A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) Read online

  A Younger Man

  A Jamaica Treasures Book

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual person or persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © 2014 by Brenda Barrett

  Book Cover Design: Yorkali Walters, www.theimajination.com

  *****

  Discover other titles in the Mount Faith Series:

  Saving Face (Mount Faith Series)

  Tattered Tiara (Mount Faith Series)

  Private Dancer (Mount Faith Series)

  Goodbye Lonely (Mount Faith Series)

  Practice Run (Mount Faith Series)

  Sense of Rumor (Mount Faith Series)

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  Visit Brenda's Official Blog:

  brenda-barrett.com

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  Dear Reader

  In Jamaica, way off the beaten path in the cool hills of Malvern, there is a fictional town called Mount Faith. It boasts one of the premier universities in the island. This series is based on the lives of the Bancroft family who all live, work, go to school, or have some contact with the Mount Faith environment. The series consists of eight books. Each book is listed in order below:

  The Mount Faith Series:

  Saving Face (Book 1)

  Tattered Tiara (Book 2)

  Private Dancer (Book 3)

  Goodbye Lonely (Book 4)

  Practice Run (Book 5)

  Sense of Rumor (Book 6)

  A Younger Man (Book 7

  Just to See Her (Book 8)- Feb 2014

  Thank you for reading.

  Yours Sincerely,

  Brenda Barrett

  Prologue

  "If anyone knows of any reason these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

  The place was silent except for the rustling of the wind on the red and white streamers that were pinned to each chair, and a seagull squawking in the distance. Vanley Bancroft grinned with the bride and groom in front of him, who seemed unconcerned that there would be any objection from the audience. They only had eyes for each other.

  "Taj Jackson and Natasha Rowe, I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, sir."

  Taj lowered his head to Natasha and kissed her thoroughly. The kiss went on and on and had their one hundred and twenty guests laughing and clapping.

  Vanley breathed a sigh of relief. It was over: his first wedding as an officiating minister. He had not made a blunder, and he was happy. He had made a terrible blunder at his first funeral; even now he shuddered to think of it. He kept on calling the deceased Anita Parkinson when the name was Agnes Bertrand. The two persons were unrelated yet he was so stuck on the first name that he could not shake it from his mind.

  One lady had taken him aside after the funeral and had asked curiously if Anita Parkinson was no longer the VP of Academic Affairs at Mount Faith. Vanley had been shocked to his core. Had his obsession with Anita gotten so bad that he had been calling her name at a funeral of all places?

  Today he had taken extra precautions. He had tried not to think about Anita, which was hard because she was a guest at the wedding, sitting at the back in a flirty blue dress and a blue hat that she was constantly holding down because of the breeze. He knew every time she raised a hand to keep her hat down. Her nails were painted a pretty coral blue. He reckoned that he knew how often she had swallowed in the last half hour. Out of the corner of his eyes, he had registered every detail about her.

  Taj and Natasha walked to the end of the gazebo to the sound of John Legend's song “Stay With You” on saxophone. Vanley shook hands with Pastor Peterson then stepped down from the gazebo. He zeroed in on Anita but saw that she was engaged in an animated conversation with his cousin, Kylie, and her husband, Gareth.

  He walked to the side of the lawn instead and gazed toward the sea. It was a beautiful spot for a wedding; Taj and Natasha had chosen well. The venue was called Lovers Leap; so named because of a tragic love story that ended there. Two slaves, during the 18th century, fled to the edge of the steep cliff while being chased by the plantation owner. Rather than face being caught and separated, the lovers chose to end their lives by jumping to their death together.

  In the past, Vanley would scoff when he heard the story of the slaves’ drastic action, but today, with the cool December breeze swirling about him, the nostalgic romance of the wedding, and his unshakeable obsession with Anita, he could see how a couple would rather die than be separated.

  "You did well today."

  Vanley spun around and saw that it was Anita. She had taken off the hat, and her hair, which she kept in a sleek bob, was swinging toward her face. She had a heart shaped face and the biggest, sultriest brown eyes this side of Jamaica.

  "Thank you," he smiled. He always smiled when she was around. Usually he felt like a bumbling idiot and would blurt out something totally inappropriate. Last time it was, “Marry me, Anita.” Today he straightened his spine and kept his mouth shut.

  Her response last time was to laugh at him. “You are too young for me Vanley.”

  He was tired of her keeping him at arm’s length. Fifteen years between them was not that big a deal, at least not in these times. It was five years since he first met her, five years of her treating him as if he were some kind of boy, except for that day three years ago when she had passionately kissed him in her office. Vanley still relived it in his mind. She had not spoken to him about it, and she had been keeping him at arm’s length since then. For her to approach him now was quite remarkable. He allowed his eyes to roam over her as she looked out at the view. She had a pretty face, smooth dusky skin, finely arched eyebrows, and a rose bud mouth. Her well-toned body seemed like it didn't have an ounce of spare fat. She was body-conscious and loved to workout.

