From Runway To Redemption

By Sharon Williams

International model Chandra Moore had been touted as one of the most beautiful women to grace the runway. With her whiskey-colored eyes and thick tumble of dark-brown curls, she was certainly eye-catching and alluring. But when tragedies started plaguing her, she started to wonder if God was punishing her for ignoring him all the years she did!

Pastor Gary Mitchell was a man of great faith and was grateful to God for saving his life and giving him another chance. He found refuge in a small town where he ministered to people who enfolded and accepted him as part of the family.

The blond-haired, blue-eyed, attractive man of God was content with his life until he met Chandra right after her accident, which ended her modeling career, and it was love at first sight for him. But he knew inside his heart that he was not in her league and it did not matter what his heart was telling him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098093716

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From Runway To Redemption

Sharon Williams

Copyright © 2021 by Sharon Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

1

International model Chandra Moore is said to be alive and will pull through the awful accident that almost cost her life. Chandra Moore has been called the most exquisitely graceful model of her time with her coffee-and-cream complexion and her unusual whiskey brown eyes and full lips. She has walked the runway from Milan to Madrid and has been on the cover of more magazines than her fellow models. Sources at the hospital told our news team that Ms. Moore will make a full recovery, but as far as stepping into those designer shoes of hers and strutting her stuff on the runway, that remains to be seen!

Carolyn folded the paper slowly and put it away as she looked at her sister lying so still and helpless in the hospital bed. It had been the two of them for the past ten years as their parents had died in a car accident that left them orphans. Carolyn had been seventeen at the time while her sister had been fifteen. She had fought to keep them together and had succeeded. She had gone on to become a lawyer while Chandra, with her unusual beauty, had become a model and had made it big almost immediately! She had taken her looks from their beautiful mother and had taken the height from their father. Carolyn was plainer with darker skin and thick black hair, but she had never envied her sister her looks, maybe because the girl had never lorded it over her at any given time. She had gotten the call while she was in court three days ago and had not hesitated but had come running. She had not heard from her in a week but that had not been unusual as Chandra was known to be in the Caribbean at one point and then off to some exotic location the next. She trembled as she realized that she had almost lost her only remaining relative!

She looked up as a nurse came into the room. How much longer? she whispered.

She should be waking up any minute now, the woman said with a kind smile.

How am I going to tell her? Carolyn asked softly as she stared at her sister.

The best way is to be straight with her from the beginning.

Modeling has always been her life. How is she going to take it that she will never be able to do so again?

By being there for her, Nurse Blake told her kindly. She is by far the most beautiful woman I have ever known and that scar on her cheek will not detract from her beauty. She has to thank God that she came out of that twisted metal alive.

She is not going to look at it like that. Carolyn looked at her inert sister again.

She will.

Pastor Gary! What are you doing here? Jill cried out in pleasure as she hurried to open the screen door to admit the tall ruggedly handsome man with the honey-blond hair and dark-blue eyes. Come on in. I just made some hot chocolate and some lemon meringue pie.

Sister Jill, you read my mind, he said with a smile as he followed her into the kitchen. Jill Greene was a widow whose husband had been killed when his tractor had overturned and dumped him into a ravine, leaving her with their ten-year-old son and a child on the way. The entire neighborhood of the small community had rallied around her and made sure she was okay. Pastor Gary Miller was pastor of the small chapel in the community and made his rounds very frequently, making sure that everyone was okay and spiritually guided.

Sit please. She gestured to the stool around the counter of the cozy kitchen. What are you up to?

My sister is coming in from town and I want to show her the place. He accepted the hot chocolate gratefully and the slice of delicious pie. She is an accountant at some top firm in town and she thinks I am not taking care of myself properly.

You have to tell her that we are capable of taking care of our pastor, Jill said with a pretty smile as she stared at him. He was kind and gentle but was all business as he never led any of the single ladies to think that he was in any way interested. He was doing God’s work and he was all about that.

I keep telling her that. He smiled at her, his blue eyes probing as he looked at her. How are you doing?

I am coping, thanks to everyone, especially you. Her baby had been born shortly after her husband had died and she constantly bemoaned the fact that their daughter would never know her father. Her ten-year-old son, Tim, was still resentful and cried in his sleep at not having his father around.

That’s what we are here for, my sister, he said earnestly.

Chandra felt as if she was fighting her way through a very deep fog. She emitted a moan that caused her sister to get out of her seat quickly and rushed to the bed. Chandra honey? She heard the call, but she could not respond. It was hard to open her eyes! They felt like something heavy was pressing on them. Chandra?

She finally opened them slowly, and for a moment she looked into the dark brown eyes in confusion. Carolyn?

Oh, honey. Thank God you are awake. I need to get the doctors.

What happened? she asked thickly, her throat feeling parched.

Let me get the doctors—

Carolyn, please. What happened?

