Whatever Comes Our Way (Everyday Love Book 2)

by Jaycee Weaver

  “Oh, okay, honey,” Gina heard the melancholy slip into her mother’s voice. “I’ll see you Thursday. Text me and let me know if you get a hold of Tonya.”

  She paused long enough Gina wondered if she’d hung up. “I love you, mija.”

  Gina breathed out as quietly as she could. It felt good. “Love you too, Mami.”

  She’d grown up speaking the blend of Spanish and English so much that she no longer noticed the difference when talking to her family. Her mother had been raised fully bilingual. Gina had fond memories from when she was very little, listening to the beautiful rapid-fire Spanish of her grandparents. She could understand most of what they said, but despite all of her grandfather’s efforts, Gina never did become fluent. Instead, she and Tonya both ended up speaking primarily English, with quite a few Spanish words mixed in. She hated when people called it Spanglish. What a stupid term, she thought with an eye roll.

  Thinking of her grandparents made the ache of missing them settle a rock in her stomach. She had so many memories of cooking with Abuelita, her grandmother, when she was very small. Abuelo, her grandfather, had been the one to instill her love for plants and working in the yard.

  Somewhere along the line Gina had learned that her mother had been a wild one even in her youth. Eva had run away a few times as a teen and come home pregnant with Tonya at sixteen. A few years later, she’d come home just long enough to deliver Regina before disappearing again. Their grandparents had taken primary responsibility for raising both girls until they were killed by a drunk driver around the same time she’d started middle school.

  Their loss had been deeply felt. Still was.

  She wished she knew more about her father, though. The only thing her mother had ever told anyone was that he was a tall, handsome white guy who worked for the phone company. Abuelita had always seemed sad when she talked about Eva, so young Regina had never felt comfortable asking the questions she yearned to ask. After their passing, she’d never brought up her paternity with her mother because by then she’d just assumed her unfettered mother didn’t know.

  Meh, Gina shrugged to herself. Not all that important. Besides, even if she had a name, she’d never met the guy. If he even knew she existed, there was no guarantee he’d even want to know her. And judging by the sheer number and quality of men her mother had taken up with over the years, maybe it was best to just leave things be. Sometimes not knowing was better.

  Chapter 8

  Jaydon

  “Pass it over here!”

  “Come on, man! I’m open!”

  Jaydon eyed the court and examined his options. Trent and Josh were using their hips to knock each other out of the way, arms raised and ready for any opportunity to snag the ball. Pete, the oldest guy in their men’s group, and one of the best players on the team, caught Jaydon’s eye and gave him a silent signal. Jaydon faked a pass to Josh, who was knocked to the ground by the overeager Trent, and sent the ball soaring to Pete. Pete caught it midair in a jump that left them all speechless, and then dribbled it like a shorty-shorts-wearing blur toward the goal. It swished into the hoop after an agile layup, and Pete grinned and did an obnoxious victory dance.

  Jaydon loved these guys. They were hilarious. They’d all been playing together for a couple years now. As new guys came into the church, they’d grown the teams, and now had enough men that they could easily play a game of pick up anytime.

  Most of the original bunch was still around—himself, Trent, Josh, and Pete. Jaydon laughed, recalling how Josh had referred to Pete as Shorts Dad because he couldn’t remember his name. He was fairly certain Pete wore the ‘80’s style shorts intentionally to get laughs.

  Tonight’s group was small, with the 3 on 3 game rounded out by two of the newer guys. Both had joined the church in the past year. Damien was in his late 20s and recently married to his college sweetheart, and recently divorced Clint was just barely forty with kids in the youth group. The diversity was exactly what Jaydon had envisioned when he’d started the group.

  Men weren’t prone to making the effort to get to know one another in church. Putting themselves out there wasn’t second nature to most, so Jaydon had figured a casual men’s group focused on the under 40s guys would be a welcome addition to the small group options at Well of Hope. He’d wanted it to be a place where the men could form real friendships and be themselves. Do guy stuff like fish, play ball, watch sports, take the kids out to give the wives a break; whatever struck them and sounded fun.

