Love Interrupted: A Sweet Christian Romance Read online

  “But…?” Liam asked.

  “I just don’t get why there was no message at all for the kids…” Liam began shaking his head as she continued, “It kind of worries me that all these kids are going to New Life thinking church is a bunch of fun and games. Almost like it’s not something to take serious…”

  “I see,” Liam said softly. Did I accidently pray for patience and this is your way of fine tuning the trait in me Lord? Liam smiled, “I believe in giving the kids a good message, but not all the time. This ‘fun’ time is what hooks the kids into wanting to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Children are selfish by nature and getting them in here and playing is a draw we can use. The messages will come later; drawing them is the first phase.” Katie’s face looked surprised after Liam had spoken. “What?” he asked.

  “I just never thought of it like that… I thought you were just belittling the seriousness of church and just trying to show kids how to have fun at church… What you said makes so much sense though.”

  I’m glad it’s registering with her. Thank you Lord for her ability to understand what I’m trying to do, now we just need her on our side for the youth group building, Liam thought.

  “You see now why we need the building? These kids are going to keep coming and coming. While the fun lures them in, Jesus catches them on the flip side. That’s the beauty in this all.” Liam leaned in and grabbed Katie’s hand that was sitting on the table. Quickly retracting her hand away from Liam she began shaking her head.

  “That sanctuary needs upgraded. I’m not going to back down off it Liam. Stop trying to push it,” Katie snapped. Just then, the waitress returned with their food. As she set the food down, Liam glared at Katie between the waitresses arms.

  “Thank you,” Liam said to the waitress politely.

  “No problem, let me know if you need anything else,” the waitress said as she retreated. Liam and Katie ate their food in silence. After finishing their meals, Katie put her fork down.

  “I’m going to win this with the church board, my aunt, uncle and grandfather make up the majority of them. I wouldn’t dare test me,” Katie said with a look of fire in her eyes. And here I was just starting to like the gal, Liam thought.

  “Are you threatening me?” Liam laughed. This woman would sway the votes in her favor to just get her own way, how vindictive! Liam stood up from the table and pulled out his wallet, tossing a couple twenties down on the table, he said, “You know what Katie. Go ahead. I’m not even going to fight it. I thought you were a decent person, but obviously I was wrong.” Liam began heading for the exit.

  “Uh… I need a ride,” Katie said agitated.

  “Your driver can’t pick you up?” He said turning around.

  “She’s my maid and no, she’s already in bed probably,” Katie said. Ha… that’s right, she has a maid, what ivory tower is this chick stuck in? Nodding Liam headed for the exit annoyed.

  “I’m leaving now, so if you are getting a ride you better hurry…” Liam pushed the door open and headed to his truck in a fury of anger. I hate that she’s going to freaking sway the vote in her favor. Why does evil prevail Lord? Jumping into his truck, he glanced through his window as he turned the key over. Katie in her prissy walk made her way around the back of the truck to get in. Turning the key over it died. No! Come on! Please Lord. Turning the key again as Katie climbed in; the truck still wouldn’t turn over.

  “Oh great,” Katie sighed. Liam looked at her and shook his head. Why God? Come on. Turning the key again, Liam found his truck refusing to start.

  “Dang it!” Liam said smacking the steering wheel.

  “Great, what am I going to do?” Katie asked. Liam’s eyes beamed open with agitation at her concern for herself.

  “There’s more going on then you being stuck here. I’m stuck also and something is wrong with my truck!” Liam snarled at Katie.

  “It’s not my fault you drive a piece of garbage. Get over yourself,” Katie said scrolling through her phone book on her phone.

  “You looking for an escape?” Liam snapped at Katie.

  “No, I’m looking to see who I know is a mechanic to fix your stupid truck,” Katie said. She’s going to help me? Why is she so flippy floppy? She’s nice then mean, nice then mean. I don’t get it!

  “Thank you…” Liam said softly in his confusion. “Why are you so mean and harsh and then nice? You are driving me crazy!” Liam said.

  “I am a nice person… or at least I think that I am…” Katie said saddened by Liam’s words.

  “You are… but like with the youth group building, why do you push so hard against it?” Liam asked turned towards her in the truck. He could see her reluctance to explain the situation. Placing his hand on hers that was on the seat of the truck, Liam said, “You can tell me.” Touching her instantly calmed me… It feels so right. Katie took a deep breath in and exhaled.

  “My grandmother passed away in the baptismal behind the podium Liam. She finally converted to Christianity and was being baptized. Your grandfather was dunking her and she passed out. The doctors later said she had a massive heart attack and died immediately…” Katie’s eyes began to water. I feel so bad… I had no clue… Katie began wiping her tears as she turned to hide them from Liam.

  “So you don’t want it to be a reminder of her death?” Liam asked.

  “It’s for me, it’s for my grandfather… He won’t place a foot in the sanctuary since the incident. Sure he’ll listen from out in the foyer to the messages on Sunday mornings, but he won’t even look in there. I miss him being in the pews and singing. I just want his pain to stop.” It’s not selfish at all… it’s all about her grandpa.

