Driven to be Loved

by Pat Simmons

  “I wish that God would raise up a prophet to perform miracles like that today,” Brecee said wistfully.

  “Oh, He did. Many years later, evangelist Mary Boyd was preachin’ in Connecticut when she got the news her son had been killed. She got on a plane and went straight to the morgue. After she prayed, that young man got up. Last I heard, he’s still alive.”

  “Wait a minute.” Adrian shook his head. “I knew God was real when He filled me with His Holy Ghost. But these miracles...they’re mind-boggling.”

  “I reckon so, but not to believers. We know Jesus is real, and so did your folks. After your grandparents got married, Cora had the same condition as me—she couldn’t have babies; and when she did get pregnant, she lost them. I think she got sick after each baby that wouldn’t catch. By this time, Solomon had taken a job at a meat packing company in St. Louis, and they moved there from Chicago. But they took the train back to Chicago and went straight to Bethlehem, where Mother Poole was preaching. She healed Cora’s womb, and it wasn’t long after that when little Marsha was born. But Cora stayed sickly. They took another trip to Chicago, and Mother Poole was sick herself. A few months later, the evangelist died.”

  Mrs. Daniels’ detailed account painted a picture of Adrian’s family history that he might never have known. He choked when he thought about how much his grandmother had suffered.

  “Your granddaddy got so bitter against God and church as Cora lay dying,” the woman went on. “I tried to encourage him, but he had turned his back on God. Before Cora got too sickly, she made me promise to lead Marsha to the Lord. I promised, but after....’’ She sniffed. “After my dear friend went home to be with the Lord, Solomon stopped taking my calls. All my letters were returned, labeled ‘Moved; No Forwarding Address.”’

  “All I ever knew was that my grandparents lived in St. Louis, but now I see that’s not true,” Adrian said, filling in the dots.

  Her shoulders slumped as she bowed her head. “I was never able to keep my promise.”

  Adrian’s heart ached for Mrs. Daniels, who thought she had failed his grandmother. “But the Lord saved me.”

  The woman’s eyes widened. “What about your momma? Did she surrender to Jesus?”

  Shaking his head, Adrian whispered, “No.”

  Mrs. Daniels was quiet for a moment, and then she nodded. “Well, as long as she’s alive, there’s still hope. You come back and see me if you can, or call me. I’ll be praying for little Marsha.” She looked drained.

  Little Marsha? His mother hadn’t been little in more than fifty years.

  Adrian stood as Judith and Victor walked back into the room. “Thank you for talking to me today,” he said, kissing the woman on the cheek. “I appreciate it.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Brecee echoed, giving her a hug.

  As they left the room, Adrian was still processing what Mrs. Daniels had revealed to them. How had his grandfather been that angry with God, even after all he had seen Him do? Adrian was a new convert, yet he knew the Lord was limitless in His power to heal and save.

  Once they were in the parking lot, he felt Brecee rub his arm. “Are you all right? You’re frowning.”

  “I’m just processing everything she told me. Wow.” While Victor and Judith were saying their good-byes, Adrian turned and surveyed the building again. “How appropriate that she would want to live in a home with the ‘Bethlehem’ in its name.”

  Walking up behind them, Judith chuckled. “It was this nursing home, or she wasn't going.”

  “It seems to fit.” Adrian put his arms around Brecee’s waist. “I guess my treasure hunt led me to Bethlehem.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I

  t wasn’t what I expected, that’s for sure,” Brecee responded on Monday morning when Regina asked about her weekend trip.

  “What do you mean?” Regina closed a patient’s file.

  Brecee leaned on the desk instead of taking a seat. Maybe she needed to get her heart and her head examined. “You know that anytime I’m with family, it’s a good time. My mother hosted a lovely brunch, and at my home church, I introduced Adrian to plenty of people—including Mother Ernestine Stillwell, the matchmaker of all matchmakers.”

