Drawing in a slow breath, Jayden stood and walked to the front. Tears streamed down his face, but he didn’t care. He was giving his life to God, and from this day forward he’d live in the knowledge that he was loved by the creator, cleansed, forgiven and guilt free. He’d face all that lay ahead of him with God in his heart. God would lead and guide him, and give him direction.
Jayden remained at the front doing business with God for a long time. Pastor Graham prayed with him, and Angie and her parents joined him. A weight lifted off his shoulders and his heart, and was replaced by a sense of freedom and joy he’d not experienced before. Today was the beginning of his new life.
“Congratulations, Jayden.” Angie beamed at him as she gave him a huge hug. Her eyes were red, but her smile couldn’t have been more genuine.
“Thank you, Angie. Thank you for everything.” He gazed into her eyes. “I mean that, I really do. If I hadn’t met you…”
She lifted her finger and placed it over his lips. “But you did. That’s all that matters.”
“Yes, and I’m so glad.” He smiled at her before straightening. “You know what I need to do now?”
Angie shook her head.
“I need to call Dad.”
Chapter 11
Ben woke to the sound of the phone ringing. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table. Five a.m. He groaned.
Tessa stirred. “Are you going to get that?” Her voice was sleepy and slow.
“Yes…” Reaching over, Ben grabbed the phone and held it to his ear.
“Dad…”
Ben’s eyes widened and he sat with a jolt. “Jayden… Is it really you?”
“Yes, I’m…I’m so sorry, Dad.” Jayden’s voice choked. But it didn’t sound like Jayden at all. His voice was deeper.
“It’s okay, Jayden. It’s all okay.” Ben suddenly felt light headed.
“Really?”
“Yes…”
Tessa slipped her arm around Ben’s shoulder.
Jayden sniffled. “I’ve…I’ve got something to tell you.”
Ben stiffened. His heart pounded. Was Jayden in trouble? Had something happened to Kathryn? “What is it, Jayden? What’s happened?” Ben could barely speak.
“It’s okay, Dad. It’s good news.”
Ben let out a relieved sigh. “You had me concerned. What is it, then? Are you coming home?”
Silence.
“No… not yet…” Another pause. “I…I became a Christian today.”
“Really? That’s wonderful, Jayden.” Tears streamed down Ben’s face. “Congratulations.” He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.
“Thank you.”
“That’s even better news than telling us you’re coming home.” Ben laughed. “And that’s saying something.”
“I know.” Another silence. “Dad, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing, but this is a start. Okay?”
“Okay.” Ben gulped. “It’s just fantastic to hear your voice. But you sound different.”
“Yes, I’m all grown up.”
“And you have a girlfriend.”
“Yes. She’s here with me now.”
Ben winced. “She sounds like a nice girl.”
“She is. The best.”
Ben drew in a slow breath. “And you’re okay?”
“Yes.” Jayden paused. “I need to go now, but I just wanted to give you my news.”
“Thank you,” Ben swallowed hard and pulled Tessa close. “Tessa and I appreciate it.”
“I’ll call again soon.”
Ben squeezed his eyes, pushing his tears back. “We’ll look forward to it.”
“Bye, Dad.”
“Good-bye, Jayden. We love you.”
Ben replaced the receiver and leaned against the pillows, stroking Tessa’s hair as she rested her head on his chest. “I don’t believe it, Tess. He rang. And he’s a Christian.” Ben’s voice broke again. He swallowed hard but couldn’t hold back the tears that stung his eyes.
Tessa hugged him and lifted her head. “It’s the best news, Ben. It’s what we’ve been praying for.”
Ben nodded. Grabbing a tissue, he wiped his face and blew his nose. “I know. But I’m still pinching myself.”
