Got to Be Love Read online

  Got To Be Love

  Book 3

  Loving You Series

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  By: Vanessa Miller

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  The end.

  For Your Love | Book 2 | Loving You Series | by | Vanessa Miller

  Prologue

  By: Vanessa Miller

  Publisher’s Note:

  This short story is a work of fiction. References to real events, organizations, or places are used in a fictional context. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.

  Vanessa Miller

  www.vanessamiller.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  © 2019 by Vanessa Miller

  Praise Unlimited Enterprises

  Charlotte, NC

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system—without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Other Books by Vanessa Miller

  Family Business I

  Family Business II

  Family Business III

  Family Business IV

  Family Business V

  Family Business VI

  Our Love

  For Your Love

  Got To Be Love

  Rain in the Promised Land

  Heaven Sent

  Sunshine And Rain

  After the Rain

  How Sweet The Sound

  Heirs of Rebellion

  Feels Like Heaven

  Heaven on Earth

  The Best of All

  Better for Us

  Her Good Thing

  Long Time Coming

  A Promise of Forever Love

  A Love for Tomorrow

  Yesterday’s Promise

  Forgotten

  Forgiven

  Forsaken

  Rain for Christmas (Novella)

  Through the Storm

  Rain Storm

  Latter Rain

  Abundant Rain

  Former Rain

  Anthologies (Editor)

  Keeping the Faith

  Have A Little Faith

  This Far by Faith

  Novella

  Love Isn’t Enough

  A Mighty Love

  The Blessed One (Blessed and Highly Favored series)

  The Wild One (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Preacher’s Choice (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Politician’s Wife (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  The Playboy’s Redemption (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

  Tears Fall at Night (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Joy Comes in the Morning (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  A Forever Kind of Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Ramsey’s Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Escape to Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Praise For Christmas (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  His Love Walk (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Could This Be Love (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Song of Praise (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

  Dedicated to:

  My cousin Carol Underwood (Gone to soon)

  Prologue

  THE PAIN WAS EXCRUCIATING, he had never gone this far before. But the doctor confirmed that Gina had a broken arm and cracked ribs. Marvel Williams had told her that he loved her and wanted to marry her.

  The nurse put a cast on her arm and then left the room as a police officer who looked like he’d just barely graduated high school stepped into the room. He was so thin, a strong wind could blow him over. Gina doubted that this man, whether police officer or not, could protect her. So, when he asked, “Who did this to you?

  She said, “I fell.”

  “Ma’am, your injuries aren’t consistent with a fall. Tell me the truth so we can help you.”

  But she couldn’t tell him, or something bad would happen to her, Marvel promised he’d kill her, and she believed him. He was violent and vicious. She hated him, wished him nothing but the worst. But she couldn’t file a complaint because she was terrified that he would make good on his threats.

  How things had turned so bad, Gina didn’t know or understand. She had just received a promotion and took Marvel out to celebrate. Some guy looked at her a moment too long and everything got crazy from there. Marvel told her, “You got that promotion and now you think you can stare at other men right in my face?”

  No, not again, she thought. She just wanted to enjoy an evening out with her man. She didn’t want to make Marvel mad. She didn’t need nor want this kind of drama in her life. “I wasn’t looking at anyone. I was just sitting here talking to you.”

  Pushing his chair back, he stood, threw a few dollars on the table and said, “Come on, let’s go.”

  “Please don’t get upset Marvel, let’s just have some fun tonight, okay?”

  He grabbed her arm and snatched her out of her seat, “I said let’s go.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell the police what happened,” the nurse asked after the officer left the room.

  Her nurse was an older woman with gray hair and kind eyes. She reminded Gina of her grandmother. She desperately wanted to tell someone about what she was going through. But she didn’t see a way out, so there was no use.

  “Can I pray with you?” The nurse asked.

  Prayer. She’d done a lot of that as a teenager in youth ministry at her church back in Detroit, Michigan. But during college, she hadn’t had much time for God or youth ministry. After college, she met Marvel, and he wasn’t a churchgoer, so Gina hadn’t thought much about going to church either.

  Now she was in trouble and she needed God like she never needed Him before. As tears fell down her face, she said, “Please pray for me.”

  The nurse bowed her head as she held onto Gina’s hand, the hand that didn’t have the cast on it. “Lord, I come to you on behalf of this beautiful young lady. Lord, we know that You are a good God and You desire good things for us. So, I ask that you first help Gina to see the joy that comes with serving You so You can save her soul. I also ask that You lead and guide her away from all hurt, harm and danger. That includes any relationship that might be bad for her. Make a way of escape for her, Lord Jesus.”

  The prayer sparked a fire in Gina because it finally helped her to realize that she could escape. She just needed the Lord to show her the way.

