The Wonder of His Love: A Christian Romance (Fostered by Love Book 1)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Finn was relieved that she didn’t want to hang around to talk to Bennett because he didn’t want to view Bennett as competition for Noella’s affections. After she had said good night to Erin, he held the door open for her so they could leave the arena. The night had gotten even colder while they’d been inside, and Finn wished he’d taken the time to warm the vehicle up before coming out with Noella. Snowflakes fell softly, dancing lightly on the night breeze, but Finn knew they wouldn’t add up to much of a snowfall.

  He opened the door for her, grateful that at least the heat worked well in the old beast once he turned it on. After Noella was settled in her seat, Finn rounded the front of the truck and climbed behind the wheel. He started it up and cranked the heat. “It should warm up pretty quickly. She migh’ be auld, but she knows how to heat things up.”

  “Does it get this cold in Scotland?” Noella asked as he backed out of the parking spot.

  “Na. Not even close.” Finn turned out of the parking lot onto a basically empty street. “Winnipeg’s winter weather has definitely been something I’ve had to adjust to.”

  “What made you decide to stay here?” Noella held out her hands to the vent in front of her. “I’ve always thought it would be fun to travel to the UK.”

  Finn found he liked the idea of taking her there himself one day…if she’d give him a chance. “Honestly, I was anxious to make my own way in the world. I love my family, but since I was the youngest, they hovered over me far too much for my likin’. I wanted somethin’ more than was offered to me in Scotland. I was actually born here, so in a sense, it was like coming home even though I’d never lived here beyond those first few months after my birth.”

  “Do you pray about all your decisions or do you believe that God gives us common sense with which to make certain decisions?”

  Finn was surprised at the depth of her question. It wasn’t a question he’d been asked before. “I tend to pray about any decision tha’ has a life changing effect on me. I mean, I don’t pray about what to make for supper or anything like tha’, but when it comes to my future, where to live, who to marry… I definitely do pray for God’s direction. Sometimes I have made some decisions without praying—just relying on my own wisdom and experiences—and often I end up regretting them. Like when I first came to Canada, I thought I’d want to live in Toronto even though my mom cautioned me about it and suggested I give Winnipeg a try. Clearly, I wasn’t willing to listen to anyone’s counsel but my own because it took me two years in Toronto and another two in Vancouver before I decided to pray about where I should live and ended up following my mom’s suggestion. I guess she had been praying about it from day one.”

  “So your mom is happy that you’re living here?” Noella asked.

  “Not in the sense tha’ she misses her son, but she does understand that God has led me here for some reason.”

  Noella shifted on the seat beside him as he came to a stop at a red light. “And have you figured out that reason yet?”

  Finn thought about the repair shop, the trailer park and now Noella. “Yes, I think it’s becoming clearer as time goes on.”

  Silence fell in the cab of the truck as if Noella was considering his response. Were there decisions in her life that she was wondering about? Ones that perhaps she’d used her own wisdom to determine instead of praying for God to guide her?

  “How did you end up as a car mechanic?” Noella asked.

  Finn had anticipated these types of questions as part of their first date, but if Noella wanted to know now, who was he to deflect her inquiries? “I have always enjoyed working on cars. Even as a youngster, I would hang around the men who worked on our family vehicles. By the time I was a teen, I knew I wanted to do something related to cars as my job. I seemed to have a knack for it, and it’s something I truly enjoy.”

  Again there was silence, broken only by the soft strains of the Christmas CD he’d been listening to on the way over to the arena. He was curious to know what had prompted her questions, but too soon they were pulling to a stop in the driveway of the house she shared with Erin. After putting the truck into park, Finn got out and came around to open the door for her.

  “Thank you for the ride home,” Noella said when they stood on the porch a few minutes later. “And also for the hot chocolate.”

  “Ye are welcome for both. It was definitely my pleasure,” Finn assured her. “I’ll see ya Thursday night.”

  He waited for her to make some excuse to break off their date because he sensed a hesitation in her about spending time with him, but instead, she nodded and smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me, too.” Finn reached out to brush away the snowflakes that had settled on Noella’s hair. “Sleep well.”

  Noella looked up at him, her dark eyes wide. He could see her breath as little puffs of air slipped past her lips into the cold night air. Though he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, Finn knew he needed to be patient. His feelings for her had been developing for months now, while he had the feeling that she was only just recently viewing him as something more than a friend.

  “Good night.” Then, before he did something stupid like give in to the urge to spill his feelings for her, Finn turned and made his way back to his truck. As he sat behind the wheel, he looked at the door and saw that Noella was still standing there watching him. Maybe she felt the reluctance to part as much as he did. Given that it was the season of hope, Finn was going to do just that.

  ***

  After changing into her pajamas, Noella went through her nightly bedtime rituals before crawling into bed. As she lay curled on her side, she let her thoughts replay the events of the evening, particularly the ones that involved Finn. When she’d realized that he’d brought her—and no one else at the arena—a drink, it had been more than the hot chocolate that had warmed her. Sitting next to him had been fun, and she’d enjoyed seeing his excitement for the game. It hadn’t been the first time they’d attended a game together, but it had been the first time they’d been seated next to each other. Now that she’d agreed to go on a date with him, it seemed that Finn wasn’t wasting any time in continuing to let her know that he was interested in her.

