Free Miracles in Disguise (The Trampled Rose Series) by Michelle Lynn Brown Page B

for the taking.
    “Please,” she whispered unknowingly. Her vocal acknowledgment startled her, and she coughed as she released his hand, “Please, make sure you take care of Barbara."
    Before he could say anything, she slid out of the truck.
    “Wait!” she heard him call, but she ignored him and hurried into her house.
    Inside, Kristina was crying softly on the couch. No, God, not again. I cannot trust another man with my heart. I cannot lay myself bare for another to rip me apart. I know what he offers looks good. I might be fooled into believing I can live happily ever after, but I know better. I know I can never trust anyone else with my heart ever again.
    As she sat curled on the couch, the thoughts whirling around in her head, another thought fluttered through her mind, “Can you trust Me?”
    Kristina went still, and the thought came again.
    “Can you trust Me?”
    I want to , she thought, but I’m afraid.
    *****
    Nathan sat for a few moments in his truck, staring at the house. He had struggled before with physical attraction, but he had no trouble conquering that roaring beast. But this overwhelming desire wasn’t for her physical presence. He wanted to know her - her heart, her past, her fears and hopes. He wanted to protect her and cover her with his own peace. When she had looked up at him, he was overwhelmed with the depth of emotions flashing through her eyes. It was like God had opened her heart for a brief peek, and he could see she was in pain, and struggling with immense burdens. All her barriers were down, and he was getting a brief glimpse of the real Kristina. The situation and the feeling so overwhelmed him, that he slammed the truck into gear and sped out of her driveway.
    Moments later, he pulled into his own driveway. He could see David peeking his nose through the blinds. He laughed at his dog, but the laugh was shallow. Lately, coming home with only his dog to greet him had stung more than he cared to admit. He always had peace with the fact that he was still single, despite the fact that he longed for a family of his own. He knew it would happen in God's time. But ever since Kristina came into town, his loneliness had gnawed at the pit of his stomach.
    Nathan unlocked his door, and rubbed David’s head affectionately before bending down to pick up the box his mom had left for him. She had called during school today to let him know she was dropping off a box of his stuff that she had run across in the garage. When he had left for college, he had told her to just toss it, but she had refused. “Sometimes we need to look back on our past to get a clear perspective on where we are going next.”
    Setting it down on the counter, he let David out into the back yard. As he watched his dog frolicking in the backyard, his mind wandered again to Kristina. It had been doing that a lot lately. She fascinated him, and that bothered him. Though she came to church, he could tell she didn’t really understand what a relationship with God entailed. The look she had on her face today spoke of a hungry soul crying out to God. But whenever he tried to help her, she skittered away.
    He turned at the sound of the doorbell, and was surprised to find his mom at his doorstep.
    “Hey, Son, I just thought I’d check on you. Make sure you got the box of stuff.”
    Nathan gave her a quick kiss, and the two sat at the kitchen counter. Never one to beat around the bush, Sandra McKinley asked, “What’s on your mind?”
    He started to say nothing, but knew better. “I’ve just been wondering about God’s timing."
    “The three M’s – music, ministry and marriage?”
    He just stared at her, not wanting to answer, but knowing she already knew.
    Instead of giving him her nuggets of wisdom, she opened the box and began pulling things out of it. One was a school paper he had written on the topic of where he saw himself in ten years. It was written just after he felt he'd been called into ministry. Afire with his new