The Wonder of His Love: A Christian Romance (Fostered by Love Book 1)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Now he was more confident that they would be able to move forward into a relationship. And he could hardly wait. He’d dated off and on over the years, but he’d never felt about any of the women the way he did about Noella. Finn couldn’t help but feel that God had brought him to this city to find a home, people he could help and, possibly, someone to love.

  ***

  Even though the girls had been super busy at the bakery, Thursday seemed to take forever to come. By the time Noella was able to head for home to get ready for her date, she found herself excited and not nervous about it like she’d thought she would be. All day she’d been thinking about the outfit she should wear. Which, given that they would spend most their time in Finn’s truck with their coats on, was a bit ridiculous to be too concerned about.

  In the end, she settled on a pair of black jeans and a dark green sweater with a cowl neck. It wasn’t super cold that day, so she laid out a short black coat with a belted waist. She was just putting her earrings in when her cell phone rang.

  She frowned when she saw Finn’s name on the screen. Was he calling to cancel?

  “Hello?”

  “Hiya, love,” Finn said. His endearment made her heart skip a beat, but the weariness in his greeting had her concerned.

  Noella sat down on the edge of her bed next to where she’d laid her coat. “What’s wrong?”

  There was a moment of silence before Finn said, “My truck chose last night to die on me. I’ve been working on it today, but it’s not going to be ready for tonight.”

  “So we’re going to have to cancel?” Noella was disappointed at the idea, but another part of her felt a little sick at the news about his truck. This was how it had started with men and her mother in the past, but she was going to be smart about things. She wouldn’t empty her bank account to help Finn.

  Would she?

  “No. Tennyson said I could borrow his vehicle. I’m just runnin’ a bit late.”

  Relieved, Noella pressed the phone more tightly to her ear. “I don’t think the lights are going anywhere. I’ll be ready whenever you get here.”

  “Okay. See ya soon.”

  Pushing aside thoughts of his dead truck, Noella slipped on her coat, picked up her purse, and left the bedroom. Erin was curled up in the recliner in the living room with the Christmas tree lights on and her eReader in her hands. “Don’t you look pretty?”

  “Thanks.” Noella flopped onto the couch and stared at the Christmas tree. “Finn just called to say his truck is dead.”

  “So you’re not going out?” Erin asked.

  Noella glanced over in time to see a frown on Erin’s face. “We’re still going. He’s borrowing Tennyson’s car.”

  “Are you looking forward to it?” Erin’s frown morphed into a grin. “It’s pretty romantic. Going to see the Christmas lights together.”

  Erin was a big proponent of romance. She always had a romance on the go on her eReader and believed that someday she’d meet her prince charming. The two of them were definitely on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to romance, so it surprised Noella a bit that she was the one going out on this date. Erin had dated a bit, but with the hours she kept at the bakery, it was hard to find someone whose schedule meshed with hers. Though she could make some adjustments to her schedule, Erin said she hadn’t met anyone who was worth the effort.

  “I’ve liked going to see the lights in years past, so I think it should be fun.” Noella wasn’t even going to touch on the romantic aspect of it.

  Erin hugged her eReader to her chest. “I want all the details when you get home.”

  Noella gave Erin a wry smile and shake of her head. “There won’t be any details. This is a first date.”

  “I think it’s great that you guys were friends first. That’s how I want it to happen with me.”

  “It can make it difficult too, though,” Noella said. “What if things don’t work out between us? How awkward will that be?”

  “True.” Erin’s expression turned thoughtful.

  Before either of them could say anything further, the doorbell rang. Noella got to her feet and went to answer it. Finn stood there in a black leather jacket with snowflakes melting in his dark hair. He smiled at her, and Noella couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Ready to go?” Finn asked.

  “I am.” Noella turned around and said goodbye to Erin before stepping out on the porch with Finn. She pulled on her gloves as they walked to the car, Finn’s hand resting on her back. He opened the door for her, and she slid into the warmth of Tennyson’s car which Finn had left running. Christmas music played softly from the speakers, and Noella found herself slipping a bit more into the spirit of the season.

  Finn slid behind the wheel and backed the car out of the driveway. “I apologize for bein’ late.”

  “It sounds like you had a good reason,” Noella said as she settled back in the seat. “What seems to be wrong with your truck?”

  “Transmission. So now I have to decide whether to dump more time and money into the old girl or just go for a new one.”

  Noella hated the way her stomach clenched when Finn mentioned getting a new truck. Could he even afford one? “I’ve never enjoyed the car buying experience.”

  Finn chuckled. “Well, I know what I want. I just have to get a few details worked out.”

  And would those details involve getting funding for a new vehicle? “We could have used my car tonight. You didn’t have to borrow Tennyson’s.”

  “I know, but it seemed a little awkward to ask you out on a date and then ask to use your car.”

