Love So Amazing: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Wondrous Love Series Book 1) Read online

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Love So Amazing is © 2015 by JoAnn Durgin. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce in whole or in part in any form or medium.

  All Scripture contained within is from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

  By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover Design: Jimmy Gibbs/Terri Main

  About the Author

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  In addition to Love So Amazing, JoAnn Durgin is the author of the second book in the Wondrous Love Series, Love So Divine. She is the author of the beloved Lewis Legacy Series, as well as Prelude, the prequel to the Lewis Legacy Series. JoAnn is also the author of the Amazon bestselling Catching Serenity, Echoes of Edinburgh, Heart’s Design and its sequel, Gentle Like the Rain, Perchance to Dream, and the popular Starlight Christmas Series.

  JoAnn loves to hear from her readers! Please feel free to contact her:

  Website:

  www.joanndurgin.com

  Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin

  You can find all of JoAnn Durgin’s books on her Amazon Author Page:

  http://amzn.to/1FR0snl

  If you enjoy Love So Amazing, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations truly honor an author and are the most effective ways to help others find quality Christian fiction.

  Love So Amazing is the first in the Wondrous Love Series of contemporary Christian romance novels. At the end of this novel, you can find more information about Love So Divine, the second novel in the Wondrous Love Series, which released in January 2016. A third book, By Grace Draw Near, is planned for a late October 2016 release. More information about that book is also included at the end of this book.

  From the Author

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  This book is dedicated to my precious Amelia Grace, my first grandchild, and the new love and shining light in my life.

  Amelia, my prayer for you is that as you grow in years, you will develop a deep personal faith, rich in the grace, hope, and abundant love to be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ…a love indeed so amazing.

  JoAnn Durgin

  “Nana”

  Matthew 5:16

  Love So Amazing

  Book Description

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  Dance instructor Ava Carlisle lost her fiancé in a tragic car accident.

  Pedicab owner/operator Sawyer Mancini understands her pain all too well.

  Ava and Sawyer aren’t looking for love when they meet outside an Indianapolis hotel. Drawn to one another, these two lonely souls discover they share much in common during a six-block trip when Sawyer pedals Ava home to her downtown apartment building. When they unexpectedly meet a second time, both interpret it as freedom from the chains of past heartache and the Lord’s blessing to pursue a relationship. Although they intend to go slow, Ava and Sawyer tumble headfirst into the kind of love that only happens once in a lifetime.

  A few months later, Sawyer uncovers a shocking revelation. He and Ava share an unfathomable bond they never could have imagined, and one that threatens their love. Is it a cruel twist of fate or could it somehow be God’s perfect plan for their lives?

  Love So Amazing

  Scripture Verses

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  I John 4:18-19

  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.

  (Ava’s Verses)

  Galatians 5:13

  For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

  (Sawyer’s Verse)

  Chapter 1

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  “As soon as I saw you, I thought, now there’s a woman with a story.”

  Was that a line? Ava was so out of practice with dating she had no idea. Sure sounded like one, but she was too tired to care. Her gaze skimmed over the man and his vehicle—if it could even be called that—at the Hyatt Regency entrance adjacent to the parking garage. Considering he suffered from a pretty serious case of helmet hair, maybe she should give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, standing on a curb outside the hotel near midnight—in her long black tutu, ballet flats, and no coat in early February—who was she to criticize?

  “I suppose I could ask you why a man has a rickshaw in downtown Indianapolis.” Ava lowered her gaze but not before she saw his lips part in an amused grin.

  Stepping closer to the curb, aware he watched, Ava quickly ran her hands up and down her chilled arms. Not a taxi in sight. Great. She’d arranged for a taxi to bring her to the hotel at the crack of dawn but didn’t foresee being here long into the evening hours. If she’d parked her car in the hotel garage all day, the fee would have gobbled up a significant portion of her weekly food budget. Being financially responsible was one thing, but a little more advance planning to get home tonight? Yes, that would have been good.

  “Do you need a ride somewhere, Ballerina?”

  Thankfully, his tone sounded serious and respectful, not mocking—accompanied by a wave toward the rickshaw—or she might be offended. Against her better instincts, Ava met the man’s gaze head-on. His strong facial features—killer cheekbones, dark eyes, classic nose, well-formed lips—smacked of Italian heritage. Even flattened close to his head, his black, slightly longish hair was obviously thick. Maybe it was the lighting, but did she see a few silver hairs interspersed in the matted but tousled curls on top? She estimated he was close to her own age, give or take a few years, perhaps early thirties.

  “So, you are trying to pick me up. I mean, literally?” Why had she voiced that thought? Blame it on the exhaustion. She had no other excuse.

  The corners of the man’s mouth twitched and his eyes sparkled in the dim light.

  That’s not sparkle. It’s only the reflection from the overhead lights.

