trade paperback) ISBN: 978-1-68190-036-0 (Print on Demand) Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2016911766

  1. Christian fiction 2. man-woman relationships 3. suspenseful romance 4. romantic thriller 5. family relationships

  Calla Vaughn felt the telltale shudder of the car through her seat just as she started to pull through the gate. “No, no, no,” she said out loud, as if the machine might actually hear and decide not to die in the middle of the post-lunch rush to the parking deck. Despite the feeble attempt to stop it, with a lurch and a cough and a cloud of black exhaust, her car sputtered to a stop.

  Resigned, Calla slipped her glasses off and lay her forehead on the steering wheel, closing her eyes, the smell of burning oil stinging her nose. If this week would just end, if she could just get through this afternoon, then tomorrow, and make it to the weekend, everything would turn out fine. It had to. Surely, the domino effect of her life would still and cease if she could just shut the door to her little apartment and hide from the rest of the world until Monday.

  The tapping on her window startled her, and she hastily sat up, slipping her black-framed glasses back on. She knew with her black hair and dark brown eyes the thick black frames made her face stand out. She’d resisted buying them, but Sami, her best friend and confidante, had insisted, claiming they gave her a striking appearance. She said the glasses made her look like she just needed a nearby phone booth to transform into a courageous and strong heroine in primary colors. Calla knew nothing could help her not ugly but certainly not beautiful features, but she kind of wanted to see if the new frames would change her life in any way. They hadn’t, of course. They were just glasses. So much for wanting to look like a superhero in disguise.

  As she rolled down her window, her face flooded with uncomfortable heat. Of course, the car behind her would belong to Ian Jones, one of the mechanical engineers in the Dixon Contracting firm where she worked as a file clerk. She saw his signature a dozen times a day in her job but hadn’t ever spoken to him beyond an uncomfortable hello whenever they passed in the halls. He had bushy brown hair, light hazel eyes that shifted from gold to brown to green, and a face better suited to some rakish Duke in one of her favorite Regency romance novels. She’d carried a crush for him since her second day on the job three years ago, though he barely glanced at her whenever their paths happened to cross.

  Trying to keep from actually crying out of embarrassment, something that would make this whole horrible moment a thousand times worse, she simply drawled out, “Hi there.”

  His right eyebrow rose and his lips twitched up into a half grin. He had a dimple. “Need some help?”

  If he only knew. The fish and chips lunch she had just wolfed down started to feel like bad sushi. She smiled weakly and asked, “Do you have a tow truck handy?”

  He looked at her little Geo Storm that had rolled off the assembly line the year she was born and tapped the sun faded yellow roof. “Put her in neutral. We’ll just move it out of the way of the gate.” He gestured with his head, and she looked in the rearview mirror to see the growing line of cars behind them. She watched him wave an arm, and another man got out of a car three cars back.

  With a sinking, burning feeling in her chest, she recognized him as one of the Dixon sons. She suddenly started wishing she believed in portals that would open up and suck someone into another dimension. Mr. Dixon, owner of the massive Dixon Contracting construction and architectural firm, had three identical sons. Triplets. No one could really tell them apart, so they were all simply “Mr. Dixon.” She guessed this was Jon from his pickup truck but honestly had no idea whether maybe one of his brothers, Brad or Ken, had borrowed Jon’s truck this morning.

  The little Storm shifted when Calla felt Mr. Dixon’s hands grip the sooty back bumper. Following Ian’s directions from the driver’s window, she put her car in neutral and glanced out the window in time to see Ian’s biceps bulge and bunch beneath his shirt as he maneuvered the car while Mr. Dixon pushed. “Let’s get it to that spot there,” he said, and she turned the steering wheel as they propelled her into the senior Mr. Dixon’s space.

  As soon as she set the parking brake, she hopped out of the car. “I can’t park here. Mr. Dixon –”

  “Is nowhere near Atlanta today. He’s inspecting the New Orleans job for at least another three days. You’re fine. Don’t worry about a thing,” the young Dixon said. He smiled, clearly trying to put her at ease. Turning to the man next to him, he said, “Hey, Ian? You’re next, bro.”

  As the two of them rushed back to their cars that still sat blocking the entrance through the gate, she lifted a hand at their retreating backs. “Thanks.” It sounded weak even to her own ears.

  Sighing, cheeks burning with embarrassed heat, she pulled her phone out of her purse intending to call a garage. Her hands shook slightly from chagrin and, as the phone cleared the purse, it slipped from her fingers and crashed to the concrete parking deck floor. A flood of tears blurred her vision, making the cracks that appeared on the screen all blur together.

  “Calla!” She looked up with tear-stained cheeks as Sami’s zippy little convertible pulled up next to her an
d her best friend put her head out of her open window. Sami’s eyes went from Calla’s face to the ground next to her feet, then she put her car in park, and hopped out. “Oh, Calla, honey, let me help.” She bent and picked up the broken phone, slipping it into her own pocket. She had on a brightly flowered shirt, mustard yellow leggings, and red boots. Somehow, with her blue fedora sitting on top of perfectly curled black hair, it worked. “I’ll call my uncle. He has a garage in Decatur.”

  “Don’t bother. I couldn’t pay to fix it, anyway. I’ll just get it towed to a junk-yard. It’s where it belongs.”

  Sami raised an eyebrow. “And then what?”

  Realizing she had started to grit her teeth, she intentionally relaxed as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and held it. In with the good, out with the bad. Letting out a long, slow sigh, she said, “Then I ride the Metro until I can get out of the hole my stepmother has so graciously dug for me.” She reached into the pocket of Sami’s shirt and snatched her phone. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You’ll get out of that hole faster once you press charges,” Sami said. When Calla opened her mouth to protest, Sami held up her hand. “I know. I won’t say it again. That’s between you and God and the local police.” She looked at her watch. “Get back to work. No reason to add trouble at work to your load. I’ll take care of this. I have personal time saved, and you don’t.”

  Calla hugged her, tightly, knowing God had blessed her with a true friend. She retrieved her bag from the back seat, made sure she didn’t have anything in the glove box she didn’t need, and rushed to the elevator just as Ian Jones reached it. Feeling the clumsy awkwardness that he always invoked overtake her, she smiled an uncomfortable smile and pressed the button for the second floor. “Thank you. Sorry to block your way.”