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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Blinking again at the prick of tears, Victoria looked out at the people standing in the sand and found Trent’s gaze on her. There was an intensity in it that she hadn’t seen before, and her breath caught in her lungs. She waited for his expression to relax into his usual easygoing smile, but it didn’t, and she wished she could read his mind.

  When the pastor began to speak again, Victoria turned her attention back to Lucas and Brooke, but her heart was pounding as she kept picturing Trent’s expression in her mind. The pastor had them exchange rings and then he pronounced them husband and wife. Everyone clapped as Lucas drew Brooke into his arms and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

  They moved right into taking pictures in order to capture the setting sun before it sank completely beneath the horizon.

  “Trent!” Brooke called out. “You and Victoria. No arguments.”

  Trent held up his hands. “No arguments from me.”

  Victoria rolled her eyes at Brooke. “Yeah, none from me this time around either.”

  Once the photographer pointed to where he wanted them, Trent went down on one knee and held out his hand to her. Without hesitation, Victoria took it and allowed him to draw her close to him. She searched his face for the intensity from earlier, but it wasn’t there any longer. Maybe she had imagined it.

  Victoria positioned herself so that she faced Trent and felt his arm slip around her waist as she rested her hand on his chest. She gave him a shy smile before turning toward the photographer. The photographer quickly got the shots he needed, though Victoria would have happily stood in Trent’s embrace if it had taken longer.

  What a difference a few months made.

  Trent stood on the porch of the small bungalow he was sharing with Lincoln and Than and stared out through towering palm trees at the beach beyond. The sun had set awhile ago, but the moon was nearly full and glistened off the water. Just the previous night, the island had been filled with the sounds of music and laughter as they’d celebrated Brooke and Lucas’s wedding. All was quiet now though.

  After the small reception had wound down, Lucas had surprised Brooke by whisking her off to another island where they would be spending their honeymoon. From the sounds of things, they were going to be there for a week and then heading to Africa for a couple of weeks.

  Listening to their vows during the ceremony had settled something in his heart. The past few months had been trying ones at times for him and Victoria. Once he’d gotten out of the hospital, they’d both had to get around on crutches. They’d certainly made quite the pair whenever they’d gone out. It had limited what they had been able to do, but Trent had been determined that they weren’t just going to sit in the house or places that were easy to get to. Once Victoria had said she wanted to live their love out in the world, he hadn’t wanted her to change her mind.

  Though it had been a challenge, he’d made sure that they made regular trips out into the world. He’d started taking her grocery shopping instead of her mom. At least once a week they would go out to eat, and they’d go to the mall on occasion. After much discussion, they’d made the decision to go to the same church. He’d been willing to go back to the church she attended, but when she said she would go to the church where he and Eric had started attending, he hadn’t argued.

  They’d gone out to celebrate the day the doctor had told her she didn’t need to use the crutches anymore. And then they’d done it again the day he was finally free of his cast and crutches, too. But that night they’d celebrated by walking hand in hand through the mall since it was too cold to walk outside. It was something they’d both been looking forward to. Even now, his favorite thing was to grasp her hand in his as they walked together.

  Trent shoved his hands into his pockets and walked down the steps to the lighted path that ran to the main house. He’d said goodnight to Victoria a little while earlier, but he wanted to see her again. Walking slowly, he followed the path to the wide steps that led to the front door of the main house. Light spilled out of the windows and he could hear the sound of voices as he climbed the steps.

  He paused in front of the screen door.

  “Something on your mind, son?”

  At the sound of Doug McKinley’s voice, Trent swung around and saw the man sitting with his wife at the far end of the porch. He hadn’t seen them initially since they were sitting together without any lights on. Choosing to see it as a sign, he turned from the door and approached the couple.

  “Yes, actually there is.”

  “I thought there might be,” Doug said, a hint of laughter in his words.

  Had he been that obvious? Well, he supposed everyone knew how he felt about Victoria. Taking a deep breath, he sat down in a wicker chair near them.

  He glanced over at the door then said in a voice that he hoped only Doug and Caroline could hear, “I love Victoria very much and with your blessing, I’d like to ask her to marry me.”

  Doug cleared his throat and leaned forward. “We have prayed for the mates of each of our children over the years, and I’ll be honest, we had no idea what that might look like for Victoria. Most of all, we wanted each of them to marry a person who loved God. And for Victoria, we prayed that the man who captured her heart would be a man who would understand her physical challenges and all that might lay ahead for her because of her dwarfism. We’ve seen changes in her since you came into her life in the role of her boyfriend. She’s gained a confidence that we didn’t even realize was lacking. She’s our baby, and we’ve been worried about her at times, but I know that I speak for Caroline when I say that we both feel utter confidence in how you will care for our daughter.” Doug paused and cleared his throat again. “You most definitely have our blessing, Trent.”

  “Thank you.” He looked at the couple as they sat close together. He was grateful that they had welcomed him into their family not just once but twice. “I will try my best to be everything she needs.”

