Tested Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 2)

by Juliette Duncan

  Her head spun, and she could hardly open her eyes, but when she finally managed to open them, Eversley stood over her. It had been him she’d slammed into.

  “I had a really bad fall.” Tessa could barely speak. She rolled over and tried to get up but winced at the pain in her foot. “I think I broke something.” Her voice was no more than a whisper.

  Ben and Neil arrived. Ben stooped over her, his brows knitted. “Tess, are you okay?”

  Tessa bit her lip as she tentatively reached for her ankle. “I hope so.”

  “Lay still and let me check,” Eversley said. He bent down beside her and stretched out her legs. When he squeezed her left ankle, Tessa stifled a scream.

  “Seems it’s just your ankle. I don’t think it’s broken, probably just a bad sprain, but we’ll get it checked out.” Eversley repositioned Tessa’s foot carefully on the snow. “You’re a lucky girl. It could have been a lot worse.”

  Tessa groaned. This was bad enough.

  “Can you walk?” Neil asked.

  Tessa shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She tried to get up but fell back into the snow.

  “No walking, Tess,” Ben said. “We’ll carry you.”

  Tessa looked up and caught his eye. He was so concerned about her, but she could kick herself. She’d ruined their holiday.

  Tessa winced as Eversley and Ben both put an arm around her and helped her take her weight on her one good foot before sitting her on their joined hands. She wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders and settled herself in her makeshift chair.

  “Guess we’ll have to race another time.” Ben raised his eyebrows and gave her a cheeky grin. He looked up suddenly. “Where’s Jayden?” His eyebrows narrowed as he scanned the area.

  “I’ll get him.” Neil turned and jogged up the slope as best he could. After a few minutes, he came sliding back down, nearly barrelling into them. He stopped himself just in time.

  “Jayden’s not there.” Neil’s face had lost all its colour.

  Chapter 26

  “You must be wrong, Neil. Jayden has to be somewhere.” Ben scanned the area again as he desperately tried to remain calm.

  Neil shook his head. “He’s not where I left him, Mr Williams, and I couldn’t see him anywhere.”

  “He couldn’t have just disappeared.” Ben tried to remain calm, but his heart began racing dangerously fast as a whole range of possibilities ran through his head.

  After leaving Tessa in the care of the medical staff, Ben returned to the slopes with Neil to thoroughly scour the area for Jayden. He’d called Jayden’s phone countless times, but each time it just went straight to MessageBank. Ben couldn’t understand it. Jayden always had his phone with him.

  The weather had changed and dark clouds were rolling in, shrouding the peaks in masses of swirling grey. The beautiful mountains he and Tessa had been so in awe of just yesterday had morphed into foreboding monoliths.

  “He must have fallen,” Ben said to Neil for what seemed like the hundredth time. He couldn’t voice the other thoughts crowding his mind. Ben swallowed hard as a chill ran though his body. Surely Jayden hadn’t been kidnapped.

  He looked hopeful as Eversley came towards him dragging an object behind him. “Anything?” Ben asked, trying not to sound over eager.

  Eversley shook his head. Instead of his usual easy-going manner, Eversley’s expression was tight. “No sign of him, but I found these.”

  Ben bit his lip to stop it trembling.

  “They’re Jayden’s skis.” Neil sounded alarmed. “He had them last time I saw him.”

  Ben’s face paled. “I don’t understand where he could have gone, and so fast. We were all here together when Tessa fell. I thought he’d followed us down.”

  “We’d better get a search party organised. And the quicker the better. I don’t like the look of this weather.” Eversley glanced up at the thickening clouds hovering overhead. “I think we’re in for a blizzard.”

  Ben’s heart fell. Where was Jayden? He drew in a deep breath as he gazed at the darkening clouds. Please God, please don’t let him be out in this on his own.

