Guarding Her Heart: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 1) Read online

  “Okay. If that’s what it will take.” Lindsay let her brother enjoy his win for a moment then said, “But on one condition.”

  Lucas’s brows lifted at her comment. “And what’s that?”

  “He has to be part of the team. And by that I mean he needs to do what all the rest of us do. If we’re painting a wall, he’s right beside me with a paint brush in his hand. I don’t care if he has a gun in the other one, but he’s going to have to pull his weight. And actually, I’d rather he not be visibly armed while we are at the mission. I’m sure some on the team already question my ability to adapt and do the work, so I don’t want them to see me as some pampered princess who has to bring along her muscle.”

  “Even if that’s exactly what you are?” Lucas said, a corner of his mouth lifting.

  Lindsay flung a pen in his direction. “Shut up.”

  With one last grin, Lucas left her office. Though she had a stack of files to review, Lindsay sat staring into space. Two weeks with Than. She’d done her best to avoid being alone with him since their date eight months ago. After meeting him for the first time, she’d seen pretty quickly the type of guy he was. A consummate flirt. A skirt-chaser. A serial dater. None of those things had appealed to her in the least, so she’d accepted his invitation for a date for one reason and one reason only: to show him that there was at least one woman on the planet immune to his charms.

  The problem was that it turned out she hadn’t been as immune as she’d thought. One on one with him during their date, he had drawn her in with his gorgeous smile and warm chocolate brown eyes. She’d been able to resist his attempts to make her laugh—but just barely. Though it had been hard not to allow his compliments to go to her head, she’d managed to keep from blushing.

  With any other man, it might have been the perfect first date. Only she knew that while Than did first and sometimes second dates, it never went much beyond that. She was so not interested in becoming just one more in a long line of women he wined and dined. And she’d come pretty close to joining that line when she’d realized that beyond her assumptions of him, there were several things about him she found attractive. However, none of them outweighed his history with women and the knowledge that even if he did decide he wanted more than a handful of dates with her, there would be no happily ever after with him. Her father and even Lincoln had shown her that there were some men who believed that it was their right and privilege to enjoy the company of any—and every—woman who grabbed their interest.

  Fortunately, thanks to Lucas, Eric, and Trent, Lindsay was also aware that there were men in the world who wanted just one woman to love and cherish. Somehow she had to just wait and see if there might be one of those men for her. Or if it was her lot in life to be an aunt, a daughter and a sister but never a wife or mother.

  Strangely enough, until Brooke and Danny had come onto the scene, she’d been more than happy with the roles of daughter and sister. But somehow, seeing the love between Brooke and her son had brought something to life within Lindsay. And then when Lucas and Brooke had fallen in love, well, that had also awakened something inside her. A desire for more than she’d been willing to settle for.

  But that more would never include a man like Than. No, she’d wait for a man who was willing to treat her the way Lucas, Eric, and Trent treated the women they loved. And not just for a date or two but forever.

  So while the prospect of spending two weeks with Than close by was rather daunting, she was just going to focus on why she was going on this mission. To experience life outside her little bubble and to help the mission however they needed it. Than was there as a means to an end. Without him, she wouldn’t be able to go, so she’d accept his presence, but it didn’t mean it had to be anything more.

  2

  As he packed his suitcases the night before they were scheduled to leave for Manila, Than had to admit he was surprised that Lindsay hadn’t stormed his office demanding he tell Lucas he couldn’t come with her. The past two weeks had been full of meetings and preparations for the trip in addition to all his normal work.

  He’d met with Lucas and the team leader to go over the details of the trip so he was aware of their itinerary and where exactly they were going to be located. He hadn’t been able to attend any of the team meetings though because he’d also had a ton of stuff he needed to do for work before he could leave. That meant he hadn’t seen Lindsay since all this had been arranged. He sure hoped Lucas wasn’t saving that little surprise for the airport.

  “Anak.” His mother walked into his bedroom and shoved a bag into his hands. “You take this for your lola.”

  Eyeing the package and hoping he could find a spot for it, Than asked, “What is it, Mama?”

  She shrugged. “Just some clothes and beauty products. You know she likes that kind of stuff.”

  Yeah, he did. Almost one whole suitcase was full of gifts—pasalubong, as they called it—for his mom’s family. “I’ll see if I can squeeze it in with the rest of the stuff.”

  His mom flitted around the room, tugging on the bedspread to smooth out any wrinkles. She picked up the T-shirt and shorts he’d left on the floor earlier and with a tsk she dropped them in his dirty clothes basket.

  Rosa Miller was a tiny woman whose only job since the day she’d married his father had been her family. She would no doubt be heartbroken when his youngest sister finally moved out of the family home and she had no children left to take care of. She’d survived the departure of both of his older siblings when they’d gotten married, but only because his two youngest sisters still lived at home. However, his mom didn’t understand why he wasn’t living there anymore as well, since it was often customary for adult Filipino children to stay with their parents until they got married.

  Perching on the edge of his bed beside one of the suitcases, she cast him a sly look as she ran a hand over the stack of clothes he’d just packed. “Your tita said she had someone for you to meet.”

