The Preacher's Son - A Christian Romance

The Preacher’s Son combines the two books from the series, Never Kiss a Preacher’s Son, and The Preacher’s Son, in one easy-read set. Christian romance that’s sure to warm your heart and touch your soul.
Penny Pembleton and Hayden Mathison navigate their evolving relationship from a chance meeting at a wedding to a decade-long marriage challenged by Hayden's desire for a more spiritual life, possibly as a preacher. Initially uncertain about love, they build a life balancing career and family, until Hayden's wish for a mission trip to Africa prompts Penny to confront the potential shift in their life's direction. This Christian romance explores the complexities of love, faith, and personal growth within the dynamics of marriage and the quest for a fulfilling life together.

If only I’d paid more attention to my grandmother while she was alive. I realise now she was full of wisdom, but back in my late teens, when I thought I knew everything, she seemed to be just a sweet old woman who knew little of life and love.
Now that I’m older and wiser, I realise she knew a lot.
One of the things she told me was to never kiss a preacher’s son. I thought at the time it was a strange thing to say and instantly dismissed it as we sat that day on her front verandah sipping Earl Grey tea. I hated Earl Grey, I still do, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her. For some reason, she thought I loved it.
But now, having just had my heart broken by a preacher’s son, I wondered about her advice. Had she kissed one of her own? Is that how she knew to be cautious? How I wished I could ask her, because I’d truly thought Hayden was the guy for me. The one I’d spend the rest of my life with. I thought he loved me. He hadn’t said as much, but the way he kissed me told me he did. How could I have been so wrong?
It all started when we met at a wedding on Daydream Island a little over a month ago. We both knew the couple, Dillon and Shayla, but we didn’t know each other before being seated at the same table. I knew Shayla from school. In fact, we were best friends for a number of years until she moved to Melbourne. That’s where she met Dillon, who was Hayden’s cousin.
I was drawn to Hayden from the moment we met. He was seated opposite me at a long table filled with the couple’s friends from all the various parts of their lives. You know the one—the table made up of a bunch of random people who mostly don’t know each other. I certainly didn’t know any of them. Of all our school friends, I was the only one there. To be fair, Shayla and I had left school over ten years ago, and we’d both made new circles of friends since, so I guess it wasn’t surprising. When I arrived and realised I knew no one other than her and her mother, I wondered why I’d even agreed to attend. And of course, being the bride, she was the focus of attention. She appeared happy to see me and introduced me to her friends. The new ones she’d chosen to be her bridesmaids. She’d obviously forgotten the pact we’d made when we were twelve to be each other’s attendants.
After spending what I thought was a polite amount of time in small talk with Shayla’s new friends, I excused myself and headed to my room. I needed an early night. In order to take time off work, I’d been burning the candle at both ends for most of the past week. I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep, but the room had a gorgeous view across the Coral Sea, and I was tempted to step out onto the balcony and enjoy it. Deciding it was too early to sleep, I poured myself a lemon soda and succumbed to the temptation.
I flopped onto the couch and put my feet up. It was bliss. Having been cooped up in my office all week finishing file notes and preparing for our next big case, sitting on that balcony with the gentle breeze ruffling my long blonde hair was pure and utter bliss. Being assistant to the chief prosecutor at the Brisbane Law Courts wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I got to do all the leg work: the research, the note-taking, all the tedious, time sucking jobs my boss relegated to me. Only occasionally did he allow me to take the floor and argue the case. I knew I had to be patient. My turn to shine would come, but I’d been in the job for four years now, and I was growing impatient. I’d trained to be a barrister, not a paper shuffler.
As the sky darkened and the stars began to pop out, I began to wonder if I would ever get married. If I’d ever meet a man who would make my heart beat faster just by thinking of him. I’d had a number of relationships, but never dated anyone I thought I could spend the rest of my life with. Maybe my expectations were too high, but the thought of lowering them left me cold. I didn’t want a relationship that was boring and predictable. I wanted to be loved. Truly loved. A passionate relationship. Was that asking too much?
Sighing, I finished my drink as the moon loomed large above the horizon, casting a brilliant shine across the calm waters of the Coral Sea. I didn’t think so. There had to be a man out there somewhere who’d make my breath catch, my heart flutter, my head spin. Although I didn’t believe too much in praying, I uttered a prayer and asked God if it would be too much for Him to send that man my way sometime soon.