  “When did your grandmother pass?” Liam asked keeping his hand on hers. She turned her hand right side up and let her fingers slip between his and their hands were clasped. Wow… this feeling inside of me is amazing, I feel so close to her right now.

  “She passed away last year. Your grandfather had known my grandma since my family all moved to town and she wanted him to baptize her, thus why he was doing it.”

  “I see…” Liam said. I wonder why I haven’t heard about this? Katie’s phone buzzed. Katie removed her hand from Liam’s and checked her phone.

  “My friend Taz will be here in 5 minutes. I’m sure he’ll be able to fix your truck,” Katie said with a half smile.

  “What are we going to do about the fundraiser funds?” Liam asked softly looking at Katie in the eyes. She shook her head.

  “I don’t know… I don’t want to force my way…” Katie said letting her words trail off. “I was just angry in there… Maybe we can just let the board decide? I don’t know…” Katie put her hand back into Liam’s hand and smiled at him. “I don’t think we should try to make the board’s decision for them. We’ll just let them decide.”

  Liam thought to himself, that seems reasonable, but I don’t want to get my way and her grandfather still never sits in the sanctuary…

  Just then, Katie’s friend Taz pulled up to fix Liam’s truck.

  10-Katie

  “I’m glad that was a quick fix, just a quick fuel filter change,” Liam said.

  “Yeah, that was nice,” Katie said as they pulled into Katie’s driveway. Katie noticed the front door to her house was wide open. What the heck? Katie jumped out of Liam’s truck before it came to a complete stop and ran through the gravel, up the stairs and into the house. Looking around the foyer and the living room, she found the place had been trashed. Someone must have broken in.

  She saw a giant dent in the wall leading upstairs and ran up to check her room. Her TV had vanished. No, no, no! Katie quickly made her way into her parent’s room and found her mother’s jewelry had been taken. Katie sat on the edge of her mother and father’s bed and held her mother’s empty jewelry box and began to cry. How could someone be so evil?

  Katie could hear Liam downstairs walk in through the front door, stepping on pieces of the shattered foyer mirror. “Hello?” He said upwards through the vaulted ceilings in the foyer. Katie wiped her tears and went out of her parents’ room.

  “Helga!” Katie yelled. Liam was startled by her scream above his head. Silence fell through the entire house. Where is she? Katie thought to herself as she walked down the stairs. Pulling out her phone from her purse, she called Helga.

  “Hello Katie,” Helga said sounding like she had just woken her up.

  “Where are you and what happened?” Katie said turning away from Liam as she walked into the kitchen. Katie set her purse down on the island, as she sat down on a barstool.

  “I came home from dropping Rosie off after dodge ball and then turned in early… Why? What happened?”

  “We were robbed… Everything was fine when you came home?” Katie asked angrily.

  “Yes everything was fine… We were robbed?” Helga asked nervously as Katie could hear her jump out of bed from down the hallway and open the door. Katie hung up the phone as Helga walked down the hallway in her nightgown looking around the living room in shock.

  “So you just slept through the robbery and as they trashed the house?” Katie asked. She’s so fired. I’m done with this incompetent maid. Silence fell between the two for a moment before Katie broke it. “Get out of my face. I’ll figure out what to do with you in the morning,” Katie snapped. Turning back to Liam, Katie smiled. “We were robbed…” Katie held out her arms as she continued, “As you can see… That incompetent maid’s last day seems to be today.” Katie walked into the living room and picked up a couch cushion and put it back in place to sit down.

  “You were so angry with her,” Liam said softly as he leaned against a pillar in the living room watching Helga go back to her room. “Even when you were harsh with me… You never spoke like you just did to Helga.” What’s he trying to say?

  “She’s a maid; her only job is to take care of this place.” Katie looked around the room. “Looks like she failed pretty hard today, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yeah, looks like she might have made a mistake today, but that doesn’t mean you treat her like garbage because of it. Those are the times people need us the most, when they fall.” Liam looked upset.

  “This has been a long running issue with this maid…” Katie said shaking her head. “She’s messed up on several occasions, it’s not that simple.”

  “What did she do? Tell me what the last thing she did wrong before this.” Katie thought for a moment and recalled the mascara incident. Looking at Liam in his Walmart special jeans and button up shirt, Katie knew he wasn’t going to understand the issue.

  “It’s not a big deal… but it’s a long running issue. I don’t need council from you on this. I’ve had a maid for a long time. Have you ever had one Liam?” Katie asked.

  “No, but I’ve known people for a long time and that’s not how you treat them… You are a born again Christian Katie,” Liam said shaking his head looking down at the floor. A quick knock followed by the front door opening came from the foyer.

  “Who’s that?” Katie asked, jumping up from the couch. Katie’s parents Tim and Lisa walked into the foyer. Katie was relieved to see their faces and she immediately sprinted across the living room’s wreckage landing into their arms. They looked in astonishment of what had become of their home.

  “What happened dear?” Tim asked as he slid out of her hug and ventured into the kitchen. He set his suitcase down on the kitchen tile next to the island.

