Guarding Her Heart: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 1)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Finally, a piano began to play and Than watched as people who had been standing in clusters began to find their way to pews. A few minutes later, a man climbed onto the platform and greeted the congregation.

  In a mixture of Tagalog and English, the man expressed how thankful he was for each of them and that God had protected them through the storm. Then he requested they bow their heads for prayer.

  Than listened to the man as he prayed, and people around the room murmured or called out amen along with him. He was thankful he had a grasp of the language or it might have had no impact on him at all. But as he listened to the man thank God for hearing their prayers and sparing them from the storm, Than could hear the emotion in his voice.

  When the prayer was over, a man with a guitar and a couple of women joined the leader on the stage. Than stood with the rest of the congregation when they began to sing. It didn’t escape his notice that he stood a good head taller than most around him. And it made him even more self-conscious when he didn’t know the songs they sang. Rather than allow the embarrassment over that pull him down, Than tried to focus instead on the words of the songs.

  Still, he was relieved when they were invited to sit once again. He anticipated a sermon next, but instead the leader invited people to share how God had protected them during the storm.

  An elderly woman stood and began to talk. Thankfully, she was near them so Than could hear her even without a mic. Realizing that Lindsay wouldn’t know what she was saying, Than leaned down and spoke in a low voice.

  “She’s saying that during the storm, the roof was blown off part of her home. Her husband is old so he couldn’t repair it, but then their neighbor came and fixed it for them. Praise the Lord.”

  Lindsay glanced at him when he said that.

  He shrugged. “That’s what she said.”

  He interpreted a few more of the stories that were shared, keeping his voice low. Then he saw Marissa and her husband stand. She held the baby, and the little boy was in his father’s arms.

  He listened for a minute before he began to interpret. Lindsay looked at him as if wondering if he’d forgotten her. “Marissa is saying that her pains started when the storm first died down. Her son was finally asleep, and she couldn’t leave him to get help. Then the storm started up again and she knew she was alone. She says that all night long she prayed that God would send someone to help her.” He paused again to listen. “She said in the morning when her son woke, she sent him out to see if he could find help since she was having trouble walking. Then, the next she knew, two beautiful white women walked into her home and answered her prayers.”

  Than glanced at Lindsay and saw a sweep of pink in her cheeks. “She said that she had stopped going to church after her mother died because she was angry at God for not saving her. Now she knows that she was wrong to do that because God still listened to her when she cried out to Him. She understands that it was her mother’s time to go, and God didn’t take her to punish her. She is very thankful for Lindsay, Barb and Imee for helping her bring her baby into the world. And for the generosity of the missionaries who cared for her until her husband came back.”

  The congregation applauded, and Than heard many saying praise the Lord. Marissa had settled back down on her seat, but her husband remained standing. He set the boy down and gripped the back of the pew in front of him.

  Slowly he started to talk, and once again Than began to translate the words. “He says that he hadn’t known about the storm before he left for Manila. And when he heard it had hit their town, he had no way to get back. And no way to find out if his family was okay. The roads were closed in some places because of the possibility of landslides from the rain. He felt so helpless not being there for his family and for the first time he prayed to God asking Him to protect them. He knew he could do nothing more than trust God to protect his family. And then when he got back to their home and found it empty, he thought he’d lost everything.” Than paused as the man’s voice broke and he bent forward. He found that he had to swallow to ease the tightness in his own throat before he could continue. “Even though his house still stood, without his family, he had nothing. He said he cried out to God again, asking Him to please take him too. That he didn’t want to live if his family was gone. Then he saw the note the missionary had left, and he ran the whole way to the mission center to find his family. And they were safe.”

  The man lifted his hand into the air. “Salamat sa Diyos. Salamat sa Diyos.”

  “Thank you, God. Thank you, God.”

  Lindsay’s head dipped forward, and he saw her brush her fingers over her cheeks. Than shifted again and laid his arm along the back of the pew behind Lindsay. As more people got up to share their stories, he continued to interpret for her. She kept her head bent and periodically brushed at her cheeks. As he heard story after story of how grateful people were—some even after having lost everything—Than realized that here was the personal relationship Barb had talked about.

  These people believed in God and His presence in their lives. The trust and faith they had in Him was something he’d never witnessed to this degree before. Than knew that Eric McKinley often said how grateful he was that God had given him a second chance—not just with his wife, Staci, but also as a Christian. Lucas was also quick to thank God for how things had worked out with his wife Brooke and the return of his twin brother, Lincoln. Having a personal relationship with God didn’t seem to stifle these men. In fact, they seemed super content and joyful in their lives.

  Than wished right then that he could sit down with Lucas and Eric and talk to them about all of this. He could understand Lucas and Eric’s joy in their lives. They had nice homes, money, women who loved them, children and family. But here were people who had next to nothing, still rejoicing and praising God as if they had everything in the world. Didn’t they know what they were missing? Or was their joy really complete in God, and everything else was secondary to that?

