Tormented Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 3)

by Juliette Duncan

  Chapter 20

  Over the following weeks, Ben and Tessa worked alongside Elliott and the others in laying the wooden floor of the school building, assembling desks and installing chalkboards. They also worked on the playground construction. Tessa loved watching Ben work. Although more at home with spreadsheets and figures, he hammered and sawed, dug and shoveled, and came home each night complaining about blisters and sunburn, but he was happier than Tessa had ever seen him.

  But Jayden was never far from their thoughts. Each night Ben and Tessa prayed for him. They prayed for his safety, and pleaded with God to continue knocking on the door of his heart. And they never ceased praying for his return.

  Every morning, Ben checked his emails on the mission’s computer. Occasionally there’d be an email from Neil, but never one from Jayden. One morning Ben came back with a worried look on his face.

  “Is there news?” Tessa’s heart went into freefall as she immediately imagined the worst. She grabbed Ben’s hand as he sat beside her at the table and peered into his eyes.

  Ben sighed. “Not really. Just an email from Neil.”

  Tessa raised a brow. “What did he say?”

  “It’s what he didn’t say that’s concerning me.” He paused and met Tessa’s gaze. “I think something’s happened to Jayden he’s not telling us.”

  “Like what?”

  Ben sighed deeply. “I don’t know, Tess. It’s just a feeling.”

  Tessa held Ben’s gaze and tried to push the negative thoughts she’d had to the back of her mind, but she couldn’t help wondering what might have happened.

  “Do you think he’s hurt? Or in danger?”

  “Tessa, I said I don’t know. Normally Neil says that Jayden’s having a ball over there, but this time all he said was that Jayden was okay.” Ben paused, drawing in a deep breath. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it.”

  “Can you ask Neil?”

  “I did, but I’m not expecting him to let on.”

  Silence filled the air for several seconds.

  “I think we should try to see him.”

  Tessa nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “Yes, we should, Ben.”

  “Come on you two love birds. Break’s over.” Elliott stood at the end of the table with his arms folded, an amused look on his face.

  Ben squeezed her hand. “Just the person we wanted to see…”

  After Ben explained what had happened, Elliott was only too happy to give them as long as they needed. Ben booked seats on the first flight he could get from Guayaquil to Austin, Texas. They’d leave on Monday morning, the day after tomorrow.

  That Sunday, everyone living on the mission grounds and a few others living nearby, gathered together in the church building for worship and preaching like they did every Sunday.

  The only musical instruments the church had was Trevor's guitar, which he played expertly, and a pair of tambourines that Penny and one of the locals shook in time to the beat. A wooden crate, emptied of its store of oranges, served as a drum which nine-year old Santiago banged on with fervour. Everyone joined in singing the mixture of English and Spanish songs. Ben and Tessa had quickly learned the words to the English songs. They listened when the Spanish ones were sung, understanding a few words here and there.

  Tessa hummed along, but tears pricked her eyes when Maria stood and began singing "Amazing Grace" unaccompanied in Spanish. She squeezed Ben’s hand and closed her eyes. Lord, please let Jayden know your amazing grace. Be with us as we go to him, and let his heart not only be open to us, but to you also, dear Lord. Although weighed down by thoughts of Jayden, God’s presence was real and Tessa was comforted by the knowledge that he cared more for Jayden than either she or Ben ever could, and they could trust him to do whatever was necessary to bring Jayden to salvation. And home.

  Larry had been scheduled to preach, but at the last moment had taken ill. Tessa smiled as Elliott stood and walked to the front. When he’d spoken to the youth group at Gracepointe Church several years ago, his preaching had been very ordinary. She expected him now to speak God’s word with passion and skill. He’d grown in maturity, both as a man and as a Christian, and Tessa’s heart swelled with pride as Elliott smiled warmly at the eager faces waiting for a message from God.

  Tessa wished she knew what he was saying, but when he finished and the familiar tune of “What a friend we have in Jesus” began to play, she smiled. Yes, Lord, what a privilege it is to carry everything to you in prayer.