Moments passed. A million thoughts flashed through Ben’s mind. How did it happen? Where was Jayden when he called? Where was he when he gave his heart to the Lord? A tinge of sadness settled on Ben’s heart. He shouldn’t be sad, but how could he not be? Jayden had grown up so much, and he and Tess were missing out on so much of Jayden’s life. But maybe God had used everything to bring him to this point. They needed to rejoice and be happy for him. And as Jayden said, it was a start.
Ben straightened and turned to Tessa. “We need to pray, Tess. To thank God.”
Tessa struggled to sit. “Yes, we do.”
Ben held Tessa’s hand and bowed his head. He was still struggling to believe what had just happened. It was truly amazing, almost unbelievable. He cleared his throat and sucked in a breath. “Lord, I don’t really know what to say, apart from ‘thank You’. Thank You that Jayden called, and thank You for answering our prayers.” Ben paused, swallowing hard. “Thank you for not giving up on him, dear Lord. This is just the best news.” He paused again. “Be with Jayden in the days ahead. Help him to grow in You, and to become the young man You want him to be. And Lord, we still ask You to bring him home, but in Your time, not ours. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.” Ben squeezed his eyes shut as an overwhelming sense of joy and expectation filled his heart.
Tessa sniffed as she squeezed Ben’s hand. “Amen.” She straightened further, wiping her eyes with her fingers. “This is just so exciting, Ben. I don’t know how I’m going to concentrate at work today.”
Ben chuckled as he met her gaze. “Me either.”
Tessa slid out of bed and threw on her dressing gown, doing the tie up loosely over her tummy. “I need to tell Mum and Dad. And Margaret. And Stephanie. And Fraser, and…”
Ben’s head shot up. “Whoa, Tess, slow down. We don’t want the baby to come yet.”
“I’ve still got ages to go, Ben. I’m fine.”
“Yes, but you know what the doctor said.”
Tessa paused, stepping closer to him and reaching out her hand. “It’s okay, Ben. I’m perfectly fine.”
“I’m sorry, Tess, I just get a little anxious when I see you overly excited, that’s all.”
“I understand. We both want this baby to come with no problems. And it will.” Her smile broadened as she placed Ben’s hand on her tummy.
Ben relaxed when the baby moved. There was nothing better. Well, apart from Jayden calling. Ben’s heart warmed as Tessa leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead.
“I’m off to make those calls.” She flashed him a smile that lit up her face. She turned to leave, but then stopped and spun around. “We should celebrate, Ben. Ask everybody over.”
Ben drew his eyebrows together. “We only just saw everyone.”
Tessa chuckled. “I don’t think they’ll mind getting together again for such a special occasion.”
Ben angled his head. “What are you thinking?”
“Dinner here tonight?” She raised an eyebrow.
“We’re becoming quite the entertainers!”
“And you’re loving it!” And with that, Tessa leaned forward and gave Ben another kiss, this time on his lips. He held his breath as she sashayed awkwardly out of the room towards the steps, silently praying she’d make it safely.
Tessa hung up the phone after making her calls and flopped onto the couch. It was exhausting work talking to so many people one after the other. Luckily, none of them had minded being woken so early. She picked up the mug of coffee Ben had placed beside her almost half an hour ago and took a sip. Ugh! Luke warm. Never mind, She’d make a fresh brew shortly.
The sky had lightened while she’d been on the phone. A new day was beginning, and what a day it was. It still seemed surreal. Jayden’s news
was beyond their wildest dreams, but the fact he had a girlfriend concerned her. Would he be prepared to leave her and come home? Surely he was too young to be serious. But was he? Tessa’s thoughts drifted back to the heady days when she and Michael had started dating. She’d only been seventeen, but even after dating for only a month, she was convinced she couldn’t live without him. Young love. So sweet. So hard to let go. Tessa took another sip of her cold coffee. Jayden would be torn, no doubt about it. Just another thing to pray for.
Bindy and Sparky sprang up from their mats as Ben reappeared, showered and dressed for the day, and began wagging their tails at him.
“I thought we could take a walk this morning, Ben.” Tessa sat forward and drained her coffee, pulling a face as the cold liquid slid down her throat.