  The big question in her mind now though was what to do about that interest. Yes, she’d agreed to go out on a date with him, but it wasn’t as if that meant they were engaged or anything. However, she knew she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that it was likely that Finn’s intentions were more serious than she wanted to accept at that moment. Friendly dates were things that could be brushed aside, if and when she came to her senses. Noella was pretty sure that Finn wanted more than just friendship.

  Listening to him talk about his job had been a double edged sword. His passion for the work he did on cars likely meant he wouldn’t just stop working and rely on her to support him, but on the other hand, he didn’t seem to have any aspirations to move beyond working beneath the hoods of cars. She wasn’t sure what a mechanic made, but the fact that he lived in a trailer park made her think his salary wasn’t a lot.

  Noella sighed and turned onto her stomach, grabbing her second pillow and pulling it close. Was it wrong that she wanted security in her life? That she wanted to know that she wasn’t like her mother who had been way too easily swayed by her emotions and feelings? If there was anyone who could bring her own emotions and feelings to the surface, clouding her ability to make rational and smart decisions, it was Finn. That thought scared and excited her at the same time.

  Noella stared at the front of the sanctuary as she waited for the service to begin. It was the first Sunday of Advent, and the platform held a tree and decorations that hadn’t been there the previous week. The tall full evergreen had tons of little white lights on it but no other decorations. There were poinsettias on the other side of the platform, and on the floor in front of the podium, there was a table that held the advent candles, one of which would be lit later in the service according to the program she held. />
  The strains of O Holy Night drifted from the piano as the pianist played the prelude. All around her, people filed into the pews, their conversation muted. When she felt movement beside her, Noella glanced over to see Finn settling onto the pew next to her.

  “Is this seat taken?” he asked with a smile.

  Noella gave a quick shake of her head. “It’s all yours.”

  “Hey, man,” Forrest said as he looked past Erin, gesturing to the spot next to Tennyson. “We saved you a seat.”

  Finn rested his arm on the pew behind Noella as he leaned forward. “Thanks, but I’ve got one here.”

  “I can see that.” Forrest grinned as he winked at Noella.

  Feeling her face flush with heat, Noella bent her head and brushed at some invisible lint on her skirt. She should have known that she’d be the recipient of teasing once her foster brothers—especially Forrest—got wind of any sort of interest a guy had in her.

  As the worship team gathered at the front, Finn sat back but didn’t remove his arm. Noella found that she liked it a little bit too much. She knew it was making a statement, just like him bringing her hot chocolate had. All of Finn’s actions were forcing Noella to really look at how important her initial approach to a relationship was. She needed to give it some serious thought since she hadn’t anticipated agreeing to something like Finn seemed interested in. But, for the moment, she was going to try to enjoy the first Christmas service of the season.

  As they moved through the service, each time they sat back down after standing to sing, Finn would once again put his arm behind her on the pew. She tried not to let it be a distraction since they were in church, but it was hard.

  Just before the message, two young people went to stand beside the table. One held a lit candle while the other took their place behind a microphone. Noella listened as the young woman read about the first candle. The candle of hope. Though she’d sat through services like this many times in the past, this year it was as if her heart had softened toward the season and what it meant. She wasn’t just hearing about the hope of those waiting for Christ’s birth, she was experiencing that hope for the first time herself.

  As they stood to sing after the first candle had been lit, Noella gripped the pew in front of her. She felt Finn’s arm brush hers and listened as his rich voice joined in with the worship team as they began to sing a capella.

  Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

  Born to set thy people free;

  From our fears and sins release us

  Let us find our rest in thee.

  The words of the verse resonated deep within Noella. She was coming to realize how her fears were holding her captive. It was her fears that had held her back from a romantic relationship for so long. And now as she was faced with the opportunity of something more with Finn, her fears seemed determined to send her fleeing in the opposite direction.

  She wanted to be free from her fears, but they were so deeply ingrained. And while the need for financial security was definitely born of her fears, even more powerful was the fear of once again being rejected by someone to whom she gave her heart. Of not being enough for that person to want to have her in their life. If her mother couldn’t love her enough to keep her, why would a man?

  When the pastor got up following the Christmas hymn, he also spoke about the hope of Christ and how they could prepare themselves to do His will. It all gave Noella even more to think about.

  She considered Finn’s responses to her questions the night before. Had he prayed about a relationship with her? From what he’d said, it seemed likely that he would have. Did that mean it was God’s will that she and Finn be together?

  Right then, the usual nervous anticipation she’d been experiencing at the thought of being with Finn was absent and it scared her more than it appealed to her. She glanced over at Finn who had his head bent over a well-worn Bible. Being totally open and vulnerable to a man was never something she’d planned to be, but Finn, with his stew and cookies, hot chocolate and rides home, helping her out with her car and being so engaging, was slowly chipping away at her resistance to the idea. Maybe he was different from the men who’d waltzed in and out of her mother’s life. Maybe he wasn’t looking for a vulnerable, gullible woman to take advantage of. From what she’d seen in the year she’d known him, he certainly didn’t seem to be that sort of man.