  At one point, Lindsay straightened and leaned back in the pew. Than’s fingers brushed against her bare upper arm, and he waited for her to shoot him a look or to move away, but she didn’t. It seemed that when her emotions were most near the surface, she was more likely to accept his nearness. It was when her brain got involved that things tensed up between them.

  It seemed that her heart and mind were as much at odds as his were.

  ~*~*~

  Lindsay might have been able to keep her emotions locked down during the service if Than hadn’t been there to translate for her. But each story, each praise, touched her in a way she hadn’t expected, given her mindset when she’d first sat down on the hard pew.

  Once the service was over, people gathered around to talk to them. Than had turned to talk with people in the pew behind them. Standing between Than and Barb, Lindsay was a bit taken aback when a young man sidled down the row in front of them and asked if she was married, and if not, would she marry him. Uncertain how to extricate herself without offending the man, Lindsay looked around for help.

  She must have looked like a deer in headlights because Barb spoke up and said, “Her heart is already spoken for.”

  Though she wasn’t quite ready to embrace the truth of that statement, Lindsay shot Barb a look of thanks. The man gave a shake of his head and murmured something she didn’t understand.

  “He said that’s too bad because you’re very beautiful.”

  Lindsay jerked when she heard Than’s voice next to her ear at the same time as his hand landed lightly on her lower back. She glanced at him and then back at the man. “Uh…thank you?”

  Than said something in Tagalog to the young man. The man looked Than up and down and replied. They went back and forth for a couple of minutes before the man held his hand out to Than. He moved his hand from her back in order to shake the offered hand. The man gave her a wide smile before moving away from where she stood.

  Lindsay watched to make sure he really was going to leave them alone before turning to Tha
n. “What was that all about? A marriage proposal? Why would he do that?”

  “First of all, I think he was a little drunk.”

  Lindsay’s eyes widened. “Drunk? At this time of day? In church?”

  “I don’t think alcohol is as regulated here as it is in the US. And as for being in church, I have a feeling he heard there were some pretty Americanas here and decided to check it out for himself.”

  “So what did you say to him?”

  Lindsay could see humor glinting in Than’s eyes. “Let’s just leave it. Suffice to say he won’t bother you again.”

  She frowned. “What did you say to him?”

  Than shook his head and sighed. “He took my presence at your side and added it to Barb’s comment and came to his own conclusion. I didn’t bother to dissuade him.”

  Lindsay felt warmth rush up her cheeks and looked away. “Oh.”

  “If you’d like, I could explain to him he was wrong,” Than offered.

  She jerked her head up to tell him not to do that, but when their gazes met, she saw the humor was still there. “Well, we’re even now.”

  Than arched a brow. “Even?”

  “I saved you from the beauty queen, and you saved me from the drunken man.”

  Than chuckled. “I guess we are. I’d already forgotten about her.”

  “Ouch. No woman ever wants to hear that.”

  He smiled at her. “Oh, no worries. You’ll never hear that from me.”

  Not at all sure of his change in mood from earlier, Lindsay found herself warming to him once again. It was an endless rollercoaster of emotion she seemed to be on with him lately. She pulled her gaze from his and once again followed the progress of her would-be suitor. He seemed to be headed in the direction of Amanda and the young teenage girl.

  “I wonder why he didn’t go to Amanda first?” Given her blonde hair and blue eyes, Lindsay thought she stood out more amongst the predominantly dark hair of most in the church. She didn’t realize she’d said the words aloud until Than replied.

  “He obviously has good taste and went with the most beautiful first.” When Lindsay turned her gaze to him, he held up his hands and said, “Totally unbiased opinion, of course.”

  She arched a brow. “Unbiased?”

  Than shrugged. “I’m not your dad, husband or boyfriend, so I’d say it was unbiased.”

  “But you are my friend,” Lindsay pointed out.

  Than’s gaze seemed to bore into her. “Am I?”

  16

  His question shocked Lindsay and made her think. He’d been on the periphery of her life for a few years now. She’d heard about him through Adrianne and Melanie Thorpe, but it had always been in passing, and she hadn’t thought much about him. Then when he’d stepped forward to help find Lincoln, he’d moved from the outer edges of her world into an inner circle. Maybe she’d never considered him a personal friend, but certainly a friend of the family since he hung out with Lincoln a fair bit and was at the house at least once every couple of weeks. Then he’d become her bodyguard, and now he was smack dab in the middle of her life.

  But was he her friend? As she watched Than take in her ponderings, she realized that this answer was important to him. As it was to her.

  “Yes,” she said with a quick nod of her head. “You are my friend.”

  When the corners of his lips turned up, Lindsay knew her answer had pleased him.

  “It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” he said, his gaze warm.

  Lindsay felt the need to move beyond that moment and glanced back over to where Amanda stood. “Maybe you should go rescue her.”

  “Nope. I’m your bodyguard, not hers. Besides, she has a real reason to refuse him. She has a boyfriend.”

  “Yes, I know. She’s mentioned him a few times.” But a boyfriend wasn’t a husband.

