Blended Hearts: Grove Hill, #2

By Elle H. Raye

Tag along in another heartfelt romance of Grove Hill, Texas.

Since Madison Vanguard turned eight, her hopes to attend the same alumni as her Gramps' are dashed, but she won't give up on her dream of becoming an architectural engineer. Despite having a secret admirer, Madison remains oblivious to what's in front of her.

Madison, Abbi, and Jimmy John find solace in their deep friendship as they navigate life experiences. Everyone has a purpose and faces unforeseen challenges along the way. Will their paths lead them in different directions, causing the trio to drift apart after years of friendship?

New relationships form as budding romances grow. Who will see their friendship take a different route? Will they recognize God's hand in their lives?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elle H. Raye
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223351467

Elle H. Raye

Elle H. Raye writes God’s message with inspirational tales in an array of romantic dips and bends. Small-town living flourishes in her novels, novellas, and short stories. The author makes her home in the deep Piney woods of East Texas with her Boxer, Honey, whose favorite pastime is playing squirrel tag.

Book preview

Blended Hearts

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Elle H. Raye

Blended Hearts

Copyright © 2023 by Elle H. Raye

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

Names: Raye, Elle, H., 1958-

Title: Blended hearts, Grove Hill, series, Book 2/Elle H. Raye

Description: West Texas, Christian fiction, Romance

Identifiers: LCCN: 2023922455 Library of Congress Control Number:

Subjects: Fiction: Christian Fiction | Love Stories | Man-Woman

Classification: LCC | DDC LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/

Scripture quotations or paraphrases are taken from the Holy Bible, New International

Version ®, NIV ®, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. (TM).

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously.

Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.

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,

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews,

and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover Art by Elle H. Raye

Table of Content

~ Chapter One ~

~ Chapter Two ~

~ Chapter Three ~

~ Chapter Four ~

~ Chapter Five ~

~ Chapter Six ~

~ Chapter Seven ~

~ Chapter Eight ~

~ Chapter Nine ~

~ Chapter Ten ~

~ Chapter Eleven ~

~ Chapter Twelve ~

~ Chapter Thirteen ~

Moonlight Dance Excerpt

~ About The Author ~

~ Dedication ~

To my Lord and Savior, Jesus, through Him, all things are possible.

~ Key Verses ~

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:11-12

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33-34

~ Chapter One ~

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Disbelief smothered Madison Vanguard’s heart. Every intake of breath was stifled in her lungs. Both feet forced the truck to a stop in her driveway while tears streamed down her cheeks. She’d spent the last week volunteering as a counselor with friends at a church youth camp. Coming home should’ve been a joyful sharing of the many children who said yes to the Lord’s invitation.

Flames jetted thirty feet into the sky, consuming her family’s two-story, one-hundred-year-old-plus home. On either side, the blaze tore at the majestic trees…the branches that had gracefully protected the roof for so long. The families of birds, squirrels, and lizards abandoned their abodes. Fiery limbs collapsed within a hair’s breadth of landing on a firefighter, and sparks jetted high and wide.

The higher the flames grew, the tighter her grip was on the steering wheel. She prayed for the safety of every man and woman fighting the devastating fire.

A shudder raced across her heart. Her parents’ vehicles were parked beside the Grove Hill fire trucks. She gripped her throat, exited her truck, tried to swallow, and finally found a little breath to whisper. Mom...Dad? She expected them to be home at this late hour but couldn’t see them—anywhere.

Surely not. They couldn’t have been home. Oh, Lord, please, no. As she inched closer to the engulfed structure, she blinked back tears. Where are they? The silver cross necklace Gramps gifted her ten years before his passing prickled against her skin. Each step forward, she sought but found no sign of her parent’s whereabouts or safety. A shadow of a person stood beside the barn. A figure—a man? —darted across the back pasture. She gasped, and her hand flew to her chest. Dad? Her brow furrowed, and she took one step.

