by T. K. Chapin
Journey Of Grace
Journey Of Love: Book One
By:
T.K. Chapin
www.tkchapin.com
Copyright © 2018 T.K. Chapin All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
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Version: 02.11.2018
ISBN-13:
Available Books
By T.K. Chapin
(Inspirational Christian Fiction & Romance)
Protected By Love Series
Love’s Return (Book 1)
Love’s Promise (Book 2)
Love’s Protection (Book 3)
Diamond Lake Series
One Thursday Morning (Book 1)
One Friday Afternoon (Book 2)
One Saturday Evening (Book 3)
One Sunday Drive (Book 4)
One Monday Prayer (Book 5)
One Tuesday Lunch (Book 6)
One Wednesday Dinner (Book 7)
Embers & Ashes Series
Amongst the Flames (Book 1)
Out of the Ashes (Book 2)
Up in Smoke (Book 3)
After the Fire (Book 4)
Love’s Enduring Promise Series
The Perfect Cast (Book 1)
Finding Love (Book 2)
Claire’s Hope (Book 3)
Dylan’s Faith (Book 4)
Stand Alones
Love Interrupted
Love Again
A Chance at Love
The Broken Road
If Only
Because Of You
The Lies We Believe
In His Love
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Dedicated to my loving wife.
For all the years she has put up with me
And many more to come.
Table of Contents
Note from the Author
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Book Previews
Other Books
Bonus
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Note from the Author
Through the Bible we see God’s love play out time and time again. His love is immeasurable and took His only Son to the cross to die for our sins. It’s through the power of Jesus Christ and His resurrection that we have Salvation. The love of God motivated me to write this Christian romance series for you and I hope you enjoy it.
In the first book of the Journey Of Love series, entitled Journey of Grace, we follow a young woman named Grace who decides to leave her abusive spouse and move back home to Diamond Lake. We see a young lady with a broken heart, but also a strong faith in God that He will work all things together for good.
Each book in this series is woven together tightly and requires them to be read in order. I believe this enriches the reading experience and helps you grow to love these characters more deeply.
I pray this inspirational Christian romance inspires your faith, warms your soul, and fills you with the hope that is only found in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. May this story bless you in reading it as much as it has done me in writing it.
Sincerely,
T.K. CHAPIN
Prologue
THERE’S A SCAR THAT RESTS on the upper-left side of my temple. It’s hidden now behind a few strands of messy blonde hair, but it’s not forgotten. That mark, along with the others, is a reminder that I’m doing the right thing by leaving him for good this time. It’s been five years, too long with an abusive man, one whom I vowed to love and cherish forever in front of God and everyone else. He had taken almost everything from me. Almost everything. What remained was that still quiet voice that was but a whisper in the night. If that faint flicker speaking truth into my soul hadn’t been there, I would’ve stayed forever.
That night, the Lord whispered into my heart that I wasn’t worthless like Harvey liked to tell me, but I was worth more. I wasn’t just a sum of my mistakes, but I was a child of the living God. It was that night I truly found my Savior’s embrace. It was that night when I knew I could leave Harvey and God would be with me every step of the way.
Chapter 1
AFTER FILLING MY TANK AT the gas station a block away from our apartment, I got back into my car. I took a deep breath as I sat in the driver seat and tried to settle my trembling hands. Pushing my hair behind my ear, I glanced over my shoulder back toward the street where our apartment was located. My heart pounded and my stomach twisted. I knew I was doing the right thing, but that didn’t make it any easier. I couldn’t stop my thoughts from going to Harvey. I felt stupid for how I was feeling, but it was the truth. He and I had been married for five years, and I couldn’t ignore the love I felt for him. Even if that love was unhealthy and unmerited. Glancing back toward the apartment, I worried about how he’d feel when he came home later that night after poker at two or three in the morning.
My phone rang. I jumped.
It was my mother, Melanie. She had been the one who’d wired me money to help me get away from Harvey. She and my father were in tears of joy when I broke the news to them that I was leaving.
“Grace. You on the road yet?” Her voice was strained with worry that I wouldn’t make it out of town before giving up and turning around like I had before. She didn’t understand how bad things were with Harvey this time. Nobody did. She also had no idea how it felt two nights ago when God Himself whispered into my soul and reminded me of who I was.