  She paused, thinking about the church ladies whose mission seemed to be seeing all the young women married off. Brecee didn’t want to dwell on that. “Anyway, it was a treat to meet the woman who was responsible for sprinkling God's seeds of salvation in the life of my grandfather.”

  Frowning, Regina lifted her coffee cup to her lips. “That sounds like a great trip to me.”

  “Then, I found out that my mother is getting married—I mean remarried—next month.”

  Regina leaned closer. “And that’s not a good thing?”

  “It’s great for her, strange for me,” Brecee admitted. “My own mother is going for round two, when I haven’t even gotten to the starting gate.” She sighed. “But it’s bittersweet. I can’t believe she was actually waiting to see if Adrian would propose first.” She chuckled. “When I told her to go for it, she did—literally. She gave us the date and place.”

  Regina giggled. “Work it, Mrs. Carmen. Then there’s hope for us.”

  “I guess I’m having an ‘always a bridesmaid, never a bride’ moment, but I feel like I’m losing my best friend. Silly, huh? Maybe I need to have Dr. Young prescribe a drug for my confused emotional state.”

  “Take two time-outs for praise and prayer, and you’ll be fine by morning.”

  That remark made Brecee laugh. “You’re right, but when Adrian and I left the nursing home—I’ll tell you about all that later—he made the oddest statement.” She frowned, recalling his words. “He said, ‘I was hoping that our grandparents did cross paths, so we would have a story to pass down to our children.’”

  Regina smirked. “That sounds promising.”

  “But when I reminded him that we weren’t married, he casually said, ‘I know.”’

  “You’re not rushing him to the altar, but make sure you also don’t rush your own heart.”

  Twisting her lips, Brecee had to admit that her sister in Christ was right. “Patience has never been my strong point.” She chuckled. “Ask my sisters.”

  “I don’t have to ask them. I know it for myself.” Regina smiled. “Seriously, let Adrian learn to love the Lord first, then you. That’s what I plan to do if Dolan wants to get serious about us. Being compatible means so much more than being physically attracted to each other. Our salvation and faith walk matter, too. And there are other issues to consider. We’ve both been married before, which didn’t end the way we expected. We both have children in our lives—him, personally; me, professionally....”

  Brecee gave her a mock salute. “Got it. So, with all this advice from my big sister.... You are six months older than me,” she reminded her with a grin.

  Ashley stepped into the charting room. “We’ve got a pileup near Six Flags. It’s bad. Medics are airlifting three with critical injuries.” She recited their vitals. “ETA is seven minutes. I assigned them to bays three, seven, and twelve.”

  Her heart sank as she and Regina whispered silent prayers, then got into position to save young lives.

  By the time Brecee’s shift ended, her heart was crushed. A little boy the same age as her nephew T.J. had died. The family had been so inconsolable that the social worker had requested assistance. If the ten-year-old girl managed to make it through the night, then her condition would be upgraded from critical, but she was in the Lord’s hands. Her family knew that, but it was still heart-wrenching. Excessive speed and inattentive drivers were always a bad combination, especially near the entrance to an amusement park.

  On her way out the door, Brecee caught sight of the flowers Adrian had sent her but she had been too busy to retrieve. She loved that man. As she walked to her car, she called him. “Hey.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” his deep voice purred in her ear. “What’s wrong, babe?”


  “We lost a young boy tonight, and a little girl is just barely holding on.” When a tear fell, Brecee couldn’t stop the barrage of others that followed.

  Adrian’s coos turned into a soft prayer for comfort for the affected families and strength for her.

  After she’d echoed his “amen,” he asked her, “Are you going to be all right?”

  Brecee took a deep breath of night air, then exhaled. “Yes. I think I’m going to read a couple of Scriptures before I wind down.”

  “Good. While you do that, expect a delivery.”

  She frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to thank you for the flowers. They’re so beautiful....’’ She began to ramble just to hear herself talk. Anything to clear her head.

  “Baby, I’m not talking about the flowers. I’m thinking of another delivery.”

  Her interest was piqued. “What?”