  Noella wouldn’t have minded, but she could see his point. The conversation turned from his truck issues to Noella’s day at the bakery. As they neared the turn off for the light display, Finn went through a Tim Hortons drive-thru and picked them up some drinks and doughnuts.

  While Finn paid entrance fee, Noella found the radio station that was part of the display. Thankfully, there weren’t too many vehicles even though it was just a few days since the display had officially opened. No doubt it would get busier closer to school break and Christmas.

  Though Noella had never really thought much about what she’d like to do on a first date with someone, she had to admit that this was a pretty good choice. At least for her. She enjoyed the conversation that was interspersed between comments about the displays. Though it wasn’t an environment conducive to deep conversation, it was a perfect place to listen to Finn talk about the Christmases he’d shared with his family. Noella didn’t have as many happy memories as he did, but there were a few Christmases when it had been just her and her mom, and they’d had a good time.

  Noella wasn’t sure if Finn was aware that Christmas day was also her birthday, but she had no plan to clue him in. Of course, Erin or one of the guys might decide to share the information. Hopefully, they’d also be smart enough to let him know how she felt about her birthday.

  When they finally left the light display area, Noella was disappointed that the evening would soon be coming to an end. She wanted to prolong it, but she knew that with both of them having work the next day, it was better to just let it come to an end and hope that Finn would be interested in setting up a second date.

  “I’m sorry this wasn’t longer,” Finn said as he pulled into the driveway. He turned on the interior light, and Noella saw for the first time how tired he looked.

  “Were you up late working on your truck?”

  “Yeah, I’ve probably devoted more time to it than I should have. I just hate to abandon her. We’ve been together for the past six years.” Finn sighed. “But I guess I’m going to have to take some time away from work tomorrow and figure out how to get my next set of wheels.”

  Noella sat there for a moment, at war with herself. Was this how it had been with her mom? She cared about Finn and wanted to help him out, but was it just a step out onto a slippery slope? Would the offer of a loan turn into a gift when he couldn’t afford to pay it back? She
really didn’t think Finn would take advantage of her, but right then, she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d chosen her instead of Erin to date. Erin was definitely cuter and more bubbly and outgoing than Noella, but it was well known among their friends that Noella was the one who had the flush savings account. Had that worked in her favor?

  Fear ate at Noella, and she became desperate to know if she could protect herself. If she was just like her mother with her emotions, she had to make certain that she was at least wiser than her when it came to her money before she went any further with Finn.

  “Do you believe in prenuptial agreements?” Noella blurted out before she could lose her nerve. She just had to know if Finn would accept the steps she’d need to take if things got to the point of marriage.

  Finn’s eyes widened for a moment then narrowed. “Prenuptial agreements?”

  “Yes. And financial agreements.” Noella’s heart was pounding hard as she waited for his answer.

  “You’re asking me about prenuptial and financial agreements on a first date?” Finn’s expression had grown hard. “Why?”

  “I need to know how you feel about them before our relationship goes any further. I don’t want to allow my emotions to get involved only to find out down the road that you aren’t interested in either of the agreements.”

  “So my being unwilling to sign a prenuptial agreement would be a deal breaker for you?” At her nod, Finn said, “I have to admit it’s rather odd to be thinking about divorce on a first date. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting.” He paused. “And what exactly do you mean by a financial agreement?”

  “I just need to make sure that I’m protected financially if something should happen,” Noella said. “What each party would bring to the marriage and earn during it would be their own. General expenses would be shared, but any other expenses incurred by the other would be their responsibility.”

  Finn stared at her. “You mean no co-mingling of finances at all?”

  “Yes. Exactly. Household bills would be split fifty-fifty, and if I wanted a new car, I would be responsible for the financing for that.”

  Finn turned to face the windshield again, his hands gripping the wheel. “I honestly don’t know what to say. To me, such an arrangement speaks to a lack of trust between a couple. Can you really have love without trust? I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with that sort of arrangement.” Finn paused and glanced at her before looking straight ahead again. “I’ll be honest, I’m not sure that’s the type of relationship I want to have.”

  Noella clutched her purse and reached for the door handle. “I understand. Thank you for the lovely evening. I’m sorry it ended this way.”

  Before Finn could say anything, Noella opened the door and quickly got out, shutting the door behind her. She hurried into the house, glad to find that Erin wasn’t waiting to quiz her on how the evening had gone. Standing to the side of the Christmas tree in the darkened living room, Noella watched as Finn backed out of the driveway and drove away.

  She stared at the empty street for a moment before turning away and heading for her room. Even though she kept telling herself she’d done the right thing by addressing the issue with Finn right away, her heart ached.

  After she got ready for bed, Noella climbed under her covers with her cell phone in her hand. Maybe a clear reminder of why she’d done what she had would help to ease the pain. Swiping through the text messages from Mama Kay, she found the one that contained her mom’s number. After punching in the digits to hide her cell number, she tapped in her mom’s and put the phone on speaker as she settled back against her pillows.

  It took three rings before her call was answered. “Hello?”