“Just filled up, Mom. I’m leaving town now.” As the words came off my lips, I turned the key over in the ignition.
“Good. You can do this. Your dad and I are both excited to have you back home, and everything is going to be great.”
“Dad said he’s excited?”
My thoughts shifted to my father, Ed. He and I had always had a bit of a strained relationship. Growing up, he never seemed to be around. He worked a lot, and he also spent a lot of time being out with friends
, doing this or that. We kids always came in last when it came to his priorities in life. I had forgiven him but I hadn’t forgotten. Years after moving out, I found out that my father had been doing drugs during the majority of my adolescence. It explained a lot, but when my mom told me, it irritated me. It came across more as an excuse. My mother was amazing, but she had always stood by my father no matter how wrong he was about something. I think the only reason everything worked out to the degree where we all weren’t dead was because my mother took the time to make sure we made it to church every week growing up. I fear much of why I stayed with Harvey as long as I did was due to my watching my mom as she stood beside a man whom she should’ve left. My dad turned out to be a better man in the end, and maybe a part of me thought that could happen to Harvey too. The truth was that Dad had a history with God. Harvey didn’t.
My dad rededicated his life to God and cleaned up his act. He quit the drugs and drinking, the partying, and the all-nighters with friends. In my opinion, it all had come a little too late. All of us had already been ruined by his choices. He cleaned up six years ago. When he gave his life back to God, I had already fallen in love with Harvey, and my sister, Bethany, had recently found out she was pregnant again with a new guy before the ink on her divorce papers was even dry. It was hard to not be upset long enough to take joy in my dad’s choice to come back to God. My father also ended up going back to school and obtaining a degree in Theology. Then, when my dad finally quit his job at the Coca-Cola factory to become an assistant pastor in the Spokane Valley a year ago, my brother, James, did meth for the first time. Our father’s life changes for the better all came too late. Sure, I was and am genuinely happy for my dad, but that didn’t change the brokenness that existed in our relationship and the painful impact of his choices earlier in life. Bethany and I were the cliché girls with daddy issues. She’s been married twice now, and I married an abuser. It’s so sad how easily we became a statistic without even meaning to do so. Thank God for God.
“Well, you know how your father is, Grace.” My mother’s voice was level, calm as she continued, breaking me out of my thoughts. “He didn’t say he’s excited, but I know he is. He is already busy in the guest house in back, getting it all set up for you.”
The corner of my lips curled. She was right—he was excited. “Ahh, sweet guy. Hey, I’ll call you tonight sometime when I stop. I’m so jazzed up right now that I’m going to drive for a while and through most of the night.”
“Just be careful. I don’t want you getting in a wreck.”
“I will be careful, Mom.”
“Gracie.”
“Yeah?”
“Listen, I know you didn’t want me to tell people right away that you were coming, but your sister got it out of me yesterday because she planned to come by anyway and she heard the hesitation in my voice. So . . . she’ll be here tomorrow, and hopefully, your brother too. I decided to call him after Bethany found out.”
“It’s fine, Mom. I know how Bethany can be.”
My heart warmed knowing I’d soon see everybody again, but a slight uneasiness crept into the moment. Harvey had recently given me a going away present of sorts—a black eye, and with it, a popped blood vessel. It was the main reason I didn’t want a big celebration. I felt embarrassed to be seen. Plus, the reality of what was going on in my life was no reason to get everybody together and throw a celebration. I had escaped death by the hand of the man whom I still loved.
As I hung up with my mom and pulled out of the Kicks 66 gas station, I started to pray without ceasing.
Chapter 2
PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT my parents’ house late the next day, I could see my dad’s barn door open and the light still on in it at the end of the driveway. The barn sat just past the house and guest house. He always called the structure his shop, but it was more of an old beaten-up barn that was built in another era. My father always had a love for working on small engines and cars.
Parking beside the house, I got out and left my bags in the car. I walked the gravel driveway toward the shop to go see my dad. Though I had always felt closer to my mom, I’d still sought the approval of my father through the entirety of my life. I wanted him to be happy with me, to be proud of my choices. Even after all these years after I had moved out, I still desired that approval.
