When There is Love: A Christian Romance (The McKinleys Book 3) Read online

  Trent’s brows drew together as he frowned. “Why?”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted that to have been part of our friendship. I would have felt like I owed you something I could never repay, but I would have still felt obliged to try.”

  Trent straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. “And you don’t feel that way about Lucas?”

  “No, I don’t. He’s already practically family, but more than that, he has a part of his company that deals with situations like mine. He didn’t run mine through that division because it would likely be seen as a conflict of interest since he’s so close to our family, but just knowing that this is something he’s done for others made it easier for me to accept.”

  “You never even mentioned that you were considering surgery this seriously. You talked about it briefly that first day I saw you on crutches but then never after that,” Trent said.

  “I’ve been able to put it off for a few years, but in the last few months it seemed to get significantly worse which is why I ended up back on crutches all the time. Up until that point, I just tried to give my hip a break by using the crutches when I was by myself. I didn’t want my folks to know how bad it had gotten. But when it got to where I had to decide between letting them know or falling and possibly doing more damage, I had to tuck my pride into my back pocket and resort to the crutches.”

  “Were you in much pain?”

  She saw the concern and care in Trent’s gaze and felt her heart clench. Now was not the time to think about how she felt about him. It would be too easy to misread his actions and concerned words when she was feeling vulnerable on so many levels.

  “I was, but not anymore. Of course, right now it’s the drugs that are helping with that, but I remember from last time that once the pain from the incision goes away, there should be no pain from the hip itself.”

  “Hey, Victoria,” Eric said as he walked into the room. He smiled when he saw Trent. “Glad you were able to make it up.”

  He settled into another chair, and the three of them chatted until her mom returned. Eric and Trent left briefly to go get something to eat. In that time, her dad and Brooke showed up and, a short time later, so did Alicia. Brooke didn’t stay too long since she had to pick Danny up from Lucas’s mom’s house. Alicia stayed a while longer but then she left as well. Trent and Eric and her parents stayed until visiting hours were over before saying goodnight and leaving her on her own. Her mother had been reluctant to go, but the nurses had assured her they’d take good care of her baby girl.

  Once everyone had gone, Victoria settled down with her tablet to read a little before trying to sleep. She hadn’t gotten very far before the nurses came in to check her bandages and make sure her pain was still under control.

  She’d just started to read again when her phone chirped. Frowning, she reached for it and saw she had a text from Trent.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  WHAT happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?

  Victoria stared at it for a moment then replied. I don’t know. What?

  It gets toad.

  It was so dumb she couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. Haha

  What did the duck say when she bought lipstick?

  I don’t know.

  Put it on my bill.

  Oh my goodness. Where are you getting these? Badjokesareus.com? LOL

  You don’t like my jokes?

  Wellll….

  Last one: What nails do carpenters hate to hit?

  Hah. I know this one. Fingernails.

  Smartie.  Well, I’ll let you sleep now…just wanted to make you smile.

  You succeeded! Thank you. Have a good night.

  You, too, babe. Goodnight.

  Victoria lowered her phone and leaned back against her pillows, a smile on her face. Yes, he had succeeded in making her smile and lifting her spirits. But most of all, he’d taken another little piece of her heart. Not many more and he’d have it all…but did it matter to him?

  Trent wanted to take another gift up to the hospital but didn’t want to bring more flowers. He stopped at Walmart on his way and after looking around for a bit, he picked up a stuffed bear, a big candy bar and a couple of puzzle books. He didn’t know how long she was going to be in the hospital but figured he’d bring her something to keep her busy if it were more than a day or two.

  He poked his head in and saw that it was just Mrs. McKinley and Victoria there. Victoria looked like she was asleep, but her mom looked up from the book in her hand as he stepped into the room. A smile spread across her face.

  “Hi, Trent. C’mon in.” She waved him over.

  Victoria turned her head and opened her eyes as he walked to where her mom sat. She smiled at him, but he could see there was strain on her face.

  “I’m going to go get something to drink,” her mom said as she stood up. “You can have my seat, Trent.”

  After she had left, he turned toward the bed and held out the stuffed bear. “Thought you might like some company.”

  Another quick smile crossed her face as she took the bear and ran her fingers over its fur. “Thank you, Trent. He’s cute.”

  “Um, the bow around the neck is pink…pretty sure that makes it a she.”

  This time the smile she gave him lingered a bit longer. “Men secure in their masculinity wear pink. It’s a he.”

  Returning her smile, he pulled the chair her mom had vacated closer to the bed and sat down. “I also brought you some chocolate and puzzle books in case you get bored.”

  He reached out to set them on the small table that was in place over her bed. She immediately picked up the chocolate bar and ran a finger under the wrapper to open it.

  “How did you know this was my favorite?” she asked as she broke off a piece of the chocolate and put it into her mouth.

  “I saw one sitting on your counter while I was there one day. And I figured if you didn’t like it, I’d eat it since it happens to be a favorite of mine, too. Of course, I’ll eat pretty much anything that involves chocolate and nuts.”

