Love So Divine: A Contemporary Christian Romance (Wondrous Love Series, Book 2)

by JoAnn Durgin

  “What do you mean he’ll get to me eventually?” He sounded perturbed now. “I can’t be bought with any amount of money. My loyalty will always be to you, Heather.” He increased the pressure on her arms and turned her around to face him. “I wouldn’t care if you were penniless. I’d still love you more than any other woman I’ve ever met.”

  I wouldn’t care if you were penniless. She bit back a sob. Drew had told her the same thing.

  Her heart broke with that statement. She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, disheveling it. Did he know about her trust fund? Did he want her money like every other man she’d dated? They either wanted access to her father’s millions or wanted her for her trust fund. “You know?”

  “Know what?” He squeezed her arms but then winced as he dropped his wounded hand to his side. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You honestly don’t know about the trust fund left to me by my grandfather? I came of age the day I turned 25. It’s a lot of money, Chase. Money that could fund a whole lot of ministries, buy a heap of Bibles, and oh yes, you could also live in style for the rest of your life. The only catch? You’d have to be willing to put up with me.”

  Chase stared at her, his mouth open. “I don’t even know how to respond to that. On the one hand, you’re accusing me of wanting you for your trust fund—which no, I had no idea you have—and on the other hand, you’re ridiculing the very core of my ministry. What do you want me to say, Heather? Seems I can’t win right now.”

  “I’m trying to protect you, Chase.”

  “Protect me how? From your dad? That makes no sense.”

  She inhaled a deep breath. “You asked my father for permission to marry me?”

  Chase’s blue eyes pierced through her. “I thought that would make you happy, but I didn’t expect him to tell you.”

  “Well, he did. Surprise!” The wounded look on Chase’s face about killed her. “I’m sorry. It’s not like I haven’t had the same thoughts. But that’s exactly what I’m talking about. He wants to control everything. Especially me. It’s bad enough that I have to live with it, but I’m not going to subject you to it, as well. I love you too much to do that.”

  “Heather, don’t do this. Please. I love you. Let’s work through this.”

  “I can’t. Give me some time, Chase.”

  She left the office, her heart breaking with each step as she hurried down the steps as fast as she could flee. She needed to get away from Chase, from the church, from the reminders of him and all that they’d shared. All that she’d probably just lost.

  Chase called out for her, but he didn’t come after her, didn’t try to stop her.

  And that broke her heart even more.

  Chapter 27

  ~~♥~~

  Two Weeks Later

  After taking her final bow, Heather accepted the multiple bouquets of fresh flowers and murmured her thanks with a grateful, practiced smile. As the heavy red velvet curtains closed, she blew out a breath. She’d given her all on the stage tonight but felt none of the joy she normally experienced after a stellar performance. Instead, she felt drained and exhausted. Empty.

  Rotating her neck and shoulders, Heather handed off the flowers to her dutiful assistant.

  “Where do you want these sent?” Marlena struggled with one especially bulky arrangement.

  “Which place is next on the list?” Heather headed to the side of the stage with Marlena trailing behind her. Seeing the woman’s dilemma, Heather called for one of the male stagehands to come and assist her with the flowers.

  “Green Meadows, the nursing home closest to the theater.”

  “That sounds good. Let’s have them delivered first thing tomorrow.”

  “All of the arrangements? There are a larger number of them tonight than usual.”

  “Why not? Let’s brighten their day, shall we?” Heather said. “Make sure one is given to the office staff and the others distributed to the various wings.”

  Marlena nodded. “I’ll take care of it, Miss Montague.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “If I may say, your performance tonight was exceptional.” Removing one long-stemmed, perfect red rose, Marlena presented it to her with a small bow.

  “Thank you.” Heather swallowed her pleased surprise. Marlena rarely, if ever, complimented the dancers. She’d heard the stories about the so-called Dragon Lady as long as she’d been with the ballet. This was a personal first. From what Heather knew, praise or accolades from this member of the company was akin to the gold star on her dressing room door. More than a rite of passage, it was a special brand of recognition all on its own.