Ben glanced at his watch. “Guess I could fit a quick one in.”
“You don’t need to be at work for another two hours!”
“I know, but I’ll need to be home earlier than normal tonight.”
“Yes, you do.” Tessa inched herself off the couch and walked towards him, one hand on the small of her back. What would it be like when she was nine months? Everyone told her she already looked like a bean pole with a ball out front, but she actually felt like a cow. Not surprising really, given the amount of chocolate she was eating. She sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around him, all the while trying to ignore the dogs as she gazed into his eyes. “It’d be nice to go for a short walk together, wouldn’t it?”
Ben placed his hands on her waist and smiled down at her. “Yes, it would.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “Let’s go. Otherwise I’ll be tempted to go back to bed.”
“Ben! You know what the doctor said!”
Ben’s face fell. “Yes, I do. Come on then, let’s go.” He dropped his hands and stepped into the utility room, returning a second later with the dogs’ leashes.
Bindy and Sparky sat on command and waited while he clipped their leashes on. He glanced at Tessa. “Sure you’re up to this?”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Yes, Ben. I’m up to this.”
Ben raised a brow as his eyes ran down the length of her body. “Going out like that?”
Tessa glanced down at her attire and laughed. “No. Let me get dressed.” She stepped into the downstairs’ bathroom and quickly changed into her walking clothes, and in less than a minute joined Ben and the dogs outside.
All day at work, Tessa hummed worship songs. She still had to pinch herself that after almost a year of praying, Jayden had finally called. It truly was unbelievable. She couldn’t wait to tell Harrison. He’d be so happy that Jayden hadn’t waited as long as he had to contact his parents.
Tessa invited him and his fiancée, Zoe, to the celebration, but they had other plans and had to decline.
Dinner that night was a happy occasion, ending in a worship and prayer time in Ben and Tessa’s living room. After everyone had left, Ben wrapped his arms around Tessa and pulled her tight. He nuzzled her neck, sending tingles down her body.
“Ben! We need to clean up.”
“It can wait.”
Tessa let out a small laugh as she relaxed in his arms.
Chapter 12
One day a few weeks later, Jayden was about to leave work when he spotted Mom standing outside on the pavement. Even though a scarf sat high on her neck, almost covering her face, he was sure it was her. Jayden let out a huge sigh. Especially now he was a Christian, he knew he should have more compassion, but every time he saw her, he had to work hard to hide his frustration.
Mom had blinders on as far as Buck was concerned. Everyone else could see what was happening to her. How could she be so stupid? Sighing heavily, Jayden grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, all the while praying for patience.
As he stepped outside, a gust of wind caught his cap and blew it off, sending it flying into the air. He rushed after it, retrieved it, and stuck it firmly back on his head. When he turned around, Mom was gone. Jayden looked both ways, and then walked up and down the street, but there was no sign of her. He shrugged and headed towards home. He really should get his bike fixed.
When he reached his apartment, Jayden grabbed a frozen meal out of the freezer and placed it into the microwave, then picked up his guitar to practice for the weekend. He was playing in a band with Gareth, Angie and Dave at a youth camp this weekend, but still had a lot to learn.
The microwave dinged. He put his guitar down and pulled out his meal of macaroni and cheese, squeezed almost half a bottle of ketchup over it, and sitting down, flicked the television on. He choked on his first mouthful. A picture of Mom was on the television with a ‘Breaking News’ headline running across the screen. He turned up the volume and leaned forward. The image changed to one of Buck, and of the cottage he and Mom shared, cordoned off with Police tape.
A female reporter stood outside the cottage, speaking in a serious voice. “The body of William Buckley, commonly known as Buck, was found early this afternoon when one of his co-workers checked on him after Mr. Buckley failed to turn up for work. The Police are currently seeking any information on the whereabouts of his partner, Kathryn Middleton. They would like to question her about the incident.”