  She broke off another piece and held it out to him. “Thank you. It was just what I needed.”

  “Bad day?” Trent asked. He popped the square into his mouth and let it melt a bit before chewing it.

  “Just a little. I turned wrong at some point and something happened with the incision, so they had to check it to make sure I hadn’t torn a stitch out. It was bleeding, but thankfully nothing had torn, although they did have to re-bandage it. So I was in a bit more pain today.” She looked away from him and took a quick breath and let it out.

  When her eyelashes fluttered, Trent realized she was holding back tears. He scooted the chair forward so he could take her hand. It felt so small and fragile in his even though he knew it was anything but. “Hey now. You know you don’t need to be strong all the time.”

  Her head dipped forward, and a large tear ran down her cheek and dropped onto the sheet covering her hips and legs. She took a couple of deep breaths, and her grip on his hand tightened, but she still didn’t look at him. “It’s just been hard with Mom here, too. I couldn’t be completely honest about the pain levels because I didn’t want her to worry.”

  “I understand. But I’m here and I can handle it, so if you need a shoulder to cry on…”

  She looked at him, her eyes like melted chocolate. “Thank you.”

  He wished he could just scoop her up and hold her close so she could have a good cry, but physical limitations aside, that wasn’t his place. Yet. “Has the pain lessened now?”

  “Pretty much. Mom went to the bathroom while the nurse was here, and I was able to tell her I needed more. That was about forty-five minutes ago, so it’s finally taking effect.” Her shoulders slumped a little. “I was supposed to get out of bed for a bit today, but after that happened they want me to wait so I don’t aggravate things further.”

  “Just take it slow, babe. In a month, this will all be behind you. You’ll look back and realize this was j
ust a blip on the road to recovery, not a significant setback.”

  She took another deep breath and blew it out. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to fall apart on you.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for. What me to tell you some more jokes?”

  That got a smile from her, and the moisture in her eyes disappeared. “You can save those for later.” She gave his hand a squeeze and then loosened her grip.

  He took that as a sign and let his hand slip from hers. Leaning back in the chair, Trent stretched his legs out under the edge of her bed. “I’ve got a million of them.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Have you and Danny been having conversations? That kid has a million of them, too.”

  Trent winked at her, happy to see the strain had eased from her face. “I never reveal my sources.”

  “You boys always stick together,” Victoria said as she reached for another piece of chocolate. “So, tell me how your day went. It had to be better than mine.”

  “Only in that I’m not in a hospital bed.” Trent let out a sigh. “Had to update Marcus on the information we’ve gathered after the hacking attempt. I should have done it last week but had to go on that trip with Than instead. Anyway, it wasn’t the news I had hoped to be able to give him. Even with all the coding we had to analyze and the fact that Tracer got close to finding his location, we still have no idea who it was or why they targeted BlackThorpe.”

  Before she could respond, there was noise at the door, and Trent looked over to see Eric come into the room with his family and his mom.

  “Auntie Tori!” Sarah dashed over to the far side of the bed and rested her arms and chin on the edge of it. “Are you feeling better?”

  Victoria reached out and stroked the blonde hair of her niece. “Now that you’re here, I’m feeling perfect. How are you doing?”

  Trent grinned as he listened to the little girl recount pretty much every move she’d made that day. He looked up at Eric, not surprised to see him regarding his daughter with unabashed adoration. Staci, on the other hand, just smiled and shook her head. Something told Trent that she heard a lot more of Sarah’s ramblings than Eric did.

  She moved closer to her husband, and Eric reached out to pull her against his side. Though they weren’t over the top with kissing or anything like that, they were one of the most affectionate couples Trent had ever been around. It was rare when they were in the same room that they weren’t connected in some away, whether it was holding hands, hugging or having their arms around each other. He was glad that his friend had found such happiness after the pain of discovering that he’d missed the first five years of his daughter’s life.

  “Do you need anything?” Caroline McKinley said when Sarah finally finished her account of her day. “More pain pills? Some water?”

  “I’m fine, Mom.”

  Trent stood up and motioned for Caroline to take his chair. There were others in the room, but this one was closest to her daughter. He went to stand next to Eric and Staci.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here again,” Eric said, his gaze steady on him.

  Trent shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else to do. Figured I’d come see how she was doing.”

  “I’m sure she appreciated that,” Eric said as he looked to where Victoria sat.

  They were interrupted by someone bringing Victoria’s dinner. Her dad arrived around the same time so Trent went with Eric, Staci and Sarah to the cafeteria. When they returned an hour later, Caroline and Doug went down to get something to eat.

  While they were chatting, Brooke and Lucas showed up, hand in hand.

  “How are you feeling, Victoria?” Lucas asked as they approached her bedside. “You’re looking great.”

  Victoria smiled. “I’m doing better. Thank you.”

  “Are they treating you well?” Brooke asked, concern in her eyes.

  “Yep. Can’t complain at all about the staff. They’ve been nothing but helpful. I do wish Mom wouldn’t hover quite so much, but I remember that from the last time, too. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to handle that much hovering for the next few weeks.”