  As he stood up, Doug held out his hand. Trent shook it and then bent to hug Caroline. He doubted they would ever know the impact they’d had on his life, and he was so grateful that they were willing to entrust Victoria to his love and care.

  “Now let’s see what she has to say about it,” Trent said as he turned toward the door once again.

  When he stepped into the room, he found Alicia, Lindsay and Victoria sitting at a table with tall glasses in front of them. Lindsay’s mom was sitting on the couch with a tablet in her hands. She looked up and smiled as he walked in.

  “Hey, Trent,” Alicia said when she spotted him. “Got bored with the guys?”

  “Something like that.”

  By now Victoria had turned in her chair. “Want to join us? We’re just chatting.”

  Rubbing his fingertips on the soft velvet box in his pocket, he said, “Actually, you up for a walk?”

  Her eyes widened briefly before she nodded. “Just let me get my shoes.”

  Once she disappeared down the hall, Alicia said, “A moonlit walk on the beach?”

  “Isn’t it required?” Trent tried to keep his tone light. “Would be a shame to come to an island like this and not do it at least once.”

  Alicia sighed. “Yeah, if you’re looking for romance.”

  Trent looked at Lindsay. “Well, there are a couple other single guys who might be willing to take you on a walk.”

  Lindsay straightened and gave him a scowl. “I think not.” She glanced at Alicia. “But if you’re interested, feel free.”

  Alicia shook her head. “Nope. Not me either.”

  Trent shrugged. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

  “Try what?” Victoria asked as she joined them again.

  “To get them their own moonlit walk on the beach. After all, Than and Lincoln are just sitting in the bungalow talking sports or something.” Trent held out his hand to Victoria. “But I’d rather be with my girl. See you guys later.”

  As they walked out on the porch, he waited for Doug and Caroline to say something, but they
remained quiet.

  “Wow. I thought it might be too dark for a walk, but that full moon is plenty of light.”

  Trent had been out earlier in the day to canvas the beach for a place that would be perfect. “I wonder if Lucas and Brooke planned their wedding knowing it would be a full moon on the night they got married.”

  Victoria laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”

  As they reached the sand, Victoria paused. “I want to take my shoes off.”

  Trent decided that he would as well, because he wasn’t going to let her wade in the ocean by herself. Once their shoes were abandoned in the sand, he followed her to the water’s edge. “It’s great that it’s so warm.”

  “I know. I’m going to hate heading back to winter at the end of the week.” She slid her hand back into his as they walked along the shallow part of the water.

  Trent found himself struggling to make small talk when there was so much in his heart he wanted to tell her. He wanted to remember every moment of this night.

  “Is everything okay?” Victoria asked.

  He looked down to find her watching him. “Everything’s fine.”

  “You’re just quiet. That’s kind of not like you.”

  In the moonlight, he could see her smile and his heart skipped a beat. “Are you saying I’m a chatterbox?”

  “In only the very best way.”

  They continued to walk along the shore until they reached a large rock that jutted out over the water.

  “Let’s sit, sweetheart,” Trent suggested.

  She looked at the rock and then said, “You’re going to have to give me a hand up.”

  “Never a hardship,” Trent said with a grin as he scooped her into his arms. Before he placed her on the rock, he bent to kiss her. Her arms went around his neck and held him close to prolong the kiss.

  Even though he didn’t want to end it, he moved back a bit and set her on the rock. She moved over so he could climb up beside her and then snuggled into his side as he put his arm around her.

  Holding Victoria close, Trent remembered their first kiss. That change in their relationship had been set to the soundtrack of water as they’d sat in his car in the midst of a rainstorm. And now, hopefully, their relationship would change once again as they were surrounded by the sound of the waves as they rushed the shore and then swept back.

  The breeze off the water was cooler than Victoria had thought it would be, and she wished she’d brought a jacket.

  “Cold?” Trent asked when she snuggled closer to him.

  “A little. I guess once the sun goes down, the temperature drops, too.”

  He ran his hand up and down her arm. “Want to go back?”

  She glanced up at him and shook her head. “I just need to remember what cold really is. This is nothing.”

  As he stared down at her, she felt his hand brush against her cheek. Warmth from his touch swept through her, chasing away the chill of the night air.

  “Do you remember that day in the park?”

  “I’ll never forget that.” She smiled. “Or sitting in your car in the rainstorm afterward.”

  “My personal favorite moment was that day in the hospital.”

  Victoria felt a tendril of excitement wind its way through her. “When I told you I loved you?”

  “Yes. My body may have been banged up pretty good, but you filled my heart that day and chased away the pain.”

  Victoria turned toward him, pressing her cheek to his chest and drawing her legs up to rest them against his thigh. “Worst and best day of my life all wrapped into one. I was so scared I’d lost you.”

  “You’re not going to be able to get rid of me that easily,” Trent said with a chuckle that she felt as much as heard.

