UPDATE:
Poll closes Saturday, Feb 7, 11:59 PM Eastern
We're also having a few contests as we present each chapter over the next eight weekdays. We're going to let you, the readers, choose the special lady you think should be Brent's true love. Voting opens next Wednesday afternoon, so be sure to read all the chapters to learn about these special women.
For another contest, we'd like to challenge and reward our regular readers! During the next eight days, read all the chapters and try to determine which one of our authors wrote which chapter. Hold onto your guesses - don't post them here or elsewhere. Once you think you've figured them out, send me an e-mail (editor [at] writeintegrity [dot] com) listing the chapter number, the heroine name, and the author you think wrote that chapter. The person who identifies all of them correctly will receive a prize. If more than one gets all the right answers, then we'll have a drawing. If no one has all the right answers, we'll award the prize to whoever has the most correct answers (random drawing if there's more than one.) The winner will receive Kindle versions of all our books and a $50 Amazon gift card! To get you started, we'll let you know - Jerusha Agen wrote Chapter One. But she didn't write one of the heroine chapters, so make your choices from all the others.
A third contest is for writers, but we'll share details about that a little later. Now, here's the next installation of The Love Boat Bachelor.
Chapter
Two
Port
of Call: Cozumel
Brent opened his
eyes and looked up to find a fancy swirly design on the ceiling. He flicked the
sleep specks away and glanced around the cabin. The walls had the same paint
scheme as the ceiling. Nautical pictures hung throughout the four narrow walls.
The confining
room felt symbolic, thanks to Roselle. This two week love trip she conned him
into had disaster written all over it. He wanted out of the cabin and off the
cruise.
Brent sighed and
swung off the small bed that the steward would later fold back into a makeshift
couch. He felt around the edge for his glasses, the frames he thankfully only
wore before he was awake enough to put contacts in. When they were in college,
Mara teased him for the wire specs and pushing them up the bridge of his nose
threatened to take him back to old times and bad memories. He took two steps to
the dresser where he’d unpacked his mom’s Bible. He needed some quiet time before
breakfast to prepare for the chaplain office hours he promised Danny. His
wounds were too fresh to lean on any of his so-called wisdom. The people
looking for counsel deserved more than his insecure drivel, especially if
anyone was going to ask him about love.
As Brent turned
to sit on the bed, the ship rocked again, knocking him and his stomach off
balance. He gripped the Bible as he tried to settle on the bunk, but the gentle
drift that helped him fall to sleep the night before transformed into angry
surges of water pounding against the boat. Was this normal? That was going to
be the first question of the day for Danny.
With
determination, Brent flipped the thin pages until he found his bookmark. There
was a sentence highlighted, faded from years gone by since his mom focused on
the words, but yellow just the same. He traced the words with his finger.
Be
still and know that I am God.
Brent chuckled
and shook his head. The good Lord sure had a sense of humor giving him that
verse while on a cruise ship fighting moody waters.
****
Forty-five
minutes later, Brent, still struggling with the waves, was in the breakfast
buffet line. The harder he tried to stand still, the more he lost his footing.
The more he willed his stomach to stand down, his belly seemed to argue back
with a vengeance. Maybe a bagel would calm his system.
“Hey, Mister,
you okay?” A little guy who looked to be about nine stared at him.
Brent ran his
palm over his head, feeling beads of sweat. “Sure. I’m fine. Why?”
The kid
shrugged. “Your face looks like mine when I’m going to hurl.”
The mere mention
of what Brent had been praying against rushed the recoil in his stomach clear
to his throat.
The boy pointed.
“Yep. That’s it. I bet you’re trying to tell it to go away. That’s what I do.”
Brent nodded,
biting his lips in an effort to stop the unleashing he didn’t want the
passengers to see.
“By the way,” the
kid picked up a plate and took a step toward the pancakes, “it doesn’t work.”
Brent nodded,
holding up his finger in a “wait” gesture as he fast-tracked to the restroom.
