When There is Love: A Christian Romance (The McKinleys Book 3)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  What had happened?

  Another memory tugged at him, and he looked down at his left hand. He remembered soft touches. The press of skin to skin.

  Victoria?

  “Trent! Darling! You’re awake.” His mother’s excited words drew him completely from the fog he’d been in. What were his parents doing there?

  “Son, we’re so glad you’re awake.” His dad’s expression showed more concern than he’d ever seen from the man before. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I got hit by a truck.”

  “Considering that’s what happened, I’d say you’re right on track.” Trent turned his head to see Marcus standing in the doorway. The man’s gaze swept the room. “Where’s Victoria?”

  “She was here?” Trent asked. He had been right in thinking those touches had been her.

  “Yes. I left her with you while I went to get something to eat.” Marcus looked at Trent’s parents. “Did she say anything to you?”

  “Who are you talking about?” his mother asked as she looked from Marcus to Trent.

  “My girlfriend, Victoria,” Trent said, his impatience clear. “Was she here when you arrived?”

  His mother shook her head. “There was just some…girl on crutches. I thought she was a nurse’s aide or something.”

  Trent felt a sick pit form in his stomach. “Mother. That was Victoria.”

  Her eyes widened in horror as she wrinkled her nose. She leaned toward him and said in a loud whisper, “But she was a…midget.”

  Anger flared within Trent. How could he expect Victoria to take the world’s perceptions in stride when his own family acted like this? “First of all, Mother, don’t ever use that term to describe her again. That’s derogatory and insulting. She’s a little person, and, yes, she is my girlfriend. What did you say to her?”

  He saw his mom look at his dad. The older man cleared his throat and lifted his chin. “We just told her she was free to leave as we were here now and needing to speak to the doctor in private.”

  The anger surging through him burned away the last of the web that had threatened to draw him back into sleep once again. “And she said nothing?”

  “No. She just nodded, grabbed her purse and left.”

  Trent closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, he looked at Marcus. “Can you please call her and make sure she’s okay?” He rattled off her cell number as Marcus punched it into his phone.

  “I’ll find her,” Marcus assured him as he stepped from the room.

  Though there was a pulsing pain in his head, he kept his eyes open and looked back at his parents. “This is the woman I love. You will treat her as such and never, ever speak to her as anything but the beautiful, caring woman that she is.”

  “Son, we didn’t know,” his father said.

  “If she was your girlfriend, why didn’t she identify herself as such?” his mother asked, her shoulders going back as she stood ramrod straight.

  “Probably because she didn’t know exactly why I’d chosen not to tell you about her. Although I think she likely has a pretty good idea now.”

  There was a commotion at the door, but instead of seeing Victoria walk in, Trent stared as his older brother and sister strode into the room, looking for all the world like they owned the place.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Trent asked as they came to a stop at the foot of the bed next to his parents.

  “Seems your accident called for an impromptu family reunion,” his brother said as his sardonic gaze swept Trent from head to toe. “You don’t look quite as bad as Mother made your condition out to be on the phone.”

  “Sorry to have wasted your time, bro. Remind me to change my emergency contact information so they call someone besides you guys next time I’m hurt.”

  “Trent, don’t be that way.” His sister came to his side and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’m very glad you’re okay.”

  Before she could say anything more, the door opened again. As Tiffany turned and stepped back, Trent caught a glimpse of Victoria as she entered the room. For a moment, she looked like she was going to turn tail and run when she saw the crowd gathered. But then their gazes locked.

  Victoria lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. Without a word to his family, she walked around the foot of the bed and came to a chair that was right next to him. She slid off her crutches as she knelt on the chair and then used the bed to pull herself up so that they were at eye level. With tears sparkling in her brown eyes, she took his hand in hers and held it pressed to her cheek.

  “I texted you last night to call me. I guess you didn’t get the message.”

  Trent stared at her for a moment. “Last night? Yeah, I was a little tied up.”

