Triumphant Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 4)

by Juliette Duncan

  Jayden’s body tensed. God, please let it be okay. He had long hair in the photo and was just a kid. Jayden knew he looked totally different now.

  “Grown up a bit, I see.” Her large blue eyes twinkled as a playful grin appeared on her face. As she typed, her attention turned to the screen. Her brows lifted. She leaned closer to the screen, then glanced back at Jayden.

  His heart was beating so loudly he was sure she’d hear it.

  Dad placed his hand on Jayden’s shoulder as he spoke to the woman. “Everything all right?”

  How did Dad sound so calm? Jayden’s body relaxed. He didn’t need to worry, Dad was with him, clean-looking and smart, and his deep voice held authority.

  The woman looked up and smiled as she returned the passports. “Yes, everything’s fine, Mr. Williams. Here are your boarding passes. Safe trip.”

  Dad gave her a warm smile as he tucked the passports and boarding passes into his top pocket. “Thank you.”

  As Jayden turned and walked towards Angie, he wore a wide grin on his face, and his heart was no longer weighed down.

  “Everything okay?” Angie asked when he rejoined the group.

  Jayden nodded. “Yep, touch and go for a while, but it’s all good. She didn’t even ask.” He glanced at Dad chatting with Mr. And Mrs. Morgan. “Helped having Dad there.”

  “Your dad’s a good man, Jayden.”

  Jayden swallowed hard. “Yes, I know.” He took a deep breath. “He’s the best.”

  The adults shifted closer. “There’s time for a quick coffee,” Mr. Morgan said. “My treat.”

  They all moved to an airport café and sat at a table overlooking the runway. Mr. Morgan placed the orders and then everyone chatted while they waited.

  Jayden squeezed Angie’s hand.

  She turned to him and gave him the sweetest smile. Her eyes glistened. The countdown was on and they both knew it. They drank their sodas and nibbled their muffins, but it was like they were on conveyor belts that would soon separate and take them in opposite directions.

  “I’m going to miss you, Jayden.” Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

  “I’m going to miss you, too, Angie.” Jayden blinked back tears of his own.

  “I’ll write.”

  “I’ll call.”

  Angie giggled. “We can Facetime.”

  Jayden nodded. But it wouldn’t be the same. They couldn’t hold hands; he’d miss the smell of her freshly washed hair and her perfume; they couldn’t ride into the mountains, and they wouldn’t be able to play music together. He swallowed hard. Yes, he was going to miss her.

  “Come on, you two love birds,” Mr. Morgan’s voice held a tinge of amusement. “Let’s have a quick prayer and then it’s time.”

  Jayden gave Angie’s hand a squeeze before they shifted their chairs closer.

  Mr. Morgan’s gaze traveled around the group before it settled on Jayden.

  Jayden fidgeted with his hands. He didn’t want to be the center of attention.

  “Jayden, we’ve only known you for a short time, but we’ve all come to love you, and we pray that as you go home to your family, you’ll remember your time here with us fondly, as you no doubt will,” he grinned at Angie, “but please know you’ll always be welcome here.” He gave him a warm smile. “Let’s pray.” Mr. Morgan stood and moved behind Jayden, placing his hand on Jayden’s shoulder. Mrs. Morgan stretched out her hand too. “Dear God, we commit Jayden to You today. We ask You to go with him, and that You’ll help him grow closer to You. Please help him adjust to life back home, and bless his obedience, dear Lord. May he become a man of God, full of your love and compassion. Guide him and lead him, dear Lord, we pray. Amen.”

  Jayden wiped his face and sniffed. He would remember this time as long as he lived.

  Tears streamed down Angie’s face when Jayden gave her one last hug in front of the Security barrier. “I love you, Ange, I always will.” He kissed her forehead and brushed her tears with his hand.

  “I love you, too, Jayden.” She could barely speak.

  He squeezed her hand and then gazed into her eyes one last time before turning and entering the security area. His heart was heavy. How would he survive?

  He turned and waved after passing through. Mrs. Morgan held Angie tight in her arms.

  Angie lifted her hand and waved. Although her face was pale and blotched from crying, she was still the most beautiful girl in the world.

  They passed through Security without a problem. The flight home was long and tiring—two long transits and a long haul flight. Jayden filled his time with sleeping, watching movies, eating and some reading. But it was hard to concentrate on anything. He’d left Angie behind, and his thoughts turned to what life would be like at home.

  Tessa busied herself preparing for Jayden and Ben’s return. She and Ben had discussed how challenging the first few days might be for Jayden, and had decided a few days away at the beach would help him adjust. They’d booked a house at Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast for five days, and Tessa was looking forward to leisurely walks on the beach, dining out at one of the many restaurants in the area, and just relaxing prior to the birth of their baby. Jayden would need more activity than that, but Ben could sort that.

  Tessa’s mum and dad were eager to be at the airport with Tessa, and arranged to meet her there at six-thirty a.m. on the Thursday morning. They arrived only a few minutes apart, and walked into the Arrivals area together.