  With a parting nod, the woman scurried away with the stagehand. Poor kid looked scared to death. Probably intimidated by Marlena’s reputation for a sharp tongue. The dutiful woman had been with the ballet for more than forty years. She’d worked as the personal assistant to many of the principals, both male and female. Almost painfully thin, Marlena’s battle with scoliosis was more than apparent. On some days, she appeared to be almost doubled over. The poor woman must be in a lot of pain and yet, to Heather’s knowledge, she’d never openly complained.

  “Marlena?”

  The woman turned with a raised brow. “Yes, Miss Montague?”

  Heather suppressed her smile. How many times had she asked Marlena to call her by her first name? The woman had her standards and insisted on formality although she often had a twinkle in her eye even while scolding or reprimanding her.

  “I want you to keep one of the bouquets for yourself. Pick your favorite.”

  A rare smile creased the older woman’s face. “You’re very kind. Thank you.”

  Heather doubted she’d take home the beautiful blooms, but she always offered with the optimism of knowing that—in a rare moment—Marlena might actually accept them.

  In many ways, she was the driving force of the dance troupe, the solid backbone. How ironic considering the woman’s curved spine. Heather suspected a soft heart resided somewhere beneath the crusty, forbidding exterior. She cared about all the dancers but her gruff manner suggested otherwise. The many small gifts left for the dancers with anonymous notes outside their dressing room doors had to come from Marlena. Who else knew their personal likes and dislikes? How many times had she discovered a small piece of forbidden Godiva chocolate on her dressing table after a performance? She’d never asked Marlena about them, and she never would. The woman preferred anonymity for her quiet acts of kindness.

  A few minutes later, still dressed in her costume, Heather sat in the chair as she removed her toe shoes. Kneading her feet and flexing her toes, she reflected on the night’s performance. Picking up her cell phone where she’d left it on the dressing table, she quickly scanned through her missed calls. Nothing from Chase tonight. She had no one to blame but herself if he stopped calling altogether.

  Lord, help me know what to do.

  Her heart heavy, she blinked back tears.

  Hearing a soft knock on her dressing room door, Heather glanced at the clock. The masseuse wasn’t due to arrive for another ten minutes.

  “Come on in, Layla.”

  The door opened and Brendan, one of the director’s assistants, stuck his blond head in the doorway. “Not Layla. Sorry to bother you, Heather, but there are some kids here. They insist on talking with you.”

  Kids? Teenagers?

  She nodded. “That’s fine, thanks. Send them in.”

  No sooner had Brendan stepped back out in the hallway than Jamal, Trevon, and Rachelle burst into the dressing room.

  Smiling, Heather lifted from the chair. “Hi, there. What a nice surprise! What brings you here?”

  Rachelle flew into her arms. “Heather, I’ve missed you so much. We all have. Please, please, please make up with Pastor Chase and come back to us.”

  Trevon gave her a lazy grin, one now filled with respect instead of leering disrespect. “Hey, Ballerina Girl. You done rea
l good out there tonight. I never knew you could twirl like that.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. I do my best. I had no idea you were here. The lights blind me when I’m onstage.”

  “Yeah, you’re too busy doing your thang.” Trevon twirled one finger, making her laugh.

  “Chase took off as soon as the performance was over,” Jamal told her.

  Heather gulped. “Chase was here?”

  “He thought you was awesome,” Trevon said.

  “Were awesome, man,” Jamal corrected. “Can’t you get it right? Learn to talk or don’t talk at all.” He playfully punched his younger brother in the arm.

  “I thought the dude was gonna cry,” Trevon said. “Soon as that red curtain closed, he jumped out of his seat and made some lame excuse about havin’ to get home.” He shrugged. “Sorry.”

  “He bought tickets for all of us to come,” Rachelle told Heather.

