Tyler shook his head, “Guess you’ll never know.”
Michelle laughed at her disgruntled look, glad to finally start seeing the friend she knew coming back. Brooke had always been the life of their little group, and she had really missed her presence in their lives. “Well, I remember Jenna’s answer.”
Jenna blushed and then laughed, “I’m not going to feel badly about my answer. He married me, didn’t he? And now I can kiss him anytime I want to.”
Trey grabbed her around the waist and kissed her before replying, “Same goes for me.”
Brooke looked around her, and then grew sober, “We’re quite a crew. Life pulled us in so many directions, some of us trying our best to mess things up, and yet here we all are.”
“God knew what he was doing when he brought us all together as kids. I think it’s one of the greatest things about being human. Knowing that God lets us make our mistakes, just waiting in the wings for us to realize we’ve strayed and need His help.”
“I sure wish He would have intervened a little sooner in some instances,” Jenna said with Brooke nodding her head.
“Do you really?” Mary Cottrell said as she entered the small reception hall with her husband. She’d heard the conversation, and hadn’t been able to resist interjecting some wisdom into it.
“Think about where your lives have taken you and the lessons you’ve learned. Jenna, your teen years were horrible, and while we wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone, you fought back and won the victory. Those experiences are going to guide you and help you protect other kids from having to ever go through them. Kids that might not have the benefit of friends and family, and a relationship with God to pull them back from harm’s reach.
“And Michelle. Your work inside the system has already proven useful in helping Peter track down Brooke and bring her home. Your knowledge of how the system works, and your counseling experience, combined with Jenna’s is going to save lots of young lives.”
She walked over and hugged Brooke, “I know you feel adrift right now, but trust me when I tell you that God has something mighty planned for your life. He hasn’t shown it to you yet, but He will. Your experiences will be helpful as well.”
Mary looked at each of the young men standing before her. “Trey, my son, I am so proud of the man you’ve become. God has placed you in a position to help secure and manage the finances of the operation Jenna wants to set up. I know God is going to bless your efforts.
“Tyler, I met your riding partner and his wife, and I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that he was injured at this time, or that you were able to move back home. God has mighty things in store for you all, just keep following where He leads you.”
“Peter, God always needs a willing warrior, ready to fight. That is what I see when I look at you. Your loyalty to Brooke these many years has been amazing to witness, and I pray that God will continue to bless you with the desires of your heart.”
“He already has, Mrs. Cottrell,” Peter told her, pulling Brooke close to his side once again.
“I think I can speak for all of us, mom, when I say that we all feel blessed beyond measure. Cathedral Hills is a special place, and because of people like you and dad, it’s a place we can truly call home.”
Everyone nodded their head as the doors opened and their guests started to file in. Peter pulled Brooke with him, and then gestured for the other two couples to join him as they slipped into the small kitchen.
“What’s up?” Trey asked, wrapping his arms around his new wife from behind.
Peter looked at them all, “I just wanted to say how much I admire each one of you, and from this day forward, we are all connected.”
Tyler nodded his head, resting his chin on Michelle’s head, “I agree. We’ve been friends and family for a long time, but now we have a special bond to help each other and nurture each other as we become parents and leaders in this community.”
Jenna looked around at each person and then, with tears in her eyes, she said, “Cathedral Hills saved me. I thought it had destroyed me, but I was wrong. The bonds that are formed here last a lifetime, and neither tragedy, or deception, or evil can take away what we have here. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next generation.”
All six heads nodded in agreement, as Trey closed his eyes and offered up a prayer for them all, “God, thank you for the people standing in this room. May we be accountable to each other and to You as we step into the next phase of our lives. Bless us so that we may bless others, and for those amongst us who are still searching for answers, we pray that you would let them feel the happiness we do right now. Amen.”
As they headed back out to greet their guests, they didn’t do it as an abandoned teen, or a fearful and heartbroken young adult, or as a drug-addicted, mindless slave. They went out as the warrior ready to fight for justice in the lives of abandoned children; as the loving woman who had seen tragedy and come out the other side – stronger and more determined than ever to fight for what was right; and as a young woman who finally knew that everything she ever wanted was right here at home. Joy wasn’t to be found in the accolades of strangers, or money in the bank. Joy was knowing you were loved and accepted by people who could laugh and cry with you, and tell you the truth – even when you didn’t want to hear it. Joy was here – in Cathedral Hills!
Thank You
I hope you enjoyed this story and would love to know what you thought about it. If you have a moment to spare, I would appreciate it if you could leave a review of this book at Amazon. Your opinion goes a long way in helping others decide if a book is for them.
