Voice of an Angel--A Christian Romance Read online

  Voice of an Angel

  Book One

  By Kelsey MacBride

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  AVAILABLE TITLES BY KELSEY MACBRIDE

  Please visit www.KelseyMacBride.com for release dates of future books and to find out how to join my community of followers.

  Copyright © 2017 by Kelsey MacBride

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Germancreative.

  Book design by Kelsey MacBride

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

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

  Kelsey MacBride

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: December, 2017

  New Prosperity Publishing, Inc.

  ASIN-

  Chapter 1

  Samantha Brown couldn’t ignore the ice-cold shiver that rippled down her spine as she studied the sinful smirk on her customer’s face. The man was old enough to be her grandfather, but unlike the gentle exterior of her Grandpa George, this man’s balding head, beady eyes, and duck-shaped mouth seemed to fit the description of a child predator.

  Stop it Sam; it’s not Christ-like to judge someone you don’t know. After all, he can’t help the way he looks.

  She knew her conscience was right, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling there was something perverted about the man, especially with the way his eyes roamed over her body as if it were an idol made of solid gold.

  What if the man was recently paroled from prison?

  She tried to dismiss the paranoid voice in her head but couldn’t. What if he had just served time for murdering someone? What if he had assaulted his girlfriend?

  Her body stiffened at the thought, but she tried not to make it obvious. If there was one thing Sam hated about her job at the Seaside Cafe, it was dealing with the crude male patrons that would drift into the diner from the gentlemen’s club located down the street. The unpretentious diner was located on the outskirts of Newport Beach, a part of town that attracted a mix of residents, including those who coveted the benefits of an exclusive community known for its pristine beaches, million dollar yachts, and multi-million dollar homes, but lacked the six figure income to support it.

  Sam forced a smile to her lips as she refilled his white mug with steaming black coffee. “Sir, is there anything else I can get you?”

  The customer flashed a grey stained smile at her. “How about a slice of that sweeeet apple pie?” His tongue stroked his chapped upper lip. “Has anyone told you what a refreshing sight you are for sore eyes?” He continued before she could answer, “And such beautiful skin.” He ran a calloused finger down her forearm. “How about pie and your company? I’m new in town and sure could use someone to show me around.”

  Sam felt a chill shoot down her arm and tightened her fingers around the handle of the nearly full carafe. She couldn’t decide whether to laugh or puke at his advances. Did the creep really think a young girl like her would be interested in someone her grandfather’s age?

  Coffee in his lap would teach him a lesson.

  For a split second, she was tempted to consider the fleshly impulse in her head. But something held her back.

  Remember Sam, do as Jesus would do.

  This time, Sam knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking, and she bit her lower lip. Recently, it seemed that God was teaching her patience, especially with patrons who were lost to the ways of the world. While perverted men existed back in Jesus’ day, she wondered what Jesus would have done in her place if a perverted customer had flirted inappropriately with him. Sam tried to ignore the anxious feeling inside and managed a smile.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve got other customers waiting on me. I’m sure there are services in town that handle that sort of thing.” She pivoted her body toward the safety of the kitchen.

  “Hey, babe. Where you going so fast?”

  Sam took one step to safety before a cold hand wrapped firmly around her arm.

  A rush of adrenaline shot through her body as her fight response kicked in. She turned without hesitation and confronted the man before he could violate her any further.

  “Excuse me, sir, you need to let go of my arm.” She tried to keep her voice from wavering.

  The man let go and held up his hands. “Okay, honey. Take it easy. I meant no harm. It’s cool if you don’t want to hang with me. Just the pie will do.” He winked and gave her a smile that made her stomach churn. “Maybe another time.”

  “I’m sorry, but that isn’t going to happen in a million years,” Sam answered with the confidence of a CEO as she turned and marched back toward the safety of the kitchen.

  It only took a week working at the Seaside Café before Sam quickly realized it would be a regular occurrence for a few shady patrons to hit on her during her daytime shifts. What else could she expect from the east side of town? Although Sam learned to keep a tough exterior, they still gave her the creeps. If she had it her way, she would have preferred a waitressing job at one of the finer establishments in the Fashion Island mall like The Shipyard or La Trattoria. But her lack of experience barred her from working at the four-star establishments located in the upscale shopping center.

  But that didn’t discourage Sam. She only planned on being at the Seaside Café until she got her big break as a famous Christian singer, something her parents had encouraged her to pursue.

  “What a creep,” Sam blurted loudly above the hustle of the stainless-steel galley kitchen. A heavy-set man with curly black hair under a chef’s hat popped his head over the plates of steaming hot food.

  “What’s wrong, Chica?”

  Sam opened her mouth to answer, but before she could utter a word, her co-worker Tami barged into the kitchen.

  “It’s the pervert at table twenty-four isn’t it?” There was a loud clatter as the sandy blonde unloaded a stack of dirty plates next to the fully loaded sink.