  As they stood to sing the final song before being dismissed, Noella wasn’t completely convinced she should abandon her original plan, but for the time being, she would give Finn the benefit of the doubt. She would try to trust that what she’d seen of him so far would carry over into a relationship with him. If he took advantage of that trust, she’d chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on, remembering that experience for any future relationship she might decide to pursue. Now if she could just do that all without getting hurt.

  ***

  “I see why you guys asked me to come along,” Finn said with a grin as they strapped the tree into the bed of his truck. “Why aren’t we puttin’ this in the back of Forrest’s truck?”

  Noella laughed. “He whined so much last year about his truck getting scratched that we decided to never ever ask him again.”

  “Well, my girl is more than happy to be the mode of transportation for such a fine tree.”

  “When are you going to trade in that bucket of bolts for a more dependable ride?” Forrest asked as he glanced between his shiny red truck and Finn’s less than shiny, slightly rusted black one.

  “She’s dependable enough.” Finn patted the door of the truck. “I’ll know when it’s time for a new one.”

  “Yeah, like when she leaves you stranded at the side of the road in the middle of winter,” Tennyson chimed in. “I really do think you should look into getting another one. You’re gonna be lucky to make it through winter.”

  Finn knew they were right, but as long as the truck was running relatively trouble free, he couldn’t be bothered to spend the time or money to get a new one. “We’ll see how it goes the next few months. At the very least, you should be glad I have this old girl or you would be haulin’ a Christmas tree in your shiny new truck.”

  After the guys had agreed that Finn’s truck was just fine as she was, they finished helping him make sure the tree was secure. Once everyone was satisfied, Tennyson climbed into the cab of Finn’s truck while Erin and Noella got into Forrest’s.

  “Oh, were you hoping for someone else to ride with you?” Tennyson asked when he looked up from buckling his seatbelt to find Finn watching him.

  “It did cross mah mind,” Finn commented as he put the truck into gear and followed Forrest onto the road that led from the Christmas tree farm to the highway.

  “And to think at one time, you were happy to have me in your truck.” Tennyson reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. “Thrown over for a girl.”

  “But not just any girl.” Finn pressed down on the accelerator, frowning as it seemed to be a bit sluggish at picking up speed. It was as if the talk about the age of the truck had somehow jinxed it.

  “Not just any girl?” Tennyson prompted.

  Finn glanced over at the man, trying to recall what he had been about to say. “Uh yeah…not just any girl. A very special girl.”

  “Yep. She is that. And the fact that she’s letting you get anywhere near her is pretty close to a miracle,” Tennyson said as he leaned forward to adjust the vent in front of him.

  “I’ve gathered as much,” Finn said. He was tempted to pump Tennyson for more information, but he really would rather get the information from Noella herself. The guys had mentioned a few things about her off and on over the past few months but hadn’t said anything too specific.

  The things he cared about when it came to Noella were things he had observed about her over the past year. The way she cared for others. Though she hadn’t told him herself, Erin had mentioned how Noella took the leftover pastries from the bakery to a shelter for battered women and children. He’d
seen her caring for her siblings and the foster family she was a part of. Also, Finn saw the way she put her heart and soul into the business she shared with Erin. Noella was not a woman who did things in half measures.

  What he struggled to understand, though, was her interest in Bennett McFadden. Not that there was anything wrong with the guy, but if she was truly interested in the other man, why had she agreed when he asked her out on a date? Was he her second choice because Bennett apparently hadn’t felt the same way she did?

  7

  Not liking the way his thoughts were going, Finn pushed them aside and focused on what Tennyson was saying as they followed Forrest back to the house.

  “You and Forrest don’t get a tree as well?” Finn asked as he pulled into the driveway.

  “No. Neither of us wants the hassle of taking it down,” Tennyson said with a shake of his head. “The girls are happy to help us put the tree up, but they’re nowhere to be found when it’s time to take it down. The first year we were in the house for Christmas, we ended up finally taking the tree down sometime in March. Lesson learned. We just enjoy all the decorations at the girls’ house and at Mama and Pop’s place.”

  They got out of the truck and joined Forrest at the back of it to unstrap the tree. The women opened the door and waited for the three of them to finagle it into the house. Once they had it in the living room, Erin directed them how to put it into the stand she had prepared for the tree. Noella disappeared while they were doing that but reappeared a short time later with a tray of mugs and a plate of cookies.

  “Hot chocolate,” she said as she set it on the coffee table. “Help yourselves.”

  Finn and the guys strung the lights on the tree but then sat back to watch as Erin and Noella did the rest of the decorating. When he offered to help, Finn was told that it was better to just let the ladies take care of it as they would likely move any decoration he hung anyway.

  So, with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands, Finn watched as Noella laughed, smiled and sang along with the Christmas carols playing wafting from the speakers that someone had hooked their phone up to. When the tree was decorated, Noella helped herself to a cookie and sat down on the loveseat beside Finn. It was encouraging to him that she wasn’t trying to keep a distance between them. When he’d initially started to show his interest in her, it had seemed as if she wasn’t sure about how to react to him.