  “You’ll see when they get there. In the meantime, why don’t you read Philippians four, verse seven? I felt God leading me to read it this morning, but I didn’t think it pertained to me. Now I see that God meant it for you.”

  God, thank You for sending me this man who can comfort me and guide me spiritually. “Can you read it to me?”

  “You know I will. Hold on.”

  Smiling, Brecee got inside her car and fastened her seat belt, then waited for him to get back on the phone.

  “Okay, here it is: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ I’m praying that God will give you peace. I don't like you upset. Now, drive safely.”

  “I will. Love you.”

  “And I love you.”

  Her whole world had turned around at the sound of his voice. As long as Adrian was in her life, she was happy.

  When she got home, instead of indulging in her routine bubble bath, Brecee took a quick shower to give herself time to cuddle up with her Bible before bed. She started with Philippians 2 and was about to begin chapter 4 when her doorbell rang.

  Her delivery. Brecee’s heart swelled with excitement to see what Adrian had sent her now. Slipping her house shoes on, she hurried to answer it. She checked the peephole and gasped in surprise. Adrian Cole had delivered himself to her door.

  The second she opened it, Adrian walked in without waiting for an invitation. She flung herself into his arms, and he trapped her in his embrace, guiding her head to rest against his chest.

  The steady beat of his strong heart lulled her. Looking up, she puckered her lips for a kiss, which he also delivered before stepping back.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, knowing he had an exam coming up in his summer course.

  When Adrian lifted his hand, she noticed the small bag and the familiar logo. “Delivering your favorite comfort food.” He grinned, and that faint dimple winked at her.

  She was about to cry again, this time because her heart was filled with joy. The man had stopped what he was doing and driven half an hour across town to make sure she was all right and to bring her some oatmeal cookies. “Thank you so much.” She hugged him again.

  “I didn't come to stay, but I wanted to show you that you’re important to me—more important than my job or my schoolwork. I don’t want you to ever forget that.” He lifted her chin until their lips met for their sweetest kiss to date. “Lock up,” he told her. Then he opened the door and was gone.

  Taking a deep breath, Brecee did a happy dance across the floor to the kitchen. She prepared a cup of decaf coffee, then meticulously unwrapped her bag of three oatmeal cookies. Taking a seat at the table, she blessed her treats, then took a bite and moaned with delight. Life was good.

  Now that Mrs. Daniels had painted a clear picture of the great faith his grandparents had had, and how his grandfather had lost his faith, Adrian understood his mother’s indifference.

  But it was the look of defeat on Mrs. Daniels’ face that stayed with Adrian. His next priority had to be breaking through the wall that the devil had erected around his mother and father so they could embrace the promise of God’s salvation.

  His woman was truly a godsend to help him with that mission. Brecee was in tune with him, and together they prayed for God to intervene. When his mother invited them to Sunday dinner after church, it was Brecee who convinced him to accept, when he would have rather taken her out to dinner.

  When they were gathered around the table, Adrian brought up Mrs. Daniels again, ignoring Brecee’s clandestine kick to the shin. “Mom, I’m having a hard time understanding why your interest wasn’t piqued by your own mother’s history. It’s as if your spirit is dead or numb.”

  “I’m not going to deny that God hasn’t been good to my family,” his mother said, “but I don’t feel the need to go crazy with the Bible and church. Jesus knows I love and appreciate Him. I tell Him so every night when I go to bed. I’m fine, Son. Now, stop your worrying about your father and me.”

  Just as stubborn, Adrian was about to press his point when he heard God speak. Hold your peace. I will breathe into her soul, and restore her dry bones layer by layer, the Lord whispered, echoing Ezekiel 37.

  Conceding to God, Adrian let the words rest in his heart for now. To make sure he complied, he slid a spoonful of his mother’s banana pudding into his mouth.

  Moments later, his father asked him about the latest models at the dealership. It wasn’t long before his mother and Brecee became bored with shop-talk and began to clear the dishes. He and his father moved to the family room and turned the TV to the Cardinals’ baseball game.