Jayden gulped. Has Mom killed Buck? Surely not. His stomach lurched. He raced for the bathroom and spewed up the contents of his stomach. His chest heaved. How could this have happened? As much as she frustrated him, she was still his mother. Buck must have driven her to it.
The faint ringing of his cell phone reached Jayden’s ears. He wiped his mouth and sprinted to the kitchen, picking up his phone. Angie. He sucked in a quick breath and answered.
“Angie… you heard?”
“Yes. We can’t believe it. Are you okay, Jayden?”
Jayden slumped against the wall. Was he okay? No, he wasn’t. His stomach felt like it didn’t belong to him, and his head spun like a top. He slithered onto the floor, holding his head in his hand. “No, Angie, I’m not okay.”
“Stay there, Jayden. Dad said we’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Okay.” Jayden could barely speak. He ended the call and put the phone down. A different story was on the television screen. Had he imagined it? No, Angie had called, and she and her dad were on the way over. He straightened. Maybe that’s why Mom disappeared—maybe she’d just wanted to see him once more. If only his cap hadn’t blown off.
Jayden leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees and his hands over his head. He needed to settle his thoughts before Angie and Mr. Morgan arrived. He drew a slow breath and held it. The noise from the television faded into the background as he began to pray. With no real idea of what to ask for, he just asked God to keep her safe, wherever she might be.
He looked up when a soft knock sounded on the door a short while later. When he opened it, Angie held out her arms to him. Her eyes blurred with tears as he stepped forward. He didn’t cry. He just clung to her. His body was numb.
“Come and sit, Jayden.” Angie led him to the sofa. Mr. Morgan followed, placing his hand gently on Jayden’s back.
Angie's face was white, and so serious. Jayden had never seen her like this. But they’d never had a murder before.
“Dad made some calls on our way over, and the Police will be here any minute. They want to talk to you about your mother.” Her voice was quiet and steady. Controlled.
Jayden sucked in another breath. He’d have to tell the Police he’d seen her.
Within seconds, another knock, this time louder and firmer, sounded on the door. Mr. Morgan rose and answered it. Two officers in uniform entered, introducing themselves as Officers Wallace and Brown. Officer Wallace, the older of the two, led the conversation as they sat around Jayden’s small kitchen table. Angie sat beside Jayden, holding his hand. Mr. Morgan stood to the side with his arms folded.
“Jayden, we’re investigating the murder of William Buckley, commonly known as Buck. We believe your mother was living with him?”
Jayden nodded.
Jayden gulped. He couldn’t lie to them. He looked down before slowly lifting his gaze. “I… I thought I saw her outside the shop this afternoon.” He cleared his throat and straightened. “I…I work at the Value Village Thrift store in town. She sometimes walks past there and waits for me to finish work, but this afternoon, my cap blew off and I chased it, and when I looked for her, she wasn’t there.”
“Are you sure it was her?” The officer's gaze was fixed on Jayden.
Jayden shrugged. “I think it was her, but I can’t be sure.”
“What was she wearing?”
Jayden tried to think. All he could really remember was the scarf. “I know she was wearing a scarf. She had it up around her head, and it was some kind of green color. Other than that, I’m not really sure. Like I said, I only caught a glimpse of her through the window before she disappeared.”
Officer Brown made some notes.
“Before today, when was the last time you saw her?” Officer Wallace asked.
Jayden sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Just over three weeks ago. On my birthday. She came by and we had breakfast together.”
“Is it strange you haven’t seen her since then?”
Jayden tilted his head. He’d been so busy with church activities since then he hadn’t really taken that much notice. Mom just seemed to pop in and out of his life whenever it suited her, or to be honest, when she wanted something. Usually money. But yes, it was kind of strange he hadn’t seen her since then. Jayden felt the color drain from his face. Maybe Mom didn’t kill Buck. Maybe she’s been dead all this time.
Triumphant Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 4) Page 8