The one thing he didn’t understand, however, was why she’d gotten mixed up with Dillon and how Dillon could have no problem sleeping with his own brother’s wife. Matthew knew he and Dillon had never been close—actually, they’d never actually gotten to know each other at all—but he still couldn’t fathom any man sleeping with his sister-in-law. There were just certain moral and family lines most human beings didn’t cross. It was the kind of unwritten rule that never had to be discussed, but for some reason, Dillon hadn’t seen anything wrong with it. In fact, had it not been for Melissa, Matthew might never have found out about the affair taking place between his brother and his wife. Melissa had called Matthew and told him everything. As fate would have it, Melissa had seen a breaking news report on the local six o’clock news about Nicole’s stabbing, and this was when she’d realized the police were looking for Racquel. It was then that she’d contacted the investigator to determine Dillon’s whereabouts. She’d had a feeling Racquel might be locked away in some hotel with him, what with her having been with him two nights in a row before that. Then, shortly after notifying the police, she’d called Matthew.
But sleeping with his sister-in-law wasn’t the only vile thing Dillon had been capable of. He’d actually plotted some crooked scheme and tried to blackmail their father. Thankfully, Melissa was the reason Dillon hadn’t gotten away with that either, and right after draining his bank accounts, she’d moved back to the South. Dillon, on the other hand, was still there living in Mitchell, but none of them had anything to do with him or ever saw him. Matthew’s dad had immediately confronted him, though, about his extortion plans—wanting to know why Dillon would do something like that—but all Dillon had told him was that he never wanted to see him or any other member of the Black family again. So that had been that, and everyone had moved on.
Now, things were starting to look up, at least in some respects, anyway, because not only was Matthew’s divorce just about final, his parents had encouraged him to return to Harvard. They’d almost insisted that he re-enroll, not in a controlling way, but in a loving one, and Matthew was grateful to them. He had, of course, lost his academic scholarship, but his parents had offered to pay his expenses, and classes had begun two weeks ago. As a matter of fact, the only reason he was able to have such a great time with MJ at the moment was because his parents had brought MJ out to Boston for the weekend. They’d also brought Stacey along, something Matthew couldn’t believe, since his mother had never liked any girl he’d dated. But for some reason, she seemed fine with his current choice. Stacey was still attending college in Illinois, but she and Matthew had promised to try and see each other every chance they got. It was true that they did miss each other terribly, but so far, it hadn’t affected the special love they shared. They were committed to their relationship, and Matthew believed they would be fine. There was no denying that he hadn’t remained faithful to Racquel, something he still felt pretty badly about, but he’d repented, asked God to forgive him, and he was doing his best to live his life right. He’d made a lot of mistakes, but what he’d promised himself and God was that he wouldn’t keep repeating them—it was hard, but he’d even told Stacey that they could no longer have sex.
There was no way he’d ever be perfect, because no one was, but he could certainly try to do the right thing as much as possible. And he would—for himself and for his son. Matthew would live the way God wanted him to live, and life would be good. He would obey all the commandments, and he’d be fine. He knew this because God never went back on His Word. God was the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and just knowing that gave Matthew peace. It made him smile and thankful just to be alive. And to him, that meant everything.
Discussion Questions for
The Prodigal Son
Given his personal history, are Dillon’s feelings of jealousy toward his siblings justified? What would you advise him to do to get his feelings under control? What could Curtis, Matthew, and Alicia do to help Dillon—or should they not have to?
Have you ever experienced sibling rivalry? If so, how did you cope with it?
Should Matthew have been more willing to forgive his parents sooner? Was he right to walk away from Racquel when she was in need of help? Can all breaks be mended, or are some actions simply unforgivable?
Was it okay for Matthew to talk to another woman about the problems in his marriage? How would you feel if your spouse opened up to a coworker or neighbor rather than a counselor, minister, or family member? Who do you turn to when you have problems you need to discuss?
Is Racquel responsible for the problems in her marriage? If so, why? Is she still a victim of Charlotte’s action from a year ago? Is she a victim of mental illness? Is there anything Racquel could have done to help heal herself before things got out of hand? If so, what exactly? Should her family have done more to help her? If so, what steps could they have taken to assist her?
Should Matthew and Racquel have gotten married at all? Why or why not? Would they have been better off to have waited? Would little MJ have been better off? Can young marriages ever work? What advice would you give a young couple about marriage?
Did Vanessa and Neil make the right decision by not telling the judge Racquel’s full backstory? What would you have done in their position?
Do you believe Dillon really regrets how he treated his aunt, or is he just feeling sorry for himself? Can bonds with friends be just as strong—or stronger—than bonds with relatives? Do you have an Aunt Susan in your life? If so, please describe her.
Why do you think Melissa stayed with Dillon for so long? Did she truly love him or truly fear him? Do you know women like Melissa?
Both Melissa and Matthew try to hide the abuse they suffer. Does spousal abuse carry a social stigma? Does it matter who is doing the abuse and who is the victim? What advice would you give someone who you knew or suspected was being abused?
Also by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Reverend Curtis Black Series
A House Divided
The Reverend’s Wife
Love, Honor, and Betray
Be Careful What You Pray For
The Best of Everything
Sin No More
Love & Lies
The Best-Kept Secret
Too Much of a Good Thing
Casting the First Stone
Standalone Titles
The Perfect Marriage
Secret Obsession
A Deep Dark Secret
One in a Million
Changing Faces
A Taste of Reality
It’s a Thin Line
Here & Now
Behind Closed Doors
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Ch
apter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Also by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Newsletters
Copyright
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2014 by Kimberla Lawson Roby
Cover design by Elizabeth Connor
Cover photograph © George Kerrigan
Cover copyright © 2014 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First Edition: May 2014
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ISBN: 978-1-4555-2612-3
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