  As Ben followed Eversley back down the mountain slope to the lodge, his mind swarmed with questions he didn’t have answers to. Jayden had either fallen, or he’d been kidnapped, but that was unlikely. More likely he’d walked off on his own accord given the mood he’d been in. But what had triggered it? Ben had no idea. And if he had walked off, where would he have gone? And why? He couldn’t have gone far. He couldn’t drive, and he didn’t have much money. What if he’d met someone? Ben gulped as a heavy weight settled in his chest. He’d heard of sick men stalking young boys. Surely Jayden was smarter than that. But he had been on his phone an awful lot.

  Ben’s heart rate increased the more he thought about it. All the things he’d confronted Jayden about—his grades, rugby, mixing with Owen, ran through his mind. They’d seemed important at the time, but paled into insignificance now Jayden was missing.

  If Jayden had gone off willingly, Ben only had himself to blame. How many times had Tess told him to go easy on the boy? He hadn’t listened to her, but now he wished he had.

  Eversley contacted the manager, who quickly put an alert out to all instructors. He also contacted the Police and the Emergency Services. A missing fifteen-year-old boy out in this weather was a concern for everyone.

  The Police interviewed Ben and Neil. They told the constable all they knew, which was very little. Tessa was wheeled in soon after and clung to Ben as best she could with her leg elevated in the wheelchair. One of the staff members gave them mugs of hot chocolate. Neil sat beside them quietly.

  “I want to join the search team,” Ben said to Eversley.

  Eversley clapped him on the shoulder. “No, it’s best you stay here. Keep your chin up. He couldn’t have gone that far. I’m sure we’ll find him.”

  Neil kicked his legs and fidgetted with his hands. “Do you think Jayden left because of me? Maybe I shouldn’t have yelled at him and just left him alone. Seemed he didn’t want to be bothered with me anyway.”

  Tessa wrapped her arm around him. “No, Neil, don’t think like that. It’s not your fault. Like Eversley said, they’ll find him, hopefully sooner rather than later. We don’t know where Jayden is, but God does. We have to trust God in this situation, okay?”

  Neil nodded, but didn’t look convinced. He kicked his feet even more and then looked up. “I have something to tell you. I wasn’t going to before, but I am now because it may help us find Jayden.”

  Ben straightened. “Go on. What is it?”

  Neil blinked and paused before speaking. “Last week,” he gulped, “Jayden told me his mother contacted him.” He glanced at Tessa. “His other mother.”

  “Kathryn?” Ben’s eyes widened.

  Neil nodded. “I don’t know what they talked about exactly, but Jayden said he wanted to leave and live with her, so maybe that’s what he did.” Neil lowered his gaze.

  Ben felt his face blanch. He shook his head. “No.” He sunk back into the chair and held his head in his hands. “I don’t believe it.” His voice was barely a whisper.

  Tessa gripped his leg.

  Ben struggled to believe a word Neil had said. But if it was true, some of Jayden’s strange behaviour would make sense. He’d always been on his phone or computer leading them to believe he was studying, when in reality it seemed now he was communicating with Kathryn.

  Ben sucked in a deep breath and raised his head. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?”

  Neil looked up slowly and shrugged one shoulder defensively. “I didn’t think he’d actually leave. I thought he was joking, but I guess I was wrong.” Tears sprang to his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not to blame for Jayden’s actions, Neil,” Tessa said quietly.

  “What else did he say? Did he give any clue as to where he would have gone with her?” Ben leaned forward, his face almost touching Neil’s.

  “No, b
ut I did think it was strange he was sorting his bag this morning.”

  “Let’s take a look in your room.” Ben jumped up, his heart pounding. How could Jayden have done this? To go off with Kathryn of all people.

  Tessa grabbed his hand. “Ben, shouldn’t we tell the Police?”

  Ben paused. As much as he wanted to go racing off and find any clue as to Jayden’s whereabouts, maybe Tessa was right. He inhaled deeply and clenched his fists. “Yes, we should. Come on Neil, let’s go.” Ben placed his hand lightly on Neil’s shoulder and directed him towards the Lodge meeting room where the Police and Emergency Services were co-ordinating their search.

