Whatever Comes Our Way (Everyday Love Book 2)

by Jaycee Weaver

  Gina returned almost exactly 30 minutes later with full bags in hand. She hadn’t been there in forever and it had taken a little while to search the menu for a less greasy option. She’d never been so happy to see a grilled green chile chicken sandwich with a side salad option in her life.

  It took careful planning and finesse to manage the car door, the food, and the cardboard drink carrier in the fierce wind that was still blowing. Hailee met her at the door and held it open while Gina ducked inside, fighting off a shiver.

  “I really, really hate the wind.”

  Hailee laughed. “Me, too.”

  The teen tossed a light wave to a petite cashier Gina assumed was Dee, who acknowledged with a short wave of her own. Gina followed Hailee through the set of swinging doors.

  A boy sat in the makeshift break room in the back of the store. The dark walls were lined with shelves filled with surplus stock and big boxes of product waiting to be put on display. The tiny employee area had a sink with a few scuffed cabinets, a fridge that probably dated back to the 1980s, a huge microwave that was at least that old and sported a dial, and a wobbling table with three mismatched chairs. Overhead, the decades-old fluorescent lighting hummed.

  The boy was short for twelve, not that there was much of a clear average for that age, really. Still, he was almost too thin, and his eyes were wary as he looked up at Gina from the table.

  Books and paper were spread on the surface, and on the counter behind him was a partially dismantled radio that probably dated back to Doc Brown and Marty’s time in the DeLorean. Heavy, black plastic pieces and screws were in small piles around the device and an assortment of tools rested in an old metal tacklebox that had seen better days. Gina could tell the boy spent plenty of time here, keeping himself occupied while his sister worked.

  Good. If his mother’s an addict, he’s safer here than home alone.

  “This is my friend Gina. She’s Ms. Eva’s daughter.” To Gina, Hailee added, “This is my little brother Javier. Most people call him Javi.”

  “It’s nice you meet you. I brought lunch. Hope you like burgers!”

  Burqueño Burger put names on individual bags to make it easier when ordering for a group. Knowing that in Spanish, J makes the H sound, Gina was able to pass the bag with Javi written correctly on it while saying, “HA-vee” aloud. She hadn’t known which way Hailee spelled her name until she’d read the girl’s nametag the other day. Making sure to get names right was important to Gina. People feel valued when someone takes the time to remember their name, pronounce it correctly, and get the spelling right.

  Javi accepted the bag and wax coated paper cup with suspicion, but eagerly dug in when he peeked inside and saw the seasoned fries. Gina and Hailee took the remaining seats and unwrapped their meals. The drool-inducing scents hit her nose, and Gina tried not to be envious about the greasy, cheesy beef and seasoned fries. The incredible green chile chicken sandwich, though, made it tough to be jealous. It was perfection on a bun. The side salad wasn’t too bad, either. They actually used a fresh leafy lettuce instead of all wilted, cheap, tasteless iceberg at other fast food places. Surprising.

  Mid-bite, a strangled gagging sound stopped time. At least, that’s the way it felt to Gina. One second, she was chewing, and the next, she was flying out of her chair, sending it sliding across the floor and into the wall. Conscious thought ceased. Nothing was moving but her, like a freeze frame scene from an action movie.

  The next instant, all sound and motion resumed and she was behind Javi, her hands clasped below his sternum in a textbook Heimlich maneuver. A saliva covered, half-chewed chunk of beef skittered across the table.

  “God! Jesus! Javi!” Hailee shouted, the emotional outburst hard to distinguish between praying or cursing. Poor thing had stood there, frozen, and was now slack jawed and trying to make sense of what had just happened.

  Gina passed the soda cup to Javi, who gulped like a man who’d been lost in the desert. Gina patted his shoulder and came around to inspect.

  “You okay, buddy? You scared the heck out of your sister and me. Maybe try chewing next time?” She laughed and Javi joined her.

  “Yeah, you’d think I’d know how to do that by now,” he grinned sheepishly.