  “Someone broke in; Liam and I just got here,” Katie said. Helping her mother take off her coat, she hung it up in the closet in the foyer.

  “I’m going to call the police,” Tim said as he quickly went into his study.

  “And who is this boy? You said his name is Liam?” Lisa asked with a forced smile.

  “Yes, he’s a friend… He was just leaving,” Katie said motioning her head towards the door to indicate to him it’s was time to go. Liam nodded and approached Lisa. Extending his hand, he shook her hand.

  “I’m Liam…” he said.

  “Nice to meet you Liam, I’m Lisa.”

  “It was nice meeting you Lisa. I will see you later Katie,” Liam said as he opened the door. Katie nodded as he left, shutting the door behind him. Wait… I have no way to get a hold of him. Katie opened the door and ran out to Liam’s truck and stopped him from leaving the driveway. “We should exchange numbers,” Katie said smiling. Liam pulled out his phone and swapped it with Katie. Katie retreated back up the steps to her house and went inside. Joining her mother’s side, she surveyed the carnage that the burglars had left. How could someone do this to our home?

  “I understand robbing us… but trashing the place too?” Katie said with annoyance. Katie grabbed her purse and phone and headed upstairs. Opening her phone, she sent a text to Liam.

  Thanks for being cool tonight; I didn’t want to get into the whole ‘meet my parents’ type thing. I appreciated that. I want to see you again, you should come to the masquerade ball tomorrow? It’s at The COHO.

  Np. I already planned on attending. Rosie’s mother Tiffany invited me and Derek.

  Oh ok. Sounds good. I’ll see you then.

  11-Liam

  Liam pulled into the driveway back at his grandpa’s house and sat in his truck for a moment. Recounting all that had transpired over the evening with Katie, his mind was jarred beyond belief. Then he remembered Carla Kent, the lady with the 15-year-old son. “Dang it…” Liam said as he smacked the steering wheel. I forgot to call her; I was so wrapped up in the Rosie thing. Liam sighed as he felt saddened. Pulling out his phone, he called Carla.

  “Hello?” Carla answered.

  “Hey Carla, this is Liam.”

  “Oh hello there! I was wondering if you were going to call after our nice encounter at the grocery store! My son actually wanted to know what you had planned! I was so happy!” she said.

  “Well, we had New Life tonight, but I spaced calling you, I’m so sorry!” Liam said light heartedly.

  “Oh that’s okay. What did you guys do?” She asked.

  “We played dodge ball,” Liam said. He could hear her cover the phone as she told her son that they played dodge ball.

  “Well Liam, what time is it at? Is it every week at the same time?”

  “Yep. Six o’clock at the Grace Baptist.”

  “Okay. I will be sure to have them there next week,” Carla said.

  “Sounds good,” Liam said saddened he had forgotten to give her a buzz.

  “Don’t feel bad about not calling, life has a crazy way of interrupting what you plan to do,” Carla said. Liam’s heart warmed at her words, it was just what he needed to hear.

  “Thank you, we’ll see you next week,” Liam said as he hung up the phone. Looking over his steering wheel through the windshield, he could see the fire was not lit in the living room of his grandpa’s house. That’s strange, wonder why Tony didn’t put more wood on the fire? Getting out of his truck, he ventured up the wooden steps and into the house. A chill in the air of the house indicated to Liam that the fire had been out for a while. Turning the corner from the kitchen into the living room, he found his grandpa in the recliner. He wasn’t moving. Please don’t tell me he’s dead, Oh dear Lord… Getting closer, Liam slowly brought his finger to his grandpa’s neck. Suddenly, his grandpa grabbed his wrist. Startled, Liam jumped back.

  “I guess you are alive!” Liam shouted.

  “Alive? You are dang right I’m alive! I’m also freezing cold! That stupid brother of yours left without putting more wood on the fireplace.” Glancing down at his grandfather’s leg, he noticed it had a cast. Seeing Liam looking at his cast, his grandpa said, “I broke my leg today, Tony had to drive the Cadillac to the E.R.; that was exciting! Have you driven with your brother?”

  “He doesn’t have a license…” Liam said. He snickered, “So no is the answer to your question, I haven’t driven with him.” Liam went and sat on the couch across the room and looked at his grandpa intently. “Did he say where he was going?” Liam asked putting his leg up across his knee. His grandpa nodded.

  “He said he was going home…” Lenny looked upset as the words spilled from his lips. Lenny looked conflicted as he sat there in his dark blue sweater that was stained with something yellow and something blue. What’s blue? Liam saw blue frosted cupcakes on sitting on the kitchen table. Ahh I see. “He said I was…” His grandpa cleared his throat his face distorted to an angry look, “he said I was a pain and he couldn’t deal with me anymore.”

  “What did you do Lenny?” Liam asked. He knew his brother wouldn’t have said it without reason. He might have some issues, but Tony had a good heart and wanted to help his grandpa out and was the entire reason for him coming.

  “I told him he was acting like a pit stain… That’s it. He’s been gone since about nine this evening.”