  Than pinned his mother with a firm look. “Not gonna happen, Mama. I know it worked for Steven, but I’m not interested.”

  “Not interested in having an asawa?” She arched a perfectly plucked jet black brow. “You plan to just have girlfriends for the rest of your life?”

  “I’m not interested in having a wife right now, Mama. And when I do decide I want to get married, it will be to someone I’ve spent time with and chosen for myself.”

  “You’re not getting any younger, anak. You’re in your thirties now. You need to be thinking about having a family.”

  Than put the last of his clothes into the suitcase and leaned over to grasp the zipper tab to pull it around to the front. “Dad was older than I am when you married him. I think I still have a few years.”

  They had this conversation on a fairly regular basis since he’d turned thirty, and he always presented the same argument that she couldn’t refute. She was definitely a tenacious thing, his mother. A bit like a dog with a bone when it came to his relationship status. He didn’t bother to introduce her to any of the women he dated. That was just asking for trouble. At this point, he didn’t think she’d even be that picky about the woman. She just wanted him married to someone.

  “Well, at least meet the woman Tita Merlina has chosen. She said she is very maganda. She has competed in beauty pageants.”

  Recalling his mom’s own experience with those pageants, Than just nodded. She’d won more than her fair share and had even gone on to represent the Philippines at an international pageant. Though she hadn’t won, there was no question that she was a beautiful woman. And even now, coming up on sixty, she really didn’t look like she was that old or that she was a mother of five and a grandmother of three.

  Than bent and pressed a kiss to her cheek, inhaling the scent he would always associate with her. “Mahal kita, Mama.”

  She patted his cheek. “I love you, too, my boy.”

  “Want me to bring you back anything?” he asked as he zipped up the last suitcase. He set
it on the floor beside the other one. All that was left was to finish packing his carry-on.

  “Mahal?”

  His mother perked up immediately at the sound of her husband’s voice.

  “We’re in here, Dad,” Than called out.

  Steve Miller appeared in the doorway of his room, a smile on his tanned, creased face. “Have you finished telling him about the woman your sister has lined up for him?”

  Than grinned as his mom punched his dad in the arm. “She’s tried, but I’ve already told her it’s not going to happen.”

  “Well, you never know, son. I never expected to meet the woman of my dreams in a small church in a country on the other side of the world. It might be your destiny, too.”

  Than smothered a laugh. He sincerely doubted he would find the woman of his dreams on the other side of the world. Particularly since he was traveling with a woman who was far more intriguing than any he was likely to meet there.

  ~*~*~

  Lindsay crossed her arms over her stomach, trying to contain the bundle of nerves that had taken up residence there. It had seemed like a good idea a few months ago. Now she wasn’t so sure. What if she wasn’t cut out for this? Maybe she was the princess her brothers thought she was.

  “It’s not too late.” An arm slid around her waist, and Lindsay glanced over to see her mom beside her. “You could still come back home with me.”

  No. That wasn’t an option. Too much work had gone into making this happen for her. There was no way she could back out—even if that’s what her nerves were demanding she do. “I’ll be fine, Mom.”

  “Ready to fly, Lindsay?”

  His voice washed over her, at once creating a whole new set of nerves and yet, surprisingly, soothing the ones already in place. Than was there to make sure she was okay. No matter what happened once they stepped onto that plane, it was his job to take care of her. She’d never let anyone know how reassuring that actually was, especially not Than, but she couldn’t deny that just seeing him helped settle her.

  She looked at Than, always surprised by just how attractive she found him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white polo shirt. The color of the shirt set off the tan of his skin and his dark hair and eyes. He wore a watch with a thick black band on his left wrist and a bracelet with a leather strap on his right.

  “Yes. As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “Let me get these taken care of,” he said as he gestured to her luggage. He and Lucas took charge of her bags along with his and headed for the airline kiosks.

  The other members of the group were milling around. In total, there were twenty‑one of them traveling including the team leader, his wife, and Than. They were an interesting mix of people. There were two retired couples who had been on a few mission trips before—together, if the familiarity in their conversation was any indication. A middle-aged couple had brought their teenage daughter and son along, and there was also another young couple who had only been married a few months. Apparently, they’d decided to use the money they would have spent on a honeymoon to go on the mission trip. The rest of them were single—five guys and three ladies—ranging in age from early twenties to late forties. Lindsay was pretty sure she was the only millionaire heiress in the bunch.

  It took less than fifteen minutes for them to get checked in. Her mom was still hovering around offering her every manner of escape from the trip, but Lindsay managed to resist them all.

  “Hope you have time for some fun,” Lincoln said.

  “There is some sightseeing time in the itinerary. Not sure what we’ll be doing though.”

  “Will you bring me back something, Auntie?”

  Lindsay smiled down at Danny and ruffled his hair. “I’ll see what I can find. Make sure you don’t grow too much while I’m gone.”

  They shared a grin, and Lindsay felt a pang. She’d definitely miss the little guy. They spent two weeks together while Lucas and Brooke had been on their African honeymoon. She had been sad when they’d returned, and Danny had gone home with them. She knew she’d probably be bringing back quite a few things for her nephew.