Once he finished
and cleaned himself up, Brent left the men’s room and took measured steps back
to the line in search of Ginger Ale. His stomach settled, but he felt a little
weak as he paused at the hand sanitizer machine and rubbed the gel through his
hands. As he turned toward the beverage
station, he heard the click-clack of
heels coming his way. “Jimmy! You scared me. I told you not to get in line until
I was done filling your …”
Brent flinched
as the woman stopped short of him, her blonde hair bouncing even after she
paused.
Her emerald
colored eyes widened as she looked at his face, and then glanced to the nearby food
station where the boy from minutes ago piled potatoes onto his already full
plate.
“Are you okay?” she
asked.
Another wave
caused the boat to sway with enough momentum that the woman lost her footing
and started to fall toward him. He reached for her arm and steadied her,
careful not to wrinkle her jade sundress.
Brent chuckled. “I
guess I could ask you the same thing.”
She looked again
toward the food. “I guess I haven’t found my sea legs yet. Takes some getting
used to. Have you taken anything for the nausea?” She snapped her fingers and
gestured toward the food line. The boy and his towering plate walked toward
them.
Brent couldn’t
help but notice how kind her eyes looked. Mesmerizing green, but compassionate
in a way Mara’s never had been. At least in their high school and college days.
“How did you know?”
She smiled. “Your
face tells quite the tale. You should take something. The waves aren’t getting
any friendlier.”
“Right. Once I
get a drink I’ll visit the infirmary.”
She rested her
hand on the boy’s shoulder while keeping her focus on Brent. “You don’t need to
go to the infirmary. You can get them at the information desk or through room
service. We needed some for Jimmy before they even lifted anchor in Charleston.
I think it was nerves more than anything, but after a hard nap he was as good
as new. As you can see.” She patted his brown hair.
“I’m glad he’s
better. Well, I should let you enjoy breakfast. Enjoy your time at sea. Before
long we’ll be docked in Cozumel.” And on solid ground, praise the Lord.
“Yes, Cozumel.
We’re looking forward to spending the day there.”
Those eyes
nearly made him lose his standing position. What was it about green eyes? Hadn’t
Mara ruined him forever with those? Apparently not.
“Have a good
day.” She waved as Jimmy sprinted two steps ahead.
Just as Brent
returned the gesture, Danny came into view. He was smiling until he stood in
front of his friend.
“Dude. I told
you to keep the uniform crisp.” He pulled out what looked like a walkie-talkie
and spoke into it, asking for laundry assistance before returning his focus to
Brent. “What have you been doing? Everything’s a wrinkled mess.”
“I’m fine.
Thanks for asking.” Brent rolled his eyes.
“Sorry. You
okay?”
“Now that I lost
some of my stomach contents I do feel better. I didn’t count on the waters
being this rough.”
“It doesn’t
happen often. If it helps you feel better, I passed an elevator full of people
on their way to the infirmary on my way here.” Danny slapped him on the back.
“Not really. Is
it okay if I get another uniform and then go for some meds? I figure I’ll take
half a dose. I’m feeling better, but I’d like not to get sick again. Then I’ll
head to the chaplain’s station.”
Danny sobered. “Sure,
Brent. Whatever you need. I know I rag on you a lot, but seriously, I’m glad
you’re on this cruise. Once you get in the groove of things, I think you’ll
like it. Love it even. Speaking of, maybe there’s someone on this very boat
that God’s set aside just for you.”
Brent took a few
tentative steps. “I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
****
Brent locked up
his office, actually located next to the chapel—both tucked away in a far
corner on the social deck. Apparently, the chaplain didn’t have too much to do
on a cruise where most people were thinking more vacation and less spiritual
time. Reading the literature in the office, he got the feeling that most of his
duty was for the crew. Well, it didn’t hurt to be there for the passengers as
well. Wherever God wanted him. That’s where he’d be.
Danny’s voice
sounded over the ship’s PA system, announcing disembarkation instructions for
the first port of call, Cozumel. Even Brent looked forward to getting off the
ship and touring. Maybe he’d find a souvenir for Roselle.