  Monday morning came quickly, and before they knew it, Ben and Tessa were in the air flying towards Texas with hope in their hearts. Neil had given them the last address he had for Jayden, and they gave this to the taxi driver at the airport. Jayden’s ninety days were up, and it was possible, no probable, that he and Kathryn had moved on again. But they had to at least try.

  Being mid-afternoon, they would hopefully catch Jayden on his way home from school and avoid seeing Kathryn. If they were still there.

  Ben sat quietly beside Tessa in the back seat of the taxi. Her palms were sweaty, as were Ben’s, despite the cool of the day.

  “Nervous?” Tessa looked up into Ben’s eyes.

  He nodded, shifting in his seat.

  She squeezed his hand.

  Tessa tried to steady her breathing as the taxi whizzed down the freeway and turned off into a suburb full of older apartments, many in need of a refurb. One corner block was covered in graffiti that someone had tried to remove without success, just making a bigger mess instead. Tessa jolted forward as a youth wearing torn jeans and a baseball cap backwards crossed the road ahead of them. He was listening to music by the way his head was moving. Not Jayden, surely? She turned her head as they passed and let out a breath. Not Jayden.

  But surely they were in the wrong suburb? The Kathryn Ben had described wouldn’t live in a suburb like this. Would she?

  The taxi slowed, pulling up in front of an apartment building that looked the same as the others. Three stories high, dark brown brick. No garden. A row of mailboxes, some overflowing with junk mail possibly months old.

  “Can you wait?” Ben leaned forward, offering the taxi driver money.

  The taxi driver turned slightly in his seat and shook his head. “Got another job, sorry.” He handed Ben a card. “Call when you’re ready and I’ll come back.”

  Ben paid the fare and thanked him before he sped off, leaving them standing on the pavement with their suitcase between them.

  Tessa glanced at the building and her heart fell. Somehow she knew this was a mistake.

  “What do we do, Ben?” Tessa tried to keep her voice steady, but it wobbled a little.

  “I’m not sure, Tess. Wait, I guess.”

  Tessa swallowed the lump in her throat. They stood out like sore thumbs. She shivered as a cold breeze hit them, picking up some of the loose junk mail, and sending it further down the street to lay there until another blast came through.

  “Shall we knock?” Tessa lifted her gaze to Ben’s. A look of hopelessness filled his eyes. She reached for his hand.

  “A few minutes?”

  Tessa nodded. They shifted to the other side of the road and stood against a brick wall. A car rounded the corner and they both looked up. Kathryn? It kept driving. Tessa let out her breath.

  A boy of about twelve on a skateboard stopped in front of them. “Can I help you?” His Texan drawl was heavily pronounced.

  “Thanks, but we’re waiting for someone.” Ben’s voice sounded so obviously Australian.

  “Okay.” The boy hopped back onto the board and skated off.

  Minutes passed. The lump in Tessa’s throat slipped to her stomach.

  A long yellow bus came down the street and slowed, stopping a little to their right on the opposite side of the road. Tessa’s pulse raced. They glanced at each other. A school bus.

  The bus drove off. Three girls had hopped off and they chatted as they walked the other way. A boy of about Jayden’s age stood checking his phone and then headed to
wards the apartment building.

  Tessa’s shoulders slumped. “It’s not him, Ben.”

  “No.”

  “Maybe we could ask if he knows Jayden?” Tessa glanced at the boy disappearing up the stairs.

  Ben’s shoulders lifted. “It’s worth a try.” He picked up the suitcase and stepped off the curb.

  Tessa took a breath and then sprinted across the road, leaving Ben in her wake. “Excuse me. Hello.” She was panting.

  The boy stopped and turned around, a puzzled expression in his face. “Me?”

  “Yes, sorry. We,” Tessa held her chest and turned, motioning to Ben to hurry, “we were just wondering if you know a boy called Jayden? He’s about your age, and he’s Australian.”

  A shadow slipped across the boy’s face. “Yeah, I knew him.”

  Ben placed the suitcase on the ground beside Tessa and stepped closer to the boy. “Knew him?”

