Promises of Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance

by Juliette Duncan

  "Hey Peter, what are you doing?" Zoe waved him over.

  "Just checking the trees. They're dying, Zoe. It's very sad."

  Zoe gave him a hug. "I know it is, Peter. But we'll try to save them."

  His innocent brown eyes lit up. "Really? You're going to save the trees?"

  Zoe gulped. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Peter would now be expecting her to do just that—there was no way he'd forget. "We're going to try, Peter, I can't promise, but we'll try. Okay?"

  "Okay. Zoe's going to save the trees." He grabbed her hand. "Come and look at my house, Zoe." He dragged her towards the one bedroom flat attached to the side of the main house which Dad and Peter had built recently to give him a little independence. Every time Zoe came to visit, Peter dragged her inside. He was so proud of it. A lump formed in Zoe's throat. Just another reason to save the farm.

  "Wipe your feet before you come in, Zoe. Thank you." Peter held the door open for her. "Welcome, Zoe."

  "Thank you, Peter. It's very tidy." Peter's little house was always tidy. Nothing was ever out of place, ever.

  "Yes, tidy is good. Can I make you a drink?"

  "I've already got one, Peter, but thank you."

  "Would you like to sit down?"

  "Okay." Zoe pulled out a chair from under the small table and sat. Sitting across from her, Peter immediately turned on his laptop computer.

  Zoe hooked her feet around the chair legs, and leaning forward, folded her arms on the table. "So what have you been doing, Peter?"

  "Playing chess."

  "On your computer?"

  Peter nodded, a proud grin growing on his face. "I'm good at it, Zoe. I always win."

  "You're very clever, Peter."

  "I know." His face grew serious. "The trees are sick, Zoe. We need to make them better."

  "We're going to try, Peter." Zoe forced a smile but a heavy lump sat in her stomach. How would Peter cope if she failed? She straightened. No time to waste—a plan had to be formulated, and quickly. "I need to get back, Peter. Harrison will be looking for me."

  "Harrison's nice, Zoe. I like him."

  "I like him too, Peter."

  "You love him, Zoe. If you're getting married, you have to love him."

  Zoe laughed again. "Yes, you're right, Peter, I love him, and now I need to get back to him."

  "Okay. Thanks for visiting, Zoe."

  "It's been a pleasure, Peter."

  Zoe's chair scraped against the tiled floor as she pushed it back.

  Peter covered his ears, his body tensing.

  Zoe berated herself—Peter didn't like noise. Reaching out her arm, she placed it lightly on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Peter, I didn't mean to do that."

  He lowered his hands. "It's okay, Zoe. Are you coming to church this morning?"

  Zoe chuckled. She was always surprised at what came out of Peter's mouth, but to be honest, she'd forgotten it was Sunday. "I'm not sure, Peter. I'll have to check with Harrison."

  "He can come too. He can sit beside me."

  Zoe smiled. "He'd like that, Peter. I'll ask him."

  "Okay. See you there, Zoe." He ushered her out the door.

  "Bye, Peter. See you soon." Zoe gave a cheerful wave, but when she turned away the smile slipped from her face. She blinked as she looked around. Could she really save the farm and the trees?

  Harrison was in the kitchen talking with Mum when Zoe entered through the back door. Draping her hand across his shoulder, Zoe leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Sleep well?"

  Covering her hand with his, he looked up. As his deep brown eyes met hers, Zoe's heart skipped a beat. It was so easy to lose herself in those eyes of his.

  A small grin lifted the corner of his mouth. "Not bad. And you?"

  She knew what he was thinking…he would have slept better if she'd agreed to share his bed. She let out a small sigh. Would he ever accept her decision? Besides, Mum and Dad would never approve.

  Straightening, Zoe ran her hand over her hair and tightened her pony tail. "Not so good. Too many things on my mind."

  Mum pushed her chair back and picked up the coffee pot from the kitchen counter. "Another coffee, Zoe? I've just made a fresh pot."

