Courageous by Randy Alcorn Read Free Book Online

you’re in the same economics class? Okay, that doesn’t matter. Here’s what matters: Is he a Christian?”
    “I don’t know him that well.”
    “That should come up early. If it hasn’t, it’s not a good sign.”
    “He’s a nice boy.”
    “Does this nice boy have a name?”
    “Derrick Freeman.”
    Jordan ran back into Jade’s room wearing mismatched pajamas.
    “Has Derrick Freeman asked you out?”
    “Uh . . . yes.”
    Nathan sighed and gazed into her eyes. “Jade, baby, we already talked about this. You can’t go on a date with anyone until they come talk to me. And they have no business talking to me until you’re seventeen. Haven’t I been clear about that?”
    “But it’s not a real date. We’re just talking about going to the mall.”
    “If a boy asks you to go anywhere with him, it’s a date. To the library to study? Date. To the park to play Frisbee? Date.”
    Jade folded her arms and pouted. Nathan, without thinking, ate a spoonful from the jar he was holding. Suddenly realizing it wasn’t yogurt, he gagged and spit the baby food in the trash.
    Kayla came up the hall with a diaper in one hand and a phone in the other.
    “Kayla, what are we feeding him? That stuff is nasty!”
    “That’s broccoli and carrots, and it’s his favorite. Just ’cuz you saved him from a gangbanger doesn’t mean you can steal his food.” She held out the phone. “It’s Adam Mitchell.”
    “You wash your hands?”
    “You’re lucky it’s not my left hand,” Kayla said, pushing the diaper toward his face. He retreated, then took the phone.
    “Sounds like it’s not a good time to talk,” Adam said.
    “No, it’s fine,” Nathan said, disappearing into his bedroom. “You rescued me from the Hayes family circus. Performances nightly.”
    “Just wanted to invite you to join us for a barbecue Saturday at my place. I’m grilling, and Shane and David are coming. Wife and kids are welcome. You in?”
    “I’ll check with Kayla, but I’m 90 percent sure. Sounds like fun.”
    In the hallway, Kayla had picked up where her husband left off in the conversation with Jade. It was a conversation that would probably go on another three years. She didn’t look forward to it.
    Nathan rejoined the discussion just as he heard Jade raise her voice. “It’s not fair!”
    Her mother told her, “Jade, we have your best interests in mind. You’ve got to trust us.”
    “Sweetheart,” Nathan said to his daughter, “don’t let yourself get worked up.”
    Jade tried to be calm with her dad, which he interpreted as an attempt to send the message that her mother was overreacting. “I’m not getting worked up. I just wish you wouldn’t judge people you don’t know.”
    “That’s the point,” Nathan said. “We don’t know him. If I got to know him, maybe I’d judge him to be a fine young Christian man who will guard his purity and yours, a boy who knows he answers to God and to me as your father. If that’s the case, we’re gonna get along great!”
    “Nobody’s like that, Daddy.”
    “Don’t set your sights low, baby, or you’ll end up with dirt.”
    Jade sighed. “When will you believe I’m mature enough to spend time with a boy?”
    Suddenly Jordan ran by with her phone, and Jade shouted, “Jordan Hayes! That’s mine ! Give it back!” She ran over and yanked it out of his hand, then went to her room and slammed the door.
    Jordan’s head hung low.
    “Son,” Nathan said, “you know you can’t play with your sister’s things without her permission.”
    Kayla squatted down to his level. “You wore these pajamas every day last week. I put them in the dirty clothes basket for a reason. Go put on a clean pair.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” Jordan ran into his room.
    Kayla cracked open Jade’s door. “Jade, I’m sorry, but I need to feed Jackson. I’m at the pregnancy center in the morning, and I’ve got to get him down.”
    “I’ll put Jordan down,” Nathan said.
    “Thanks, babe,” Kayla