  Hailee still looked gobsmacked.

  “You just saved my brother,” she whispered.

  “Oh, he probably could have coughed it up on his own,” she waved modestly. “But I take care of kids and old people, so I’ve had enough first aid, CPR, and quick-response training that it’s second nature. I’m glad I could help.”

  Silently, Gina righted her chair and they all sat back down. She noticed Hailee reach under the table and give her little brother’s hand a squeeze.

  “Seriously, though, Javi. Make sure you chew, 'k, buddy? There’s no need to be a human vacuum cleaner.” She delivered the remarks in a serious tone, but when he looked at her wide-eyed, she winked.

  Javi guffawed and tossed his empty wrapper across to the wastebasket for a two pointer.

  “You’re funny. I like that.”

  Well, then. She had a twelve-year-old’s seal of approval. Hold the phone, that was a big deal.

  Okay. It really kind of was. She had a few ideas about how she might help Hailee and Javi and she needed them to trust her and know that she was on their side. If life at home was as sketchy as she suspected, what with a gangbanger threatening Hailee and all, then she needed them to see her as a friend, and fast. Humor and help were two sure-fire ways to ensure a quick bond.

  “What grade are you in, Javi?”

  “Seventh.”

  “That’s cool.”

  She gave a nod and then continued asking the pair random getting-to-know you questions for a few minutes. She glanced at the time on her fitness watch and looked to Hailee.

  “What time do you need to go back out there?”

  Hailee searched for a clock—Gina suspected she couldn’t afford a cell phone—and her shoulders slumped. “In like, two minutes.”

  The teen tied the cashier’s smock in place and straightened her nametag. Reaching for the trash, Gina placed her hand over the girl’s.

  “Don’t worry about it. I can clean up before I go and Javi can show me out. I’d like to make a plan for when we can hang out next.”

  “Are you coming to church tomorrow? It’s Easter. We could talk about it then. Javi’s going to come with me this time. Right, li’l bro?” Hailee smiled a classic big sister smile at Javi, filled with equal parts adoration, teasing, and concern.

  Gina’s stomach dropped and the chicken sandwich felt like a boulder in her belly. Before she could think of a way to politely decline, Javi answered his sister’s last question.

  “Yup. She’s been talking about it all week, so I think I should check it out.”

  Well, rats. If she wanted to get to know this pair and learn more about their home environment, then she’d have to suck it up and—gulp!—go to church.

  “Yeah,” Gina coughed out, “I’ll, uh, be there.”

  She’d have to find out from Jaydon what time. On second thought, maybe she could just look it up and surprise him. Maybe she could hide in the back and escape completely unnoticed.

  Either way, she could do this, right? She could face a building full of people who loved the Lord as she did. What was so scary about that?

  Refusing to allow panic or anxiety a foothold, she started scooping up the trash that littered the lopsided table.

  “Awesome! We’ll see you there. After church, you and I can talk about that other thing.”

  “You got it.”

  After Hailee made her way back through the double doors and out to the store, Gina felt Javi’s assessing gaze.

  “Why don’t you want to go to church tomorrow?” the tween asked. Perceptive little bugger, wasn’t he?

  “It’s not that I don’t want to go to church…”

  “Yeah? Guess what?” His tone turned angry. “I’m basically a human bull detector. I ca
n smell the stink a mile away, so don’t bother. If you don’t want to answer me that, then answer me this—why I should want to go if you clearly don’t?”

  Oh, man. She could not blow this.

  Here was this kid, from an unsteady home, whose sister had just turned her life to Christ and was excited to share it with her brother. And here was Gina, trapped in irrational fear or paranoia or whatever, wanting to bring these two into safety and salvation, setting a terrible example.

  “Okay, Javi. We just met, but you know my mom, right?”

  “Yeah…” he dragged the word out, waiting.

