For Your Love
Book 2
Loving You Series
by
Vanessa Miller
Publisher’s Note:
This short story is a work of fiction. References to real events, organizations, or places are used in a fictional context. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Vanessa Miller
www.vanessamiller.com
Printed in the United States of America
© 2019 by Vanessa Miller
Praise Unlimited Enterprises
Charlotte, NC
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system—without permission in writing from the publisher.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
For Your Love (Loving You Series, #2)
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Epilogue
Our Love | Book 1 | Loving You Series
Prologue
One
Two
Other Books by Vanessa Miller
Family Business I
Family Business II
Family Business III
Family Business IV
Family Business V
Family Business VI
Our Love
For Your Love
Got To Be Love
Rain in the Promised Land
Heaven Sent
Sunshine And Rain
After the Rain
How Sweet The Sound
Heirs of Rebellion
Feels Like Heaven
Heaven on Earth
The Best of All
Better for Us
Her Good Thing
Long Time Coming
A Promise of Forever Love
A Love for Tomorrow
Yesterday’s Promise
Forgotten
Forgiven
Forsaken
Rain for Christmas (Novella)
Through the Storm
Rain Storm
Latter Rain
Abundant Rain
Former Rain
Anthologies (Editor)
Keeping the Faith
Have A Little Faith
This Far by Faith
Novella
Love Isn’t Enough
A Mighty Love
The Blessed One (Blessed and Highly Favored series)
The Wild One (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)
The Preacher’s Choice (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)
The Politician’s Wife (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)
The Playboy’s Redemption (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)
Tears Fall at Night (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Joy Comes in the Morning (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
A Forever Kind of Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Ramsey’s Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Escape to Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Praise For Christmas (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
His Love Walk (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Could This Be Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Song of Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)
Prologue
On a cold day in December, Toya Milner was at the hospital with her family. But this time, it was for a joyous occasion. Her younger sister, Tia, had just given birth to a baby girl, Jayden Trinity Carter. She was seven pounds and two ounces of pure beauty, even if she was still all wrinkly and reddish-brown.
Robbie sat on the edge of Tia’s bed and held his little girl as if she were some rare, irreplaceable jewel that could break if mishandled. “She’s so beautiful. I can’t believe this is really our daughter,” Robbie said with tears glistening in his eyes.
“Hey, speak for yourself,” Tia said. “I am more than capable of making a beautiful child.”
The room erupted in laughter. Toya’s mother, Pastor Yvonne Milner, was standing next to her co-pastor and Toya’s godfather, Thomas Reed. He put his hand on Yvonne’s shoulder, and Toya smiled at the sight of them openly displaying affection for each other. They had weathered many storms in the past year, but with the help of the Lord, they had come through it all. Thomas had been patient with her as she’d grown more comfortable with accepting her love for him.
Toya sat in the rocking chair next to the window, waiting for a chance to hold her niece. She smiled at her family, but in truth, Toya wondered when she would have what her mom and Thomas have, or even what Tia and Robbie have. She had been abused by love and wasn’t trying to rush back out there, but still, there was something deep inside her that was longing for a love that was true.
Jarrod, Thomas’ son, stood behind her. He had been the first man to break her heart, it was only a testament to the God she served that she was able to be friends with him again.
Jarrod poked her arm as he asked, “So if Auntie Yvonne is my godmother, does that make Jayden my god-niece, or what?”
“She could be just your niece if you’d pick up the speed and ask Toya out already,” Tia chided him.
Seeing the embarrassed look on Jarrod’s face, Yvonne retorted, “Hey, you leave Jarrod alone.”
Yeah, leave Jarrod alone, Toya wanted to yell at her sister. The last thing she needed would be for Jarrod to ask her out and not show up again. No, thank you.
Robbie stood up and handed the baby to Toya, then turned back to Tia and cleared his throat. “Tia? I...uh, I’d like to be more to you than just your baby’s daddy. I understand why you didn’t marry me before, but I have changed. I’ve been on my job now for over three months and haven’t missed a day or gotten written up or anything. I want to be a family. So, what I’m asking is, will you please marry me?”
Tia smiled but then hesitated. “That depends. Will you come to the wedding drunk again?”
“You know I haven’t had a thing to drink in months. I’m a Christian now, Tia, and that means something to me. The Lord is helping me to stay sober.”
“Well, all right then, Robbie Carter. I guess I’ll marry you,” Tia said.
The room erupted in cheers. Toya had secretly been rooting for Robbie ever since that night at the hospital when Robbie had refused to leave Tia’s side. She’d seen then that the boy had grown into a man—a man well able to take care of his family.
“Okay, why don’t we give them some privacy?” Thomas suggested.
