by Jan Thompson
Beatrice’s hand shook a little as she held the music box.
Jake wrapped his hands around hers. “You’ve done a lot for me.”
“Anyone would have done those things,” Beatrice admitted, knowing what he referred to.
“But none of them would have done it because they loved me that much.”
“Did you forget something?”
“What?”
“You saved my life in the redwood forest—and Earl’s life too. You confronted Molyneux to distract her from me.”
“All in a day’s work.”
Beatrice smiled. “We do make a good team.”
“Yes, we do.” Jake held the diamond ring. “Beatrice Glynn, will you marry me?”
She closed her eyes, said a quick and nervous prayer, but she already knew what her answer would be.
“Yes.”
And she extended her ring finger toward Jake, who happily placed the diamond ring there.
Beatrice pulled Jake to his feet, and they spent the next hour walking in the gardens as he kissed away her tears of joy.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Six months after Jake proposed to Beatrice on the porch of her family home, they invited fifty people to attend their small wedding in a nineteenth-century chapel in Charleston one fine Saturday afternoon in September.
Dad had entered the federal Witness Security Program for a second time, and they would never see him again in his lifetime. Beatrice often wondered if he thought of them at all. No doubt he’d carry on his new life the way he had always done: away from his children.
Perhaps he was watching the wedding ceremony. Perhaps not.
Probably the former, if Beatrice had to guess. She knew now that most of the fortune that Benjamin and she inherited had not come from the Glynns, the venture capitalists in their own rights. Instead, it had come from Chisolm Wright under the pseudonym of Thomas Peterson.
However, the government had not confiscated any of it because the money was legitimate. Apparently, Dad was quite the businessman and he had ended invested in whatever the Glynns had recommended. Whatever else Dad had done that was outside the law, that was where the penalty lay.
And that was where he was paying his penance.
Banished to WITSEC would keep Dad alive.
That was all Beatrice could ask for. She had been praying for the last six months that God would get a hold of Dad. Perhaps he would attend church or meet Christians who could tell him about how Jesus could cleanse him of his many sins and offer him forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.
Perhaps praying would be the best thing she could do for Dad.
And so Benjamin would have the honor of giving Beatrice away today. Her bridesmaid was a reluctant Raynelle who rarely wore dresses and gowns unless she was conducting an undercover operation.
Earl would be Jake’s best man. His four brothers, his groomsmen. They were excited to meet Beatrice and found her background fascinating. After she had given them the CliffNotes about her job as a treasure hunter, they all wanted to be one.
Ironically, she was leaving the high-flying adventure behind for a teaching job at a college in town. Jake would commute from wherever he went back to Charleston until they moved him to a local FBI field office.
No, she did not believe she would miss her old job.
It was Benjamin’s turn now. He seemed to have popped out of his cocoon after having to fly to Poland with Jake to rescue her. In fact, Beatrice heard through the grapevine that it had been Jake who invited Benjamin to go with him.
It would be nice to attend a real in-person church again for so many years of being on the road and catching podcasts on demand. The small church here had a women’s group that Beatrice could socialize with whenever Jake was out of town.
He was going to find a way to not travel so much anymore, but Beatrice told him that she needed time to adjust to her new adjunct professor job, so she’d be busy with work and prepping the curriculum during the school year.
They agreed to regroup next summer to figure out where they would go from there.
Jake was determined that when they had kids, he did not want to be an absentee father.
But first we have to get married.
Pastor Wilcox must be pushing ninety or a hundred years old. He was wobbly on his legs, but was determined to stand through the entire wedding ceremony. All fifty minutes of it.
His wife had passed away many years ago, but Pastor Wilcox continued to preach “all the way to heaven.” His personal goal was to go from the pulpit to heaven.
Beatrice prayed that he would live through their wedding day because for him to die while officiating the wedding would be awkward.
And tragic.
Speaking of tragic, Beatrice wondered who Philomena was really like as a mother. Her memories of her childhood until she was five were scanty as best. She wished she could sit down with Dad and ask him about Philomena. However, he had still been grieving before the US Marshals had whisked him away to parts unknown.
She did not want to broadcast this wedding online for anyone to see. So there would be no live-streaming, and thus no chance for Dad to watch his only daughter get married.
So sad.
Beatrice opened her eyes and found herself standing outside the bridal room, greeted by her brother who had cleaned up and looked like a prince in that tuxedo.
“Ready?” Benjamin asked.
“Will we ever be?”
“I don’t know. Never been married. Not sure if I’m going to marry any time soon.”
“We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We’re only given today.” Beatrice recalled Matthew 6:34.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Yes, the world today was filled with evil.
“Let’s focus on today then,” Benjamin said.
“Focus on God for today? After all, the word today is filled with evil—Oh!” She squeezed her brother’s arm gently. “Forgive me, I’ve corrected you twice, and all you did was try to encourage me.”