  "Love one, thanks Mum." Zoe sat beside Harrison and slipped her hand onto his leg. "I met Peter outside." Turning her head, she met Harrison's gaze. "He wants us to go to church."

  Harrison's brows shot up.

  "He said you could sit beside him."

  "But we went on Christmas Day, Zoe. That would make it twice in one week…"

  Zoe angled her head. "Is that a problem?"

  Harrison blew out a breath. "Guess not."

  Soon after, Zoe, Harrison, Ruth, Peter and Grandma stood in the shade of the large Poinciana tree waiting for Dad to join them. Zoe fanned her face to generate some breeze. Maybe she was getting soft, but she couldn't recall ever being so hot.

  "Can I go in your car, Harrison?" Peter stood a little too close.

  "Sure." Harrison flashed Zoe a 'please help me' type of look, but she just laughed and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  "I'll go with Mum and Dad and Grandma."

  "Let's go, Harrison." Peter grabbed Harrison's arm and led him towards the sports car parked in the entrance of the big shed.

  Zoe chuckled and waved as Harrison glanced back. Harrison was Peter's new best friend whether he liked it or not.

  Dad soon appeared, and linking her arm through Grandma's, Zoe walked beside her to the car and helped her into the front seat before hopping into the back with Mum.

  A cloud of dust hung over the long gravel driveway. Zoe raised her brow. Harrison had to be driving fast to kick up that much. Peter no doubt was egging him on.

  Grandma turned in her seat, a warm smile on her wrinkly face. "This is nice, all going to church together."

  Smiling, Zoe nodded. "Yes it is, Grandma." And it was. She leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window as memories came to her of Sunday mornings sitting in the back of the car on the way to church with Peter trying to pull her ribbons out. Where had all the years gone? And why hadn't she kept going when she moved to the city?

  Zoe straightened as they approached the small traditional church sitting on top of a hill on the outskirts of town. A narrow band of green grass sat out front, but other than that, the grounds were dry just like everywhere else in town. A number of cars were already parked—Harrison's sports car looked very out of place amongst the large SUV's.

  Out of the corner of her eye, a familiar face caught Zoe's attention. Spiky blond hair, with eyes as blue as the sky and framed by long lashes all the girls were prepared to die for, there was no doubt it was Spencer Coleman, her ex-boyfriend. But what is he doing here? Last Zoe had heard, he was flying high as a pilot based somewhere overseas.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  As Zoe helped Grandma out of the car, both Spencer and Harrison walked towards her. No doubt Peter would also have seen Spencer and told Harrison he used to be her boyfriend. But what did that matter? It was years ago, and they'd both moved on… well she thought they had. But nevertheless, her legs had gone to jelly at the sight of him.

  "Thank you, Zoe. You're such a kind girl." Grandma patted Zoe's hand as she linked her arm through Zoe's.

  Zoe smiled. Just as well Grandma was acting as a buffer. Those blue eyes were getting closer. Zoe's heart thudded so loudly Grandma would have to hear it.

  "Hey, Zoe!" Spencer lifted his hand in a wave as he strode towards her.

  Zoe feigned surprise. "Spencer! I didn't expect to see you here." She leaned in for a kiss, but Harrison's raised eyebrows made her wish she hadn't.

  Shoving his hands into the pockets of his bleached cut-off chinos, Spencer looked way too cool for her liking. "I'm working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Just home for Christmas. And you?" A familiar smile grew on his face and did strange things to her insides. She forced herself to stay focused. She had to. Harrison and Peter were only a step away.

  "The same.
Just home for Christmas." She extended her other arm to Harrison, slipping it around his waist. "Spencer, this is Harrison, my fiancé." She lifted her face and met Harrison's gaze, wincing at his tight expression. "Harrison, this is Spencer, an old friend of mine."

  They shook hands, but Harrison's body had tensed, and Spencer's eyebrows lifted. Zoe's shoulders sagged. Harrison had no reason to be jealous, but she could understand that he might feel a little threatened by Spencer's ease of manner.