  Than’s brows drew together. “She has?”

  Before the conversation could go any further, they were approached again, this time by a small group of girls who seemed to have their sights set on Than. As Lindsay watched him interact with the young women, she recalled what Mark had said in one of their pre-trip meetings about things like mail-order brides. He had been speaking to the single men in the group, pointing out that often women in countries like the Philippines saw marriage as a way out of a life that was steeped in poverty. And it wasn’t just because they wanted to escape, but often marriage to foreigners also gave them the opportunity to support their families back in the Philippines.

  She wondered what that must be like—to choose to marry for financial security rather than love. It was a scenario she’d never have to consider, but clearly it was something women like those talking with Than did. There was such an innocence surrounding the girls—giggling, hiding their smiles behind the handkerchiefs they held in their hands—that Lindsay wondered how often women like them fell prey to men who were unscrupulous and abusive.

  “Lindsay, look who’s here,” Barb said as she held out her arms.

  Marissa approached with her family in tow and quickly placed the baby in Barb’s arms. Lindsay bent over to peer at her and smiled when her namesake looked back at her with big round dark eyes. To think that she’d played even a small part in bringing this little one into the world was amazing to her. A bright light in the midst of the scary darkness of the storm.

  They chatted with Marissa for a few minutes before Than touched her elbow and told her that Elliot was getting ready to take the first group back.

  “Can we go on the second one?” Lindsay asked. “Unless there’s not enough going the first trip.”

  “No. It’s fine. I’ll let Elliot know we’ll take the second trip.”

  By the time they returned to the mission center, Lindsay was feeling lighter and more encouraged than she had since arriving almost a week ago. The damage from the storm was being cleaned up. The people of the town were resilient, not letting it get them down. Those who had shared in the church service earlier had proved that.

  The lively conversation over the dinner that was ready for them shortly after they returned seemed to show that she wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Once they were done, Elliot said they were setting up a volleyball net if anyone was interested in playing.

  Feeling in the mood for some lighthearted competition, Lindsay changed into a pair of capris and a T-shirt. She gathered her hair back into a ponytail and grabbed the BlackThorpe Security ball cap and shoved it on her head. When she got back down to the large open area beside the dining room, she could see that the volleyball net was up and blankets had been stretched out on the grass in the shade of the building.

  Than stood talking to a couple of the guys. He’d changed as well and now wore a pair of black cargo shorts and a white T-shirt. The shirt fit him in such a way as to remind her of the job this man had taken on for her. His broad shoulders and the strength revealed in his arms and chest were all part of the protector he was. For now, her protector.

  The thought tripped her up as she walked across the grass toward him. Toward the group of people gathered there.

  “You know how to play?” Than asked when he spotted her at his side, his dark eyes alight with humor.

  Lindsay crossed her arms and tilted her head. “I think I can figure it out.”

  “Figure it out?” Than chuckled. “I think you need to be on the other team while you figure it out.”

  “A bit competitive are we?”

  “I don’t lose,” Than said. “Ever.”

  “Fine.” Lindsay made a show of stomping over to the net and ducking under it to get to the other side. “Guess you guys are stuck with me.”

  Her team was made up of the two teens, the teens’ dad, Amanda and one of the single guys. Lindsay sized up the teens and motioned them close. “Either of you play volleyball in school?”

  They both grinned at her. “We’re on the school teams.”

  Lindsay couldn’t help but grin back. “I was too when I was in high school. I might
be a bit out of practice, but I have a feeling it’s going to come back in a rush. We need to beat the other team. We need to beat Than.”

  The teams fumbled through the first few points. Than was definitely the best player on the opposite team. Lindsay could see that the teens were deliberately hiding their skill until they could size up the opposing players. She did the same thing until it was time for her to serve.

  “You need to get it over the net,” Than called to her. “Do you want a practice shot?”

  “Only if I can aim for your head,” she muttered under her breath. The twins, who were in the back row with her, chuckled. “You two ready? Let’s put on a show.”

  “Go for it,” the teenage boy said with a thumbs-up.

  Lindsay took a position like she was going to serve from her hand but then she tossed the ball into the air, jumped and hit it with a sure strike. It landed exactly where she’d been aiming…in the space between Than and one of the other single guys. As the guy scrambled to get the ball, Than stood with his feet braced, his fingers splayed across his hips, staring at her.

  “Hey, Than,” Lindsay called over to him. “I think I’ve got it figured out.”

  There was a swell of laughter at her comment.

  Even though the opposite team now knew of her serving power, she still managed to get them a couple more points before it went back to them. Now that Lindsay had shown what she was capable of, the teens also stepped up their game. It was clear the brother and sister practiced together because they had some pretty fierce moves with one of them setting the ball for the other.

  Though Than tried valiantly to keep his team alive, Lindsay’s experience—along with the teens’ skill—pretty much guaranteed their win. When they made the teams for the second game, they made sure to separate Lindsay from the teens so she ended up on the same team as Than.