  Sweating and breathing hard, Jaydon caught the pass Josh sent his way and then dribbled up the court to make a sweet dunk that landed with a satisfying clang of the rim. Josh and Pete bumped his knuckles in congrats and the three of them grinned. The newer guys clapped hands on the shoulders of the disappointed Trent, who hated to lose. Time was up and the pickup game was over. Good thing, too, because Jaydon was ready to go. His stomach grumbled in agreement.

  All six of the men were drying off and packing up their gym bags and water bottles. Jaydon, Josh, and Trent decided to hit up the locally owned coffee shop around the corner. When they got there, the blast of air conditioning was a welcome surprise. It was only the first week of April, and today had been in the 70s. Even after dark it was still pleasant out, almost chilly if they hadn’t just worked up a sweat.

  The men carried their trays to a cluster of comfortable looking chairs in one corner. This time of night was usually pretty empty, and they’d taken to coming here after playing every couple of weeks. The smell of coffee and baked goods saturated the air. Jaydon breathed in the scents and let himself relax amid the sounds of cups clanking into place, dishes touching the counter, and the whooshing of the espresso machine. The constant hum of motion was soothing.

  Jaydon wasn’t quite sure why he needed the relaxation of the place, and he didn’t really want to sit and examine it too closely. He was here to catch up with the guys and have a decent snack before bed. It was the ideal way to unwind after a crazy day. Who was he kidding? Crazy month.

  “So, how did it go last week with the kids?”

  Jaydon glanced up to Josh, who was awaiting a response.

  “It was good,” he wiped his chin with a napkin. The downside of a beard—it was a food catcher. “We hosted a water fight for the younger kids, and it ended up being a battle of the century. The elementary boys kept teasing the girls, so the youth girls decided to rally the little ones into an epic boys-versus-girls water war. Not sure who won, but the trash talking was so funny.”

  Jaydon launched into a story that had them all laughing. He described his little niece sneaking past the battle lines and drenching her brothers, who had been lobbing insults to the girls. Somehow the little stinker had gotten one of the teen girls to loan her a squirt gun that was bigger than she was and she’d squatted down low below their line of sight. When they’d stood to launch a volley of water balloons, she’d squirted them both right in the face. Nate and Anna were in for it with that one.

  Josh and Trent grinned in complete understanding. They both had kids and knew what it was like. Though he was sure Sophie was ten times more mischievous than either of their kids. Brendan was squirmy, but he was a great kid. Trent’s daughter was in middle school, and a little on the nerdy side. But she could handle herself against her fifth-grade little brother.

  “Aw man, that sounds like something Brendan would have enjoyed. Brynn did a bunch of stuff all week at the SAEC, but an epic water war? No boy wants to miss that.”

  Jaydon nodded in agreement. “Yeah, this grown man didn’t want to miss it either. I think I had more fun than the kids did. That is, until a couple of my boys realized one of the girls had a bikini under her clothes and started ogling her soaked white shirt. Had to get Martha to intervene while I had a little talk with the boys on keeping control over their own eyes in spite of temptation.”

  Trent chewed his cookie too hard. “The girls should know better than to dress like that. She probably wore a white shirt on purpose.”
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  Jaydon was quick to shut him down. “Doesn’t matter. Maybe she wasn’t thinking along those lines at all. Yes, men are visual, but that doesn’t mean it’s her responsibility to dress in a baggy, dark colored sack to avoid being stared at.”

  Josh agreed, “Tough situation to navigate. I want Brendan to grow up respecting women and being responsible for his own choices, but it’s hard to do when there are women like his own mother in the world, flaunting their assets. But not every girl is like Skye, and we shouldn’t treat them as if they are. It’s got to be hard for you to balance as a leader in the church.”

  “Absolutely. The Church at large has used that passage in Romans 14 about not stumbling a brother to place the responsibility for visual temptations on girls instead of teaching our young men to be men of honor and integrity. I see it as a mutual responsibility. We all should honor the Lord with our actions and choices. But I’m glad for opportunities like that, to encourage my kids in their walks and develop their character, right there, on the spot. Teachable moments.”