  Brooke laughed. “Better you than me, sweetheart. That would definitely send me round the bend.”

  “Is that your way of saying you wouldn’t want me to hover over you if you were feeling sick? Even though our vows will say in sickness and in health?” Lucas asked with a grin.

  Brooke reached up to cup his cheek. “Oh, no. You can hover all you want. In fact, I insist on you hovering over me. Every single day for the rest of our lives.”

  It was then that Trent spotted the ring on Brooke’s hand as she lowered it to her side. “Hey! Are congratulations in order?”

  Brooke looked at him and raised her hand again. “Oh, you mean this?”

  “Uh. Yeah. That.”

  “They got engaged Friday night,” Victoria told him.

  “Well, congratulations, you two.” Trent went around the bed to shake Lucas’s hand and give Brooke a hug. “Guess you didn’t need to catch the bouquet or garter after all, eh?”

  As the group laughed, Trent wondered if there would come a point that he’d be able to make a similar announcement with Victoria. He just kept telling himself to be patient. She had a lot on her plate at the moment. And while he wasn’t going to push her for anything just yet, it was hard to wait. He’d thought he’d already lost her once and didn’t want to risk that again.

  For now he’d focus on their friendship. He was going to be the best friend she’d ever had. Friendship was always a good basis for a relationship, and they were going to have a great friendship on which to build. That was his goal anyway.

  Not wanting to intrude on their family time, Trent edged close to the bed and touched her hand. “I’m going to go. Have a good night. And if you need some jokes, just text me.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I will. Thank you. For everything.”

  “Anytime, babe.” He straightened and said goodbye to the rest of the family before leaving the room. He knew they were curious about what was going on between him and Victoria, but he wasn’t going to be giving up any details until he was more sure of that himself.

  Victoria found herself watching the clock the next afternoon. She knew that Trent usually worked until five, and the two nights he’d come to the hospital, he’d been there by five thirty. Though she was still stuck in the bed for the most part, her mom had helped her with her hair, and she’d put on a bit of makeup. After two days of looking blah, it had been a definite mood booster to feel like she looked more like her normal self.

  Her mom had had a dinner date with her dad and some friends, so Victoria was alone when Trent showed up, once again bearing gifts.

  She lifted her eyebrows when he handed her another bear. It was similar to the one he’d brought the previous day except the fur was a different color and the ribbon was blue.

  “I thought Mr. Bear could use some company from Miss Bear,” he said as she took it.

  She gave the bear a squeeze and stroked its fur. “So no choice this time, huh? Definitely female?”

  “Definitely female,” Trent said as he set another chocolate bar on the table. He also put down a bottle of her favorite drink. “Thought you might be missing this, too.”

  Her heart clenched at how he thoughtful he was to remember the things she liked. “I have been missing it.”

  Trent picked the bottle back up and twisted off the lid before handing it to her. “Enjoy.”

  He settled into the chair as he had the day before. “No one here today?”

  “Mom was here earlier, but she and Dad had dinner plans with friends who were just passing through on their way to Chicago.” She shifted a little. “They got me out of bed for a bit.”

  Trent looked pleasantly surprised at the news. “Really? How did that go?”

  “Well, I won’t be running races any time soon, and I’m still on crutches, but it went pretty good. It’s a start.”

  And bein
g able to move around had meant the removal of a few other things that had been necessary but somewhat uncomfortable. They wanted to make sure all parts of her body were working correctly before even discussing a going-home plan. She really hoped they’d let her leave the hospital by the weekend. Being in her own home would be a wonderful thing.

  It ended up being Saturday before Victoria was finally discharged from the hospital. She had been going crazy even though she knew it was the best place to be until the doctor cleared her to leave. They sent her home with a wheelchair as well, though she was determined to use it as little as possible. But she was thankful that her house was all one level in case she did need it.

  Her mom had been at the house during the day on Saturday to prepare dinner for the family except for Brooke, Lucas and Danny who had other plans. Trent was there once again, and no one seemed surprised to see him around anymore. He had stopped showing up with a gift each time, although he still did bring chocolate when he noticed she was out.

  Sleeping in her own bed that night was heaven. It was so much more restful without having the nurses coming in and out to check on her. Each day she’d gotten better at maneuvering on her crutches while still being careful to not aggravate the incision. It would still be a little bit longer before she was as confident on the crutches as she’d been before the surgery.

  Not really wanting to have a bunch of people asking her questions if she showed up at church in a wheelchair, Victoria opted to stay home on Sunday morning. Alicia had volunteered to come over and hang with her parents went to church.

  “These are beyond yummy, Alicia.” Victoria pulled a chunk off the moist, gooey cinnamon bun and popped it into her mouth. “Where did you get them?”

  Alicia sat on the other end of the couch, her feet tucked up under her. She also had a cinnamon bun in her hand. “They’re from a bakery not far from the office. The girls at work took me there one day. I try to only stop by once every couple of weeks.”

  Victoria grinned. “I can see why. They’re divine.”