  Telford found three seats, and for the next thirty minutes, they waited. Ben had warned them that Jayden had changed, but when he and Ben walked through the doors, Tessa gasped. Jayden was taller than Ben! And he looked more like his father than ever.

  She stood and held her arms out to him. She’d determined she wouldn’t cry, but as he stepped into her arms, tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “Welcome home, Jayden.” She wiped her face and then held him at arm’s length. “How did you get so tall?”

  Jayden shrugged, but a grin had formed on his face. “Must’ve been the mountain air.”

  Tessa laughed before she hugged Ben.

  “Food poisoning all gone?” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

  She nodded. “Thank goodness. It was horrible.”

  Eleanor gave Jayden a big hug, and Telford held his hand out.

  Jayden took his hand and shook it.

  They agreed to have breakfast and a catch up at the new café Tessa had tried with Stephanie. She assured them it wasn’t there she’d eaten bad food.

  The next couple of hours passed pleasantly, and Tessa’s heart warmed as Jayden engaged in conversation, something he’d rarely done before. He told them all about the Morgan’s ranch, and his eyes lit up as he described his and Angie’s rides into the mountains. He even told them he’d tried to milk a cow. But what brought tears to Tessa’s eyes and an inner glow to her heart was when he shared about giving his life to the Lord.

  “I didn’t understand what true love was until I gave my heart to Jesus.” Jayden’s gaze was fixed on his hands wrapped around his glass. He looked up and his gaze travelled between Tessa and Ben, finally settling on Ben. "I know now that you love me, but I used to think you were too tough on me and didn’t really care about me.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “I’m sorry, Dad.” His gaze shifted. “I’m sorry, Tessa.”

  Tessa reached out her hand and squeezed his wrist. “Jayden, it’s all okay. We’ve all grown and changed—we’re not the same people we were a year ago, and your dad and I are so proud of you. And you’re home, that’s all that matters.” She turned her face away and quickly blinked back tears. She swallowed hard before continuing. “We have a lot of catching up to do, but there’s no hurry.”

  Jayden nodded. “You’re right, thank you.” His face brightened. “Can we go home now so I can see Sparky and Bindy?”

  “Sure can,” Ben said. “We need someone else to walk them now Tessa’s put on so much weight.”

  Tessa shot daggers at Ben
, but then burst into laughter.

  “Come on, let’s go home.”

  They all stood. Telford and Eleanor said good-bye, and then Tessa, Ben and Jayden headed home.

  Chapter 24

  During their stay at the beach, Tessa suggested they drive to Mrs. Trejo’s farm for a visit since it was reasonably close by. She’d been praying about the farm, and had a real sense it was the right thing to do. And when she’d seen how animated Jayden had become when he spoke of the Morgan’s ranch, any worries he wouldn’t like living in the country had disappeared. The only hiccup now was Ben. But Tessa was convinced that when he saw it, and she shared with him her vision for the place, he’d become as excited as she was.

  She took him for a short walk through the property, ending up at the wooden bench where the views over the valleys below to the rolling mountains in the distance still took her breath away.

  “Do you like it, Ben?”

  He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “It’s lovely, Tess. It’s so peaceful.”

  “Could you see yourself living here?”

  Ben tilted his head, his forehead creasing. “What do you mean by that?”

  Tessa took a deep, slow breath and raised her head. “Well, it’s for sale, and I thought we could buy it and build some small cabins on it, and develop it as a retreat. Stephanie’s got this job working with disadvantaged youth, and she could bring them here, and…”

  Ben placed his finger across her lips. “Whoa, Tess, slow down.”

  “Sorry. You can see I’m excited about it.”

  “You’re not wrong.” The sparkle in Ben’s eye gave her hope he might share that excitement. “Tell me what you’re thinking, but slowly.”

  “Okay.” She smiled at him and then began. “Well, I’ve always wanted to live in the country. I could see myself as a country vet. And we’ve been praying about a ministry, and I think it’s the perfect place for a retreat. A place where people can come to recharge, to reconnect with each other and with God, and a place where Stephanie could bring the young people she’ll be working with to get away from the city for a while.” A grin formed on her face. “And I think Jayden would love it. He doesn’t want to go back to the same school, and we could get some horses, and maybe a cow or two, and some chickens.” She paused. “What do you think?”

  Ben shook his head and laughed. “And what do you suggest I’ll do?”

  “You can get a job in town— it’s not that far, or you could work from home, or you could become ‘Retreat Manager’. Or all of the above!”

  He pulled her close and kissed the side of her head. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “Guess we’d better make an offer, then.”

  Tessa’s face expanded into a broad smile as she threw her arms around his neck. She drew back and met his gaze. “Does that mean you’re not going to think about it for three months? Or run the figures through your spreadsheets, or even pray about it?”

  He chuckled. “We should pray about it, and maybe I’ll run some figures, but if we sell our house, I can’t see it’s a problem.” He turned his gaze to the mountains. “Besides, I could easily get used to this. It’s the perfect place to raise our family.”

  Tessa rested her head against Ben’s shoulder and sighed. “I can just imagine it. Happy children running around playing games, going fishing, riding horses, getting dirty.” She laughed.