  Seeming not to care about their audience, she leaned a little closer to him. “I wanted to tell you I was sorry for what happened earlier. For not being strong enough to face the world as us. You were right, and you helped me see that I needed to stop being afraid of what the world thinks about me. About us. And I want you to know that I don’t want to live our relationship in only the safe places of our world. I want to live it out where everyone can see that I love you.”

  A smile spread across Trent’s face and the pain in his head receded. He was thankful his arms weren’t broken as she leaned closer to press a kiss to his lips. Slipping an arm around her waist, he held her close and said, “You love me?”

  “Yes, I do. And I know there're going to be rough times ahead, but I’m going to hold you to your word that you’ll love me through them.”

  “There’s no place I’d rather be, sweetheart. When there is love, we can face anything together and come out stronger.”

  After another kiss, Victoria moved back and finally turned to face his family. Trent nearly laughed at the myriad of expressions on their faces. His mother looked rather shell-shocked, but surprisingly enough, his dad actually looked bemused by the events that had just unfolded before them. His brother’s expression seemed to hold a tinge of jealousy. And he really couldn’t blame him. Something told him that Todd and his wife weren’t nearly as close as he and Victoria were.

  “Oh, Trent, this is so romantic!” His sister smiled at Victoria and held out her hand across the bed. “I’m Tiffany. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Since his hand still rested on Victoria’s back, he felt the tension ease from her posture, but she didn’t move away from him. “And these are my parents, Marina and Everett, and my brother, Todd. Mom and Dad, this is Victoria McKinley, the woman I love.”

  EPILOGUE

  FOUR months later

  Victoria stared out the oval window next to her seat. This would be her first time flying, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit she was a little worried. Even the opulent interior of Lucas’s private jet wasn’t doing much to dissuade her nerves. She looked toward the front of the plane where Trent stood talking to Eric and Lucas.

  No one else seemed to be suffering any type of fear of flying. Even Danny seemed more excited than frightened. Of course, some of that could be attributed to the fact that he was excited that his mom and Lucas were finally getting married. Though it had been a short engagement by conventional standards, for a ten-year-old boy it must have seemed like an eternity.

  “Who are we waiting on?” Lindsay asked as she moved from behind Victoria’s seat to where her brother stood.

  Victoria saw Lucas and Eric exchange glances before Lucas cleared his throat and said, “Than.”

  Even from a little ways away, Victoria could see Lindsay’s body go ramrod straight. Clearly, she hadn’t been privy to her brother’s guest list for his intimate wedding to Brooke.

  “Than? Why is Than coming with us?” she demanded, her hands on her hips.

  Victoria glanced at Trent. As their gazes met, a smile curved his lips and he winked at her. Warmth crept up her cheeks as she smiled back.

  “I asked Lucas to invite him.”

  Victoria looked over her shoulder to see Linco
ln making his way to where his siblings stood. Though he still moved with a limp, Lincoln looked a whole lot healthier than he had when she’d first met him at the Hamilton family cabin.

  Lindsay swung around to face Lincoln. “Why would you do that?”

  The expression on her face was stormy, but Lincoln didn’t back away from her. “He’s my friend, Linds.”

  “I know you have some kind of bromance going on with him, but seriously, Lincoln? You had to bring him as your date?” Lindsay’s scowl deepened. “Or is he bringing his own date?”

  “Now why would I do that when you’re already attending?”

  Victoria might have laughed at the way Lindsay’s expression froze when she heard Than’s voice, but something told her that Brooke’s soon-to-be sister-in-law wouldn’t have appreciated that.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Lucas said as he held out his hand to shake Than’s.

  If she hadn’t been watching Lindsay, Victoria would have missed the flash of pain on her face before she headed to the back of the plane without even acknowledging Than’s presence. She looked at Than and saw his gaze following Lindsay.

  What on earth had happened during their date?