  “Helping ballerinas, or anyone else needing a ride home, is what I do. I guess you could say it’s my passion. One of them, anyway.” He scratched his head, mussing his hair even more. The look worked for him. “Okay, that didn’t come out the way I meant. Nothing unseemly implied.”

  “None inferred.” Pedaling people around the city was his passion? He radiated an uncommon energy, especially for this late at night. His dark good looks made him appear somewhat brooding when he wasn’t smiling, something she suspected he did quite often. Whether a seasoned flirt or a natural charmer, this was the kind of guy she didn’t need. She’d had one such man in her life and wasn’t looking for another.

  Ava lifted her chin. “I want to know what passion is. I want to feel something strongly.” Quoting literature usually made men hightail it in the opposite direction. That should do it. Hopefully that’d throw him off if
he did have any interest in her as anything more than a paying customer.

  Not that he’s inviting himself into your life, Ava.

  Based on his widening grin, he interpreted her words as conversational or worse—flirting. Wonderful. Could she have said anything more suggestive? Had she seriously said she wanted to know and feel passion?

  “Aldous Huxley. Brave New World.”

  Huh. That was a surprise. A pedal-pushing literature aficionado? “Passion is an enviable if sometimes elusive quality.”

  He tilted his head with a puzzled expression. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize that one.”

  “That’s my line, so it’s hardly memorable.” She was loopy tonight and shouldn’t be held responsible for whatever came out of her mouth. He probably assumed she’d spent some quality time at the hotel bar.

  “I disagree, but first we need to clear up your misconception. This is a pedicab, not a rickshaw.” He smoothed his hand over the bicycle seat in a protective gesture. From what she could tell, well-developed muscles lived beneath his black all-weather biking pants and fleece jacket. Not that she was looking, but they were obvious. Safety must be important to him as evidenced by the bright reflective strips on the arms of his jacket and the red helmet dangling from the handlebars of the bicycle connected to the rickshaw. Pedicab. Whatever.

  “My apologies. I wasn’t aware there’s a difference. And this”—she waved her hand down the front of her—“is what it looks like, although I’m not really a ballerina.” Anymore. “I simply teach young aspiring dancers.”

  “That’s admirable, but I doubt there’s anything simple about it.”

  She blew out a breath. “Were you on the debate team in high school?”

  That comment brought a broad grin. Oh yes, he was quite handsome, helmet hair or not. Too handsome.

  “I preferred the athletic teams. All I meant was, in order to teach others, you’re probably a dancer, too. Right?”

  “I used to dance, yes, but you know what they say—those who can’t. . .teach.” No need to go into her sad story with a man she’d never see again. She glanced at the wet streets beyond the edge of the parking garage. “Is that rain or sleet out there?”

  “Rain, but I think we have a momentary reprieve.”

  Ava frowned. “Not that a little precipitation will melt me, but maybe I should ask the night desk clerk to call a taxi.”

  “If I may offer my services, Ballerina. The pedicab is also known as a bike taxi and has a canopy.” He pointed to the passenger compartment. “If we leave now, I’ll be able to get you home before it starts up again. Promise.”

  “How can you promise something like that? The weather’s been pretty fickle lately.”

  His expression was sheepish, almost shy. She doubted this man had ever been shy. “I can’t. Tell you what. If it starts to rain or, if the temperature drops and it starts to snow along the way, I’ll stop and hail a taxi. I also have a unique talent for whistling obnoxiously loud when I want.”

  Ava debated the options for only a moment. “How much would you charge to go six blocks?” Taxis were expensive enough, and she had no point for comparison with a three-wheeled bicycle. Or did that make it a tricycle?

  “We can negotiate the price at the end of the ride.” He must have noted her quick frown because he held out one hand as if in self-defense. “Business has been slow tonight and I could use the exercise. Guaranteed, it’ll cost you less than cab fare.”

  Since she’d switched to a smaller purse earlier that morning, she wasn’t sure how much cash she had and doubted he accepted credit cards. “Fine. Let me check—”

  “Don’t worry if you don’t have enough. Consider it my good deed for the day.”

  She glanced up at him. Sincerity shone in those dark eyes. If business was slow, then he could probably use the money. She’d only used her credit card during the day, so having enough cash to cover the fare shouldn’t be an issue. “You don’t need to do that, but you’re hired. If I don’t have enough, I can run up to my apartment when I get home and pay you then.”

  “Whatever you’d like. Shall we?”

  Ava accepted his hand and stepped up and into the back of the two-seat passenger compartment. His hand was warm and her gaze slid to his ring finger. No wedding band. Murmuring her thanks, she settled on the seat. Why did she care about this man’s marital status? He was unkempt and a flirt, intriguing or not.

  “Here, you might want to take this to help keep you warm.” Reaching from somewhere behind her, he pulled out a thick red blanket.