I went to bed and slept until mid-morning. The wedding ceremony was at three, so I spent a lazy morning lounging beside the pool, hiding behind my oversized sunglasses. Not that I was anti-social. Not at all. I simply needed a break. Shayla’s mum came and sat with me for a while before she needed to leave to get her hair done. I groaned when she asked me if I was seeing anyone. When I said no, she told me I shouldn’t wait too long to settle down. “Your biological clock is ticking, you know.”
“I’m not in a hurry to have a family, Mrs. Templeton. My work keeps me busy.”
“But your work won’t look after you in your old age, Penny.” She lifted her sunglasses and looked at me with a cocked brow and her chin tilted, as if my life was meaningless because I was thirty and wasn’t married or had children.
“I’m fine,” I replied, fixing a polite smile on my face. I’d worked hard to get where I was. Children didn’t even enter my thinking.
Early afternoon I showered and dressed for the wedding. I’d brought two outfits with me since I wasn’t sure what one wore to a wedding on an island. The invitation had said ‘smart casual’. Most weddings I attended these days required formal attire, so I was a little unsure what to expect. Standing in front of the wardrobe, wrapped in a towel, I deliberated over whether I should wear my floral midi dress or my tailored pant suit. I’d definitely feel more comfortable in the pant suit, but I wore suits all day every day. I chose the dress and slipped it on.
The ceremony was being held on the beach, and as I headed out there just before three, I was determined to enjoy myself. I would not allow envy to eat away at me. I would not be resentful because Shayla had asked her new friends to be her attendants. Or that she’d found someone she loved. Truly loved, so she’d told me. I’d only met Dillon once, and he seemed a nice guy. I wished them both good luck.
There were only enough seats for the older guests. I wasn’t one of them, so I stood in the shade of a palm tree, slightly to the side. There were about sixty guests in total. I’d assumed there would be more, but obviously only those who could afford a weekend on Daydream Island could attend. I could never understand the current trend of holding weddings in locations that placed a financial burden on the couple’s friends and relatives. What happened to the good old days when the ceremony was held in a local church and the reception in a rented hall? Not that it worried me. I was financially stable, and a weekend on Daydream Island had appealed, but perhaps that was why I was the only one from school. Most of our friends were married with children, whereas I was a career girl. That’s what my mother called me. A career girl. I wasn’t a fan of the term. I wanted more than a career. I wanted also to be loved and to love. Deeply and passionately. The type of love that probably didn’t exist. Or maybe it did. I wasn’t sure.
Dillon stood on the sand with his best man and groomsmen. All five were barefooted and wore off-white suits with no ties. The celebrant, however, wore a tie and polished black shoes. He obviously hadn’t taken note of the dress code on the invitation. I was glad I hadn’t worn my suit. My floral midi dress fit in perfectly.
There was a buzz of anticipation amongst the guests as the music began and one by one, Shayla’s attendants walked slowly along the sand. Finally, it was the bride’s turn. She looked gorgeous in a flowing white gown and veil that fluttered in the breeze. Tears sprung to my eyes as I remembered being twelve and pinky-swearing we’d always be there for each other. Life had been so simple back then. I wished her every happiness as she began her new life with Dillon.
The celebrant welcomed everyone and asked the group to come closer. I lost the shade of my palm tree but was able to hear. He spoke with confidence and led the ceremony with ease, and from what he said, he seemed to know Dillon better than Shayla. I was surprised to discover it was a religious ceremony. I hadn’t expected that. Most weddings I attended didn’t include prayers or Bible readings. It seemed to be the way of things, but this somehow seemed right. Marriage was ordained by God and shouldn’t be entered into lightly, the celebrant said. I couldn’t agree with that statement more. How many marriages had I seen fall apart because they’d been entered into too lightly? Divorce was all too easy these days. I didn’t want that. When I married, if I married, it would be forever.
My heart warmed when Shayla and Dillon were pronounced husband and wife. The way he looked at her before he lowered his mouth and kissed her passionately made me long for someone who would look at me and kiss me like that. It was obvious they loved each other very much.
The reception began soon after, and that was when I met Hayden.