He turned the
key and twisted the handle for good measure when he heard a group of voices
coming from the elevator.
“Babe, it’s our
honeymoon. I think to be anywhere but in our cabin is selfish,” a man said.
“I feel guilty
for ignoring Jimmy,” the crying woman answered.
Brent shuffled
his feet so he could see the people heading his way. Hearing the name of the
little boy from breakfast got his attention.
“Hi. Can I help
you?” He smiled as a man and woman came into view.
“You the
chaplain?” The man wore shorts and a white t-shirt that said Groom across the chest.
The bride looked nothing like the woman
who’d been with the boy named Jimmy.
“Pastor Brent
Teague at your service. Let me unlock my door, and we can talk.” He shook the
man’s hand and started toward his office. He noticed movement out of the corner
of his eye and heard a familiar rhythm from high heeled shoes scuffing the
floor.
“Claire. Why is
everyone running ahead of me on this cruise? I was trying to tell you
everything’s fine. Go be with Eddie. Jimmy’s going to have a great time. I
promise.” It was green eyes, with Jimmy in tow.
Brent quickly
unlocked and opened the door, swinging it wide for everyone to enter. Jimmy
recognized him first.
“Hey, Aunt Nora.
It’s the hurler.” He pointed.
Brent cleared
his throat. “Jimmy. Good to see you again.”
The couple
raised their eyebrows, looking to the woman named Nora.
She paused
before entering. “You’re the chaplain?”
He nodded. “Kind
of the substitute. But I pastor a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I’ve
counseled before, so I promise, with God’s help, I’ll try to help y’all find
peace here.”
Jimmy brushed by
and took the first seat he found. “I think he can do it.”
Brent ushered
everyone in after that vote of confidence. “Let’s talk, shall we?”
The adults sat
down and Brent was intrigued by their choices. The women sat on either side of
Jimmy, leaving the man to sit off to the side.
Brent pulled up
a chair and sat in their sad circle. “You know who I am. How about you
introduce yourselves and why you’re here today.” He looked to Nora, taken off
guard once again by those jade eyes. He quickly focused elsewhere.
The man inched
forward in his seat. “I’ll go first. Eddie Baxter. I married Claire on
Saturday. This is our honeymoon. But, it isn’t, if you catch my drift.” Eddie
leaned back.
Claire sighed. “I’ve
never left Jimmy. It’s been the two of us, well, with Nora’s help, since he was
born. I couldn’t leave him. I physically couldn’t.” Her mouth quivered.
Nora fidgeted in
her seat. “Claire and I are sisters. When she told Eddie she couldn’t go on the
cruise, our parents stepped in and bought a ticket for me and Jimmy. I’m here
to help. Like I always do.”
Jimmy folded his
arms against his chest. “I don’t need anyone taking care of me. Mom can do
whatever she wants. Doesn’t bother me.”
The tension
bouncing off the walls was as palpable as the waves that had been so relentless
against the ship.
“If I’m hearing
everyone correctly, Eddie’s been looking forward to this honeymoon and he’s a
little frustrated that he isn’t spending as much time with Claire as he hoped.”
Brent eyed Eddie, who nodded.
“That’s right.”
Brent continued.
“Claire, you’ve been a single mom, and this is a huge transition for you. You
haven’t carved any time for yourself in years and feel torn.”
She lifted her
head. “Yes. That’s absolutely how I feel.”
“And Nora’s
always been available for you and Jimmy. That hasn’t changed, especially now.”
“True. That’s so
true, Pastor.” Nora’s soft voice reminded him of velvet.
“Jimmy, you’ve
been the man of the house for a long time. You’ve done well. It’s okay to be a
kid. Eddie’s going to take some time to get to know your mom better, but I
think to help Mom, maybe all of you could enjoy dinner each night of the cruise
as a family. You and Eddie can get acquainted. Mom can see that you and Aunt
Nora are having a blast. Does that sound like a plan?” He looked to the boy but
hoped they’d all be on board so he could head off board and into Cozumel.