  He could itemize her features without looking at her now. Like an obsessed maniac, he had memorized every detail of her features the first time he set eyes her. She had turned her big brown eyes on him the first day that he stepped foot on Mount Faith grounds and he hadn't been the same since. She had been working out of his uncle's office building. His uncle had casually introduced her to him as a good friend of his. At that first meeting in his uncle's office, he had sat and stared at her like a lovesick puppy.

  He often wondered how Anita had reached forty without getting married. She was perfect in his eyes. He had no confidence in the male population because they allowed her to go free for so long.

  She glanced at him sideways and smiled, once again catching him in one of his deep perusals of her. He really wished that time would dim his Anita fascination. He had prayed that his fascination would end or that something would happen so that they could finally be together, but nothing changed.

  "It's a gorgeous day to be alive." Her voice was low-pitched.

  He nodded, "It really is."

  He cleared his throat, "Anita, I..."

  She cut him off. "I heard you have gotten a church for yourself. I guess no more Mount Faith for you, huh?"

  His eyes clouded over. No more Mount Faith? Not likely, not when you are still there, he thought.

  "My new church is in Bramble. As you know, it's just fifteen minutes down the road from Mount Faith," he said softly, watching for any shift in her expression to indicate that she was glad that he would still be nearby. "I'll be around."

  She didn't shift, and he wat
ched again for any micro expression that would indicate something—joy perhaps? Instead, she changed the subject.

  "I remember when you just came to school. You were so eager to be in the seminary and start doing what you said was your calling. I can see that the boy has grown somewhat and is maturing into a good man and pastor. Keep it up."

  There she goes again with the ageism. He almost chuckled at her obvious attempt to once more emphasize their age difference and keep a firm distance between them. She loved to highlight the fact that he was a boy.

  "I am twenty-five," he shrugged. "I've been a man for quite some time. I hoped you'd notice."

  Anita swallowed and then turned her back slightly to him. "I noticed but some things are not worth pursuing."

  "Why?" Vanley asked. He touched her arm and wished he hadn't. His fingers trembled when they came in contact with her skin. He removed his hand and jammed them into his pockets. "Don't tell me about age Anita, I am tired of hearing it. My heart doesn't care how old you are."

  Anita turned to him and smiled sadly. "It's not just age. There is a huge gulf between us where lies experience…life events. I have been on this earth a decade and a half before you…I am not perfect."

  Vanley shrugged. "Neither am I. Just striving to be like Christ."

  Anita shook her head. "You don't understand."

  "Make me understand," Vanley said. His voice was hoarse and he sounded like a broken record. They had had this conversation several times before, and usually he left the conversation feeling disappointed. Today was probably going to be one of those times.

  Anita shook her head. "No."

  Vanley sighed. As usual, she made him feel unsettled and unsure of himself and his feelings.

  He was happy when his sister walked up to them and the conversation turned to general topics, but he couldn't shake the feeling of rejection that dogged him every time he was around Anita.

  Chapter One

  "You can't date my nephew." Bancroft was in his office swiveling in his chair. He looked at Anita warningly.

  "I know." Anita swallowed. "I have promised you several times that I wouldn't. Haven't I kept my promise? He is persistent though, and he is such a sweetheart."

  "He is a man with deep feelings," Bancroft heaved a sigh, "and he is completely fixated on you. I rue the day I introduced you to him."

  "It was just a casual introduction," Anita chuckled softly, "who knew that he would like me then? It's not your fault. He is something else, though, I tell you that: earnest, intense, and so attractive. If he were not into ministry, he would make a nice pin-up."

  "Anita I am serious," Bancroft wagged his finger at her. "Leave my nephew alone. He's a good pastor. With time, he can make a difference in so many lives."

  Anita nodded. "I hear you. I believe so too. I have obeyed you for five years. Why are you so insistent now?"

  "Because I saw how he looked at you at Taj's wedding," Bancroft sighed. "He looked determined to be with you. I don't understand it… this single-minded intensity. You could be his mother for crying out loud."

  Anita chuckled, "I could be, but I don't look it."

  Bancroft looked up into the ceiling. "If this persists maybe you'll have to leave Mount Faith."

  "Oh no, you don't," Anita frowned. "I love my job here. I am Vice President of Academic Affairs. I can't get an assignment like this anywhere else."

  "That's because I made it happen," Bancroft said softly, a warning note in his voice.

  "And I do a damn good job," Anita said, standing up and leaning on the desk. "I am the best vice president of academic affairs this school has ever had, and I am not going anywhere."

  She was in an expensively tailored red suit that hugged her figure in all the right places. She leaned forward with a piercing look in her eye. "Your nephew is not my problem."

  Bancroft waved her back down. "Then I have to find someone who can distract Vanley from you because the two of you are not going to happen…can't happen, or he'd have to give up the ministry." He swung in his chair and contemplated for a bit. "That boy loves God, and serving people. Leaving the ministry would be a blow to him. I don't want him to have to choose."

