Promises of Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance

by Juliette Duncan

  Straightening, Harrison cleared his throat. He slipped his arm around Zoe's shoulder and pulled her close.

  Zoe's heart thumped. She sucked in a breath. Maybe Harrison should have asked Dad first… maybe he had?

  "Kevin, Ruth," Harrison glanced at one and then the other, "I've come to love your daughter very much." His voice was steady and strong. Zoe released her nervous breath.

  Turning his head, Harrison's smile reached deep inside her. "Yesterday I asked Zoe to marry me, and she said yes."

  Zoe waited for a response. Her heart raced. She searched Harrison's eyes. Why was Dad taking so long to say anything? The silence was killing her. She tore her gaze away from Harrison and turned slowly to look at Dad.

  Dad removed his glasses and placed them on the table. He stood and shook Harrison's hand before reaching out for Zoe and hugging her. When he released her, his eyes glistened and he looked like he might cry.

  Standing behind Dad, Mum placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed gently.

  Something was amiss. Zoe angled her head. "What's wrong?"

  Dad lowered his head and brushed his eyes with the back of his hand.

  Zoe drew her eyebrows together. "Mum?"

  Mum's shoulders sagged as she blinked back tears. "We were trying to keep it from you, Zoe."

  "Keep what, Mum? Is Dad sick?" Zoe's gaze darted between her parents.

  Mum's eyes shot open. "No, nothing like that."

  Zoe sighed with relief. "Well, what is it?"

  Mum sat down and squeezed Dad's hand. "We're in trouble, Zoe. Financial trouble." Dad's thumb rubbed circles on Mum's hand. The clock's tick grew louder.

  "We're probably going to lose the farm." Mum's voice caught, her hand flying to her mouth.

  Zoe's eyes popped. Had she heard right? Her parents were going to lose the farm? How could that happen after all these years? "I…I don't understand. How?"

  Dad lifted his head and drew a deep breath. "A combination of things, Zo. The floods last year destroyed a lot of the crop, and now we've been in drought this year, as well as a few other things."

  Zoe leaned forward. "What other things?"

  Dad's eyes moistened again. "It's my fault, Zoe. I made some bad investment decisions."

  "No, Kevin, it was both our doing." Mum squeezed Dad's wrist and peered into his eyes.

  Zoe's mouth was dry. She swallowed hard. This can't be happening. It's a bad dream. But it wasn't—she was wide awake. "How much did you lose, Dad?"

  Dad grimaced. "A lot."

  A lump grew in Zoe's stomach. "That's unlike you, Dad. You're normally so careful."

  Dad drew another slow breath. "We thought it was a good deal, but turned out it wasn't."

  Zoe shook her head. "What made you do it?"

  "We were investing for our future, and got caught." Dad sounded so sad as he gently squeezed Zoe's wrist.

  Zoe's heart ached for him. They'd worked so hard to keep the farm afloat. It was their life. They couldn't lose it now.

  Dad picked up his glasses and slipped them back on. "Grandma will be here soon, so let's have lunch and we can talk about it later, sweetheart."

  "Doesn't Grandma know?" Zoe held Dad's gaze. Grandma would be devastated, but surely she had a right to know—after all, it was her home, too.

  Dad shook his head. "Not the full story."

  Zoe released a sad sigh. "Okay, let's leave it for now, but why didn't you tell me?"

  Mum squeezed Zoe's wrist. "We're sorry, Zoe. We've been trusting God for a solution, but we're still waiting. We hoped you wouldn't need to know."

  Zoe blew out a breath, her shoulders sagging. If only they'd trusted God to provide for their future instead of making some dodgy investment. As soon as the thought entered her head, she chastised herself. No need to be judgmental. They must have thought they were doing the right thing, otherwise they wouldn't have done it. But would God give them money to fix their mistake?

  Zoe searched Mum's eyes. "Does Peter know?"

  Mum nodded. "He heard us talking about it and now he's upset."

  Of course her brother would be upset. No way would Peter, with his Down's Syndrome, understand how Mum and Dad could lose their home.

  A soft knock sounded on the back door and Grandma poked her head in.

  Mum quickly rubbed her face with her hands.