  “How did you know?” Sam’s eyes grew larger.

  “Honey, after working twenty years in this business, I can smell a pervert a mile away. There isn’t a customer that can fool me. I could tell the minute he walked in, the way he gawked at the other girls on the floor.”

  Sam’s body shivered. “He gives me the chills. Can you believe he tried grabbing my arm?”

  “That son of a biscuit eater. How dare he lay a finger on you.” Tami’s eyes narrowed with indignation. “Are you okay, Sweetie? Did he hurt you?”

  “I’m fine. There aren’t any bruises. He just scared me for a second.”

  “Chica, do you want me to set him straight? Nobody messes with my Sammy.” The two hundred twenty-five pound chef stepped out of the galley with a raised chest and a large butcher knife in his hand.

  Sam held her hand up. “No Victor, I’m okay. I don’t want to make a scene in front of the other customers. It comes with the territory working here. I’ll get used to it.”

  “Honey, how many times have I told you that you don’t belong working in a place like this? You need
to get your singing career off the ground. You have such a beautiful sweet voice.” Tami placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder. “I know you’ll be famous someday.” Her co-worker turned toward Victor, “Doesn’t she have a wonderful voice?”

  “You could be on TV, Chica.” Sam could see the kitchen lights reflecting off his front gold crown as he smiled.

  She smiled at Tami. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. You’re always so supportive. I keep praying that God will bring me the right opportunity to show off the talents he’s given me.”

  “It’ll happen, girl. I may not be such a religious person, but I know God has great plans for you.” Tami snatched a plate of apple pie from the counter. “Now, tell you what. I’ll take that creep off your hands, and you can have table fifteen. There’s a cute guy about your age. Maybe the two of you will hit it off.” Tami chuckled as she headed back into the dining room.

  Sam knew Tami had a point. Since the age of four, she dreamed of being a music artist who could bless and encourage others with her God-given soprano voice. And even though she had never taken a professional voice lesson in her life, singing came naturally for her. Whenever family and friends gathered at her home, her parents would always show off her beautiful voice. In fact, her parents believed so much in her talents that they even gave her a karaoke machine for her tenth birthday hoping it would inspire her towards a professional career.

  But marketing herself became a hurdle that wasn’t easy to overcome. Sure there was YouTube and passing out demo CD’s, but her shy personality and fear of rejection slowed her progress.

  Her thoughts focused on Tami’s last comment. Her dating life had been as memorable as a polka dance at a fraternity party. It wasn’t because she was a social retard or purposely tried to avoid men. On the contrary, Sam was a true romantic at heart and would often fantasize being swept off her feet by a muscular man with sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. She could picture herself getting married someday and settling down to start a family.

  But with her full-time waitressing job and moonlighting as a background singer in a small musical production, the opportunities to date were far and few between. It seemed there wasn’t room for romance in her life, at least during this stage of it. But in the event she was blessed with the opportunity to date a guy, she decided any hair and eye color combination was fine, so long as he was a Christian.

  In the past, she tried tagging along with Kayla to social functions, hoping to meet a nice Christian guy. But up till now, that idea backfired. Guys would be drawn to her older sister’s model-like beauty as if she were the latest version of an exotic Italian sports car. And to make matters worse, when a guy did approach her, her brain would shut down. For Sam, changing a poopy diaper was more enjoyable than managing a meaningful conversation with a guy.

  A sigh escaped her lips as she glanced at the ticket for table fifteen. Maybe Tami was right. If Sam wanted to realize her dreams of finding Mr. Right, she needed to take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself, especially with her busy schedule. Maybe her luck would change tonight. All she needed to do was focus on staying calm and just being herself.

  Sam whispered a silent prayer. Then with chest held high, she scooped up a BLT sandwich and a cola and headed toward the dining room.

  Chapter 2

  Joshua Davis sat upright behind the long wooden table in the private room of La Trattoria. This was his first experience dining at the upscale Italian restaurant, and everything he ordered from the mouthwatering ossobuco to the silky pannacotta lived up to its fine reputation. But enjoying the authentic Northern Italian cuisine wasn’t the highlight of his evening. It was what was about to transpire within the next few minutes.

  At any moment, he was about to be introduced by his good friend Mary Turner as the new musical director of Women of Grace, a hot women’s choral group that was making waves in the contemporary Christian music world. It was a position any of his colleagues would have died for. But God dropped the opportunity into his lap, and nothing could sway him from working with four of the most beautiful women singers in the industry.

  Joshua’s resume boasted impressive work experience with several well-known solo artists and church choirs back east. But this would be his first experience working with an all-girl group in California. It was an opportunity he had dreamed and prayed about over the last year, and now he had the chance to show off his talents and skyrocket Women of Grace to new heights of fame. His attention turned to the tall blonde with red lipstick at the head of the table.