  Before she could think too much about it, the pilot’s voice came over the speakers requesting they take their seats. The nerves that had momentarily left her during the exchange flooded back as she turned to look out the window again.

  “You doing okay, sweetheart?”

  Victoria looked over to see Trent settle into the seat beside her. He took her hand in his and leaned close to her. “I can’t remember…did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”

  Warmth again flooded her cheeks as she smiled. “Yes, you did. And you look quite handsome yourself.”

  “And did I tell you I love you?”

  “Yes, you did.” She pressed her lips to his. “And I love you, too.”

  He returned the kiss, his hand lifting to her cheek. “And did I tell you how much I’m looking forward to taking a moonlit walk on the beach with you? Especially now that we’re both off our crutches.”

  Victoria took a quick breath. “I can’t wait for that either.”

  “Okay, you two, break it up.”

  Trent leaned in to kiss her one more time before settling back into his chair. “Now why would we do that, Than?”

  Than had taken the window seat across from them. “Never mind the Love Boat. This is the Love Plane.”

  “You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to come,” Trent said. “Why don’t you go sit next to Lindsay. I guarantee there will be no love to worry about there.”

  Than scowled at Trent. “Just because you’ve found the woman of your dreams, you don’t have to be mean.”

  “I have found her, haven’t I?”

  The air in Victoria’s lungs whooshed at out that look Trent gave her. She’d never thought she’d be the woman of any man’s dreams, let alone someone like Trent. But he was definitely the man of her dreams as well.

  The plane lurched and began to move from the terminal. Her grasp on Trent tightened, and he sandwiched her hand between his and rubbed his thumb across the back of her fingers.

  Trent knew she’d been nervous about the flight, but he didn’t make a big deal out of it. Just gave her his quiet reassurance that it would be okay. As the plane taxied to the runway, she looked out the window at the terminal and planes they were passing. Then the plane swung around and came to a brief stop.

  As it began to move forward and gain speed, Victoria braced herself. She’d read that most accidents took place during take-offs or landings.

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  She turned to look at Trent and immediately felt his lips on hers. As the aircraft broke free of gravity and lifted in the air, Victoria found she wasn’t worried about the plane crashing anymore. Because even if it did, being in Trent’s arms and feeling his lips on hers would be the best way to go.

  “You look beautiful, Brooke,” Victoria said as she saw her older sister for the first time in her wedding dress.

  Brooke leaned over to give her a hug. “You do, too, Tori. You and Mom did such a beautiful job on that dress.”

  True to her word, there was nothing poufy or over the top about the dresses Brooke had chosen for the wedding. Her dress was a shade of ivory that complimented her light auburn hair. It had lace straps and a fitted bodice of satin and chiffon that ended in a curved line just below her hips. The chiffon skirt fell to her ankles in the back and was slightly higher in the front. The back of the dress had a corset style lace up that pulled the bodice smoothly over her curves. It was the perfect dress for a wedding on the beach.

  Because Victoria was the only bridesmaid, Brooke had let her choose the style and color of her dress. With her mom’s help, she had decided on a style and together they’d picked out the fabric and her mom had made it. She’d chosen a soft lilac color, figuring it would be appropriate for a beach wedding and would go nicely with the ivory of Brooke’s dress. Choosing the style had taken a little longer, but in the end she’d decided on a fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline with chiffon straps that tied behind her neck. The bodice ended right below her bust and the skirt fell in soft waves to just above her ankles.

  Over the past few months, she and Brooke had had a chance to spend more time together. Though they’d never discussed the things that had pained Victoria’s heart, they were closer than they’d ever been, and she was grateful for that. It was a start. A good start.

  Victoria lifted a hand to touch the heart-shaped pendant that hung on a white gold chain around her neck. It had been one of the gifts Trent had given her for Christmas along with matching drop earrings. Though she hadn’t asked him specifically, she was fairly certain that the stones glistening in both pieces of jewelry were real diamonds. It wouldn’t have mattered to her if they weren’t, but she had a feeling that Trent would only have given her the real thing.