  Trent looked like he was thinking about it. “I know I’m still relatively new to this church thing, so I didn’t even think about it like that at all. But I guess you’re right. Having a daughter who’s growing up a lot faster than I’m comfortable with is tough. On one hand, I want to teach her to be a godly young woman, confident and knowing she is beautiful and strong like her mother. On the other, I just want to wrap her in a big blanket and hide her somewhere safe until she’s ready to face the world. As she’s changing, I’m starting to see things through a father’s eyes. I can’t believe Tracy’s dad ever let me date his daughter. I have a whole new respect for how he made sure to look me in the eye and watch me squirm. I see some of those kids in your middle school group when I drop her off, and it’s hard not to want to follow her around like a private bodyguard.”

  Jaydon laughed, “No worries, bro, I’ve got your back.”

  Trent raised a pointed eyebrow at Jaydon in a look that clearly expressed both his teasing and his serious intent, “I know. That’s why I entrust her to you every week.”

  The air was thick for a brief moment. Jaydon clapped a big hand on Trent’s thin shoulder and squeezed. He met his friend’s green eyes with a sideways grin. “And here I thought you were smart.”

  The men all laughed. They all knew Jaydon was one of the most trustworthy men out there. He was a huge and intimidating grizzly to those who didn’t know him well. To everyone who spent any length of time in his presence, he was a fiercely loyal, protective, funny teddy bear with more integrity and honor in his pinky than most had in their entire being. For the dozens of tweens and teens in his care, he would gladly give up his life if it meant keeping them safe and/or bringing them to Jesus.

  The guys continued to rib each other a few more minutes before going their separate ways. Jaydon made a quick pit stop before leaving. As he reached his enormous truck, he heard the scuffling of shoes and a harsh voice whispering loudly. Something hit the wall hard. He froze, listening to determine the direction of the sounds. Surveying the shadowed alley around the far side of the café building, he saw a small hand thrust out into the light before disappearing back into the darkness. He scanned the lot for his friends, but they’d all already left.

  For a big man, Jaydon somehow managed to move quietly. He crept upon the scene, listening intently for clues to who might be out there and what might be going on. At the same time, he tried to discern in his spirit if there was a sense of danger or warning. No, he clearly felt the pressing need to help, but clutched the phone in his pocket just in case. The closer he crept to the alley, the clearer the hissing voice could be heard.

  “Don’t even think of fighting me, Hay. You’d better deliver the money by Friday. I ain’t playing around no more. Your mother owes me big, and if I don’t get payment from her I’m taking it from you.” The menacing voice had a distinct hometown lilt.

  Jaydon caught a glimpse of a short, heavyset guy in his early twenties, his flat billed cap on backwards and his sneer about four inches from the terrified face of a young, dark haired girl. She couldn’t be more than sixteen, tops. Her fingers were scraping against the brick wall of the building, her knees bent and body sagging against the wall in frightened submission. And yet, he could sense her desire to fight through the fear. He scanned the overweight bully for signs of a weapon but found none readily apparent.

  A skinny blonde kid sporting pale peach fuzz and wearing baggy clothes, chains, and a hard set to his jaw stood several feet away, observing. Jaydon’s eyes met his at the same time.

  The skinny punk took in a deep breath and before he opened his mouth, Jaydon shook his head. He swelled his chest so he stood at his full height to appear as big as possible. At his size, he knew he’d be more than a little intimidating to a couple of hoods who got their thrills from scaring a little girl in a back alley. He didn’t want to be stupid, though. These guys could easily whip out a gun or knife if they felt threatened and Jaydon wasn’t bulletproof.

  Whispering a quick prayer, he stepped into the dark alley.

  “Hey, what’s going on?”

  His booming voice snagged the attention of all three alley occupants. The girl’s eyes widened and pleaded with him for help. Her mouth was turned down in desperation, but not a sound came out. He tried to keep his face neutral, though his mind sparked with recognition. He knew this girl.