  “We should head through security,” Than said as he glanced at his watch. “They’ll be starting to board soon.”

  Lindsay’s nerves returned in a rush, but she kept a smile on her face as she hugged her mom and Danny.

  “Please don’t make Than’s job too difficult for him,” Lucas murmured when she gave him a tight hug after she’d finished with Lincoln and Brooke.

  She stepped back and grinned. “I’ll try not to. For sure I won’t be trying to ditch him so I can run off to shop or anything.”

  Lucas tilted his head, his expression serious. “We’ll be praying for you, sis. I hope you see God in a new way during this trip. It could be life-changing, if you let it.”

  Lindsay nodded, not sure what to say. Even amidst all the nerves and worries, the underlying feeling she had was that this was what she was supposed to do. “I’ll be sure to tell you all about it when I get home.”

  She felt a touch on her back and turned to see Than beside her. He gave her a small smile. “Ready?”

  Taking a quick breath, Lindsay nodded.

  With a final wave, they joined the line for the security check and soon they were walking toward their gate on the other side. Than had taken her carry-on once they were through security even though she’d protested. He wasn’t there to make things easier for her, just to make sure she was safe. Lindsay was fairly certain that rolling her own bag wasn’t going to bring her to any harm—even if it was a bit heavy.

  “We can sit here.” Than motioned to a section of seats that weren’t already occupied.

  Lindsay settled into one of the chairs, anticipating that Than would join her, but after setting the carry-on bags at her feet, he headed in the direction of Mark, the team leader, who was standing there with his wife. The men shook hands and then Than shook Mel’s hand, too. As he stood talking to them, the attendant behind the counter made the announcement that first class passengers were boarding.

  Lindsay started to get to her feet then remembered…she was flying economy this time around. She was going to get her first “new” experience without even having left the country. If the Hamiltons weren’t flying in their own private plane, they always flew first class. This was definitely something new.

  The first of many firsts to come, she was sure.

  ~*~*~

  Than made his way back to Lindsay’s side when passengers began to line up to board the plane. She was perched on the edge of the seat, her back perfectly straight and shoulders square. He wondered if it had finally sunk in what she was doing and where she was going. At least she was dressed well for travel. She wore a pair of black pants and a loose fitting green blouse with small cap sleeves along with a pair of flat slip-on shoes.

  She glanced up at him as he stopped next to her. Her gray eyes were wide, but he could read no other expression on her face. If he hadn’t seen a few other sides of her for himself, he would have thought she was emotionless and in total control. But he had seen those sides, so the face she was putting forward now was a cover for emotions that went far deeper. If he had to guess, he’d say she was likely more than a little worried about was to come.

  “They’re going to call our rows next,” Than said as he took out her ticket and passport. He handed them to her, then pulled the handle up on her carry-on and set his on top of it.

  She stood up and slipped her purse strap over her shoulder. When the attendant called their rows, he touched her back and moved her toward the entrance to the jetway. Once they were on the plane, he noticed her looking to the sides as they moved through first class into economy. He bit back a grin as he realized that Miss Lindsay Hamilton was going to be flying coach for what was likely the first time. Though he wasn’t looking forward to it himself, at least he had flown that way many times before. For the short jaunt to Detroit, it would be okay, but the thirteen hour trip to Tokyo was likely to be a kille
r.

  Once they got to their row, Lindsay slipped into the middle seat while he lifted their bags into the overhead compartment. They had just settled into their seats with him on the aisle when the person with a ticket for the window seat showed up. As the man looked at Lindsay, Than saw a spark of interest in his gaze. Oh, she was so not going to like this.

  He stood up and drew Lindsay into the aisle with him to allow the man in. There was no way he was going to let the man climb over her. She shot him a look before settling back into her seat, but Than didn’t miss that her arm was pressed up against his more than it had been just minutes ago.

  “You headin’ for Detroit?” the man asked as he pinned his gaze on Lindsay.

  “Yes.”

  Than looked away so she wouldn’t see the grin on his face. He was almost positive that wasn’t the response Lindsay wanted to give him, but she’d been raised to be polite. No doubt she would have liked to point out that since the plane’s destination was Detroit that was, in fact, where she was headed.

  As he had his head turned away from Lindsay, Than noticed a woman across the aisle struggling to get her bag into the compartment. He stood up and said, “Let me help you with that.”

  He easily lifted it into the opening for her.

  The young woman beamed at him. “Oh, thank you so much.”

  “Glad to be of assistance.” He sat back in his seat as more people came down the aisle.

  “You going to Detroit for business?”

  Clearly the man wasn’t giving up in spite of the waves of frostiness coming off Lindsay. Than thought about stepping in, but she needed to learn to deal with this kind of stuff. He had no doubt that she’d garner at least one marriage proposal during the mission trip. Being an American was a big draw to a lot of the Filipino men. The young ones were going to be all over themselves trying to tell her how maganda she was. Lindsay would have to be able to just take it all in stride.