A Tabor Heights, Ohio Novel
Four years ago, Nikki James ran away from home to be with Brock Pierson. She was 17, and he was 25. They both thought they were in love, but Brock had dangerous secrets that nearly killed Nikki -- and did kill their baby shortly after she was born.Now, Nikki works for the Arc Foundation, a philanthropic organization. She has her life back on track, and her spiritual life as well. Arc sends her home to Tabor Heights, to assess the Mission and determine if Arc should partner with Nikki's home chuch to fund the Mission and expand its outreach.
Nikki has to face the people who watched her grow up and who know the mess she made of her life. She has to face the boy who broke her heart in high school -- and drove her into Brock's arms.
And she has to face Brock, because he is out of jail and determined to make up for his past crimes -- and win her heart back.
The only problem is that some dangerous men from Brock's past have followed him to Tabor Heights as well.
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EXCERPT
"Could I see her grave?" he asked, getting up slowly, like a creaky old grandfather, from the bench against the wall parallel to the stairs. It was a good guess that he had been waiting for her to come downstairs again.
Nikki was just too tired to argue. This wasn't like all the times she swallowed misgivings to make Brock happy. She wasn't scalding her conscience and building a callous that let her do stupid things. She would never throw aside what she knew was right to make someone else happy, ever again. No matter how much she thought she loved him. No matter how much she thought he loved her.
This was keeping the peace, so he would leave as quickly and quietly as possible. Still, she couldn't help resisting a little bit.
"Why? She's not really there."
"I know that. It's just... I was getting all geared up to learn how to be a daddy... and now I'll never know."
"If I had aborted her like you ordered me, there wouldn't even be a marker."
"Nikki!" He stomped away a few steps, whirled and spread his arms as if he would lunge at her. Or hug her. Nikki held her ground, stunned to realize she hoped he would hit her so she could fight back. Vincent and Joan had taught her to hold her ground and defend herself -- but never to provoke arguments, never trick someone into attacking her. What was wrong with her?
Arguing and deliberately baiting someone wasn't approved behavior for a representative of the Arc Foundation. Nikki knew Joan and the Carters would be disappointed, at the very least.
Worse, Jesus would be disappointed. She worked for the Arc Foundation to do good in the world, to heal wounds -- and here she was picking at her own wounds, and Brock's, deliberately making them worse. What was wrong with her? Was it just fatigue? Or hadn't she healed as much as she thought?
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