  The boy leaned on the railing, chewing gum. “Yeah. He lived here for a while, but then one day, he and his mom disappeared. Gone, just like that.” He cocked his head. “You his dad?”

  Tessa grabbed Ben’s hand. The colour had drained from his face.

  “Yes.” Ben’s voice was not much more than a whisper.

  Tessa’s heart thumped. This was their worst nightmare. She sucked in a breath and looked at the boy. “Do you know where they went?”

  The boy shook his head and shrugged. “No idea. Like I said, they just disappeared. One day they were here, next day they were gone.”

  “Was Jayden…” Tessa gulped and took another breath. Her voice softened. “How was Jayden? Was he okay?”

  “Yeah, he’s a cool dude. Straight. A bit boring.” He glanced at Ben. “Sorry.”

  The boy’s comment brought a smile to Tessa’s mouth and heartened her. She squeezed Ben’s hand. Jayden was okay. They may not know where he was, but he was okay.

  “Can you tell us anything else?”

  The boy lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. “He talked about you sometimes. Said he missed you.”

  Tears pricked Tessa’s eyes. She glanced at Ben. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

  “Anyway, I got to mind my little sister.”

  Tessa smiled warmly at the boy. “Thank you, ah… sorry, we didn’t even get your name.”

  “Roger.”

  “Thank you, Roger. It’s been great talking with you.” Tessa twisted, pulling a notebook and a pen from her purse. “If you hear from him, could you let us know? I’ll give you our contact details.”

  “Sure, but I doubt I will. They left before Christmas, and I haven’t talked with him since.”

  “You never know. He might call.”

  Roger shrugged, but took the paper anyway.

  “Thank you.” Tessa gulped as Roger turned and headed on his way, lifting his hand in a half wave.

  With Roger gone, Tessa turned and faced Ben. He looked crestfallen. His shoulders hung low and his eyes had a vacant stare. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around, pulling him close. “At least we know he’s okay.”

  Ben’s chest rose and fell with measured breaths. Eventually he pulled away, staring at his hands momentarily before lifting his gaze to meet Tessa’s.

  “I want to lodge a missing person’s file, Tess.” He held her gaze. Despite the obvious heaviness of disappointment, his eyes held resolve.

  Tessa rubbed his arms. “That’s a great idea, Ben.” She didn’t have the heart to say what she thought.

  Ben called the number on the card given to him by the taxi driver, and within fifteen minutes they’d arrived at the local Police Station. It took an hour for the report to be lodged. With very few details available, they were given little chance of having Jayden and Kathryn found, but the police would put the alert out. They were officially listed as missing persons.

  “I’d like to look for them, Tess,” Ben said later that night after they’d settled into their hotel.

  “And where would you start looking, Ben?” Tessa held his gaze.

  He exhaled slowly. “I have no idea.”

  “God knows where Jayden is, Ben. And he’s okay. I feel it in my heart.” Tears rolled from her eyes as the assurance that Jayden was truly okay settled deep within her.

  Chapter 21

  The next day, Ben and Tessa sat in the boarding lounge of Austin International Airport, waiting for their return flight to Guayaquil. Ben rubbed his forehead and drew a slow breath. “I feel like we failed him, Tess. If we’d gone earlier, we might have convinced Jayden to come home.”

  “Oh Ben, don’t start beating yourself up again. You know as well as I that we can’t change the past.” Tessa squeezed his hand and gazed into his eyes. “But I have a sense of peace. I really believe Jayden’s okay, wherever he is.

  “You’re always so confident, Tess, but I have my doubts.” Ben drew another breath, letting it out slowly before lifting his chin. “But I’m determined not to let it get me down this time. I’ve learned a lot by being at the mission, and I know that all I can do now is leave Jayden in God’s hands.”

  Tessa gave him the warmest smile, her eyes sparkling like they had when they first met at puppy classes which now seemed so long ago. Too much had happened since then.

  “Ben,” Tessa shifted in her seat, her expression growing serious. “I think I’d like to extend our time at the mission if we can. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to go home yet.”