  Shortly after, Ben and Neil accompanied a constable into Neil and Jayden’s room.

  “Take a look and see if anything’s missing first. Then we’ll do a thorough search.” The constable stood in the doorway while Neil rummaged through the small cupboard and the messy floor. Typical teenage boy’s room. Clothes strewn everywhere, wet towels lying on top making everything else damp. Ben sighed. How many times had he told Jayden to clean his room up and not live like this? It didn’t matter now.

  “His small backpack is missing. And I think some of his clothes. And his Mac.” Neil’s voice caught in his throat. “I’m sorry Mr Williams. I should have told you what I knew earlier.” He lowered his gaze and brushed his eyes with the back of his hand.

  Ben squeezed Neil’s shoulders. “It doesn’t matter, Neil. At least you told us now.”

  “Okay, thanks, son. If you can describe his backpack and the clothes that are missing to the lady constable, that will be a help. In the meantime, we’ll search the room for a note or any other clue.” The constable straightened. “But Mr Williams, seems like he’s gone off on his volition, so there may not be much we can do.”

  “But he’s just fifteen!” Ben’s voice rose a notch. “Surely that’s kidnapping?”

  “We’ll look at every angle, Sir. I was just letting you know what often happens in cases like these. We’ll do our best to locate your son.”

  Neil was of more help than anyone would have thought. He even knew Jayden’s Facebook password.

  Chapter 27

  “I’m afraid we’ll need to get a Warrant to log into your son’s Facebook account, Mr Williams, and I’m not sure how long that will take.” The woman constable levelled her gaze at Ben, and then leaned closer, lowering her voice. “But if you want to log in while we’re waiting, that’s up to you.”

  Ben wasted no time. He thanked the Constable and then sat down with Neil and Tessa and logged into Jayden’s Facebook account.

  They found a litany of chat conversations, most of them to and from Kathryn. She’d dropped Williams from her name and resorted to her maiden name of Middleton.

  Ben clicked on her photo and read the latest messages she’d sent to Jayden. They mostly talked of how much she’d missed him and how much she wanted to see him again. No apology or explanation for why she’d left in the first place, but she’d invited him to come and stay with her. She’d sent photos of her Florida mansion and told Jayden that if he stayed with her he’d be able to travel the world and pretty much do whatever he wanted. There was no mention of Luke Emerson, and Ben couldn’t determine if they were still together or not.

  Ben’s heart rate increased the more he read. He couldn’t believe that Jayden had been so deceptive. The last message read, “See you soon, Mum.” Ben looked at the time it was sent. Twelve o’clock. Three hours ago. Not long before Tessa had her fall.

  “We need to check the airport.” Ben jumped up as adrenalin flooded his veins, pounding its way through his body. “Neil, stay here with Tessa. I need to go.”

  “Ben, slow down.” Tessa grabbed his hand. “Shouldn’t we speak with the police first?”

  “You can, but I’m going to the airport. There’s not a minute to spare.”

  “I’ll speak with them, and I’ll pray. Ben… stay safe…” Tessa’s voice trailed off as he raced out of the building and ran to the car park fifty metres away. The wind knocked him about as he shielded his face from the sleet. As he approached the car, he pressed the beeper. He flung the door open, climbed in and slammed it shut behind him. He inserted the key, and the engine of the rental car roared to life, the wheels spinning on the damp gravel as he sped off. He punched “Airport” into the Navigator and prayed he wouldn’t slide on the icy road.

  The whole way there Ben prayed. He prayed he’d get there in time, and that Jayden would have a change of heart. He couldn’t believe this was happening. After everything they’d been through together, how could Jayden do this? Jayden knew what Kathryn was like. How could he have been taken in by her empty promises? God, I give this situation to you. I’m sorry for my reaction earlier, but Lord, I just need to find him.