  Grandma let go her hold on Zoe's arm. "I'll leave you young people to get on."

  "Oh, Grandma, it's okay. Church is about to start now anyway. We'll walk you in."

  "I'll catch you later, Zoe." Spencer flashed another of his all too familiar smiles. He held out his hand to Harrison again. "Nice to meet you, Harrison."

  Zoe sucked in a breath and placed her hand over Grandma's. Men.

  Harrison cupped her elbow and guided her into the small chapel, choosing a pew on the opposite side to where Spencer was now kneeling with his family. Mum, Dad and Peter followed them in. Mum raised an eyebrow before she and Dad knelt and bowed their heads in prayer. This obviously wasn't where they normally sat. Zoe was tempted to kneel as well but decided against it. Harrison would be feeling uncomfortable enough as it was just being in church since he'd stopped going when he stopped talking to his parents when he was a teenager. Grandma just bowed her head beside Zoe, so Zoe followed suit but let out a sigh as she did.

  This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She'd been looking forward to being in church again, but now? Why did Spencer have to turn up and spoil everything? And how childish Harrison was being... She slumped back against the pew and fanned herself.

  Grandma raised her head and patted Zoe's leg. "Are you okay, Zoe?" Grandma's whispered voice was as sweet as the perfume of the roses that grew in front of her cottage.

  Zoe lowered her head and gently squeezed Grandma's hand. "Yes, I'm okay. Thanks Grandma."

  The organ music grew louder and everyone stood. Zoe helped Grandma to stand and kept hold of her thin arm.

  Standing beside Zoe, Harrison held her other hand a little too tightly.

  The congregation began singing "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less", a hymn Zoe could still sing without looking at the Hymnal Harrison held in front of her. She looked at it anyway.

  As she sang, Zoe's gaze moved slowly around the congregation. So many familiar faces, although the numbers had fallen since she'd last been. Not surprising—many would be visiting family at this time of the year, but several families had left town altogether, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan amongst them. They'd boarded up the Haberdashery store one day and were gone the next, according to Mum. And then there was the Collins' family. Mr. Collins had a fatal tractor accident a year ago, although there was speculation it wasn't an accident after all. Mrs. Collins sold the farm and moved with the four children back to her family in Melbourne.

  But others were still here, including the Coleman family. Zoe was surprised at how much Mr. and Mrs. Coleman had aged. They'd always been youthful looking, but Mr. Coleman's hair was now fully grey, and Mrs. Coleman's arms sagged like an old lady's. But then Zoe's gaze shifted to Spencer and she had a job keeping her heart in check. He'd been her first love, and clearly her heart hadn't forgotten, but nothing good would come of allowing her mind to wander. She pulled it into check and faced the front. The hymn was just finishing, and the words lingered in her mind…"On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

  Once seated again, Zoe leaned in closer to Harrison despite the heat. She couldn't believe they still hadn't air-conditioned the place. Just two old pedestal fans stirred the hot air around.

  Squeezing her shoulder, Harrison kissed the top of her head. Not quite appropriate for a conservative church such as this, but what could she do? And what would the people sitting behind think? Zoe drew in a breath. It didn't matter. Of more importance was what the priest was saying. Zoe sat forward. The priest was so young! Amazing! Never would Zoe have expected these country folk to have welcomed such a young, probably inexperienced priest into their church. Maybe they had no choice. But his smile stretched from ear to ear, and his voice was warm and friendly, unlike the old priest who was so formal and boring.

  As the priest led the congregation in a Common Prayer, Zoe's heart quickened. It was all so familiar. Deciding to kneel this time, she was surprised when Harrison knelt beside her and followed along, albeit quietly. 'Come, let us worship and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, For he is our God; we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.'