After they’d said good-bye to the new parents and baby Jayden, Thomas, Yvonne, Jarrod, and Toya were all about to go to dinner, but Thomas stunned them all when he took hold of Yvonne’s hand and slyly grinned. “Well, what about you, Yvonne? Do you think you’ll ever marry me?”
“That depends,” she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. “Are you going to come to the wedding drunk?”
“Drunk in the spirit and drunk in love? You bet,” Thomas answered, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly.
When he released her, Yvonne smiled. “Well, in that case, I guess I have no choice but to marry you.”
“You always have a choice.”
Yvonne shook her head. “I never had a choice, Thomas. You stole my heart, and I don’t ever want it back.”
“So, it’s mine forever?”
“How about... as long as we both shall live?”
>
Toya glanced over at Jarrod while all this was going on. Her mom and her sister were getting married, but she couldn’t seem to find a man... well, there were plenty of men around, but what she needed was a good man.
Jarrod nudged her. “You’re next.”
Why did he have to say that? She didn’t want to hear that from anyone, and especially not the man who provided her with her first broken heart. And she really didn’t want to talk about finding love when she was still getting over what happened with Marvel Williams. The man who tricked her into believing he was in love with her, then tried to kill her.
~~~
“Where is the money you promised me?” Clarence Brown asked his partner in crime.
“I don’t pay for failed jobs.”
“Speak for yourself, Marvel. Because I didn’t fail at anything. I practically bankrupted my own church, all you had to do was convince the city to sell you the church. But you were the one who was more interested in destroying Pastor Yvonne and her daughter than making the deal you told me you wanted.”
“That’s neither here nor there, Brown. I still didn’t get what I wanted. And unless you can find out where Toya is, I’m not giving you my money.”
“But my wife needs that money. The only reason I got involved with you in the first place was to get her the heart operation she desperately needs.”
“Then I suggest you get the information that I desperately need.” Marvel hung up and then kicked the trash can next to his desk. Toya and her mother had ruined everything for him. There were warrants out for his arrest, he couldn’t run his businesses, and he was stuck in Mexico. But his suffering was nothing compared to what Pastor Yvonne and Toya would soon feel. Revenge was always sweet.
1
Two weddings in the space of three months were almost more than Toya Milner could take, especially since she was a bridesmaid in both weddings. But she couldn’t let her mother or sister down. So, Toya smiled her way through her mother’s wedding because she was truly happy that her mother had found love again. Her father passed away over three years ago, and her mother had grieved long and hard. It was time for her to smile again.
But today, she was wearing a peach bridesmaid gown because it was her sister Tia’s turn to get married. And Tia picked peach as her color even though pastels weren't a good look for Toya. Tia was marrying the father of her child, the man she truly loved. Robbie Carter turned out to be a good guy, and Toya was glad that they had each other. But the reason the smile she felt in her heart for her sister wasn’t shining through her eyes today was simply that Toya wanted a love of her own and didn’t understand why she couldn’t meet a man who wasn’t trying to use or abuse her.
“Hey, no frowning. This is a happy day,” Jarrod Reed said as he put an arm around her shoulder and lightly nudged her.
“Of course, it’s a happy day.” Jarrod was way too close for her liking. Toya stepped back, letting his arm fall off her shoulder. “Where is your date? Why are you over here bothering me about my facial expressions?”
“Since you are now my sister, I think it is more than appropriate that I am concerned about you being a big ol’ grump on the happiest day of our other sister’s life.”
Toya gave him the hand. “Just because your father married my mother, does not make us brother and sister.”
“Why doesn’t it?” Jarrod demanded to know.
“It just doesn’t.” Toya walked away from Jarrod because she couldn’t explore all the reasons why being his sister didn’t work for her. Maybe if he weren’t so gorgeous, Toya wouldn’t have fantasized about being his wife when they were teenagers. But none of that matters anymore, especially since Jarrod stood her up for her senior prom.
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, but the number was private. She never answered private numbers, but for some reason, she hit the accept button.
As she was trying to say hello, she was interrupted, “I know it’s not right to call you, but I need help.”
A chill went down Toya’s spine as she thought for just a moment that the caller sounded like Marvel Williams. “Why are you calling me? What do you want?”
“I’m not trying to cause no trouble, but I’m living on the street. I can’t even feed myself. I just want you to talk to your mother for me. Tell her to let me come back home.”
“Deacon Brown?” Toya couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. He and Marvel had plotted against her mother, and now he wanted help.
“It’s me. I called you because I know that you have a big enough heart to forgive a foolish old man. Like the prodigal son, I went out into the world and made a mess of my life. I now know how good I had it, and I want to come back to the church.”