  Though it had been a couple years since she’d last heard it, Noella recognized her mother’s voice right away. “Hi, Mom. It’s Noella.”

  “Noella! Darling, I’m so glad you called me back. How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing good, Mom.” Or she had been until she’d torpedoed everything with the man she…loved. Swallowing hard, Noella struggled to get past the tightness in her throat from the emotion that had suddenly gripped her at that personal revelation. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing really well. I’m back in Winnipeg now. I was hired by the virology lab on Arlington. I’ve been there a couple of months now, and I’m enjoying it a lot.”

  Noella was impressed since she was pretty sure that getting a job at the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health wasn’t easy. She’d never doubted her mom’s intelligence, it was just her smarts when it came to men and relationships that was questionable. “That’s great, Mom. I’m glad you’ve got a job you like.”

  “I would love to see you, sweetheart.” Her mom paused. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  And there it was. The reason she’d called her mom in the first place. “Oh? Have you gotten married again?”

  When her mom didn’t reply right away, Noella knew she’d had just a bit too much edge to her question. It was hard not to be cynical, though, especially in light of her own heartache. Maybe it just wasn’t possible to have both love and financial protection.

  “Yes, we got married almost two years ago.”

  Two years? That was something of a record for her mother. “And you’re happy? What does he do?”

  “We’re very happy. Dave is a registered nurse, and he was able to get a job at a nursing home here.”

  From what she knew, nurses made decent money though her mom likely still made significantly more. It was a point in the man’s favor that he’d found a job when they’d moved to Winnipeg.

  “Was your job the reason you moved back to Winnipeg?”

  There was another pause on her mom’s end. “We moved back because we wanted to be close to family. I know I can never make up to you for what I did, but I’d like a chance to try. I realized that I’ve already missed so much of your life because of my bad decisions. I don’t want to miss out on more. I want a chance to know the woman you are now and to be there when you have a family of your own.”

  Noella had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. Had her mom finally gotten her life together? Was the relationship she had with Dave the real deal?

  “So Dave hasn’t tried to get you to support him or spend all your money on him?” Noella asked. If her mom was in yet another bad relationship, she had no intention of opening up her life to her.

  “No, darling, he hasn’t.” Her mom’s tone let Noella know that her mother accepted the question and why her daughter had to ask it. “Dave is different. He’s been so good to me. I told him all about my past as soon as we started dating and he understood why I wasn’t willing to rush into things. I had actually met him a few months before we last spoke. I didn’t mention him because I knew you wouldn’t want to hear about him. He really is different, though, sweetheart. There are some truly good men out there. I just had to go through way too many awful ones before I found him. I can’t tell you how much I wish I’d waited instead of trusting men who I knew were untrustworthy.”

  8

  Noella squeezed her eyes shut and felt a tear slip down her cheek. She knew that Finn was also one of the good ones, but she’d screwed it all up because she hadn’t been able to trust him. Her fears had likely robbed her of the opportunity to have a wonderful man in her life.

  “I hope he really is a good man for you, Mom.” Noella was surprised that in spite of the anger and hurt that still lingered in her heart over her past with her mom, she really did hope that the woman had found a man who would treat her right.

  “Will you meet with us, darling?” The question was hesitant and gentle, as if her mom knew that she really had no right to ask that of Noella.

  “I’ll think about it, Mom, and let you know.” Right then, when she was already so emotionally vulnerable, Noella wasn’t willing to commit to anything.

  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  Before her mom could ask any questions about Noella’s life
, she said, “I’m going to have to go, Mom. I have to be up early for work. Have a good night.”

  Once the call was over, Noella stared at the blank screen, telling herself that she had no one to blame but herself that she and Finn weren’t exchanging good night texts. She was still trying to convince herself that she’d done the right thing, but her heart was having none of it. After so many years of planning how she’d have a relationship and marriage and the type of man she’d do it all with, it wasn’t so easy to just dismiss everything. It felt too much like throwing caution to the wind, and her experiences with that growing up had been anything but good.

  ***

  “So?” Tennyson prompted as he stepped back to let Finn into the entryway of the house he shared with Forrest. “How was the evening? You’re back a little earlier than I had anticipated.”

  Finn shrugged. “We had a good time at the lights, but Noella had to work early so we didn’t go anywhere else. I didn’t think it would be a late evening when we agreed to go out on a work night.”

  Tennyson took the keys Finn held out to him. “What are you going to do about your truck?”

  “I think I’m just goin’ to have to bite the bullet and buy another one. I can’t see dumping more money into this truck when it will likely just have more and more go wrong with it. If I were my own customer, I’d definitely recommend looking at getting’ something newer.”

  Tennyson grinned. “Nice to know you’d take your own advice.”

  “Yeah, sometimes I’m smart that way.” Finn wasn’t so smart in other ways, though, apparently. “Well, I’d better go. I’ll need to be up early tomorrow, so I’m not out of the shop too long looking for the vehicle I want.”