  "Amen," Zoe remained kneeling for a moment before retaking her seat. She squeezed Harrison's hand and leaned closer. How much stronger their relationship would be if they both shared a common faith. Was it too much to hope for? Until just the other day, it hadn't been important, in fact, they'd rarely discussed their beliefs even though they'd both grown up in Christian families. But something had been stirring in her spirit since being in church on Christmas Day, and now she was thinking it'd be nice if they were on the same page. If only they'd talked about it before…

  The service continued, and Zoe listened with interest to the sermon. By the sound of it, the young priest understood his congregation. "Don't ever give up hope. In 2nd Corinthians 4, verses 16 to 18, we read, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."" He looked up and paused, his gaze moving around the congregation. Zoe shifted in her seat.

  The priest continued. "As God's precious children, our inheritance is waiting for us in heaven." He paused again. "Some of you are wondering how much longer you can endure here on earth while you wait for that inheritance, and I'm sure you're wondering what good it is if you can't get it now when you need it." He gave an understanding smile. "God knows what we need and He loves us. He'll provide for us in His own time and in His own way. He's promised that He won't let anything happen to us that He won't give us the ability to endure. I know sometimes we question that, but our perception of what we need is different from God's. I encourage you all to submit yourselves to God's sovereign purposes, and in all situations, regardless of how difficult they might seem, pray, 'Your will, Your way, Your time.' Trust Him to give you the inner strength to not just endure your struggles here on earth, but to overcome them and to rejoice in them. We're in God's school, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and Jesus is our teacher. Grow and learn, and welcome challenges as opportunities to become more like Him. God bless you all as you seek to live for Him. Amen."

  Zoe sat in silence as she processed the message. Of late, she'd been so distracted with her study and work and life she'd neglected her faith, but not that long ago, it had been real. God had been real. What had happened? The truth was that her eyes had been so firmly fixed on the here and now, and on being strong in herself, that she'd walked away from Him. She hadn't needed Him, but there'd always been that little spot deep inside her that knew she did. Maybe Mum was right and God would look after them. Zoe gulped.

  The Priest cleared his voice. "Please join me in The Lord's Prayer."

  The congregation knelt. As Zoe prayed the familiar prayer, her heart quickened and the words became her prayer. "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

  Zoe's eyes moistened. Dear God, I'm sorry. You know I love You. Please
forgive me for wandering, and please take me back into Your fold. Forgive me, dear Lord. Thank you.

  As she sat back on her seat, Grandma leaned closer and whispered in Zoe's ear, "Welcome back, Zoe."

  Zoe turned her head and smiled through her tears. Grandma's faith was so genuine and real, and her kind words meant so much. A lump caught in Zoe's throat as she dabbed her eyes.

  Harrison's eyebrows drew together as he leaned his face close to her cheek. "You're not getting all religious, are you, Zoe?" His voice was soft, but his words swept her fuzzy warmth away in an instant.

  Turning her head, she met his deep brown eyes. What could she say? She gave him a warm smile, hoping he'd understand. "No, but I want to live my life with God in it."

  He narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like religion to me."

  Zoe's heart crumbled. The dream of sharing a common faith was disappearing fast. "Surely you understand?"

  "We'll talk about it later."

  Placing his hand in the small of her back, Harrison walked beside her out of the chapel and steered her through the crowd. A smile was planted on his face, but Zoe knew it was forced. God, what's his problem?

  "Leaving so soon, Zoe?"

  Zoe stiffened. The one person she could do without seeing at the moment stood in front of them. "Ah…no. We were just getting a drink."

  "Let me get you one. Coffee?"

  Zoe glanced at Harrison. His smile had slipped. "Thanks, Spencer, but I'll just have water."

  "Harrison?"

  "I can get my own, thanks anyway." He sounded cordial enough, but there was a crisp edge to his voice.

  "Right." Spencer flashed him a puzzled look before stepping towards the drinks' counter and picking up two cups of water and handing one to Zoe.

  Harrison didn't move.

  "A sip?" Zoe lifted her cup.

  Harrison shook his head. "I'm all right, thanks."

  "So what do you do, Harrison?" Spencer stood with his feet apart, one hand in the pocket of his chinos. Zoe couldn't help her heart skipping a beat. So relaxed, unlike Harrison who was as taut as the strings on a violin.