  “Well, you’ve met her at her best. She’s been clean for like seven months now, working and going to church. Before that she lived to party. Drinking, drugs, and dudes—her big weaknesses. I grew up kind of a mess. My older sister took care of me. She worked hard to pay the bills so no one would know what was going on at home.”

  She paused to let that sink in, but Javi just nodded neutrally like it was perfectly normal.

  “There were times we would be all alone, just the two of us for days. Eventually, though, I made some friends who helped me get my own life together apart from all that. I heard about this guy Jesus—you heard of him?”

  “Well, yeah, we used to go to church a lot before—” his words stopped and he shifted in his chair. “We used to go a lot before my dad died.”

  “I did not know that. That’s good! Okay. So, I realized I didn’t want to end up like my sister or my mom. I wanted more for my life, and I needed to figure out how to make it happen. When I was about seventeen, I accepted Jesus into my life as my savior. Things began to change. Though…not everything. I went to youth group, like Hailee, but there were a few kids who were there just for show or because their parents made them.

  “I thought these kids were my friends. We spent a ton of time together and became really close. Or, at least, I thought we had. To make a long story short, it didn’t take me long to learn that people can be fake and cruel, even sometimes people who claim to follow Christ. I decided I wanted to get to know God better for myself, without the distraction of people drama. So…I stopped going. It probably wasn’t the best decision, but it was all I knew at the time to do.”

  She shrugged, and Javi looked at her with concern and confusion clouding his dark eyes.

  “So what? Fakers and haters are everywhere. You can’t let them get you down—that means they win. If you love Jesus so much, why would you just give up like that?”

  Gina smiled through watery eyes. How very like a youth to cut through the baloney and get right to the heart of things.

  “You know what, Javi? You’re totally right. I’ve let old hurts mess with my head for far too long. It doesn’t matter what went down or how much it hurt. If Jesus is my savior and God is my healer, then everything else just isn’t that important. Jesus said if anyone wants to be his disciple, they need to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. I guess somewhere along the way, I forgot that. Thanks for reminding me.”

  She rose from her chair and quickly took care of the remainder of their lunch mess. Javi settled himself back in for more school work, but before she left, Gina turned back and leaned down to give him a gentle shoulder squeeze.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Javi.”

  “You can bet on that. It was nice you meet you, Gina. Thanks for making sure I didn’t die.”

  They both laughed and Gina shook her head with a playful eye roll and a smile.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just do us all a favor and chew next time.”

  She tossed him a wave as she exited the double doors. It took all of five minutes to gather the items on her shopping list and another five to get through Hailee’s check-out line.

  “I guess I’ll be seeing you guys in the morning. You take care of yourselves in the meantime, okay? Here’s my number if you need anything. And I do mean anything.”

  Gina and Hailee shared an intense look of understanding, and she noticed Hailee relax with a heavy exhale.

  “Thank you, Gina. I think I’ll really like getting to know you.”

  “Me, too, sweet girl. Me, too.”

  Gina hefted her purchases and took her time getting home. She spent the entire drive praying for the strength to let go of the past, no matter the hurts, and finally resolved that she could do the very thing she’d avoided for the better part of the last decade. Tomorrow, she’d set foot in church.

  Chapter 22

  Jaydon

  The urge to pray for Hailee and Gina had been strong again today. He yielded to that urge without hesitation. He knew better than to toss aside those burning notions when they came. Reaching in his pocket, Jaydon pulled out his phone to check in on Gina.

  They hadn’t been able to spend as much time together this week as he’d have liked. Between her having to work a ton and his own obligations at the church, he missed her. He’d managed to meet her for lunch on Tuesday and dinner on Thursday, but otherwise their communication had been relegated to phone calls and texts.

  He wanted to see her, but he’d settle for hearing her voice. As soon as she answered, he could hear her nervous waver.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing, really.”

  “Come on, baby, I can tell there’s something.” His voiced seemed to go soft of its own accord whenever he spoke to her.

  “I went to the mercado today and had lunch with Hailee and her little brother, Javi.”

  “Really? How did that go?”

