Beauty from Ashes: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 5) Read online

“You seeing anybody?” Adrianne asked as she walked past the swimming pool to the seating area beyond it. She sank down onto a seat and propped her feet up on the low table in front of her.

  “I’m assuming this has something to do with your text?”

  Adrianne sighed. “Yeah. Alex is renewing his vows with the wife we never knew he had.”

  “Come again?” Hank said with a laugh.

  Adrianne sank further into the cushions of the seat and told him about everything that had transpired over the past month. After a brief hesitation, she went on to tell him about Connor and why she wanted a date for that evening.

  “So, let me get this straight. You want me as your date to make this Connor fella jealous?”

  Adrianne recoiled at the question. “No. Absolutely not. I want you as my date to prove that he was wrong. That there are men in this world willing to spend time with me.”

  Hank chuckled. “Well, darlin’, all he has to do is get a good look at you to know that’s the truth. Any man would be fortunate to have you on his arm.”

  “You always know what to say to make me feel better,” Adrianne said. “But more than wanting him to know that, I want him to see that. That a handsome man is willing to spend time with me.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere,” Hank said. Even through the phone line, Adrianne could tell he was smiling. “That and a free meal will cement the deal. Just tell me what to wear, where to go and what time to be there.”

  Adrianne gave him the details and then chatted with him a bit longer because it had been a while since they’d last caught up on each other’s lives. The smile on her face when she rejoined the group was put there by having a good chat with a great friend.

  “Hank isn’t on duty at the hospital so he’ll be able to join me for your ceremony and reception,” Adrianne said when Rebecca looked at her expectantly.

  “Hank Williams is your date?” Alex asked as he leaned back in his seat at the breakfast nook, looping his arm around Rebecca’s shoulders. “I didn’t know you guys were still dating.”

  Adrianne shrugged. “Well, it’s not like I talk to you all that often about my dating life.”

  “This is true,” Alex agreed.

  Deciding that she’d had enough of the vague innuendos regarding her dating life, Adrianne got to her feet and said good night, taking extra care to make sure that she included Connor. Thankfully, Melanie was on the phone with Tyler so she didn’t follow her up to her room to talk more about Connor or Hank.

  ~*~

  Connor watched Adrianne leave the kitchen then turned his attention back to Rebecca and Alex as they discussed more of the wedding plans. Knowing that others were going to be showing up with dates made Connor wish he knew someone locally that he could invite along. Instead, it looked like it would just be him and Jordan hanging out on their own.

  What he was struggling to not have to acknowledge was the pang of disappointment he’d felt when he heard Adrianne was dating someone. He just assumed that since there had been no one at the house since he’d arrived that she was single. Maybe it had just been a delusional dream to think that she might be willing to give him a second chance after he’d apologized to her. But delusional while it may have been, it had still been there in the back of his mind.

  Adrianne had never known that there had been a part of him that had wanted to say yes to her invitation to the dance. But peer pressure and his own cockiness had won out and made him say the things he had. Adrianne hadn’t known that his friends from the football team had been just out of sight when she’d approached him. Back then, the need to impress his friends had outweighed the desire to be with a girl who didn’t meet those teenage standards of beauty.

  Yes, he’d definitely done the wrong thing, and it was time now to put aside any lingering hope he might’ve had where Adrianne was concerned and move on.

  Over the next few days, he did what he could to help his sister with her plans for the vow renewal ceremony. He spent time with Jordan, playing video games and even going to the BlackThorpe compound to practice some shooting with the teen. All of it had been helpful in being able to take his mind off Adrianne. For the most part.

  He’d even spent time with Alex as they discussed some of the plans he had for building a bigger room in the basement for Jordan to live in once Alex and Rebecca were living together again. It had come as something of a surprise to realize that, in spite of already being married, the two of them had made the decision to not live together until after the vow renewal ceremony.