  Fifteen minutes after he left, Ben arrived at the airport. He pulled up in front of Departures, taking no notice of any parking restrictions, and ran into the building. He scanned the Departures board. No direct flight to Florida listed. Only one to New York. Panic set in. He had to think quickly. What airline would Kathryn fly? And which route would she take? Air New Zealand? Via Hawaii? That would be the one.

  He raced to the Air New Zealand help desk about thirty metres away. A woman with neat dark hair looked up as he came to a sliding halt in front of her. Compared to Ben’s frantic state, she appeared so cool and calm.

  “I’m looking for my son. I think he might be on the flight to Hawaii which is boarding now. My ex-wife’s kidnapped him.” That wasn’t entirely true, but there was no time to explain.

  The woman’s eyes widened and she met Ben’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Sir. We can’t give out any passenger details, even if it is your son you’re looking for. We’d need instructions from the Police and Immigration to stop the plane.”

  Ben’s heart fell. Tessa had been right. His phone rang in his pocket. Tessa’s ring tone. “Okay, I’m sorry. Thank you.” He stepped away from the counter and drew his phone out of his pocket and answered it.

  “Ben.” Tessa’s voice was barely a whisper. “Kathryn and Jayden left on her private jet half an hour ago.”

  Ben went into a tail spin as Tessa’s words sunk in. His heart raced dangerously fast and he couldn’t breathe. He slumped into a corner, and putting his hands over his head, he sobbed until he could sob no more.

  Tessa kept talking into the phone hoping Ben would respond. The news she’d just given him had been devastating, and she wished she was with him. Tears spilled down her face and she could barely breathe. But however bad her pain was, Ben’s would be a hundred times worse.

  Ben finally made a noise. His voice was weak and she could hardly hear him. She’d never heard him so broken.

  “Ben, are… are you okay?” Tessa’s voice caught in her throat. She swallowed the lump that was sitting there, pushing it down so she could speak.

  “Tess…” Ben’s voice trailled away.

  “Ben. Wait there. Don’t drive. Eversley’s on his way to get you.”

  Silence.

  “Ben, did you hear me?”

  Seconds passed before Ben mumbled what Tessa assumed was a yes.

  When Ben arrived back at the Lodge with Eversley a short while later, Tessa just wanted to wrap her arms around him. She stood on her one good foot and hobbled to him. He clung to her and sobbed into her hair, his tears breaking her heart.

  “This isn’t your fault, Ben.” Tessa tried to comfort him. “You’ve been nothing but a good father to Jayden.”

  Ben sucked in a sob. “Then why isn’t he here? All those times I confronted him about such trivial matters—”

  “Even that was done in love.” Tessa kissed his hair. “As long as we have each other and God, we can survive this, Ben. There’s nothing more we can do except trust God to look after Jayden and bring him back home to us.”

  A strength Tessa couldn’t explain coursed through her body. “We will get through this, Ben. With God’s help, we’ll get through it.”

  Ben
, Tessa and Jayden’s story continues in…

  “TORMENTED LOVE”

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  Other Books by Juliette Duncan

  “The True Love Series”

  Tormented Love - Book 3 in “The True Love Series”

  FREE TO READ ON KINDLE UNLIMITED When Ben and Tessa return from their holiday to New Zealand without Jayden, Ben’s teenage son, Tessa is concerned that Ben might slip back into depression, especially when Jayden won’t even answer their phone calls or texts. They know they should trust God to bring Jayden home, but how do they live in the meantime? Reminders of him are everywhere. A visit to Stephanie, Tessa’s best friend, gives Tessa an idea that she believes is from God, and will eventually take her and Ben half-way around the globe. But will it help bring Jayden back?

  Meanwhile, surprises are in store for Jayden as he discovers all is not quite as rosy as his mother had promised, but can he admit he’s made a mistake and return home to his dad and Tessa? And will the foundational morality drummed into him by his father hold firm when tested by new friends who don’t hold the same values? Get your copy of “Tormented Love” here.