  “And now this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. He’s a musical director boasting an impressive resume of Christian artists including Kingdom Bound, Saving Grace, and Susan Grant. He’s taken a big step by relocating here all the way from Boston. Our competitors would die to have him, but we are fortunate enough to have him as our new musical director. I’ve known him in the music industry for over ten years, and he’s become a very dear friend. Everyone, let’s give Joshua Davis a warm welcome.” Mary motioned for him to stand as the room erupted in applause.

  Joshua set his red napkin on the table and stood in his grey cashmere wool suit before waving to the intimate crowd. “Thanks Mary for the wonderful introduction. Hello everyone. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself standing here as your new musical director. When Mary first called to offer me the job, I thought she was joking. But when I found out she was dead serious, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I always wondered what it would be like to lead a band of beautiful women in praise for the Lord, and now I’m lucky to get that chance. Charles did a great job, and I’m hoping to continue where he left off. I have new ideas and great plans for the group, and with God’s help, we’ll take the music world by storm. Thanks for welcoming me.” Joshua gave the crowd one last smile before taking his seat.

  “Joshua, I know you’ve met some of members of the band, but I’m going to introduce you to the rest of the girls.”

  Mary went around the table and introduced the other sopranos, Stephanie Morales and Rachel Williams. Nicole Chan, who sang alto was the last to be introduced. Joshua let his gaze linger on each woman as he took in their breathtaking beauty. Compared to their album covers and concert footage, the women looked even more gorgeous up close, and for a moment, he hoped one of them might still be single.

  He had taken a six-month break from dating after terminating a serious three-year relationship that was headed nowhere, and now he was ready to find the woman of his dreams. But dating a band member posed a dilemma. He knew Mary frowned upon romantic involvement with any of her girls, especially after what Charles did to her. She had also made known her fears that if a relationship turned sour, it would disrupt the emotional stability and dynamics of the group. And that was something she couldn’t let happen.

  Joshua could appreciate her reasoning, but his God-given nature couldn’t resist the challenge of winning over the heart of a beautiful woman. It was something he was subconsciously drawn to, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. His gaze roamed over each woman’s face until it stopped at Nicole. Her features and shoulder length hair reminded him of a famous actress, and there was something about her that intrigued him. He hoped she was still single.

  When Mary finished introducing the rest of the band, Joshua made it a point to acquaint himself with each singer. It was important for him to know their strengths so he could help them maximize their full singing potential, especially with Nicole.

  But before he could catch her alone, the trio of women surrounded him.

  “Well, Mr. Davis, we’re so excited to have you join our group.” Stephanie slowly teased a finger down his arm and lingered for a moment as she gave him a pearly white smile. “You must be very talented if Mary speaks so highly of you. But she didn’t tell us you were handsome too.”

  Joshua couldn’t help being mesmerized by the Spanish beauty next to him. She had soft brown eyes, a flawless fair complexion, and shiny brown hair that
cascaded down to her shoulders. There was no doubt in his mind she could have easily passed as Miss Spain in a pageant. He smiled and reached out to place her hand between his. “It’s an honor to be working with such beautiful women.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be spending lots of time teaching us new things, right?” Stephanie batted her eyes coyly at him.

  “Of course. That will be my first agenda.” Joshua started to caress her hand but was interrupted by a set of polished pink nails that wrapped firmly around his other arm.

  “That means equal time for all of us, right?” Joshua diverted his attention to the cocoa skinned beauty opposite Stephanie. Rachel pushed a strand of wavy dark brown hair behind her ear as her striking hazel eyes gloated over him. For a moment, he forgot about Stephanie and lost himself over the African beauty’s pouting lips.

  “Yes ... yes you’ll definitely get equal time ...” His words trailed off as he dreamed about what it would be like to kiss her.

  “Never mind, Rachel.” Stephanie distracted him from his reverie. “She doesn’t need any help. It’s I who could use your amazing knowledge.” She nudged closer to him and wrapped an arm around his.

  “Don’t be selfish. You can’t have him all to yourself,” Rachel countered by matching her girlfriend’s tactic.

  Joshua held his hands up. “Alright girls, there’s no need to argue over this. There’s plenty of me ... I mean, I’ve got plenty of tips for both of you.”

  The two women glared at each other as if they were contestants on a dating show.

  “Look at you two. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Where’s your dignity?” Nicole interrupted as she took a step toward Joshua. “I’m sure such a fine man like Mr. Davis already has a woman in his life.”

  The trio focused their attention on the woman with soft almond eyes and midnight black hair. Now that he could smell Nicole’s perfume, he could see how flawless her porcelain white skin was. He could instantly tell she was a woman with class and dignity, one that wasn’t easily impressed by lame pickup lines. Winning her respect and approval would test his skills, but Joshua was more than ready for the challenge and a chance to date the Asian beauty.