  Though he still planned to get his own place eventually, Connor was glad for the offer to stay in the apartment where Rebecca and Jordan currently were until he could find something of his own. Hopefully, that would provide enough space for Adrianne to not feel as if he was totally crashing in on her life.

  5

  On the day of the vow renewal ceremony, Rebecca was surprisingly nervous, so Connor spent a good chunk of his time trying to calm her down. He knew that some of that nervousness was actually emotional upset because their parents had chosen not to come. Neither of them was surprised at that, but at the same time, Connor knew that Rebecca had been hopeful. In the end, he and Jordan would be the ones who would walk her down the aisle to once again pledge her love to Alex, and it was his privilege to do that for her.

  “Have you seen Alex?” Rebecca asked when Connor slipped into the room where she had chosen to wait for the ceremony to begin. Maureen, her best friend from Chicago, was there with her, beaming with excitement.

  “If you’re asking me if he’s here, then yes, I have seen Alex here, present at the church. He and Jordan are in the room you marked as theirs. Marcus is there with them as well.”

  Rebecca rubbed her hands together as she nodded. “Okay. Just wanted to make sure everything was alright.”

  Connor wrapped his arms around her. “I can guarantee that Alex has no plans except those that involve meeting you at the front of that sanctuary. He’s going to be there. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  Rebecca rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath before giving a nervous laugh. “I know I shouldn’t be worried. He’s told me repeatedly that this is what he wants for us. But, you know, when it gets right down to it, sometimes it can be too much.”

  “If Alex could show up to a wedding in a courthouse when he was nineteen years old, you can bet he’s going to show up at his church to pledge his love to you again now. He is twice the man he was then.” Connor cupped Rebecca’s face in his hands and tilted it up. “You don’t need to worry. That man loves you, and he is prepared to tell you that in front of all his friends and family.”

  Rebecca took another deep breath and exhaled shakily. “Thank you, Connor, for being here with me today.”

  Connor leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Well, sweetheart, there’s no place else I’d rather be, so let’s go get you married…again.”

  As they moved from the room to the entrance to the sanctuary, Connor could feel the tension ease out of his sister. By the time Jordan joined them in front of the closed doors, she seemed much calmer. The music was muffled from inside the sanctuary, but it briefly grew clear as the door opened enough to allow Maureen to slip through.

  “Are you nervous, Mom?” Jordan asked as they waited together for their cue to walk down the aisle.

  Rebecca leaned over to kiss Jordan on the cheek. “I was a bit, but now I think I’m just excited.”

  Connor was glad to hear that as he took his place beside her just before the doors swung open. He was surprised at the number of people who had actually shown up for the ceremony. Instead of just a handful of people scattered in the pews, there were quite a few pews that were full.

  Slowly, he and Jordan walked alongside Rebecca as she headed down the aisle to her second chance at love. The look on Alex’s face when he got a glimpse of his bride for the first time lit something within Connor. Though he’d always assumed that he would settle down and get ma
rried, it had always been something in the distant future. But seeing the love that Alex had for Rebecca and knowing that it was returned as strongly, Connor felt a yearning within him for something just like that for himself.

  Once he and Jordan gave Rebecca over to Alex, they went to stand in front of the first pew on the right-hand side of the sanctuary. The pastor welcomed them all then invited them to take their seats. As they did, Connor glanced over to the pews on the other side. His gaze landed on Adrianne, who looked beautiful in a deep rose colored dress. Next to her was a large man wearing a dark gray suit. He had light blond hair that looked professionally styled, and when he leaned over to say something to Adrianne, the smile on her face as she looked back at him sent a shaft of pain through Connor’s heart.

  With considerable effort, Connor tore his gaze away from Adrianne and the man at her side and tried to focus on what the pastor was saying to his sister and Alex. But it was hard to hear words of love, songs of love, promises to love… It seemed to be a never-ending tribute to love. And while that made perfect sense since it was a vow renewal ceremony, it was precisely what Connor didn’t need right then.