  Taking it from him, Ava pulled the blanket around her shoulders. “Thanks. For the record, I’m not completely without common sense. I had a wool coat when I arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning. The coat check was closed by the time we finished tonight. I should have remembered to claim it before it was too late, but it’s been a very hectic day.”

  “You need to have more faith in yourself, Ballerina. You had some kind of show at the Hyatt, I take it?”

  She bristled a little. He didn’t know her and had no right to make assumptions or judgments.

  Even if he’s right. She’d more or less made assumptions about him, too. Ava cleared her throat. “Yes. A special dance recital for Valentine’s Day.”

  “Ah. That would explain all the little girls in pink and red tutus swarming around the lobby earlier tonight.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make your students sound like little bumblebees.”

  “You didn’t.” Quickly covering her mouth, Ava tried to stifle her yawn. “And you’re right. They’re our youngest group of dancers, and they do tend to swarm. And buzz.”

  “Listen, I know the night guy on duty at the front desk. Do you want me to run inside and ask him to retrieve your coat? I’m sure he probably has a key for the coat check or can get one. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  “Well. . .” The coat was an expensive one she’d bought on clearance the year before, fit her like a dream, and she hated to be without it. “If you don’t mind, that’d be great. Thanks.” With her mind still spinning from all the details of the day, it was nice to have someone else take care of her.

  “Be right back.” In a split second, he’d slipped inside the sliding glass doors and disappeared into the hotel lobby. As she waited, she mentally reviewed the events of the day. The special holiday performance had gone off surprisingly well with only a few inevitable glitches. No children had fainted, none had thrown up, and none had stomped or screamed in a diva-like temper tantrum.

  During her multiple trips to the hotel lobby for a quick caffeine fix during the day, she’d heard the jokes in passing. Nice tutu. Need a prince? Shall we dance? As well as a few more colorful comments she’d immediately dismissed from her mind. For whatever reason, a woman in a tutu seemed to inspire either respect or teasing semi-insults. After years of dancing, she was used to the taunts, but it didn’t make hearing them any easier.

  Still, it had been a gratifying day overall, and she had no complaints. At least tomorrow was Sunday. If she could drag herself out of bed, she’d attend the late church service and then observe the day of rest before starting all over again on Monday morning. A long afternoon soak in the tub sounded enticing. She might even read one of her favorite author’s books that had been waiting on her Kindle since before Christmas.

  True to his word, Pedicab Man returned within a couple of minutes with her coat draped over his arm.

  Taking the coat from him, Ava breathed a sigh of relief. “I appreciate your retrieving it for me. You’re singlehandedly proving that gallantry is alive and well. Until tonight, I was afraid it was an art in danger of extinction.”

  He tilted his head with a bemused expression. “Are you always this…formal?”

  Ava stared at him and then burst out laughing. She waved her hand while he quietly observed. “I’m not a literature-quoting drunk. Promise. I’m just really, really tired.” She moved the blanket to her lap, aware h
e watched as she pulled her coat around her shoulders and fastened the top two buttons. “Please add the cost of the coat check tip to whatever I owe you,” she said between yawns. “And those yawns are real.”

  “You’re a fascinating woman, Ballerina.” He gave her a smile as warm as her cheeks and tugged the red helmet over his head, snapping it under his chin. “I tried giving my friend a tip, but he wouldn’t take it. My name’s Sawyer, by the way. I’ll be the one pedaling you home tonight. Or wherever you need to go.”

  “Nice to meet you, Sawyer. I’m Ava.” She’d never met anyone with the first name of Sawyer although she’d heard of it. She’d never been on a first-name basis with a taxi driver. Bike taxi operators were apparently a different breed if Sawyer was a baseline for comparison. No man had ever told her she was fascinating, that’s for sure.

  “Would you like the foot heater turned on to keep your footsies warm?”

  “You have a foot heater in this thing?” She caught his chuckle. “Sure. That’d be very nice.” He must have noticed she only wore her ballet shoes.

  Leaning across her, he flipped a switch at her feet. With his movements, Ava caught a whiff of something masculine. Cologne? Body wash? Sweat? Whatever it was, it certainly was nice.

  Maybe she should curl up on the bench seat and sleep all the way home before she got herself into further trouble.

  “The heat comes from below so it’s completely safe and there’s no danger of burning—”

  “My footsies?” She smiled when he snapped his head up to meet her gaze. Any man who used the word footsies couldn’t be all bad, but why did she find it difficult to stop staring at him?

  Resting one hand on the side of the passenger compartment, Sawyer was close enough for her to glimpse the rich, velvety brown of his eyes. “I imagine your feet are a big part of your livelihood, so you need to take excellent care of them. As far as my word choices, I’m an uncle. So, where am I taking you tonight, Ava?”