  She recounted the events of the hour or so she’d spent in the market, but it still seemed like she was holding something back.

  “What else happened?”

  He heard her huff of annoyance and it brought a smile to his lips. It wasn’t hard to decipher her need to get it all out.

  “C’mon, woman. Talk to me.”

  Gina’s next huff came through, but he heard the smile behind it.

  “You’re entirely too discerning for your own good, you know that? Fine.” She took in a deep breath and he imagined her looking out a window. He could picture the thoughtful, far off look in those beautiful brown eyes of hers. “You know that I don’t do church.”

  “Yeah…” he trailed off, giving her the opening to continue.

  “I think you’d like Javi.”

  “Uh, okay?” Where had that come from, and what did that have to do with her and church?

  “Hailee invited me to go to church with them in the morning, and I guess Javi picked up on my resistance. He’s as freakishly observant as you are. I boiled it down for him, and he basically told me I need to get over myself and deal with it.”

  “Smart kid.”

  “Yeah, he is. I didn’t even consider that I’ve spent the better part of the last several years avoiding church because I let past hurts rule me. Although, that’s not even the biggest part of it.”

  Familiar story. Too familiar, actually. For all the good the Church was called to do in this world, it sure was responsible for a lot of pain and heartache, too.

  “I’m just glad that you didn’t turn your back on God right along with the Church,” he encouraged. “Too many people blame God for the shortcomings of his followers.”

  “True. Ever since I came to Christ, though, I’ve been hungry for more of Him, more of the Word. That was never an issue. But…”

  He sensed she was about to reveal some more painful pieces of her past. Jaydon wished they were in the same room so he could hold her in his arms while she revealed whatever it was that still hurt. He glanced at the clock. It was only six.

  “Before we get too deep, have you eaten yet?”

  A pause. “Um, no. I guess I forgot about dinner after getting home from the market. The wind finally died down and I got lost in pulling weeds.”

  “Do you want to come over? Or I can pick something up and head your way instead.”

  “I like that idea. I’m craving eggrolls, but I only like the Vietnamese kind. Want me to call in th
e order at Pho Huong?”

  “Sounds good. Get me the #55 with extra egg rolls. I’ll leave right away and see you in 30.”

  “Thanks, Jaydon. I appreciate it.”

  “No worries, babe. See you soon.”

  Twenty-five minutes later, Jaydon’s enormous truck was in her driveway and her wide-open smile was greeting him at the door. He placed a swift, gentle kiss to her mouth and swept past her into the dining area.

  He set down the bags on the table and whirled around to pull her into his arms. No doubt about it, this was exactly where he liked her best. He bent his head and dropped his lips to hers for a longer kiss, which she immediately responded to. He felt the tension in her body relax as she slid her arms slowly up around his shoulders.

  “Mmm. I missed you,” he said against her lips.

  “Me, too. Let’s not go two whole days again, k?”

  He grinned and gave her another fast peck before releasing her.

  “I’m definitely on board with that. Now let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  He devoured his pho and eggrolls while she picked at her vegetable laden noodle bowl.

  Father, give me the patience to keep my mouth shut and listen, help me hear what she’s not saying, and grant me the words to speak Your heart into her life.

  Jaydon rose and shoved his empty takeout container into the nearby trashcan. In two steps, he was back at her side, extending a hand to help her up. She set her plastic fork back into the container and took it to the refrigerator.

  “You’re stalling,” he chided.

  “I know. It’s just…I don’t like to talk about it much. I don’t like to talk about me much. I’d much rather listen to someone else or pretend everything’s okay.”

  “I know. But you realize I can’t let you do that with me, right? Remember, I’m a pastor. I’m basically a professional listener and advice giver. Tough stuff is what I do daily. Plus, I care about you. There won’t be any judgement from me.”

  He reached a hand out to tilt her chin up. Once her eyes met his, he smiled. “Besides, if we’re going to have a chance at this thing going anywhere long term, we have to be straight with each other. No matter how uncomfortable or painful it is.”