A firm hand gripped her shoulder. She whirled, hoping to see one of her parents. Jimmy John who pulled her into his arms. She melted into his embrace. The tight grip gave her a bit of solace to face the night. Thank You, Lord, for sending Jimmy John to me. You knew exactly when I needed to be strengthened.

Jimmy John’s gentle voice of reason, hope, and faith comforted her, but the truth must be faced...

One year earlier

Castoff drips from a gutter above the second story of Madison’s bedroom window, sent a disheartening roil through her soul. The letter she’d received in December from the Texas A&M registrar’s office stated that she’d been wait-listed. Better than being deferred.

For years, countless prayers whispered off Madison’s lips to attend her gramps’ alumni. Three months later, the sting of the crushing news remained a struggle. Would she ever be happy at her second choice of universities? She must try to give it her all, if not for herself, then for her gramps and her dream career.

Although the academic programs of Madison’s second choice were adequate, the option robbed her of yet another dream—how many more would this broken world steal from her? Her gramps always said, Be your best. Do your best so others see what God made in His image. His heart is in you, granddaughter, and you in He, so walk the path He has lain before you. No one knows what is in your future…except God. Only God.

Since the age of eight, Madison’s gramps had regaled her with stories of his time at Texas A&M and the adventures of procuring his engineering degree the hard way. She always imagined working side-by-side with him to design and create projects. His sudden death had stopped this from happening and rocked the world of the then-fifteen-year-old.

She thumbed the pages of her Bible, and it fell open to a passage she’d previously marked. Whenever she had a twinge of discouragement, she’d read the highlighted blue words. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29 11-12.

Thank You, Lord. Amen. She closed the dog-eared Bible gifted to her the day she walked the aisle, or rather, said yes at church youth camp. Jeremiah’s verses were only one of hundreds she’d highlighted, added notes to the margin, and underlined. This book was her most cherished possession.

Madison slumped against the headboard, pulled her laptop out, and skimmed through the classes available in the fall. Living at home would stretch her limited funds further for next year’s summer session. Perhaps a summer job would afford her an extra class or two next fall? Every day, she’d add something to the agenda, whether it was a class or a project at church. Her calendar remained full, but she’d never put her friends in second.

A text jingled on Madison’s cell phone, drawing her attention from the online catalog. She opened the message from Jimmy John Porter, her best friend since fourth grade. His family had moved to her hometown of Grove Hill from San Antonio and opened up Porter & Son Building Supplies.

Hey, Madi, I have to work Saturday morning. How about you and Abbi meet me at the Mud Bog races around three?

Madison dashed off a quick reply. I’m in, but I’ll ask Abbi. See ya there.

The Mud Bog races would take her mind off the disappointment that weighed heavily on her heart. She didn’t want either of her friends to think of her as antisocial or, worse, a snob since neither of them could attend college this fall. Perhaps never for Jimmy John—it all depended upon his father. At fourteen, Jimmy John had begun working at the family business after school. His father groomed his son to climb the ranks to learn the business and take over upon the older man’s retirement.

The employees and many customers attested to Jimmy John’s efficiency at the project counter. But is this what her friend wanted for the rest of his life? He’d never told her differently.

Madison speed-dialed her other best friend’s cell number. The three had gone everywhere together. She considered her two friends more like family.

Abbi’s gravelly voice came across as garbled. Hello.

Girlfriend, are you all right? She glanced at the screen, and her friend’s beautiful face returned a smile. A picture taken when they graduated junior high, going on three years. She planned on taking a new picture when they graduated high school in a few months. Abbi?

Sorry. I’m sick. Stomach bug. Can’t stay out of the bathroom.

Madison swung her legs off the bed. I’ll be right over.

No. I’ll be fine. What’s up?

Jimmy John asked if we would meet him Saturday afternoon at the Mud Bogs.

Tomorrow? I will if I’m feeling any better. Gotta go.

The line went dead. Abbi never sick. Wonder what she ate? Madison slipped her boots on, grabbed a pink sweater, and headed to the kitchen. Yesterday was officially the first day of spring, but apparently no one notified the north wind—it still had a bite.

"Mom.