Billionaires with Heart Boxset: Christian Romance Series

by Juliette Duncan

  Being evasive was easy, but picturing the reality was much more difficult. Would he be assigned cleaning duties? Raiding brothels? Perhaps teaching students in a computer class?

  “Well, don’t be an obnoxious tourist. You know, I met so many of those on my journey and I can hardly tell you what boorish people Australians, Brits, and Americans can be when travelling around Southeast Asia,” Charity had said.

  Nicholas held his tongue so he wouldn’t accidentally tell her that she was one of those obnoxious people. “Well, I’m glad you understood how to be respectful at least,” he encouraged.

  “Oh, of course. I mean, going to the meditation centre was amazing. The people there just love to serve! They were so attentive and I was glad to give them a chance to do what they enjoy,” she told him ignorantly.

  Nicholas thought how sad that the Balinese had to deal with so many ignorant western women who knew nothing of their culture but were more than happy to exploit them. Women who didn’t follow their religion, but enjoyed its trendy appeal. He couldn’t imagine that any of the Balinese really felt honoured to be able to serve them as Charity seemed to believe. Maybe they did, but it was more likely that they were simply doing what they needed to do to earn money to support their families.

  He wasn’t willing to be the one to point that out to Charity. She could live in her naiveté, but he hoped that someday she’d change and become a more tolerant and empathetic individual. For now, it seemed that Charity and Alden considered themselves entitled and that the world revolved around them.

  They had lunch together again on the last day before he left.

  “See? Even you won’t fly with our pilot. As usual. And yet you forbid us from firing him? What a hypocrite,” Charity mumbled.

  “You know I never use the jet, but that doesn’t mean I have anything against Roger. He’s the best there is. So no, I’m not going to let you fire him for things that aren’t his fault,” Nicholas repeated. Again.

  “Then why don’t you take the jet?” Alden challenged.

  Nicholas sighed. He could hardly try to explain it to them now. “I just don’t think it’s necessary. You know I never have. I’ve always believed in going through traditional travel arrangements and boarding a plane like everyone else. I don’t need special treatment.”

  “That’s a poor excuse for saying you don’t like the man’s flight skills,” Alden joked under his breath.

  Nicholas raked a hand through his hair. He couldn’t explain it, so there was little point in making the effort to try. And if he did take the jet simply to prove his support of Roger, he knew too well that taking it would be the thing that made a hypocrite of him. How could he justifiably fly in a private jet when he was going to the mission as a volunteer? There was no way he could do that, even if he wanted to.

  That night, Nicholas went through his suitcases a final time, checking to ensure everything was in order. Once confident it was, he carried his bags to the garage and loaded them into his sleek, black Porsche. Closing the boot, he nodded in satisfaction. Tomorrow, everything would change for him. He could feel it. This trip was going to be the experience of a lifetime.

  Chapter 6

  “You’re doing such a great job!” Phoebe declared to Sukhonn, a small dark-haired girl in her assigned class.

  Much like ‘Hesed’, ‘Regenerate the Nations’ took a holistic approach towards dealing with trafficking. As well as the rehabilitation programs, they also ran prevention programs, like the one Phoebe was now working in with children of a similar age to those she taught back home.

  The children were mostly from poor and vulnerable families who couldn’t afford school, so classes were offered for free if they couldn’t pay the small fee.

  As before, Holly worked in the rehabilitation department with older students who’d previously been victims of trafficking. Phoebe admired Holly’s devotion to these young women who’d been so traumatised and were often difficult to work with as a result.

  There was also a class for males who’d been trafficked, but it was held at a sister campus nearby. ‘Regenerate the Nations’ had seen the need for offering a separate option for boys, and while staff were intermixed in order to give survivors an opportunity to interact with both men and women, they worked hard to ensure all the children felt comfortable, especially when dealing with the opposite sex.