  “I had no idea.” Overcome with emotion, Heather could barely get out the words. What a selfless thing for him to do, spending the money on his kids. Dear sweet Chase. Always generous to a fault. Part of her wanted to kiss him while another part of her wanted to scold the man. If not the kids, Chase would have found another person or group on which to lavish his limited funds.

  Rachelle stepped back and linked hands with Trevon. It was gratifying to see that Trevon didn’t have his hands all over his girlfriend the way he had in the past, nor did Rachelle allow him to touch her inappropriately.

  Lord, maybe we’re getting through to these kids, after all.

  That thought stopped her. We’re? It was true. She and Chase had become a team in working with the teenagers in his youth group.

  “Don’t you miss us?” Rachelle’s eyes were wide, her tone pleading. And, oh no, there was the trembling lip. These kids were part of her heart and she hated that she’d hurt them, too.

  “Of course, I do. More than anything. But I’ve been busy with rehearsals and performances, and…” Heather glanced from one to the other of the three kids. Young adults. They were growing up in front of her eyes. Good kids. Christians.

  “Forgive me,” she said. “I realize those are bad excuses and you deserve better.”

  “You love him, don’t you?” Jamal’s expression sobered as he waited for her response.

  Heather nodded slowly and her breath caught. “With all my heart.”

  Trevon snorted. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it. The preacher dude is all broken up even though he tries not to let on to us.”

  “He’s a grump. You’ve got to cut him some slack and help us out here, Miss Heather,” Jamal said. “This is getting serious now.”

  “How is his hand?”

  “Got infected. They had to amputate at the wrist.”

  Heather stared at Jamal. “That can’t be—”

  “I’m kidding. He got some antibiotics, and he’ll live. But don’t you feel better knowing he has his whole hand? Feel so relieved that you want to call him and make up?”

  Laughing softly, Heather shook her head.

  “If you love him, then you need to tell him,” Rachelle said.

  “You know what? You’re absolutely right.” Heather forced a small smile. Chase had called her nearly every day and left short messages just to tell her he was thinking of her and praying for her. He’d had flowers delivered to her townhome as well as here at the ballet. Flowers he probably couldn’t afford.

  “Then you’ll come to the meeting on Sunday night?” The hope in Rachelle’s voice almost broke her heart.

  She didn’t need to consider it. “I have a matinee performance, so I might be a little late. But I’ll be there. Do me a favor and don’t say anything to Chase. I’d like to surprise him.”

  All three of the teenagers grinned and the brothers high-fived. “You come whenever you can get there,” Jamal said, echoed by Trevon and Rachelle. “We’ll be waiting. And if it’s really late, we’ll think up something to keep him there.”

  She could only pray that Chase still wanted to see her. His messages and flowers would indicate that he did, but she’d acted like a maniac that night. She couldn’t blame him if he’d decided he didn’t want to see her again. Life with a crazy woman might be interesting for some, but it wasn’t for everyone.

  ~~♥~~

  Heather zipped her boots and grabbed her purse. The driver was waiting in the hallway, as always, his head bent. She closed the dressing room door. “I’m ready now, Jonathan.” When he lifted his head, she gasped. “Marsden?” In her surprise, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

  The middle-aged man laughed quietly. “That’s the best greeting I’ve had in a long time.”

  Heather pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “What have you done with Jonathan? Tell me the truth.”

  “Your mother arranged with the ballet for me to pick you up tonight.”

  “Oh? Is Mom here?”

  “Not tonight.”

  “Okay.” What was this all about? She might as well go along with the plan. “You realize the ballet hires a driver and car for the specific purpose of ensuring I’m not kidnapped, correct?”

  Marsden chuckled. “I’m aware. I assure you this is not a kidnapping.”