  Though love wasn’t what Connor wanted to hear about, even he had to admit that the ceremony was beautiful and fitting for Rebecca and Alex. When the pastor told Alex that they could kiss, Connor found he had to blink to clear the moisture from his eyes as he watched Alex gently cup Rebecca’s face in his hands before bending to press a lingering kiss to her lips. He was glad that they had found each other again, and he knew that together with Jordan, their family was now complete.

  But where did that leave him? It had been him, Rebecca, and Jordan for so many years. Even when he hadn’t been able to be there with them, he’d always known that he was part of the small family unit that they enjoyed together. But now they had that with someone else. Alex completed their family. They didn’t need Connor any longer.

  There was a melancholy ache in Connor’s chest when he stood along with the rest of the congregation to watch Alex and Rebecca make their way up the aisle hand in hand to the back of the church. As the pews emptied behind them, Connor found himself walking behind Melanie and Tyler and Adrianne and her date. When they reached the foyer, they all congratulated Rebecca and Alex then moved to the side to allow the other wedding guests to greet them.

  “Connor, I don’t think you’ve met Hank yet, have you?” Melanie asked as they stood off to the side together. When Connor shook his head, Melanie continued, “Connor, this is Dr. Hank Williams. Hank, this is Connor Mackenzie. He’s Rebecca’s brother.”

  Connor held out his hand towards the tall man and found it taken in a firm grasp. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Hank regarded him for a moment, his gray eyes serious, but then an easy smile spread across his face as he said, “The pleasure is all mine.”

  Not quite certain what to make of that, Connor grabbed on to what little he knew about the man and said, “So you’re a doctor?”

  Hank nodded. “That I am. Thankfully, I’m off for a few days so I can pretend that I’m just a normal person instead of a superhero who saves lives every day.”

  Connor stared at the man, trying to figure out if he was poking fun at himself or if he really had that big of an ego. “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”

  If possible, Hank’s smile grew even bigger. Connor found himself kind of liking the guy. If only he wasn't dating Adrianne.

  “I’m afraid I don’t know too much about you,” Hank said, his drawl drawing out the words. “Someone said you’d retired from your job, but I have to say you look pretty good for a retiree.”

  “Well, it must be in the genes.”

  Hank laughed at his response, but when Connor’s gaze dropped to where Adrianne stood beside the tall man, he saw she was staring up at her date with a frown. Was she not happy that he and Hank were getting along?

  “I think they’re going to want us back in the sanctuary for a few pictures,” Melanie said. “We should probably make our way back in and wait there for Alex and Rebecca. The reception will follow as soon as we're done here.”

  As they waited at the front of the sanctuary, Connor found himself hoping that he might be at the same table as Hank. As much as he wanted to dislike the man, he actually found him amusing. Hank and Adrianne were off to the side talking, and while Connor couldn’t see Adrianne’s face, he could see that Hank was no longer smiling. There was, however, an indulgent look on his face as he listened to her.

  At one point, Hank reached out and tugged Adrianne toward him, tucking her head under his chin. By the time Alex and Rebecca join them a short time later, it appeared that Hank had managed to smooth over whatever had been bothering Adrianne. The pictures didn’t take long since there weren’t too many of them there to be photographed.

  Once Rebecca was satisfied with the pictures the photographer had taken, they piled into the long limousine that Alex had rented for the day. It took them to a restaurant that was apparently owned by friends of someone Alex knew. It appeared that they’d closed the doors to the public in order to accommodate everyone that had been invited to this portion of the wedding.

  As luck would have it, Connor ended up at a table with Hank and Adrianne as well as Melanie, Tyler, Ryan, and a few others from BlackThorpe. At the next table over, he recognized Kelsey, the receptionist he’d met when he’d had a tour of BlackThorpe. He assumed that the dark-haired man sitting next to her was the one responsible for the flowers she’d had on her desk.

