“Did we order Hawaiian?” Hoppy asked, poking at one of the pineapples with his fork.
“I don’t think so.” Adam waved at the waitress.
Gwendolyn headed over. “How’s the pizza?”
“Did we order Hawaiian or supreme?”
Were those tears in her eyes? She pulled out her little folder. “Supreme?” She found the right slip of paper. “My pen slipped and marked the wrong box. I’ll get you another pizza.”
Adam glanced at Hop and knew his friend was on the same page. “It’s fine, Gwendolyn. Really. We both like Hawaiian, too. It’s fine,” he repeated.
“Are you sure?” Her fingers fiddled with her order pad.
“Yep,” Hoppy reassured her.
Adam picked up a piece. “Not a problem.”
Gwendolyn’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you. If I screwed up another order, I think I might get fired.” Her back stiffened as she realized what she’d said.
“First time waitressing, huh?” Adam asked. “It’s not easy if you’ve never done it before.”
She wouldn’t look at him. “I’ve never had any job before.”
Adam couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “I’m impressed. You go from never having a job to finding two. That’s great.”
“I’m going to be a lot better at the pool job than I am at this one.” She glanced toward the front of the restaurant where another patron held up her glass. “Thanks.”
When there was less than a half a piece of the pizza left, Adam wiped his mouth on his napkin and tossed it onto the plate. “I’m glad we got the wrong pizza.”
“Me, too.” Hoppy tossed a ten on the table, enough to cover his half and stood.
Adam opened his own wallet. Without taking time to talk himself out of it, he tossed two twenties on the table then followed Hoppy to the door.
About The Lifeguard, the Abandoned Heiress, & Frozen Custard
(Serenity Landing Lifeguards, Book 2, by Carol Moncado)
Adam Wilkerson is a lifeguard at the Serenity Landing Aquatic Center, and looking forward to a summer of fun and freedom before settling into adult life. The sudden appearance of a young woman with secrets, but who somehow manages to stir in Adam emotions long dormant, threatens to change his summer plans.
Gwendolyn Cranston-Schmidt is looking for a fresh start, and her one hope at help – her cousin – is unavailable. Time to find a job and a place to live. For a girl who’s never worked a day in her life, the struggle is real. Plus, her secrets are going to find her out, sooner rather than later. What she didn’t plan on was a cute guy who easily finds his way past her protective barriers.
Adam and Gwendolyn find themselves spending more and more time together – and sharing their secrets. Can they find a way to get beyond both of their pasts – or will their pasts come back to haunt them before they can move forward together?
From Carol:
Last summer, I wrote the first Lifeguard book when I joined the SPLASH! Collection. It had to feature water, and well, my summer happy place is our local aquatic center. We’ve become friends with some of the guards over the years, and all four of my kids are on the swim team. It was a natural selection. When approached to do a story for Whispers of Love, I knew I wanted to head back to the Serenity Landing Aquatic Center. I knew my hero was going to be Lifeguard Adam (who is named for our guard on the cover of last year’s book). As for his heroine? I don’t even know where she came from. I’m very much a “seat of the pants” writer, and I knew nothing about her until I began to write. As soon as I realized what her last name was, so much clicked into place, not just for this story, but for my next novel. Adam and Gwendolyn both surprised me with quite a bit of their backstories, but they fit so well together – almost like someone planned it. And I know that someone has to be God – because I know it sure isn’t me!
About Carol Moncado
When not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband, four kids, and a dog who weighs less than most hard cover books. She prefers watching NCIS to almost anything, except maybe watching Girl Meets World. She believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food, and Dr. Pepper should come in an IV. When not sitting at the pool or watching her kids – and the dog – race around her big backyard in Southwest Missouri, she’s teaching at a local community college. She’s a founding member and President of MozArks ACFW and blogger at InspyRomance.
Read The Lifeguard, the Abandoned Heiress, & Frozen Custard in Whispers of Love! Order now for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and iBooks. Price goes up to $4.99 July 4!