  Dad blew his nose.

  Zoe squeezed Harrison's hand and planted a smile on her face as she stood and walked to the door. "Grandma, Merry Christmas!" Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around Grandma's frail shoulders and gave her a gentle hug.

  "Oh Zoe, my dear, it's lovely to see you." Her voice sounded so sweet. "And my, look at your beautiful hair! How do you keep it so nice?" Grandma's eyes sparkled as she reached up and touched Zoe's auburn hair.

  Zoe chuckled. "Grandma, you always say that!"

  "Do I, dear? I'm sorry." She began patting Zoe's hand, but within a moment, she stopped and drew it closer. "And what's this I see?"

  Zoe laughed. She'd almost forgotten. "It didn't take you long, Grandma! But yes…" she glanced at Harrison and caught his eye. "Harrison and I are engaged."

  Grandma's face lit up. "A wedding! How wonderful!"

  Zoe returned Grandma's smile, but inside, her heart crumbled. How could she and Harrison be planning a wedding when her parents were facing financial ruin and their whole life could be turned upside down?

  CHAPTER THREE

  "That was a lovely lunch, thanks, Mum." Placing her knife and fork together on her plate, Zoe gave Mum a grateful smile. It was so hard trying to pretend everything was all right in front of Grandma, but a few things Grandma said every now and then suggested she was more aware of the situation than Mum or Dad knew.

  Zoe kept an open ear and eye throughout the meal. Dad was putting on a brave face, but his hands, normally steady and strong, held a slight tremor, and his face looked strained. Not surprising if he was about to lose everything he'd worked for, even if he and Mum were trusting God like they said.

  Mum talked too much, even more than normal. Peter sat beside Harrison and asked lots of questions about animals. Being a vet, Harrison was in his element, but Peter could be intense at times, and Harrison shot the occasional glance at Zoe as if he was wanting to be rescued. She just laughed.

  Grandma, as sweet as ever, just sat there talking quietly to everyone, asking questions, nodding, listening.

  Maybe Peter had told Grandma, and she was just pretending she didn't know? It wouldn't surprise her.

  Mum began scraping the dirty plates. "We're planning a visit to Uncle Stephen's and Aunt Veronica's this afternoon, Zoe. Would you and Harrison like to join us?"

  What could she say? They really had no choice, although she'd rather have a discussion about her parents' financial situation. Zoe drew her eyebrows together. Did Uncle Stephen know? If he did, surely he'd help his brother out. He wouldn't just stand by and watch her parents lose the farm that had been in the family for generations, would he? A sinking feeling grew in her stomach. Maybe they were struggling too and needed help themselves.

  Zoe smiled at Mum again. "That would be lovely, Mum. I'm looking forward to seeing them and the new baby." But not knowing the full details played heavily on Zoe. Maybe she could get some time alone with Mum by helping with the dishes. "Let me help, Mum." Zoe stood and began collecting the condiments before Mum could tell her not to. Following Mum into the kitchen, she placed the tray on the kitchen counter and then turned around and folded her arms. "So, how bad is it really, Mum? Be honest."

  "I'd rather you didn't know." Mum turned on the tap and began rinsing plates.

  "I'd like to know." Zoe's voice softened.

  Mum lifted her head and looked out the window, her hands resting on the edge of the sink. "If we don't make next month's loan payment, the bank will foreclose."

  So soon? Zoe's heart raced. "And how much is that?" She held her breath. She had no idea how much their payments were, but guessed they were huge.<
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  "You really don't want to know." Mum turned around slowly, her eyes misting over.

  "How much, Mum?" Zoe's heart thudded as she waited.

  Mum drew in a big breath before lifting her head and meeting Zoe's gaze. "Ten thousand."

  Zoe gasped, her eyes widening. "Ten thousand? That's huge, Mum. How did it get so big?"

  Mum wiped her eyes with her apron. "The bank let us miss a few payments, but now they're wanting us to catch up." She struggled to speak.

  Zoe's brows knitted. "That doesn't seem right."

  Mum gave a helpless shrug. "They won't budge."

  "And you don't have the money?"

  Mum shook her head.

  "Surely they won't turn you out?"

  Mum grimaced. "They will if we don't come up with it."