  1

  LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW, Gina Melson could hardly believe that the sun was shining so bright in the midwest on December 28th. It was a beautiful day for a wedding, coupled with the fact that it was still the Christmas season, so the wedding was going to be festive. Gina was excited to be a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding. The only issue she had was that her car was not in the driveway where she left it last night. Frantic and about to call 911 to report her bright red BMW stolen, Gina then remembered the conversation she had with the bank thirty days ago.

  She had been sixty days past due on the BMW at that time. They demanded their money or the key. Business had been slow, and Gina had barely been getting by. Her pantry had Ramen noodles in it, something she swore she’d never eat again after college. Her heat was even set at 68 degrees, she now had a cold and had worn out her favorite fluffy pink sock
s.

  No matter how many adjustments she made, the money still wasn’t flowing like it had when she was climbing the ladder at her old PR firm. Gina blamed Marvel Williams for all her woes. He claimed to love her, but Marvel didn’t have love in his heart for anyone but himself. After breaking her arm, he belittled and terrorized her until she quit a job she loved so she could move out of the country to get away from him.

  Gina used up a great deal of her savings while living in the Bahamas and basically hiding out from her abuser. When she did move back to the United States, she moved into an upscale condo division that had security. Gina was just beginning her PR firm and couldn’t afford the condo, but she needed to feel safe.

  Rolling her eyes at her current situation, she tried to use her cell phone to arrange an Uber pick up but the call was redirected to Sprint. Her phone had been cut off for non-payment. Gina made arrangements to pay the bill in two weeks and they reconnected her service. Where she would get that money in two weeks, Gina didn’t know.

  But once her phone was reconnected, she called her mom. She hadn’t told her parents about her financial woes, but it couldn’t be helped now. She didn’t want to spend extra money on Uber when she had just made an arrangement to pay a past due cell phone bill. “I need your help, Mom.”

  “I’m getting ready for the wedding but let me know what I can do.”

  Her mom was always so accommodating, and Gina loved her for it. “I need a ride to church.”

  “Don’t tell me that fabulous BMW of yours broke down?”

  Gina hated admitting the truth but lying was not an option. She believed the words of the Bible that said a liar can’t tarry in God’s eyesight. So, she refused to make up lies when the truth was readily available. “I’m behind on payments so they repossessed it.”

  “Oh, my goodness. Do you need money?” Audrey Melson asked her daughter.

  “No, Mom, I’m handling it. I just need a ride.”

  “Okay, hon, I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you.” Gina hung up and waited on her mom to pick her up as if she was sixteen again, staying after school for cheerleading practice and then needed to wait on her ride to get home. Her mom picked her up and drove her to the church so she could perform her duties as a bridesmaid and that was all she really cared about right now.

  Three days after Christmas, Gina would have thought that people would be off work, still enjoying the Christmas spirit and spending time with their families. But evidently, the taxman and collections departments don’t close for Jesus, family, or nobody else. Gina was at her breaking point. But she had thoroughly, no-turning-back-this-time given her life to Jesus about six months ago, so she turned to Him as she sat in the passenger seat of her mother’s Toyota Camry. Gina bowed her head and silently prayed, “Lord, I trust You. Things are shaking right now. I don’t know what to do to get over this hump. Please help me. I need a financial breakthrough, not tomorrow or next week, but today.”

  “Tell Mama what’s going on. How can I help you, hon?” Her mom asked while putting a hand on Gina's shoulder for comfort.

  The last thing Gina wanted to do was burden her parents. They were retired and just barely getting by on the pensions they thought would carry them through. “It will be alright, Mom. Being my chauffeur is a tremendous help to me. And you drive around listening to praise music. What?” Gina turned up the radio and started rocking to Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus by Maranatha Gospel.

  Popping her fingers and steady rocking, Gina said, “What that man say, Mama?”

  “I hear him... can’t nobody do you like Jesus, so you want your Mama to step back.” Audrey nodded, understanding her limitations now that her daughter was a full-grown woman.

  Gina exhaled as they pulled up to Christ-Life Sanctuary. She was truly enjoying the praise music and it was encouraging her soul. But in truth, she’d only turned up the volume to get her mother to think about Jesus rather than her daughter’s problems.

  They got out of the car and Gina’s mother looped her arm around her arm. “Trouble don’t last always,” Audrey said to Gina as they entered the church.

  Before the weariness she was feeling could set in, Gina activated her faith and pointed heavenward.” It can’t last forever, because we belong to Him.”

  Audrey brought Gina’s head to her shoulder as she laid a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so thankful to God that you came back home.”

  “Me too, Mama.” She left her mother in the entryway and went to the back of the church, where the bridal party was using the prayer room to get dressed.