  Anita grabbed the papers she had come to have Bancroft sign. "Whatever you say, Ryan. I have work to do. Good luck on your matchmaking efforts."

  Bancroft coughed as she headed through the door. "I appreciate our friendship Anita."

  Anita nodded. "Likewise. We have always helped each other, huh?"

  "Yes." Bancroft sighed. "Keeping Vanley away from you is also helping you out."

  Anita walked through the door and headed to her office suite that was at the end of the corridor.

  She paused to give her secretary the pile of correspondence she had just picked up from Bancroft's office and then let herself into her own inner sanctuary with a sigh.

  Her office was a lot more modest than Ryan's, but it was still spacious and beautiful. She loved the deep wood panels and the paintings she had tastefully placed on her wall. She had convinced her friend, Gersham, to bid on Arnella Bancroft's painting “Driftwood” at the Medical Association Banquet. She stared at it now.

  She had been determined to get the painting. There was something about the scene that spoke to her. It mirrored how she felt for most of her life: like driftwood that was washed up in the midst of the sea's chaos. She also noticed that the driftwood had green buds on one side. It was a painting about struggles and life. She liked it a lot; besides, the artist was Vanley's little sister. She had wanted to help. It had cost her a pretty penny, but it was worth it.

  She glanced at her computer screen. She had a few logistics to work out, and meetings with deans to attend, which was normal for the beginning of a new semester. She had always ensured that she was prepared for her meetings and had gone beyond the call of duty regarding all her responsibilities, especially since it was being noised about that she had not gotten the job fairly. Even after nearly three years in the position, she could still sense the distrust.

  Granted, her promotion had been unorthodox and somewhat shrouded in secrecy, but there were persons who had been gunning for the job, especially the dean of the school of education, Joe Masters—he still had a grudge against her. He was the first person she had to meet with today. She grimaced and stared into space, cracking her fingers and hearing them pop. It was a nervous gesture that she had been trying for years to curb.

  She wasn’t as blasé about Vanley as she had wanted to appear to Ryan. That day, five years ago, when he had entered the president's building, she had immediately noticed his casual loping stride, his slim body encased in black, his pale brown eyes swiveling about the place in innocent wonder, the dimple in his left chin widening to accommodate his smile, and the confident way he held his head.

  He was eye-catching, and she had stopped and watched him. A strange hammering had developed in her even-paced heartbeat and she had felt a pull toward him. She had fondly imagined that he had been walking towards her to take her away with him. It had been a fanciful thought, but Anita had learned long ago not to be fanciful.

  Her mutual fascination with Vanley was a secret that she guarded well, only admitting it to herself on days like this when she felt out of sorts. She hated herself for feeling the way she did about Vanley, not only because of their age gap, but she had a long list of issues…issues that would probably wipe that adoring look from his gorgeous brown eyes if he knew about them.

  Admittedly, she liked the way Vanley looked at her. She was addicted to his adoration, and the thought of him moving on to somebody else or getting married literally kept her up at nights.

  Years ago she had promised Ryan that she would not encourage Vanley, who had taken to coming to the president's building everyday and camping out at her door just to see her. He had even studied for his Homiletics final exam in her outer office. She remembered the pink covered book and how every time she walked through the door Vanley would look up at her and smile.

  I
n a slip of composure, she had given him her number, hoping that he would stop coming by. He had started calling her every day instead. She had enjoyed his phone calls even though she had adopted a maternal tone to her voice that irritated him. Then, one evening three years ago, Vanley entered her office with a determined look on his face. "Anita, we need to talk."

  Anita had shaken her head. "We have nothing to say to each other, Vanley." She had taken up a sheaf of papers, hoping to look busy but she wasn't seeing a thing. All the words were swimming in front of her eyes.

  Vanley had leaned on the door. His brown eyes beseeched her for understanding, and suddenly something inside her had snapped. She had thrown caution to the wind, gotten up from her chair, and walked over to him and kissed him hard. It was a punishing kiss that she hoped would make the point that she was too old for him, but his lips had been so soft, and hers had trembled against his. The sensation had completely wiped from her mind the motive for her kissing him in the first place.

  The kiss had gone on for minutes and then that guy, Harry Campbell, had barged in on them and stealthily backed away. She had seen him, but she had pretended not to. Later she found out that he had been working undercover on the Carlisle case. His intrusion had quickly brought her to her senses—it could have been Ryan who had barged in on them.

  She shuddered to think how that scene would have played out. She and Ryan kept each other's secrets, but now she didn't have many of his secrets to keep since he had publicly confessed to premarital affair that resulted in Taj Jackson being born. They were now uneven; Bancroft had more secrets for her now. She was concerned about that. She did not want Ryan Bancroft as an enemy as he was very protective of his family, and Vanley was family.

  Not only that, Vanley was a pastor. His job would require that his future spouse be of high morals, and she was squarely in the gray area where morality was concerned.