  “We’re going to need to go soon,” Lindsay said. “We don’t want to lose the sun too soon.”

  “Well, I just want to get married,” Brooke said with a grin. “And if I have to do it in the dark, so be it.”

  Lindsay laughed. “Pretty sure Lucas would agree. I’ll just go make sure everyone is ready for you.”

  She left the room and was back quickly to tell them it was time to go. Victoria followed Lindsay out onto the porch that ran the length of the large house. A breeze sent her dress swirling around her legs as she slowly walked down the steps to the path that would take them to the beach.

  “Danny and your dad are waiting just up ahead,” Lindsay said to Brooke. “I’m not sure which one is more excited.”

  As they neared the beach, Victoria heard the soft strains of the string quartet Lucas had flown in for the wedding. The group gathered to witness Lucas and Brooke’s marriage was small. Victoria knew them all except for a handful who were acquaintances of the Hamilton family that had arrived shortly after they had the day before.

  Taking slow steps, Victoria made her way along the rose-petal-strewn pathway to where the pastor and the guests waited. She looked for Trent. As soon as she found him, their gazes met.

  She gave him a shy smile as she neared where he stood. Just before she stepped past him, he mouthed you’re beautiful and winked at her. Her already warm skin flushed as her smile widened.

  Having reached the front, Victoria looked at Lucas and saw that his gaze had gone past her. As she took her spot, she looked from Lucas to where Brooke now approached with Danny on one side and her dad on the other. Victoria wondered if it was at all odd for her given that Lincoln was standing up with Lucas as his best man. The two men stood side by side, but in spite of being twins, they didn’t look very similar at that moment. Though they both wore beige pants and light linen shirts, Lincoln had once again grown his hair long so it curled much like Danny’s. However, it was the look of love on Lucas’s face as Brooke made her way to him that really made them look different.

/>   Once Lucas came to stand with Brooke, her dad took his place next to her mom, but Danny remained with his mom and soon-to-be stepdad.

  The pastor spoke briefly then said, “Lucas and Brooke have written their own vows.”

  “Brooke, when I knocked on your door last year, I had no idea what was in store for us. On so many levels. I had no idea that when that door opened you would be the most beautiful, amazing, loving woman I’d ever met. While my eyes saw your beauty, my heart felt the love you poured into the life of your son. I’m so grateful that you decided to pour that love into my life as well. Each day I wake up knowing that you are in my life is a day that I thank God for. I look forward to what He has for us in the future. I can’t wait to love you more each day as we grow closer to each other and to God. I’m here for you. No matter what our future might hold, I will be there for you and for Danny.” Lucas turned to the boy who stood next to his mother. “Danny, I can’t tell you how proud I am of you and how you’ve handled everything we faced over the past several months. I know it hasn’t always been easy and sometimes it’s been confusing, but you have been a champ dealing with it all. I love you, buddy. Thank you for accepting me into your and your mom’s lives. There’s no place I’d rather be than with the two of you.”

  Victoria dabbed at her eyes with the tissue she’d made sure to grab earlier. She knew she wasn’t the only one moved by Lucas’s words. She was so glad that he had walked into Brooke’s life and worked to get past the wall around her heart.

  “Lucas, when you appeared on my doorstep, I had already decided that the only guy I needed was Danny. You can imagine my surprise that your arrival in my life had me questioning that. I discovered last summer that my parents had been praying that I would fall in love quickly with the man God had for me. And that’s exactly what happened. God knew exactly what I needed and that was you. You stood firm when it would have been easier to step back. You stayed at my side when it would have been easier to walk away. Because of that, I know that together we will be able to face anything. I’m excited to fill our home with the children God sends to us. To see you love them the way you already love Danny. I love you with all my heart and can’t wait to spend every single day of the rest of my life with you.”