  “You made it.” Toya Milner opened her arms for a hug as she sat at the table, having lash extensions added to her eyelashes.

  Gina rushed to her best friend and hugged her. “Of course, I made it. I wouldn’t miss your big day for anything.”

  “Help!” Toya called out.

  “What’s wrong?” Gina stepped back. “Was I hugging you too tight?”

  “I can’t open my eyes.”

  The best laugh she’d had all week occurred while watching Toya try to open her eyes as the glue from the eyelash extensions on the top eyelid connected with the bottom lid and stuck together.

  Toya’s eyelashes fluttered; the glue still wouldn’t give. Then the make-up artist started flaring her arms like she was coming in for a landing, “I told you not to blink. Didn’t I tell you?”

  “How can I avoid blinking? Eyes blink. That’s what they do.” Toya kept struggling to open her eyes.

  The make-up artist worked on the lashes, trying to pull them apart and Gina grabbed her belly as she doubled over laughing. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know this shouldn’t be so funny to me, but I need this laugh today.”

  “And I need my eyes to stay open so I can walk down the aisle and marry my man.” Toya widened her eyes, trying to keep the lashes from touching again.

  Gina wanted to stop laughing but Toya looked so silly while holding her eyes open like that. The make-up artist didn’t help the situation as she stood in front of Toya with a mini fan on high. Blowing hot breath in Toya’s face. “Men will never understand what we women go through to be beautiful and glamorous.”

  “Tia, Toya’s younger sister agreed. “And all they have to do is shave and throw on their clothes, then stand there complaining about how slow we are.”

  Gina then told Toya, “Next time get the strip lashes. Those individual lashes are more pain than they are worth.”

  “Tia talked me into it.” Toya pointed toward her very pregnant sister.

  “Don’t blame me.” Tia held onto her stomach as she struggled to stand and waddle over to her sister. “I can’t be held responsible for anything I say or do until this baby comes out.”

  “How much longer,” Gina asked.

  “Three more weeks.”

  “Looks like you ready to pop today. Don’t let your water break and get all over my shoes while we’re standing at the altar.” Gina glanced down at her gray Manolo Blahnik’s. They were the most expensive pair of shoes she owned other than a pair of glittery Jimmy Choo’s that she normally brought out on New Year’s Eve. But she would probably be selling her precious shoes at a second time around shop if things didn’t turn around quickly. Probably should have gotten rid of them a long time ago anyway since they had been gifts from her evil ex. But most women would have agreed with her decision... get rid of the man, keep the shoes.

  DAVID PITTMAN PULLED up to the church and was about to get out of his car when the phone rang. He wouldn’t have answered, but it was his business manager, they were finalizing the paperwork on the deal with the Foodie Network channel. “Katie, my lady, whatcha know good?” Katie had been his business manager for three years. There had never been anything romantic between them, but he always said that silly rhyme when answering her calls.

  “Doubt you’ll consider what I have to say good news.”

  “Wrong answer, Katie. I don’t want to hear any bad news. Everything was supposed to be wrapped up wi
th the network this week.”

  “They’re a little worried about recent developments.”

  David was so frustrated, he wanted to punch something. “This is bogus!” He shouted into the phone as if the utterance of those words would make a difference.

  “I know that, David. I’m on your side. We just have to get the people who matter to see the real you.”

  “Easier said than done.” David shook his head. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll get back with you tomorrow.”

  “But I need you back at the office. We’ve got an emergency situation here. We need to brainstorm and figure something out before we lose this contract.”

  “I hear you. But I made a promise to my college roommate, I need to be right where I’m at. I’ll get back with you.” He hung up the phone as he tried to push the multi-million dollar deal that was on the verge of collapsing out of his mind, he got out of the car and walked into the church to fulfill his duty as best man to an old friend.

  2

  TOYA’S EYELASHES FINALLY dried, she was a beautiful bride as she walked down the aisle with Thomas Reed by her side. Toya’s father passed away five years ago and her mother, Yvonne, married Thomas, who was Jarrod’s father, about two years ago, they now pastored Christ Life Sanctuary church together.

  Gina nudged Tia as they stood watching Toya make her way down the aisle. “She's beautiful.”

  “That’s my big sis,” Tia said with pride.

  Gina was holding white Lilies in her hand as Toya came to a full stop in front of the altar. Gina was so happy for her friend. She even smiled at the thought that mother and father were marrying daughter and son, but while all of this was beautiful, it was not for her.

  Pastor Yvonne stood in front of her daughter. Toya’s fiancé was next to her as she said, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of family and friends to join together Jarrod Reed and Toya Milner in Holy Matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted by God and therefore is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but reverently, joyfully and in the love of God. Into this holy estate, these two persons present come now to be joined.”