  The blonde kid had already run off through the alley and disappeared. The one who’d been in the girl’s face relaxed his posture and gave a smarmy smile with pursed lips. He looked Jaydon up and down apathetically. Sure, kid, you’re totally innocent here, he thought.

  “Nuthin’ to see here, esé. I’m just talkin’ to my girl.”

  “Yeah? Somehow, I don’t think so. Why don’t you leave her alone and we’ll all just go home?”

  “That’s a good idea, homes. You should definitely leave.”

  The little delinquent actually had the nerve to squint his eyes at him as he thrusted his chin out in challenge. Really? Jaydon had at least a foot of height and a good sixty pounds on him.

  “I will,” Jaydon replied calmly, relaxing his stance but crossing his massive arms across his broad chest. “But I believe a gentleman should see a lady to safety. What do you think? How about we walk out into the light here and make sure this nice girl gets where she needs to go in one piece?” His tone was intentionally over-the-top nice but threaded with unmovable authority.

  The guy looked at Jaydon like he was an alien who’d just sprouted another head. Then he burst out laughing at the ridiculous notions coming out of Jaydon’s mouth. “Órale! You got cojones, bruh. I like you. I’m outta here. She ain’t worth my time anyway.” To her, he dipped his head, his body tense and voice deadly, “I mean it. Friday.”

  Jaydon and the girl watched the kid walk off in a saunter like he hadn’t a care in the world. Why did gangbangers walk that way? Like they had a full diaper, a limp, and a wedgie all at the same time. He shook his head and blew out a breath of relief, knowing they’d thankfully managed to avoid what could have been a very bad situation. He turned to the girl, who was still leaning against the wall for support. He cocked his head to the side trying to place her.

  “You’re Harrison, Luke, and Addison’s friend, right? Uh…Hailee?”

  She nodded at the same time she pushed herself off the wall. Her arms wrapped around her torso protectively as she retreated into herself.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, relaxing his stature to be less intimidating and took a step backward. “Was that your head I heard hit the wall? Do you need ice?” She looked like a wild animal caught in the high beams. “I’m Pastor Jaydon from Well of Hope. You came to our youth group last week. Do you remember me?”

  Again, she merely nodded.

  “Is there someone I can call to pick you up? Or I can walk you to your car if it’s here.”

  She shook her head.

  “Can you tell me what happened? Or why h
e was threatening you?” He tried to make his voice sound as gentle as possible.

  She looked from where the first one had run off to where the other had just disappeared.

  Rubbing her crossed hands on her upper arms, she shivered. A look of sheer determination crossed her face and he could see she’d come to a resolution.

  “It’s nothing. He’s just a jerk from my neighborhood.”

  “Not buying it, Hailee. I heard what he said about your mom and taking payment from you.”

  Her eyes grew wide with fear again and she opened her mouth to speak but snapped it shut. She shook her head fiercely. “No, you heard wrong.” The tone of her voice and way she carried herself was in complete contrast to the sweet and confident way she’d appeared at the church.

  He took a step back further, allowing the lights from the parking lot to wash over him. He scanned the lot, the habit to be aware of his surroundings ingrained in him. He fixed a firm look on Hailee and waited until her eyes flicked up to his. She reminded him of a stray cat, needing help and wanting it, too, but unable to trust it. He’d have to tread very carefully.

  “Look, I can see you’re scared of him. I don’t know what he’s threatening you about, and we don’t really know each other, but you can trust me. My whole job is helping kids like you.”

  “You can’t help me.” He barely heard the whispered words of despair.

  “How do you know if you don’t tell me what’s going on? Come on, let’s go inside the café here and I’ll buy you something to eat. You hungry?”

  Her eyes darted around the alley and parking lot. She stepped forward hesitantly out of the shadows. “I don’t need charity,” she bit out.

  Despite her words, he could sense her resistance slipping ever so slightly, though her guard remained firmly in place. Lord, help me figure out how to navigate this scenario. I know she needs help; she needs you. You put me here tonight for a reason. Please give me the words and help me do the right thing. For your glory, Lord.