“Don’t worry, Little Sister,” Benjamin patted her gloved hand. “We know each other well. I’d rather you be transparent with me. And I promise to be honest with you the rest of my life.”
“Thank you.”
The wedding march started playing. Beatrice wanted to both smile and cry at the same time.
“I wish our parents were here,” she whispered.
“God is with us. That’s enough for us.”
“Yes. God is enough.” She sniffled.
The old chapel door opened. It was not a long walk up the aisle toward Jake, who grinned like a school boy. He looked dashing in his black tuxedo with a bow tie.
Standing next to him, Earl made faces, trying to make Beatrice laugh.
She chuckled. It was good to have friends like that, who knew that such as solemn moment sometimes required brief levity.
Benjamin handed Beatrice over to Jake, who smiled from ear to ear like he was going on a much-awaited field trip.
Pastor Wilcox held up—by sitting down on a barstool—and conducted the ceremony flawlessly. Bride and groom exchanged traditional wedding vows to cherish each other until death.
Death.
The fact that it had to be brought up in a wedding reminded Beatrice of the brevity of life. Someday, she and Jake would grow old and pass away, leaving the next generation to fend for themselves and carry on. The cycle of life would continue until Jesus came back again.
But today was a happy day. A joyful day.
A peaceful day as a man and woman married in the presence of the Lord.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The pastor closed his Bible.
Jake reached for Beatrice, as though they had all the time in the world, and that the fifty guests had no problem waiting. Slowly, he pushed aside her veil, which covered part of her face. He ran the
back of his fingers across her chin.
Beatrice smiled. She did not want to get caught on camera saying, “Hurry up, will you?”
Jake found his way to her lips, a gentle touch that meant much to Beatrice. He had always been gentle with her. Always.
God knew the kind of man she needed in her life.
With her job as a treasure hunter, she had to go to some rough places to find clues and dig up artifacts. When she came home, she wanted to rest and relax and have everything quiet and just so.
Now that she would be at home for a long time, she wanted to continue living quietly with as little stress as possible.
God had sent a man who was calm in crisis, collected in conversation, and overall a charming hero for her daily life.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Jake and Beatrice Kessler.”
Yes, Beatrice had decided to take her husband’s last name. After all, she had been a Wright, Peterson, and Glynn. What’s a fourth last name?
Everyone cheered and clapped as Beatrice and Jake waltzed down the aisle. They waved to Jake’s parents sitting in front, and then to Jake’s FBI friends. They waved to all the employees at Glynn Research, Inc. And they waved to—
There, sitting in the back row, were two people in wigs. Of course they were wigs. Beatrice could spot that nose and those eyes anywhere. He should have used a prosthetic nose.
Dad.
Beatrice smiled broadly. In her mind, she suspected that he had sneaked out of WITSEC to be here today.
But who was that gorgeous fifty-something woman sitting next to him? She seemed to have a beach tan. Her arms were covered with freckles. And she had a hunk of a diamond on her ring finger.
Seriously, Dad?
Beatrice squeezed Jake’s arm. He turned and nodded to Dad.
“Stay,” Beatrice mouthed. She wanted to cry. “Please stay.”
Slowly, Dad nodded.
And he did.
The reception was indoors because of the threat of rain, and half the FBI agents had left for work. Jake’s brothers were the life of the party. His sister merely sat to one side and kept busy on her phone.
Dad stopped by the wedding to give Beatrice a hug and to tell her that he had eloped with Amelia.
“Eloped?” Beatrice was stunned.
“At my age, there’s no time to plan too much,” Dad explained. “Better use the money for long honeymoons.”
“Priorities.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, congratulations!” Beatrice hugged her new stepmother.
“Before we go, I want to leave you with this.” Dad handed an envelope to Beatrice.
She felt a bump in the envelope. She peeked inside. There was a small USB drive.
“I wanted to write you a letter but I couldn’t find the words,” Dad said. “So Amelia recorded me while I talk about my life with your biological mother. I want you to know that you are very loved.”
“I know.”
“Someday when we meet again, you can tell me all about this Jesus who gives you strength and steadfastness.”
Beatrice was taken aback by Dad’s request. “What if we don’t meet again?”
“Then it is what it is.”
“No, Dad. It will be too late. May I tell you now what Jesus has done for me? How He took all my sins upon Himself, paid the death penalty that comes with sin, and set my soul free to experience eternal life with God in heaven?”
“What about the cake?” Dad asked. “You have to cut the cake.”
“The cake can wait. Eternity is a very long time, Dad. Let’s get on with it.”
“All right.” Dad followed Beatrice to a round table where she explained it all.
At the end of it, Dad said he would think about it some more.
Beatrice suggested he find a good local church where he lived—wherever it was—and start attending, in addition to reading the Bible, which he could get online or in an ebook format.
Dad hugged her, and then he and Amelia vanished.