  Ben held her gaze, his mind ticking. The thought of going home to Brisbane without Jayden left a heaviness in his heart. Maybe Tess was right. Maybe they should stay longer. Images of the happy, smiling faces of the village children floated through his mind, bringing a smile to his lips. The children had brought such joy into both his and Tessa’s lives, and the prospect of going home to a sterile, empty, quiet house held no appeal. His pulse quickened. Was this God’s providence and leading? He’d never been one to actually feel God in his life; he was too practical for that, but being in the village where God was so real had helped him to open his heart to the spirit of God, changing him slowly from a facts and figures man to one who could feel. One who had compassion. And joy. And peace. Yes, despite some lingering doubts about whether Jayden would ever come home, peace was growing in his heart.

  He took Tessa’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m not either, Tess. I’d like to stay.”

  Tessa’s eyes lit up. “Oh Ben, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy!” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw her arms around him and hugged him.

  Back at the mission, Ben and Tessa knocked tentatively on the office door.

  Elliott and Larry had their heads down, deep in conversation.

  “We’d better come back later,” Ben whispered to Tessa.

  Elliott looked up, his mouth curving into a smile as he caught sight of them. “Come in, come in.”

  “We don’t want to intrude. We can come back later.” Ben turned to leave.

  “No, it’s fine. Come in.” Larry stood, motioning for them to take a seat.

  “Thank you, Larry, Elliott.” Ben shook their hands and took a seat. Tessa sat beside him. Since their discussion earlier that day, Tessa hadn’t been able to sit still, but he’d convinced her to let him take the lead.

  “Sorry to hear about your son, Ben. It must have been heart-breaking for you.” Larry’s eyes were soft and his tone quiet.

  Ben gulped. So much for his resolve to be strong. He cleared his throat. Tessa squeezed his hand. He drew a breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you, Larry. Yes, it was very disappointing, but we just have to trust he’s okay and that he’s eventually found.” Ben swallowed the lump in his throat.

  “We’re all praying for you.” Larry gave them both a genuinely warm smile.

  “Thank you, we appreciate it.”

  “So, only a week left for you guys. We’ll miss you.” Larry straightened, crossing his legs.

  Ben glanced quickly at Tessa. She gave him a nod as their eyes met. He turned his atte
ntion back to Larry and cleared his throat. “That’s what we’ve come to talk about.”

  Elliott leaned forward, his eyes widening. “Have you decided to stay?”

  Ben couldn’t help himself—Elliott was so like Tess. He let out a chuckle. “How did you know?”

  Elliott shrugged. “It gets in your blood. Once you get to know the people, it’s hard to leave.” His expression grew serious. “Plus I know how hard it must be for you to think about going home still not knowing anything about Jayden.”

  Ben drew a breath. “Yes, but we don’t want to use the mission as an escape. We need to be useful. If you don’t need us, we’ll go home.” Ben paused and glanced at Tessa. Her eyes were bright, filled with emotion. “We don’t want to be a burden.”

  “You’d never be a burden. Either of you,” Larry said quietly.

  “Thank you, Larry. That’s so kind.” Tessa sniffed.

  “Penny would love you to stay, Tessa. She’s enjoyed having you here.” Larry gave her a warm smile and turned his gaze to Ben. “And Ben, we’ve appreciated you, too. As far as I’m concerned, you can stay as long as you like. You’re part of the family.”

  Ben’s eyes flickered as a sense of belonging flowed through his body. It was nice to be appreciated and wanted, but what role would he play now that the playground and school were finished? Tessa had so many more skills than he. Maybe he could offer to do the mission’s books. He returned Larry’s smile. “Thank you, Larry. But what would you need us to do now that the playground’s finished? I’m not sure I’m the best person for any more construction work.” He let out a small chuckle as a memory of his first few days on the job flashed through his mind. They must have wondered why he’d volunteered.

  “Oh, you did all right, Ben.” Tessa slapped him fondly on the arm.

  “Not sure about that.” He let out another chuckle before turning his attention back to Larry. “Any thoughts?”