“Works for me.
Aunt Nora, we need to go. We’ve got a glass bottom boat to get to.” He stood
and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her to stand. Brent wasn’t convinced Jimmy
was coping as well as he wanted everyone to think but figured all the changes
were going to take time. For all of them.
Claire took a
breath and smiled. “He’s right. You two have fun.” She stood and reached into
the front pocket of her dress. “I won’t be using my ticket. Maybe there’s someone
on the dock who could use it. I have plans with Eddie.” She handed it to Nora.
Eddie sprang out
of his seat and kissed his wife on the forehead before turning to his new stepson.
“I can’t wait to see you at dinner to hear about your day.”
The boy grinned
and tugged again on his aunt’s hand.
Eddie and Claire
started for the door. “Thank you. Appreciate you listening to us.” Eddie put
his hand on Claire’s back as they exited.
“I second what
Eddie said. Thanks for your time, Pastor.” Nora fumbled with the paper.
Brent jangled
his keys as he sauntered toward the door. “Please, it’s Brent. You know, that’s
admirable what you’ve done helping Claire and Jimmy.”
They left the
office and Jimmy sprinted to the elevator.
Nora sighed. “Don’t
go in that elevator without me. I mean it.” She turned to Brent. “I’m no saint.
This cruise hasn’t been easy.”
Once Brent
locked up, he picked up his pace to ensure Nora made it to the elevator before
it opened. Once they reached the doors, he noticed Nora’s cheeks were moist.
“Are you okay?
Can I help?”
Nora let out a
sob and her words came in a rush. “I was engaged over nine years ago. I caught
Seth kissing my best friend from college after our rehearsal dinner. The only
thing that got me through was Claire learning about her pregnancy. We needed
each other. Now, she has Eddie.” She wiped her face with the back of her
sleeve. “And I’m on a cruise while my sister celebrates her marriage. I’m
human. This hurts.”
It was natural
instinct for him to reach out and touch her arm. “I’m sorry. That’s a lot of hurt
and transition. The wedding must have brought up a lot of memories.”
She nodded.
The elevator
dinged and Jimmy dashed in, oblivious to their conversation.
“I’ll be okay.
In time.”
Jimmy hit the
button to move down. “Brent, you should come with us. We’re going to look at
fish.”
Nora looked down
at the extra ticket. “You’re more than welcome to join us. Claire signed us up,
but now that she’s with Eddie, the ticket will just go to waste.”
Brent felt a
growing lump in his throat. Two hours on a small boat with a glass bottom. With
a woman who was so much more than an attractive blonde with gorgeous eyes.
“What? Think you
might throw up on this trip, too?” Jimmy cocked an eyebrow.
Brent reached
for the ticket. “Guess we’re going to find out.”
****
After Brent had
changed from his uniform and Nora had abandoned her heels for sandals, they
made the half mile trek along the dock before reaching Cozumel’s tourist
entrances for passengers.
Brent hoped his
silent prayer to stay healthy would find God’s favor. The last thing he wanted
was to be ill in front of Nora and Jimmy. With each step Brent felt more
confident about his ability to not just stay upright, but even have a good
time.
“Jimmy, I need
you to hold my hand. It’s very busy here, and I can’t lose you.” Nora reached
for the kid’s hand.
Jimmy looked to
the waters without obliging. “Hey, Brent. What are all the rafts out there?”
Nora shook her
head. “His name is Pastor Brent.”
“It’s okay. My
friend Danny told me that while passengers enjoy onshore excursions, the crew
runs drills.” Brent was fascinated watching all the action on the water with
the bright, fat mini boats.
“Here’s a sign
for the glass bottom boat tour. I need you to do what I say, Jimmy. There are
people who could hurt you if you were separated from me. I don’t want anything
to happen to you.”
Brent winked at
Nora as he observed the boy slide his chubby fingers into his aunt’s grip.