“Was that real? Did that just happen?” Beatrice asked Jake. “I turned around and they were gone?”
Jake nodded. “They went out that door. A chauffeur drove them away.”
“Glad you have good eyes.”
“I have great eyes. I spotted you a long way off, and knew God had brought you into my life. My eyes saw a beautiful soul.” Jake lifted Beatrice’s hand and kissed it. “What’s in that envelope?”
“Family history.”
“Would you like me to keep it since you don’t have any pockets?” Jake asked.
“How observant you are.”
“All the better to serve you.” He put the white envelope inside his jacket pocket.
The music started to play.
“May I have this dance?” Jake asked. “I practiced.”
“So have I.” Beatrice chuckled at his silliness. They had practiced together for a few weeks.
“They’re recording this for posterity.” Jake led her to the dance floor for the slow waltz. “We’ll do it for thirty seconds. That way we can show our grandkids that we know how to dance.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She laughed as they held each other, happy and content that they were where they needed to be at this time in their life together.
A gift from God.
Best treasure ever.
The Next Book is ONCE A SPY
Protector Sweethearts Book 3
Once a Spy (Protector Sweethearts Book 3) is the story of Beatrice’s brother, Benjamin Glynn, and former CIA spy, Raynelle Dryden. The novel is coming soon.
Sign up for Jan Thompson’s mailing list to be notified when the book is live.
Once a Spy (Protector Sweethearts Book 3)
JanThompson.com/spy
Protector Sweethearts:
JanThompson.com/protector
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Acknowledgments
Many thanks to my Georgia Press publishing team for keeping up with my writing schedule.
Special thanks to editor Lesley Ann McDaniel for copyediting this novel that ended up longer (and thus took more time for me to write) than I had originally planned.
With God-given eyes for copyediting details, Lenda Selph is my patient proofreader extraordinaire. I appreciate her and thank God for her invaluable hard work.
I am grateful to God for my husband and son for their support and encouragement.
And I’ll always remember my beloved mother and my late father for having instilled in me the love of reading and writing from a very early age. I miss my father here on earth, but I will see him in heaven some bright day.
Most of all, I am eternally thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save me from my sins and rose again from the grave to give me eternal life. Without Him, I can write nothing.
Jan Thompson
John 3:16
Books by Jan Thompson
Christian Romantic Suspense & Beach Romance
BINARY HACKERS (Near-Future Inspirational Romantic Thrillers)
Book 1: Zero Sum
Book 2: Zero Day
Book 3: Zero Base
PROTECTOR SWEETHEARTS (Christian Romantic Suspense)
Book 1: Once a Thief
Book 2: Once a Hero
Book 3: Once a Spy
Book 4: Twice a Fighter
Book 5: Twice a Convict
Book 6: Twice a Soldier
Book 7: Never a Traitor
SAVANNAH SWEETHEARTS (Christian Coastal City & Beach Town Romance)
Prequel: Ask You Later
Book 1: Know You More
Book 2: Tell You Soon (Romance with Suspense)
Book 3: Draw You Near
Book 4: Cherish You So
Book 5: Walk You There
Book 6: Love You Always (Romance with Suspense)
Book 7: Kiss You Now
Book 8: Find You Agai
n
Book 9: Wish You Joy (Christmas Year Round)
Book 10: Call You Home
VACATION SWEETHEARTS (Christian Travel Romance)
Book 1: Smile for Me
Book 2: Reach for Me (Romance with Suspense)
Book 3: Wait for Me (Romance with Suspense)
Book 4: Look for Me (Romance with Suspense)
Book 5: Pray for Me
Book 6: Care for Me
Book 7: Cheer for Me
SEASIDE CHAPEL (Christian Small Town Beach Romance)
Book 1: Share with Me
Book 2: Step with Me
Book 3: Sing with Me
Subscribe to Jan Thompson’s mailing list for book news:
JanThompson.com/newsletter
Binary Hackers
Like more suspense with your Christian romance? Like to read suspense thrillers? If you’re looking for clean near-future romantic suspense without compromising the Christian faith, these books are for you.
From USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson come these inspirational near-future cyberthrillers combining technothriller and romance, starting with Binary Hackers that feature computer specialists living at the edge of cyberspace, where they have to juggle being law-abiding truth-telling Christians while carrying out their assignments by any and all means possible.
The Binary Hackers series is set in the same story world as Jan’s other books, and characters from the other series may make cameo appearances in this series and vice versa.
JanThompson.com/binary
Book 1: Zero Sum
Book 2: Zero Day
Book 3: Zero Base
Protector Sweethearts
Private investigator Helen Hu and her associates specialize in searching for missing persons and hunting for lost treasures. Join them in their adventure suspense around the world in USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson's Protector Sweethearts, a series of Christian Romantic Suspense with a side of mystery. Protector Sweethearts is a spin-off of Savannah Sweethearts and Vacation Sweethearts.