“You embezzled money from the church. Why on earth do you think my mother would just let you waltz back into Christ Life Sanctuary as if you didn’t try to tear it down?”
“I wasn’t thinking right back then. But tell your mom that I really need her help. My wife is sick. She needs a heart operation, but the church cut off my insurance, and I can’t afford to pay for her operation.”
Before Toya could respond, Jarrod snatched the phone away from her ear. “How dare you get Toya involved in this dumpster fire you created. Turn yourself into the police. Accept responsibility for what you did. Until you do that, we don’t want to hear from you again.” Jarrod hung up and handed the phone back to Toya.
“I was handling the situation myself. I didn’t need you to come over here, like I’m some damsel in distress.”
“Whether you like it or not, I’m going to always have your back.” He got in her face and rubbed noses with her. “You’re stuck with me so just face it.”
“Whatever.” Shaking her head, Toya put her cell back in her purse and headed for the door. All this family togetherness and wedding stuff was more than she could take. She needed to break free and get back to life as she knew it. But ever since that incident with Marvel, life just hadn't been the same.
In the space of a few hours, everything had changed for her. Now, as she walked out of the hotel where Tia’s wedding reception was being held, she looked around, taking in every sight and sound before stepping out of the building. The day Marvel kidnapped her; Toya hadn't been aware of her surroundings as she left her office building.
He had been standing by the trunk of his car, smiling at her as if everything was still good between them, even though they both knew it wasn’t. Even so, Toya never expected Marvel to pull a gun on her or to demand that she get in his car. The rest was all too painful to think about as she quickly got in her car and locked the doors. As she turned on the engine, Toya glanced around, checking her surroundings once again. That’s when she noticed Jarrod standing a few feet away with his back against the concrete wall as if he thought he could blend in.
She rolled her window down and yelled so he could hear her, “It’s daylight, Jarrod. I don’t need a bodyguard right now.”
“How do you know I’m not out here taking a smoke break?” He said as he walked over to her car.
Toya rolled her eyes. “Show me your smokes.”
“Don’t try to bum cigs off of me. You earn enough money at that law firm to buy your own.”
“I’m on leave from my law firm, and you don’t smoke.”
Jarrod threw up his hands. “Okay, you’ve got me. I was following you. But you can’t just be wandering off on your own like that.” When he caught the look she gave him, he said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you’re grown. But help a brother out. I’ve been defending you since we were kids. Remember that bully who wanted to fight you just because you wouldn’t give him a kiss. Who took that beat down for you?”
Toya laughed at the memory. They had been in the sixth grade when Jarrod became her hero. The bully’s nickname was Meathead because he had a fat head. But that wasn’t all. His stomach hung over his pants, and he had arms like Terry Crews, the ex-football player, turned actor.
That bruiser landed one punch to Jarrod
’s cheek and knocked him on the ground. Toya and Tia then jumped on the bruiser’s back and pounded on his head until the school security guard pulled them off. They all received a one-day suspension, but it was worth it because that big boy never bothered her again. “I don’t want you to get beat up by Deacon Brown, so just stay out of it.”
“Ha ha, very funny. But I think I can take Deacon Brown. It’s you I’m worried about. I don’t want you caught up in all that drama again, Toya. I’m serious about that.”
Jarrod gave her that look. The one that told her he was about business and wasn’t in the mood for games. “I'm not going to meet up with Deacon Brown. So, stop worrying.”
Toya couldn’t even be annoyed at Jarrod for watching out for her. He’d done that since they were kids. But as she drove home, she wondered why in the world he was still single. She and Jarrod would be turning thirty-two this year. So, it was time for that man to settle down. He would make a wonderful husband and father. Toya had thought about introducing Jarrod to one of her sorority sisters but had never followed through on that.
When she arrived home, Toya pulled up to her mailbox, rolled her window down, and took the mail out of the box. She opened the garage door, drove into her garage and quickly put the garage door back down all the while looking through her rearview mirror to ensure that no one tried to sneak into the garage.
Before opening the door to enter her home through the kitchen, Toya said a silent prayer asking God to protect her and make sure that no one was inside her house waiting to kill her. She entered the townhouse and turned off the alarm system. The fact that the alarm had not been set off was another way she ensured that no one evaded her home. Toya leaned against the wall next to the alarm and exhaled. This had become her ritual every time she had to re-enter her home.
Toya solved this problem by quitting her job at her law firm and only leaving the house when absolutely necessary. She knew this behavior wasn’t normal and that she should probably see a therapist. But how would she explain that to her mother who thought that Jesus could solve every problem? Would her mother think less of her for needing something other than Jesus?
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