  “Then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t want to get rid of you.” Victoria felt his arm tighten around her.

  “I don’t want that either. Ever.” He shifted slightly and then she felt his fingers under her chin, tilting her head up. “I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without you. I had a small taste of it, and I could hardly bear the pain.” His thumb brushed against her cheek. “But I want more. I want to start each day looking at your beautiful face and end it with you in my arms.”

  Victoria’s heart skipped a beat and then began to pound even harder. She started to say something, but he pressed his thumb lightly against her lips.

  “I want to be there when you need me—night or day. I want to know that you’re also there for me—night or day. I want to share whispered dreams and words of love in the darkest of nights. I want you in my life forever.”

  His hand moved from her face and when Victoria looked down, she saw a sparkle in the moonlight. She could hardly breathe as a band tightened around her chest.

  “I love you, Victoria McKinley. Would you please marry me and spend the rest of your life as my wife?”

  Tears spilled over as she turned and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. She had hoped and prayed that this moment would happen. She’d had no idea he’d been planning this, but it was so perfect. So romantic. And all for her.

  She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “I love you, Trent. And yes, I would love to marry you and be your wife. You’re everything I never knew I needed in my life. You’ve made me stronger and helped me find joy in the things that are important. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life with anyone but you.”

  As his head lowered, Victoria whispered a prayer of thanks. The touch of his lips to hers filled her with wonder that this amazing man was going to be hers. She knew that she could trust him, lean on his strength, and that together they would be able to face everything that was to come because of the love God had given them for each other.

  The End

  If you’ve enjoyed reading The McKinleys series, be sure to follow up with book one of the BlackThorpe Security series. You have already met several of the people who will be featured in this new series.

  Click HERE to order your copy.

  First up is Than and Lindsay’s story!

  GUARDING HER HEART

  First chapter sample

  1

  THAN Miller stared at the report on his screen and managed—just barely—to bite back a curse. Aggravation rode him hard these days. Everything annoyed him, and his teams’ latest security job was no exception. If he thought it would make a difference, he’d fly to Europe to give the snotty rich kid a piece of his mind.

  As it was, they had two groups of guys on the kid who was determined to try to slip away from her bodyguards at every opportunity. She knew about the main team, but they hadn’t told her about the ghost team that was also in place. Than wondered briefly if her father would consider tagging her with a GPS chip. It would make it a whole lot easier to keep track of her.

  But then they weren’t in this business for the easy assignments—which is what these babysitting-type jobs should be. They got hired because they were the best, and this girl’s father was paying the big bucks to make sure his little princess stayed safe while she and her friends romped through Europe during their spring break. He had a funny feeling his guys were going to be asking for raises after this gig.

  A knock on his door drew his attention from the report. Surprise shot through Than when he saw Lucas Hamilton standing in the doorway. Though he looked an awful lot like his twin brother Lincoln, Lucas’s more reserved appearance was always a dead giveaway to which twin he was dealing with.

  Than pushed back from the desk and walked around to shake the man’s hand. “Afternoon, Lucas. This is a bit of a surprise. Everything alright with Lincoln?”

  “Lincoln is doing fine as far as I know.” Lucas unbuttoned the jacket of the light gray suit he wore and smoothed his hand over his paisley blue tie. “I’m actually here about Lindsay.”

  Than’s eyes widened. Well, that was even more surprising than seeing Lucas at his door. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”
/>
  After sitting back down, Than pulled his chair forward and leaned his arms on his desk. “So how can I help you with Lindsay? And does your sister actually know you’re here?”

  Lucas shook his head. “Nope. But at this point, it doesn’t matter.”

  Than frowned. It sounded a bit like Lucas was going to try to force his sister to do something. That boded well for pretty much no one involved in the situation. From his rather limited experience with the woman, Than had still managed to pick up on the fact that Lindsay Hamilton let no one call the shots. “Does Brooke know about this apparent death wish you have?”

  Lucas grinned at that. “Yeah, and it’s been our first major argument since getting married, but hey.” The man’s broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I’m a big brother, and my protective streak is well documented when it comes to those I love.”

  Being a brother himself, Than understood that streak. “And now you want to drag me into this mess?”

  “How do you know it’s a mess?” Lucas asked with an arched brow.

  “Oh, let me recap. It involves telling Lindsay to do something. You’ve had a fight about it with your beautiful new bride. And now you’ve actually resorted to coming to me for some part of this. I’d say it’s officially a mess. And that’s the polite term for it.”

  Lucas laughed as he slouched into the chair. “I really do need your help. I know there’s stuff between you and Lindsay but, from what I hear, you’re the best person to help me out.”

  “Okay.” Than let out a long sigh and settled back, intertwining his fingers across his abdomen. “Lay it on me.”

  Lucas sat forward. “Lindsay has decided to go on a mission trip with a group from our church.”

  Than wondered if his eyebrows had completely disappeared into his hairline at that comment. “A mission trip?”