  The outreach program to the pimps was one of the most incredible initiatives Phoebe had ever seen. At the same time as staff from ‘Regenerate the Nations’ held raids to rescue the children, a specially trained team also tried to reach the pimps. When any were arrested, the team visited them in prison, playing football and other games with them to befriend them and gain their trust. They sought to be positive influences in the pimps’ lives, and encouraged them not to return to pimping when they were released from prison, but to seek different lines of work. Opportunities were made available for them to learn new skills so they had options.

  They weren’t all success stories, but enough men left the lucrative sex business and chose a better path because of the team’s input, spurring the team on to continue this work.

  All of that aside, Phoebe was simply thankful for the little ones she had the opportunity to work with during her time at the mission. Occasionally she wondered if God was calling her to live there permanently and serve full-time. She wasn’t sure, but if not, she could support the mission financially and help fund more teachers. It saddened her that the classes were so large, and that the kindergarten aged students were usually with the first and second graders since there was only one woman to teach them all. For an organisation doing such good work, it wasn’t right that they struggled for support.

  “Hey!” Holly poked her head inside Phoebe’s classroom, an impish grin on her face.

  “Hey,” Phoebe greeted and waved her in.

  “Did you see the new volunteer?” Holly whispered in her ear.

  Phoebe shook her head. “No. I think I heard Thomas say someone was coming, but that was a few days ago and I totally forgot.”

  “You should meet him.” Holly winked.

  Phoebe knew that wink. It was Holly’s way of acknowledging the man was attractive. “Oh, right, as in, you want to meet him?” she teased in reply.

  “I don’t know. He’s cute, but you know I have my eye on someone back home.”

  “Well, since you’ve chosen to be away for three months, I don’t think you’re overly interested in that guy back home,” Phoebe pointed out.

  Holly shrugged. “Whatever. My point is, you ought to meet this guy. He’s one handsome dude.” With that, she stepped into the corridor and proceeded on her way.

  Shaking her head, Phoebe immediately dismissed Holly’s suggestion. She’d come away to heal from her loss. To learn to live with her grief. What made Holly think she’d have any interest in a shallow vacation romance? She returned her attention to her class. “Okay, time to clean up,” she said, forgetting all about Holly and the new volunteer. There was another lesson to get through before lunch.

  When lunch finally came around, she went to the staff dining room and joined Holly who was already seated. “How was your last class?” Phoebe asked as she inspected her noodle meal.

  “Good. Yours?” Holly replied before taking a mouthful of her Pad Thai.

  “Good. But not as good as this food. Why didn’t we come to Thailand sooner?” Phoebe picked up her chop sticks and began to dig into the meal.

  Her seat faced the door, and when an unfamiliar man walked in, she momentarily stopped chewing, assuming he was the guy Holly had mentioned. With dark, wavy hair, a stubble of a beard, and a mischievous glint in his striking blue eyes, she was right. He was downright handsome. Phoebe didn’t realise she’d been staring until Holly waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello…”

  “Oh, sorry,” Phoebe said, startled and embarrassed. She looked down at her meal and continued chewing.

  Holly turned in the man’s direction and then back at Phoebe,
raising a brow. “Told you,” she whispered under her breath.

  “So you did. But it doesn’t matter. He’s handsome, but the last thing I want right now is to get side-tracked by anyone. The distraction won’t do me any good,” Phoebe reminded her friend.

  “No, but there’s no harm in being friendly.”

  Phoebe shrugged. “You’re right, but I’m here to heal from my loss. Well, that was my initial reason for coming. That’s changed a little now, and I’m glad to be here, helping wherever I can.”

  Holly studied her for a moment. “Okay then, I won’t push.”

  “Thank you.” Phoebe smiled appreciatively, and yet, she couldn’t help stealing another glance at the handsome stranger who was smiling warmly at the Thai woman handing him his meal.