You were in an accident, her sister said reluctantly as she sat carefully on the bed. But you are alive with no broken bones, thankfully.

Chandra fought to remember, and the bits and pieces started to fall into place. Someone rammed me from behind and sent me into an SUV.

You remember?

Yes— Suddenly she gripped her sister’s hands. My face! I need to see my face.

Carolyn felt the sadness hopelessly gripping her and did not know what to do. Fortunately the doctors came in at that point, saving her from telling her sister the bad news.

Chandra, you are awake, Dr. Evan Sullivan said with a smile on his attractive face as he hurried over to look at his famous patient. Even with the scar marring her cheek, she was still exquisitely beautiful. He pulled up a chair and started examining her. Ah, your eyes are clear and focused, and your blood pressure is okay. It’s good to have you back.

How long have I been out?

Three days.

I want to see my face.

He looked up at her sister and then back at her. I don’t think that is such a good idea—

I need to see it now.

He nodded at the nurse and she handed him a mirror. It’s just a scar, and maybe when you are well enough, we can have our resident plastic surgeon to take a look and see—

I want to be alone, she told him stonily as she gazed at the angry welt on her cheek.

Honey, it is not as bad—

Carolyn, please! I want to be alone just now.

The doctors nodded and started shepherding everyone out. Let’s give her some privacy.

Carolyn hesitated but her sister gave her a mutinous stare. I will be back later, she murmured and went from the room, closing the door behind her.

It was only then that Chandra brought up the mirror and stared at herself again. Her face had graced many magazines and had been called one of the most beautiful in the world! She blinked back the tears as she stared at the scar. It was never going to be the same again!

She pretended to be asleep so that Carolyn could leave. Her sister had insisted on staying until way into the night, telling her that she had a lot to give thanks for. She had life. Even with the scar, Chandra, you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, she had told her, which had not made it any easier on her. Their parents had brought them up in church and she had often felt guilty that she had neglected attending or even praying when her career had started to take off. Her mother had always told her that God was in control of everything in life. No matter where you go or how far you get in life, honey, never forget your Creator! But she had forgotten and now she suspected that it was what she was reaping now!

She had loved her job! The first time that a scout had come to the school where she had been a senior, he had taken one look at her while she was sitting on the grass beneath the huge pine tree and had told her that she had a big future ahead of her! She had gone home and told her sister with her whiskey eyes sparkling in excitement. They had yet to get over their parents’ death, but they had managed to somehow stay together with Caroline working after school and making sure they had food to eat.

You are finishing school! her sister had told her firmly as she looked at the card suspiciously. Carolyn had always looked out for her younger extremely beautiful sister, making sure she was headed in the right direction.

Why? she had asked belligerently.

Because when the modeling is finished, you will have your education, and no one can take that away from you.

I am going to be a supermodel like Christie Brinkley and the others like her, and I am going to have all the money in the world! she had told her sister smugly.

Still you are finishing school and then you are going to college. I would rather you be a supermodel with a degree than without one.

So in between her modeling career and traipsing all over the world, she had managed to get a degree in business administration but had not put it to use, thanks to the exorbitant amount of money she earned as a supermodel! Now it was all over! She closed her eyes as she remembered her last shoot in Japan. She had swung from a weekend in the Caribbean and had gone there to do a shoot for lingerie that had just been put out by the very famous lingerie company she had worked for over the years. She had just gotten back and was on her way to her apartment in Manhattan when she had decided to take a detour and come and visit her sister in the sleepy little town that Caroline still lived and worked in as a lawyer. If only she had continued on to Manhattan, then this would never have happened!

You are awake, the pleasant nurse who was the only one who treated her like she was not a star said as she walked into her private room. She was the one who also kept the press at bay and had threatened to smash their cameras if they did not leave her alone! How about something to eat?

She shook her head no.

Honey, you are as skinny as a rail! You have to eat.

I need to get out of here. Chandra pulled herself up onto her pillows and pushed her slender fingers through her mass of dark-brown curls. She had thought about trimming it all off and trying out the short look, but her agent had advised her against it. She had not heard from Arlene since the first time she had called to find out that she was okay. She had told Chandra that she should rest up and get back out there, but by now she would have heard that she was not as flawless as she had been before!

You have a few more days in here. You need the rest anyway. Nurse Blaine came forward with a tray that had orange juice and some sort of sandwich on a plate. There was also a bowl of fruits that looked tempting. It was the first time she did not have to think about what she put inside her body and it felt strange. You need to eat and stop moping, honey. You are alive.

So everyone keeps telling me, she said bitterly as she stared at the tray that had been put in front of her.

You have so much to give thanks for.

Please! I really don’t need the lecture. I get enough of that from my sister.

She called. She will be by later after work. Nurse Blaine ignored the surly tone and put the tray in front of her. She admired the girl, had seen her in magazines every time she had time to pick one up, and had been so