  “Do you think you can get some free tickets for us?” his dad asked with a hopeful look.

  “I’ll ask Rahn. If not, I’ll treat,” Adrian assured his father.

  He strained to eavesdrop on what his mother and Brecee were discussing in hushed tone in the kitchen. He stiffened when he heard Brecee use the word “wedding.” Then his lady added,

  “It’s a beautiful yacht, and it should be the perfect venue for the wedding. I’m really happy for my mother. She and Marcellus make a stunning couple.”

  As long as they weren’t planning his wedding, Adrian relaxed. His mother should know by now that he didn’t rush anything, especially his love life.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I

  t was time to say, “I do,” and Brecee wanted to double-check with Adrian that he could make the trip to Philly for her mother’s wedding. She called him at work. “Have you reached your quota?”

  “Not yet, babe,” he answered. “For years, I did it on my own with little effort. But ever since I surrendered to Christ, the devil has tried to shake my faith at this time every month.”

  “The trying of your faith works patience,” Brecee paraphrased James 1:3.

  “And the last couple weeks have been trying my nerves. But I’m determined to impress God with my faith in Him. I’m sure that’s what my grandmother would’ve wanted.”

  Brecee smiled. Who wouldn’t root for Adrian? He wore his confidence as he did his suits—tailored. “Well, I believe in you and in God’s favor.” She glanced up to see Ashley heading her way. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Okay. I love you, babe.”

  “I love you, too.” She ended the call with a smile and a prayer that she would put smiles on her patients’ faces, as well.

  As the wedding drew closer, Brecee’s mother acted as if she had never been married before. Her excitement was contagious. “Now, you and Shae are coming into town on Friday night, right?” she wanted to confirm during a phone call.

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “And Adrian’s coming with you, right? You know that we Carmen women have great legs, and I want to show yours off, so I ordered bridesmaid dresses with a hem that flares at the knees. They’re flirty without compromising modesty.”

  Brecee shook her head. “Then you selected those beautiful peach chiffon and lace dresses for Adrian.” The dresses were very feminine, and they would be a comfortable weight to wear during autumn in Philly.
Her last two sisters had gotten married in the winter, and she was still thawing out, just thinking about how cold she’d been.

  “How else can I get Adrian to either step up or step back?” her mother demanded. “Your sisters can go home to their husbands. He can’t touch you until he puts a ring on yours.”

  I know, Brecee thought.

  A month ago, Brecee might have appreciated the tactic; but, as her relationship with Adrian had grown, she had become increasingly satisfied with her status as his lady, with or without a ring. She knew it was coming at some point, according to God’s timing. Yet her mother was still playing matchmaker.

  “Mom, don’t worry about Adrian,” she told her. “He’s a good man. Just think about your own good man. Marcellus is about to get an incredible wife.”

  “And I’m getting a passionate man of God for a husband,” her mother gushed.

  The former beauty queen was the new forty in her mid-fifties. “You'll be stunning in that form-fitting mermaid dress, Mom. You’ll look like a young bride.”

  “I feel young! The wedding dinner cruise is going to be so romantic. Marc and I will see our first sunset as husband and wife.”

  Okay, Mom. I was doing good. Don’t make me jealous.

  The Friday before the wedding, Brecee, Adrian, Shae, Rahn, and Sabrina boarded a plane for Philly. Although Adrian hadn’t sealed the final sale he needed in order to meet the month’s quota, he didn’t appear worried. “Mr. Hudson’s financing has been approved,” he told Brecee. “He assured me he would be there tomorrow. I just need Kyle to put the keys in Mr. Hudson’s hand and watch him drive off the lot. Then my deal is sealed.”

  “I’m glad you and Kyle are committed to helping each other out instead of engaging in cutthroat competition,” Brecee said as they settled in their seats on the plane. “Otherwise, you would probably have to be at the dealer-ship tomorrow. Thank you so much for coming with me.”

  As she snuggled up against Adrian, he linked his fingers with hers. “Always.” He winked.