  She hoped Holly wouldn’t wave him over, and was relieved when she didn’t and he sat at a table on his own. Maybe they should have offered for him to join them, it almost seemed rude not to, but he didn’t seem the sort of man who was seeking attention. In fact, she sensed he was trying hard not to be noticed. Although, with his looks, that would be impossible. She liked the fact that a good-looking man could seem so humble. Humble and gracious.

  “So, tell me more about the kids in your class. You said you have a little girl who was really struggling last week. Has she improved at all?” Holly asked.

  “A little. She allowed me to read to her, and that in itself was a step forward. Before, she was hardly willing to even enter the classroom. She doesn’t trust anyone and doesn’t want to be with people.”

  “Do you think she’s experienced trauma?” Holly asked quietly.

  Phoebe nodded. “I think so. It’s the most likely explanation. But I’m doing my best to be cautious so I don’t startle her. I’ve set aside the back corner for any child who might need some alone time. So many of them have been through terrible experiences from what I gather.”

  “And that’s the prevention class,” Holly asked, although it was more a statement.

  “Exactly. It’s so sad, but it’s great that there are places like this that are trying to take care of the children and their families, and even reaching out to those horrid pimps. But it still breaks my heart, and they’re only scratching the surface.” Phoebe struggled to maintain her composure as sadness for the children flooded her heart.

  “I know. But we’re here now, and we can stay for the rest of our trip if we want to. We don’t have to go to the other places we talked about. I’m happy to stay here if you are. And it’s not as if they can’t use the help,” Holly pointed out.

  Phoebe nodded. Her friend was right. There were so many other places they could travel to, but the more she thought about it, the more she warmed to the idea of remaining at the mission.

  Chapter 7

  After patching a few walls around the place, a job Thomas had asked him to do, Nick returned the leftover paint to the cupboard. It wasn’t a difficult job, and he’d immediately thought it could have been done by one of the locals, however, he’d done it happily for the man he’d learned to admire greatly since hearing him speak that night at the church.

  Thomas was a smart man with a lot of potential. He could be working for a large corporation in Australia, using his skills as an organiser and manager, and yet, he’d chosen to live in Thailand where he was barely making a livable salary as a missionary. He was absolutely devoted to the cause, and Nick admired him for it.

  “Thanks, Nick,” Thomas said, glancing up from his desk.

  “It’s nothing, really. Like I said, I’m more than happy to do whatever needs to be done.” Scratching his beard, Nick stepped closer to Thomas’s desk and folded his arms. “But when you spoke at the church, you talked about the importance of job creation, so I guess I’m feeling a little guilty about doing work you could hire a local to do.”

  Nick hoped he didn’t sound rude, but it had been an issue Thomas had addressed at the meeting. Had he made a mistake in coming if he was simply doing odd jobs anyone could do?

  Thomas pushed back in his chair, sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. “I won’t lie. It’s something I battle with regularly. I mean no offense, but people generally want to come and help rather than provide financial support, so, as much as we’d like to employ locals, we can’t afford to. When we go back home and visit the churches, we usually get some decent funding, but there are more pressing needs than painting, and we’d rather use that money for other things, like HIV medications.”

  Nick frowned. “So, money’s what you need more than anything,” he said, more to himself than to Thomas.

  “That’s truly the main thing we need, other than prayer support. It’s great that people come and see what we do here, and if they go home and pray because they’ve seen first-hand the evil and darkness of the sex trafficking trade, well, we’re fine with that, as long as they’re happy to do odd jobs, like painting, while they’re here.”

  Nick chewed on his lip. He wasn’t sure how much good he could do in the prayer department, but he knew his financial situation. Maybe he should have stayed in Australia and simply sent money. But like Thomas had said, seeing it firsthand made all the difference. Despite his misgivings, he felt confident that coming had been the right thing to do, but he knew without a doubt that he’d be financially involved in the ministry upon his return to Sydney.

  “Okay,” he said. “What else can I do?”

  “Any good at fixing washing machines?”

  Nick hid a grimace. He knew nothing about washing machines, but he was smart, so he figured it shouldn’t be that hard. “I can give it a go.”