The trio walked
past an outdoor bar blasting pop music with suggestive lyrics. Nora accelerated
her pace, nearly dragging Jimmy behind. Vendors surrounded them—selling everything
from t-shirts to shell jewelry to caricature drawings. Voices called out from
all sides as tourists bartered for their wares.
“Hey, Amigo!
Come here. Come in.” A man waved in Brent’s direction. Brent looked around but
didn’t see anyone but them.
“Si, Señor. You. Come in. Good deals for ship
passengers.”
Jimmy’s eyes
brightened while Nora looked at her watch. “We have a ten minute cushion. That’s
it.”
Brent wasn’t
sure if Nora was speaking to him or her nephew, but he nodded and followed the
slick salesman who wasn’t more than twenty. The shop had fans buzzing and
mariachi music blaring from a radio.
“Nine minutes.”
Nora grinned.
“Yes, ma’am. Let
me know if you two see anything you like.” A straw colored hat he’d seen some
of the men at church wear on the golf course caught Brent’s attention. It wasn’t
anything he’d buy in the States, but when in Mexico …
The man was
right at Brent’s side. “You like? Sixty dollars.”
Brent coughed. “Sixty?”
Nora turned
toward him.
The salesman
sighed. “You work ship, so fifty-five. A steal.”
Nora walked over
to them, Jimmy in tow holding a water globe. “That’s no steal. That’s robbery.
Fifteen.”
Brent coughed
again. With that smooth voice also came a tough negotiator. Apparently her time
with Jimmy gave her some mad skills he sure didn’t possess.
The young man
clutched his chest. “You kill me, lady. Forty.”
She laughed and
shook her head. “C’mon Brent. Other stores will have this hat. For twenty.”
The sales guy
looked to Brent. “Papi, your lady friend, she’s killing me.”
Jimmy snickered.
“He called you ‘Papi.’”
Brent shrugged.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had such fun. The way Nora stood up to
the poor guy trying to get as much cash as he could from the tourists, it was
quite the show. Nora was amazing to watch.
She tapped her
shoe. “We have to go. Twenty.”
“Ay yi yi, I
need to eat. Thirty.”
Nora narrowed
her gaze. “Twenty-five. And throw in the water globe.”
The young man
sighed and took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow. “Deal. You
better keep her, Papi. She’s good.”
Brent pulled out
his wallet while Nora and Jimmy headed back to the pathway to the tour. He saw
a shell necklace that although dark purple, had shades of green when it hit the
light that reminded him of Nora.
“How much?”
“For tough lady?”
Brent smirked. “Yes.
For pretty lady.”
The man took the
necklace and placed it in bag. “Included in price. Told you I make good deal
with passengers.”
Brent chuckled. “That
you did. Good day.”
He found the
pair under a tree, fanning themselves with their tickets. He pulled out the
necklace. “My thanks for letting me tag along, and for your amazing work in
there.”
Nora’s mouth
parted, but no words came out for a moment. She lifted her hair, and Brent took
that as a sign he could put the jewelry around her neck.
“That’s so kind.
I admit I enjoyed myself in there. First time in a long time.”
Jimmy let out a
loud sigh. “Speaking of enjoying, can we go? I want to see if Brent’s going to
throw up on the boat tour.”
Brent looked to
Nora, who rolled her eyes, but laughed with them. “Okay. Let’s go. Ready,
Brent?”
He didn’t
hesitate. “Let’s do this.”
Come back tomorrow to read Chapter Three!
Shore Excursions:
Tuesday:
Write Integrity:
Betty Thomason Owens:
Marji Laine’s blog:
Elizabeth Noyes:
Fay Lamb’s On the Ledge:
Monday:
Write Integrity:
Marji Laine blog:
Fay Lamb:
Marji Laine:
Interviewed
on Lena
Nelson Dooley’s Blog
Marji Laine:
Interview
on Carole Towriss blog: 8 Reasons Romance
is a Joke
Julie Arduini:
