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“Jagger. Belinda told me about your plans to be a SEAL, to honor your dad’s memory of dying for our country. It is very honorable and we’re all right proud of your service, but please …” She swallowed and moistened her lips. “Please go live your dreams, but I beg you to leave Belinda out of your future plans.”
Jagger blinked at her. Her mom wanted him to live his dreams but not take her daughter along? “Mrs. Ralphs. I know it’ll be hard to have Belinda gone once we marry, but we won’t plan the wedding until she’s done with university. After we wed, we’ll come visit any chance we can. Once we’re stationed in Virginia Beach, we can come more often or Belinda can come stay with you when I’m deployed or on missions.”
Five months ago, he and Belinda had planned this all out. She’d promised she would sit her parents down and explain. Had she not had an opportunity?
Mrs. Ralphs was shaking her head the entire time he spoke. “Jagger, don’t. Belinda loved you, but that isn’t the life for her. She’s with Mike now. He’s solid, kind, a believer, has a good future, is a calming influence on her spicy personality, and he will be a good husband for her.”
“Husband?” Jagger jolted. “She’s with … Belinda married Mike Causey?” His entire world crumpled around him. No way. Belinda hadn’t responded to his texts as enthusiastically, but no way was she married. She wouldn’t do that to him. She loved him.
“Not yet,” Mrs. Ralphs admitted. “But soon they’ll wed.”
“What? She can’t marry Mike. She loves me.” Jagger shook his head. At least she wasn’t married, but he was still gut punched. Mike was the nicest guy anybody knew, Belinda’s friend who’d been by her side on her humanitarian trip and was now in school at the University of Kentucky in nearby Lexington. Mike was bound to be a lawyer and a judge someday. He was a great guy, but not the right guy for Belinda. She’d be bored of the steady, never-riled Mike within a week. Belinda didn’t need or want a calming influence. His Bee was fire and spice and she needed someone like Jagger to love her, tease her, argue with her one minute and passionately kiss and make up the next. He always teased her with a line that made her push at him in frustration and then laugh and melt into his arms.
She stings like a bee, but her honey is so sweet.
Mrs. Ralphs blew out a heavy breath and just stared at him.
“Where is she?” Jagger demanded, forgetting his desire to be respectful. “I have to talk to her.”
Mrs. Ralphs said nothing.
“I will not leave until I speak with her.” He didn’t step toward her or even lean. Jagger would never threaten any lady, especially not this one, but his words and his expression would show he wouldn’t back down.
The front door banged open and then the storm door flew out wide. Mrs. Ralphs backed away, but Jagger refused to back down to this bully. He stayed rigid, straight, and even puffed out his chest and clenched his fists.
Pastor Ralphs strode out onto the front porch. He was close to Jagger’s six-two and the middle-aged man was strong. Jagger had worked hard through basic and A school, lifting weights and sparring any spare minute he had. His frame was large, but no matter what he ate, he couldn’t bulk up. His metabolism was too fast, his buddy Hays West kept telling him. Still, he could take Belinda’s dad, if it came to it.
He probably shouldn’t want to fight the man so badly.
“Son.” The pastor shook his head and put a heavy hand on Jagger’s shoulder. “You’ve got to let Belinda go.”
Jagger stepped to the side until the pastor’s hand fell away. “Sir.” He’d try for respectful, but he refused to cower. “I will never let Belinda go.”
Pastor Ralphs held his gaze. The man’s hazel eyes filled with what might’ve been compassion, but it was more likely pity. Jagger hated pity. Yes, his dad had been killed and his mom worked hard, but they were not beggars. With his mom’s pension and how generous the Pedersons were to them, they would never own a ranch, but they were doing just fine. Jagger was proud of his mom, his dad’s service, and what he would someday make of himself.
“I understand,” the pastor said, “but please listen to reason. You and Belinda are all sparks and passion. That’s not love. That’s lust, and it will burn out quickly. If you did marry, you’d end up miserable and then bitterly divorced.”
The only thing the guy was right about was the sparks and passion between Jagger and Belinda. No way would they burn out or get divorced. It was ugly of Pastor Ralphs to even suggest it.
“You’re wrong.” Jagger jutted out his chin. “I love Belinda and she loves me. We won’t burn out. I’ll love her and make her happy.”
Her dad looked at her mom and, after a moment of silent communication that had Jagger shifting his weight and tightening every muscle, they turned to face him. They both looked disappointed in his answer and concerned about him. That made his gut churn and his chest poke out even farther.
“Aimee didn’t want me to get involved.” Pastor Ralphs tilted his head to his wife. “Because we both know you don’t fear God and have a chip on your shoulder against me and religion.”
The man was right on all accounts.
“But you have to listen. Our Belle has been so happy since you’ve been gone.”
Jagger prayed the man was lying. Belinda was happy without him? What did the pastor know? Belinda had been in Ghana for three and a half months and moved into her apartment at the university days after she returned to the country. She wasn’t home enough for them to know if she was ‘so happy’ without Jagger. That wasn’t possible, was it?
“She was calm, lit up, and focused on her mission trip. She fell in love with the children and can’t wait to be a mother. Belinda has fully accepted Jesus as her Savior and wants to spend her life serving Him. She and Mike are having a wonderful time dating in an innocent and uplifting way, not sneaking behind our backs at every other turn. Together, they will make a difference serving in the Savior’s way.”
Jagger couldn’t take a full breath. He hated everything the pastor was saying. He’d support Belinda in serving the Savior and others, even if he wasn’t a believer. Jagger would happily make Belinda a mother once they were married. Jagger and Belinda had their own plans to make a difference in the world, even if it wasn’t according to Pastor Ralphs’ vision. Belinda wasn’t some puppet who had to do things her father’s way.
No way could she be dating Mike. It was true that he and Belinda had snuck out to meet up late at night sometimes—okay, every weekend night—but that was only because her dad loathed him and Belinda wanted to give him time to see how great Jagger was. She always promised that her dad would eventually realize how perfect he was for her and come around. Belinda adored her parents, and Jagger could never rip her away from them. He understood being an only child; he’d never want to do anything to hurt his mom.
“Sir,” he managed to get out in a semi-level tone. “We only snuck around because you took exception to Belinda dating me. If you’d give me a chance ...” He stopped there. He didn’t know how to beg; he didn’t have it in him. He met the man’s gaze levelly.