  “Great. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but if we can’t get it fixed, we’ll need to buy a new one, and we can’t afford that.”

  Nick could easily give him the money there and then, but refrained from doing so. “No problem, I’ll do my best.” He went to leave, but then turned. “Where’s the laundry room?”

  Thomas chuckled. “I’ll show you.” Rising from his desk, he stepped around it and clapped his hand on Nick’s back. “So, how are you settling in so far?”

  “Good, thanks. It’s an eye-opener, for sure.” Nick shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked.

  “It certainly is. When Judy and I first came here eight years ago, our hearts went out to the children and we sensed God calling us to this ministry right from the start.”

  Nick didn’t know anything about how God would call anyone, but he knew that Thomas and Judy had done a great job, and he told him so.

  “Thank you, but it’s truly not us, it’s God who’s paved the way. We’re simply His hands and feet doing His work.”

  Once again, Nick struggled to understand that sentiment, but he was impressed by Thomas’s humility. Alden and Charity could learn a lot from him.

  They turned a corner and went down several stairs before entering the basement. It had a cracked concrete floor and a smell of damp hung in the air, but since the air was so thick with humidity, that didn’t surprise him.

  “Here’s the troublesome machine,” Thomas said, stepping towards a large commercial washer sitting in the corner of the room.

  “What seems to be the problem with it?” Nick asked, rubbing his hand over it and sounding way more confident than he felt.

  “It stops halfway through its cycle. We have to drain it by siphoning the water out.”

  Nick scratched his head. The problem sounded electrical, and looking at the state of the machine, he wondered if it was worth the effort. He was seriously tempted to give Thomas the money to buy a new one, but in the end decided he’d give it a go. If he had no success, then he might give him the money. “Right. Leave it with me.”

  Thomas clapped him on the back again. “That’s what I like to hear. Let me know how you go.”

  “I certainly will.”

  After Thomas left, Nick gulped, and despite the concept of prayer being new to him, sent up a silent request for help. He spent the next few hours pulling the machine apart and
trying to work out what was wrong with it. He couldn't see anything obvious, and prayed that when he put it back together, it would work. He was very relieved, and surprised, when it did. Maybe this prayer thing worked after all.

  On his way back to give Thomas the good news, he met a young girl and woman in the hallway. The girl, a child of about ten, he guessed, backed away from him. The terror on her face stopped Nick in his tracks. It wasn’t just the look of a child afraid of getting into trouble, it was a look of horror, and he’d triggered it.

  “I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

  The girl quickly hid behind the woman, her face peeking out just enough for him to see her terrified eyes. Feeling terrible, he hated that he’d caused the girl to be so scared. His presence might have triggered unsavoury memories for the child. He was a man, after all. And most of these children had been abused by men.

  Unsure what to do, he quickly turned around and found another way to Thomas’s office.

  “I don’t know that I should be here.” He slumped in the chair and told Thomas what had happened.

  Thomas let out a heavy sigh and clasped his hands together on his desk. “This kind of thing happens often, unfortunately. Don’t worry too much, Nick. The girl’s nanny will talk with her and assure her you won’t harm her. I’m sure the nanny was Maya. She’s very good with the newer children.”

  “But if I triggered that reaction, I must be making it worse for her, and she’s already been through so much.”

  “Not at all. It’s important for the children to learn that not all men will hurt them. It’s part of their healing process.”

  Nick raked his hand across his hair. “I still feel horrible. The look on her face…” He’d never seen a little girl look so terrified.

  “She’ll be okay, Nick. I’ve got a few minutes before our five o’clock meeting starts. I’ll talk with Maya now.” Thomas quickly tidied his desk and rose from the chair. “See you at the meeting.” As he passed, he clapped Nick on the shoulder. Again. Nick wasn’t entirely comfortable with the gesture. It seemed too forward when they barely knew each other, but he sensed Thomas had no ulterior motive. It was simply his way of being encouraging.