  Zoe squared her shoulders. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But you've been with them for years."

  "It doesn't matter, Zoe. They know we don't have any money."

  Stepping forward, Zoe placed her hands on Mum's arms. "Let me help, Mum."

  Mum shook her head. "No, Zoe. You've got your own future to think of."

  "Let me decide that. But first I need to know if there's any chance of getting your money back." She paused. She didn't want to pry, but if she didn't know, she couldn't help. "What did you invest in, Mum?"

  "Best sit down." Mum pulled out a chair and sat. Sadness clouded her face as she lifted her gaze to Zoe's. "A man Dad had known for years told us about some property investments he said were guaranteed to make money." She swallowed hard as tears flooded her eyes. "We believed him and mortgaged the farm to buy in." She sucked in a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "And we also invested money in a company he recommended."

  Zoe reached out and squeezed Mum's hand as a heavy weight settled in her stomach. This was worse than she'd thought. How had they let themselves get talked into doing something like this? "And there's no chance of getting it back?"

  Mum shook her head. "The man disappeared. Turned out he was a scammer and he ran off with the money. No-one's heard of him since."

  "Surely something can be done?"

  Mum shrugged. "We've tried."

  Zoe's mind raced. This was so unfair. "What about the income from the farm?"

  More tears welled in Mum's eyes. "Two bad years in a row, and we don't have enough money to keep the water up to the trees or to feed the cattle."

  "And the bank won't lend you any more money?"

  "No." Mum dabbed her eyes, her body shuddering as she sucked in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Zoe. Normally I'm okay." She smiled through her tears. "I know God will provide for us. We just have to be patient and trust Him."

  Mum's faith had always been strong, but Zoe wasn't sure what God could do to save the farm when it seemed He only had a couple of weeks to do it. A miracle was needed, but how often did miracles like that happen these days? Maybe Mum's faith was too simple.

  Zoe took Mum's hand and squeezed it. "While you're waiting for God, I'm going to help, and you can't stop me."

  Tears rolled down Mum's cheek as Zoe leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her.

  Later that night, after they'd visited Uncle Stephen and Aunt Veronica and met Zoe's new cousin, Ivy, and played some outdoor games with the other three children, Zoe told Harrison what Mum had said. "I want to help them, Harrison. I don't know what I can do, but I'd hate for them to lose the farm."

  "It's a huge amount of money they owe, Zoe. And that's just one month."

  Zoe sighed as she gazed up at the half moon. "I know. They've really got themselves in a mess." It was just horrible and she felt sick in her stomach just thinking about it.

  "Have they got anything they can sell?"

  Zoe tilted her head. "Like machinery and stuff?"

  Harrison nodded.

  "Maybe. We can ask." Zoe leaned back on the bench seat and snuggled into Harrison's arms. She almost felt guilty sitting here like this while her parents' world crumbled around them. She and Harrison had their whole future ahead of them. Harrison had a promotion, albeit temporary while Tessa, the clinic manager, was away, and when she finished her Internship, Zoe would be earning good money as a doctor, but right now, her income wasn't enough to get her parents out of trouble.

  Zoe rubbed her arms. It always cooled down out here at night… why hadn't she remembered her jacket? She laughed to herself. A good excuse to snuggle closer.

  She picked at the light brown hairs on Harrison's arm. "I've got some money saved—I'd like to give them some."

  Harrison twiddled some of her loose hair between his fingers. "You need to think carefully before you do, Zoe. You've worked hard for that money."

  Harrison wasn't wrong. Working part-time to support herself while also studying full-time had been a hard slog, but somehow she'd managed to save a reasonable amount.

  She sat up. "I can't let them lose the farm, Harrison. I've got to do something."

  "You're right, Zoe. They're your parents, after all." Harrison tilted her face towards his with his finger. "I've got some money too. I'll be happy to help as much as I can."

  Tears stung Zoe's eyes. "You'd really do that for my parents?"

  "We're going to be family, soon, so yes." He ran his fingers lightly through her hair as he gazed into her eyes. "That's what families are for."

  Smiling, Zoe wiped her eyes as waves of warmth washed through her. "I don't know what to say, Harrison. All those years when you wouldn't even speak to your parents, and now you're happy to help mine?"