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Thank you so much.
Morris
About the Author
Morris Fenris was born into a poor family in the Fiji Islands. Thanks to his own grit, determination and the support of his loving parents, he was able to embark on a journey that has seen him attain a good education and work in many parts of the world.
Morris has been writing since childhood, drawing on his experiences in life and emulating the styles of his favorite authors.
Morris enjoys reading and writing in a wide range of genres and has plans for many more books. If you’d like to get in touch with this author, please message him on Twitter at #MorrisFenris or find him on Facebook.
Book List
Links to other books by Morris Fenris:
1. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Beginnings-Christian-Chances-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00OPE4NQE/ref=sr_1_14?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429935874&sr=1-14&keywords=christian+romance
2. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-California-Christian-Chances-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00MK9UGSA/ref=sr_1_21?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429935987&sr=1-21&keywords=christian+romance
3. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Michelle-Tyler-Christian-Cathedral-ebook/dp/B00UBC3K9U/ref=sr_1_89?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429864127&sr=1-89&keywords=romance
4. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Jenna-Christian-Story-Cathedral-ebook/dp/B00RF6UNXG/ref=sr_1_25?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936025&sr=1-25&keywords=christian+romance
5. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Cyborg-Story-Fantasy-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00IOMHKFE/ref=sr_1_49?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429937449&sr=1-49&keywords=cyborg
6. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Start-Young-Christmas-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00G1XIORG/ref=sr_1_81?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936244&sr=1-81&keywords=christian+romance
7. http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-Romance-Ghostly-Encounters-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B00UIODTTW/ref=sr_1_127?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429928835&sr=1-127&keywords=paranormal+romance
8. http://www.amazon.com/Sara-Montana-Second-Chances-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00GU2DJBO/ref=sr_1_151?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936485&sr=1-151&keywords=christian+romance
&n
bsp; 9. http://www.amazon.com/Family-Life-Christmas-novellas-Christian-ebook/dp/B00GM2Y0TM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429937514&sr=1-4&keywords=family+life
10. http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-Romance-Christmas-Healing-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B00G7GBIL6/ref=sr_1_65?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429928680&sr=1-65&keywords=paranormal+romance
11. http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-Romance-Plague-Fantasy-Healing-ebook/dp/B00J3BIMSO/ref=sr_1_71?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429928740&sr=1-71&keywords=paranormal+romance
12. http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Book-Saving-Christmas-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00GHPFYO4/ref=sr_1_181?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429939992&sr=1-181&keywords=kids+adventure+books
13. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Young-Christian-Christmas-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00PB09BUO/ref=sr_1_41?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936167&sr=1-41&keywords=christian+romance
14. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Worlds-Mystery-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00O3NFQJU/ref=sr_1_92?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429938087&sr=1-92&keywords=mystery+romance
15. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-John-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00QH2FD98/ref=sr_1_49?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900492&sr=1-49&keywords=western+romance
16. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Matthew-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00RAT7DYK/ref=sr_1_18?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900254&sr=1-18&keywords=western+romance
17. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-James-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00S3YP280/ref=sr_1_17?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900217&sr=1-17&keywords=western+romance
18. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Thomas-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00T727PKK/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900111&sr=1-12&keywords=western+romance
19. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Travis-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00U1DALKU/ref=sr_1_38?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900422&sr=1-38&keywords=western+romance
20. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Nathaniel-Yancey-Taking-ebook/dp/B00UZOWEIW/ref=sr_1_22?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900254&sr=1-22&keywords=western+romance
21. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Benton-Yancey-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00W1S9AWS/ref=sr_1_24?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429900254&sr=1-24&keywords=western+romance
22. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Broken-Heart-Christian-Story-ebook/dp/B00N32OERW/ref=sr_1_24?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936025&sr=1-24&keywords=christian+romance
23. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Christmas-Reunion-Christian-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00PVCLLT6/ref=sr_1_33?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429936120&sr=1-33&keywords=christian+romance
24. http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Lucky-Mystery-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00VBDV0LS/ref=sr_1_52?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429863968&sr=1-52&keywords=romance
25. http://www.amazon.com/Western-Romance-Yancey-Taking-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00X75EYUM/ref=sr_1_16?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1430905952&sr=1-16&keywords=western+romance
Romance: Brooke and Peter - A Christian Romance as a Love Story: (Romance, Christian Romance, Romance Novel, Romance Book) (Cathedral Hills Book 3) Page 10