  “Well, that’s comforting. I suppose.” Heather fell into step behind the tall, lanky, older gentleman. “You’re being very mysterious. This is me, Marsden. You’ve been a member of our family as long as I’ve been alive. Tell me what’s going on.” She’d shared many talks with this man. He’d heard all her teenage angst. He’d gone through the phase of purple streaks in her hair and blue fingernails. The boyfriend dramas. The loss of a close friend to suicide.

  “I honestly don’t know, Miss Heather.” Taking her by the arm, Marsden steered her out the side door of the theater. A ballet employee opened the back door of her mother’s Mercedes and ushered her inside, closing the door behind her.

  “Can you at least tell me where you’re taking me?” She buckled her seat belt.

  “An undisclosed location.”

  “Okay, I get your point. You’re being very politically correct, as always. I’ll stop asking my questions now.”

  “Very well, Miss Heather.” Marsden gave her a smile in the rearview mirror and then pulled the car into the stream of traffic. She sat back in her seat. This should be interesting.

  ~~♥~~

  Marsden pulled the car into the garage of the family homestead thirty minutes later.

  Heather waited for him to open her door. He’d be offended if she didn’t allow him the privilege. She couldn’t take that away from him. When she was in her semi-rebellious teenage years, she’d gone through a stage where she’d hop out of the car and slam the door. Then she bounced into the house and straight up the stairs. Her mother sat her down and told her she’d hurt Marsden by her flippant disregard for both his position and as a person with feelings. In other words, she’d behaved like a spoiled brat.

  Marsden loved ice cream bars covered with a rich chocolate coating. To make up for her rude behavior, Heather visited his live-in quarters each night for a month and offered him one of the treats as a peace offering. It wasn’t long after her father had moved out of the house. After that, Marsden would often be sitting in the kitchen in the late evenings. He’d brew them both a cup of Earl Grey tea, and they’d sit and talk. He’d been married years ago but lost his wife to a car accident. He carried an air of sadness about him, and she loved nothing more than bringing a smile to his face. Marsden loved her in his own way, and he seemed to enjoy hearing about her adventures.

  “Thank you,” Heather told him as he assisted her out of the car and then closed the door behind her. “Does Mom want to have a sleepover tonight?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “You’re scaring me just a little bit, Marsden.”

  He opened the door leading into the kitchen and ushered her inside. “Nothing to worry about. It will be fine.”
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br />   Her mother and father waited in her dad’s former study which now served as the library. They both rose to their feet when she entered the room. How convenient that four wing chairs had been arranged in a little grouping in the middle of the room.

  “Hello, darling,” Ellyn said. “Please, come have a seat.”

  “Hi, Mom. Dad.” Heather watched as her father took a seat and waved his hand at the chair between his and the one claimed by her mother.

  “I know it’s late, but we felt the need to talk with you, and it seems there’s never a good time for all of us to coordinate our schedules,” Jeremy said.

  “That’s fine.” She’d only spent the last five hours at the theater and performed in a physically grueling show. But, if they said this was important, who was she to quibble? She angled her head at the empty chair. “Is someone else joining us?”

  Her mother and father exchanged a glance. “David, please come and join us,” her mother called.

  David?

  Chapter 28

  ~~♥~~

  As soon as the tall, broad-shouldered man walked into the room, Heather instinctively knew his identity. She rose to her feet. “You’re Chase’s father, aren’t you?”

  “I am. It’s very nice to meet you, Heather.” He gave her a polite nod and then sat down in the vacant chair.

  “Well, this is cozy. What is this about?” She gripped the arms of her chair. “Is this some kind of intervention?” She didn’t mean for her question to be funny, but the other three in the room smiled.

  “Heather, I’m somewhat embarrassed.” David shifted in his chair, appearing rather uncomfortable. “I intended to come to the theater to see you tonight.”

  “I take full credit for that,” Ellyn confessed. “David called me at the realty office the other day and told me he’d like to speak with you about Chase. I gave him this address and asked him to meet you here tonight. I wanted to meet the father of the man whom my daughter—our daughter”—she nodded to Jeremy—“loves.”