  “Sounds amazing.” He kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze.

  The deal was done. The house at New Farm sold quickly, and all being well, they’d be moved in by Christmas. Jayden was excited that he’d get his own horse, and he promised to milk the cows every morning. He’d met up with Neil a few times, but they’d both changed, and Jayden was looking forward to making new friends at his new school and new church. Most days he managed to Facetime with Angie, and although it wasn’t quite the same, they still laughed together and spent hours talking about everything that was happening in their lives, including what they’d been learning in the Bible study they were doing together. Jayden didn’t know when he’d see her again, but he looked forward to the day he would.

  Tessa’s baby was due any day. Jayden was in his room packing the last of his stuff when she called out from downstairs. He raced down to find Tessa doubled over, holding her stomach. She’d been packing boxes in the living room—he was sure Dad had told her not to do that. Dad was at work, tidying everything up before he finished.

  “Tessa, are you all right?” He placed his arm lightly on her back. She didn’t look all right. She certainly didn’t sound all right. What a stupid question.

  She shook her head.

  “Is it the baby?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was just a whisper.

  “I’ll call Dad.” He helped her to the couch then dialled Dad’s number.

  Dad answered straight away.

  “Dad, it’s Tessa. The baby’s coming.”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll be home in ten minutes.”

  “Okay.” Jayden turned to Tessa. “Dad’ll be home soon. Is there anything I can do?”

  She shook her head. “Everything’s ready.”

  Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to deliver a baby on his own.

  Dad arrived and helped Tessa into the car. Jayden went with them. Tessa’s parents came and sat with him while Dad went in with Tessa.

  “It could be a long time, Jayden.” Eleanor patted his thigh.

  “Will she be all right?”

  “The doctor said everything’s fine, so yes, God willing, she will be.”

  “What do you think she’ll have?”

  Eleanor chuckled. “I’ve never got it right yet, so if I say it’ll be a boy, it’ll probably be a girl.”

  “So what do you think?”

  “A boy.”

  “Okay, so it’ll be a girl.” He leaned back in his chair. A little sister. He could live with that. Maybe they could call her Angie.

  Hours passed. Finally Dad appeared through the double doors with a broad smile on his face. “It’s a girl. We have a daughter!”

  Eleanor jumped up and gave him a big hug. Telford shook his hand, and then hugged him too.

  Jayden hung back, but then Dad stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. “You have a little sister, Jayden. She’s beautiful.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “You sure can.”

  Tessa sat in bed, leaning against her pillows, cradling her new little daughter in her arms. She was perfect in every way. A tiny rosebud mouth, softer than soft skin, a beautifully formed face, long lashes, and a light covering of hair. Her tiny fingers wrapped around Tessa’s thumb. Tessa’s heart swelled with love.

  She looked up when Ben returned with Jayden and her parents.

  They all stood around her bed, trying to get a better look. Ben sat beside her on the bed and gazed down at their little baby girl.

  “What are you going to call her?” Jayden asked.

  Tessa glanced at Ben. “Go on, you tell them.”

  Ben smiled with pride as he gently stroked the baby’s head. “Her name is Naomi Joy Williams.”

  Eleanor let out a happy sigh. “I love it! And she’s beautiful, Tessa.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

  Tessa held her hand out and smiled. “Thanks, Mum.”

  “Can I hold her?” Jayden stepped closer.

  “Of course, Jayden. Sit in the chair and Dad will pass her to you.”

  He smiled. “Thanks, Mum.”

  Tears pricked Tessa’s eyes. How long had she been waiting to hear that? And now she had two children to love and cherish. God really was good. Her heart burst with joy as Jayden cradled his little sister in his arms. Her gaze met Ben’s and her spirit soared.

  “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

  Thank you for reading TRIUMPHANT LOVE. I s
incerely hope you enjoyed it. Ben, Tessa and Jayden’s story will continue in a new book, due for release in July 2017, but in the meantime, why not read “True Love at Christmas” (free on Amazon - see below) and "Promises of Love"? Ben, Tessa and Jayden make appearances in both of these stories, which feature Harrison and Zoe.

  Make sure you’re on my readers’ email list so you don’t miss notifications of my new releases! If you haven’t joined yet, you can do so at www.julietteduncan.com/freebook/ and you’ll also receive a free copy of “HANK AND SARAH - A LOVE STORY” as a thank you gift for joining.

  I truly hope and pray that you weren’t only touched by the story, but that you now have a greater assurance that you’re loved by the God of Creation, and that you can truly have a personal relationship with Him.

  If your interest was piqued by the study the Youth were doing and would like to find out more, there are plenty of great books out there, just do a search for “Apologetics” and choose one that appeals to you. It’s so exciting to see just how much proof there is for God’s existence, and how science is starting to confirm the story of creation. We don’t need to take a blind leap of faith—we can have certainty that what we believe is true, and that God really is there and that His love for us is constant and true. I encourage you to spend time finding out more, so that you are “Always ..prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3: 15. Amen.

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