My gaze quickly found the stillness of the lake between the barn and the guest house. The view brought a measure of comfort over my entire being. I could feel it from my head all the way down to my toes. It had been years since I had been out here. Too long. Diamond Lake was beautiful in every way, but the part that made it special to me was how it reflected the character of God. It never changed, never left, and was always there for me when I felt ready, a comforting reminder of my Savior.
“Gracie.” My dad’s voice was a warm, familiar sound to my ears. He came out of the shop, wiping his hands off with an already dirty towel. He took one look at me and his eyes welled with tears. Seeing my father about to cry was similar to what I imagined a bullet ripping through my chest would feel like. I knew it stemmed from my bruised eye and my broken blood vessel that made it look ten times worse. He immediately tossed the dirty towel aside and came to me quickly, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I could tell he was crying now, but he didn’t make a sound. This is my fault, I thought to myself. His pain, his hurt. It was all because I chose to be with Harvey. I hated feeling this way.
Breaking the silence, my dad said, “You’re home now. You’re safe.”
His words washed over me, bathing me in safety and comfort. My relationship with my dad wasn’t very good, but he had always made me feel safe when he was nearby.
The screen door of the back of the house creaked open, interrupting the moment. We both turned and looked over at Mom as she came down the steps and over to us.
“You hungry?” My dad asked, turning back to me.
“Not really.”
He grabbed my shoulder gently and said as my mom arrived to us, “Listen here, daughter. Your mother has been baking up a storm all day. A whole table full of your favorites, and even some treats too. First time she’s allowed sugar in this house in months. You don’t want to pass up this chance to indulge.”
I smiled as I looked over at her. “You didn’t have to do that, Mom. You two have already done so much for me.”
She opened her arms up for a hug and we embraced. “There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to your kids.”
My dad came closer and put his arms over the two of us. I knew I was finally home.
“Let your father get your stuff in the guest house, and you can come help me set the table. Your sister should be here in a few minutes.”
Chapter 3
MY SISTER CAME BARRELING in through the front door of the house at five minutes past six o’clock. With her two-year-old, Easton, on one hip, she strolled in and let go of the hand of her sweet Ester. I had only seen Easton in pictures and Ester only once before in the last five years she’d been alive. As Bethany and I moved in to hug, Ester immediately found the couch and proceeded to jump on it.
As we released from our hug, she turned to her child. “Ester Oliva Thompson! Get down right now. You do not ever climb on furniture.” She put Easton down, and he ran off to our mother. Bethany turned her attention toward me. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Come here!”
As she squeezed me, I forced out a smile. I could tell she’d noticed my battered eye, but she directed her attention away from the matter. “This is my family. Well, you are aware I have another, but Elly’s outside talking to her ‘boyfriend.’ Fourteen-year-olds are so dumb. I’m pretty sure I skipped that age. Right, Mom?”
Mom stuck her head in from the kitchen. “No, you didn’t skip. If anything, you stayed dumb—I mean fourteen—a few too many years.”
She winked and we laughed.
“Beautiful family, Sis,” I said as I looked at Ester playing with toys on the floor in the living room. “You’ve r
eally made some cute kids with Mark. Speaking of . . . where is Mark?”
“Working hard for us at Sportsmans.” She turned her gaze to me again. “You have an okay time getting here and everything?”
I nodded. “Not bad. The roads were pretty clear. Just a little bit of April showers. No snow or anything like that.”
“Great. Where you going to work?”
“Oh, stop it, Beth!” my mother chastised her from the kitchen. “She barely got here not even an hour ago!”
Bethany smiled and raised her voice. “She still needs a job, Mother!”
“Actually, I have an interview tomorrow at a thrift store in Newport.”
“Oh, wow. That fast? I’m proud of you! See, Mom? She knows what’s up!”
“I called every store in Newport on my way up to see if anything was available.” Coming closer to Bethany, I lowered my voice. “I can’t believe Mom and Dad got rid of the piano. What’s up with that?”
She nodded in agreement. Lowering her voice to match mine, she replied, “I was so sad when they got rid of it last year. Ester had even learned to play Mary Had a Little Lamb. I was a little annoyed they got rid of it.”
“Ester can play the piano too?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “She’s getting old.”
“Right?” Bethany frowned as we peered over and watched Ester as she read to her stuffed animals a few feet away from us.
“Heya, kid.” My dad’s greeting rang through the living room as he entered from the kitchen.