  “So what brought you this far north?”

  Wondering if Tyler’s question had been directed at him, Connor returned his attention to the people at his table. He quickly realized that that couldn’t be the case since Tyler was well aware of what had brought him back to Minnesota. Instead, it seemed that the man had asked the question of Hank.

  “I actually came here to do my residency and ended up staying,” Hank said as he draped his arm around the back of Adrianne’s chair. “While I’m not a huge fan of the cold, I do actually like being able to experience all the seasons in a way I never did down in South Carolina. For now, Minnesota is home.”

  Connor found it a bit odd that Tyler was asking the man that sort of question as if they were just meeting for the first time. Hadn’t he been dating Melanie for a while now? If Hank was actively in Adrianne’s life, one would’ve thought that Tyler would have met Hank already. It seemed as if Tyler was a constant presence at the house when he wasn’t working. But then there was an easy interaction between Hank and Adrianne that spoke of them having spent lots of time together and of knowing each other well.

  Connor suddenly found himself anxious for the whole evening to be over. The next day he and Jordan would be flying back to Chicago to begin to pack up their home. Rebecca and Alex would join them once their week long honeymoon was over to tie up the rest of the loose ends and head back to Minneapolis to start their life there.

  Connor looked forward to touching base with some of the friends that he had in Chicago. While most of his good friends still remained in Florida, there was a handful he’d kept in touch with from Chicago. As he watched Rebecca and Alex together at the front of the room, he once again questioned whether he was really needed in the Twin Cities. He already knew that at least one person didn’t want him there. And it wasn’t like he’d be as far away as when he’d lived in Florida. It wasn’t even a two-hour flight between the two cities. He could fly in once a month to see them, if necessary.

  By the time the evening drew to a close, Connor had come to the decision that he’d help Rebecca and Jordan move and then he’d return to Chicago to set up a life there for himself. It would definitely be better for all involved if there was a little bit of distance between him and the life Rebecca was creating for herself with Alex and Jordan.

  And if there was a little bit of sadness in his heart over the thought of not being part of that life, Connor figured that it was his price to pay for having so thoroughly mes
sed things up with Adrianne all those years ago.

  ~*~

  Adrianne found the silence of the house once everyone but Melanie had left rather depressing. She thought it was what she wanted, but with Rebecca and Alex away on their honeymoon and Connor and Jordan in Chicago, the large house felt more like a mausoleum.

  Though she spent most of her time looking for houses, even that was discouraging her. She hadn’t thought it would take her this long to find something that she loved. Granted, she hadn’t been at the search that long, but for some reason, she’d just assumed that when she made up her mind about this, she’d quickly find the house of her dreams.

  As she sat in the breakfast nook after work one day, Adrianne looked through the latest listings her real estate agent had sent. She’d learned quickly that there were certain things she absolutely didn’t want and was able to dismiss some houses right away because of that. But what she wanted more than anything was to walk into a house and feel like it was home.

  So far, that hadn’t happened.

  She heard the alert go that signified that the front gate had opened. Getting to her feet, Adrianne made her way over to the security panel to verify who was. It wasn’t too surprising to see a large moving van followed by a mid-size SUV. Earlier that day, Alex had called to let her know that they were on their way home. It had been two weeks since the wedding, and now they were coming back to start their life together as a family.

  Adrianne returned to the table and shut down the laptop. She set it on the counter just as the door opened and Jordan came rushing in.

  “Hey, Adrianne!” he said with a smile as he came to give her a hug.

  Adrianne gave the teen a tight squeeze before stepping back from him. “Did you grow another two inches while you were gone?”

  Jordan chuckled and patted the top of her head. “It’s either that or you shrunk a couple.”

  The adults of the traveling party were slower to make their way into the house. Rebecca came in next and was followed a few minutes later by Alex and Connor. There seemed to be some sort of tension between the three of them, but no one said anything about it.