  "I was young and selfish back then. I now know that family is the only thing that really matters."

  She smiled into his soft, brown eyes, her heart overflowing with love. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed him slowly. As she pulled back from their kiss, she lifted her hand and stroked his cheek. "I love you, Harrison."

  "And I love you too, Zoe." As he lowered his face and continued kissing her, caressing her, for just a moment, Zoe forgot all about the problems her parents were having.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Zoe tried to push away Mum's words, but they'd entwined themselves in her mind and she couldn't shake them off. As she lay in bed in the dark with the fan whirring and wobbling above her, a mixture of anxiety and anger over her parents' situation wove together tightly in her heart and she didn't know where one ended and the other started. Her temples throbbed and her heart ached.

  Just before dawn, she gave up trying to sleep and slipped out of bed and dressed in a clean pair of denim shorts and a lightweight shirt.

  Opening her door quietly, Zoe tip-toed down the hallway towards the kitchen. Despite her care, the old floorboards creaked, and she feared she might wake everyone. Entering the kitchen, Zoe pulled up short—Mum sat at the table with her head in her arms. In front of her a Bible lay open.

  Zoe inched backwards, but a floorboard creaked and Mum looked up. Her cheeks were damp, and her eyes a watery red. "I'm sorry, Mum," Zoe whispered.

  "It's okay, sweetheart. Come and sit down." Mum extended her hand and motioned for Zoe to join her. "How did you sleep?"

  "Not well. I couldn't stop worrying about you and Dad—my head was spinning all night."

  "I've hardly been sleeping either." Mum let out a sigh. "I've been trying not to worry, and although I know God will look after us, I have to keep reminding myself of that because it's so easy to start getting anxious."

  "Harrison and I were talking last night, Mum, and we want to help. We've got some money saved. It won't be enough, but it'll help."

  Mum squeezed Zoe's hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Zoe, sweetheart, I appreciate your kindness, but you and Harrison have got your own lives to be planning for. You'll need your money, especially as we won't be able to pay for your wedding." Mum blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry, Zoe. We should be helping you, not the other way around."

  "It doesn't matter, Mum. We'll have a simple wedding. And you know what?"

  Mum shook her head.

>   "I think we'll have it here."

  Mum raised her brow, an amused look on her face. "You'll have to get married in the next few weeks, then, unless God performs a miracle."

  Zoe lifted her chin. "The bank's not going to turn you out, Mum. I won't let them."

  Mum let out a small chuckle. "I like your determination, Zoe, but all the determination in the world won't change the fact that we don't have any money to make our repayments."

  "Stop talking like that, Mum. I think you and Dad have given up, and that's really sad. The farm's your life, your home, you can't just give up without a fight."

  "We haven't given up, Zoe, but maybe God has other plans for us."

  Zoe's eyebrows narrowed. "Like what?" Why would God want her parents to leave their home?

  Mum shrugged and gave a weak smile. "I don't know yet."

  "Well, Harrison and I will fight for you. We're not going to let you lose the farm without trying everything."

  Mum drew a breath and dabbed her eyes. "I don't see what you can do, Zoe, but if you want to try, I guess we can't stop you." She smiled through her tears. "Thanks, Zoe. And I'm so sorry. This should be a happy time for you."

  "It's okay Mum." Standing, Zoe squeezed Mum's shoulders and gazed outside at the hills in the distance as ideas for how she and Harrison could save the farm took root in her mind. Mum might be prepared to sit back and wait for God to bail them out, but she certainly wasn't.

  Shortly after, Zoe made coffee for both her and Mum and then stepped outside with a mug in her hand. Early morning sunshine streamed through the trees in the distance, splitting the light into a kaleidoscope of colour that shone over the orchard. In the early morning light, it was almost impossible to believe the trees were dying from lack of water.

  Zoe paused and admired the beauty of the morning, her worries momentarily forgotten. A movement from the orchard caught her eye. Peter was heading her way, but he hadn't seen her. How would he cope if the farm was lost? Simple answer—he wouldn't. Zoe's heart went out to her kind and loving younger brother whose disability only served to make him more lovable.