Forgiven

by Karen Kingsbury

  The difference between the two is all the difference in the world. That was something Dayne needed to experience. At the same time, the idea of a tragedy in the world of CKT required forgiveness also. I used tragedy for several reasons. First, because the CKT in the Firstborn series is a picture of any small group of faithful people, and with faith, tragedy can bring people together.

  And tragedy is a certain part of life.

  One of the promises Christ gave us in the book of John is that, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). Hundreds of you write to me every week, and I can tell you there is no shortage of troubles, no lack of tragedies. Many of you struggle with loveless or faithless marriages or with a spouse who doesn’t share your beliefs. Some of you aren’t sure where your next house payment will come from, and others are estranged from a mother or father, a son or daughter. And a number of you are in the middle of the tragic loss of someone you love.

  The key to Christ’s promise that we would have trouble in this world is the end of the verse: “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The way the second half of the promise was lived out after the fatal car accident in Forgiven was this: dozens of kids learned how to come together, and even more, they learned to forgive. They learned that together they could survive any tragedy by clinging to God and their faith and each other.

  I pray that is how you and I would go through tragedy as well.

  Finally, Ashley needed to forgive her parents for hiding the truth about the child they gave up. It was a quick decision because Ashley realized that her parents were guilty of the same mistake she’d made in the events that led to her son’s birth. The example that Ashley gave by immediately forgiving is one we could all learn from. My husband once told me, “Karen, I’m not going to fight with you ever.” He explained that in the end he wasn’t ever leaving me, and he wasn’t going to live a life of anger at me. Therefore, he might as well forgive quickly and completely. That way we’d have more happy days together.

  What a great idea. We would do ourselves a favor to follow that thinking. The more quickly you forgive, the more quickly you recognize what Dayne did: forgiveness leads to peace. When we find ourselves anxious and unhappy, doubtful or worried, we ought to ask ourselves who we need to forgive or how we need to be forgiven. Unwinding the tangled mess of unforgiveness and making peace with the people in our lives will give us the peace we’re all looking for.

  Beyond that, maybe you’re one of those considering faith in Jesus Christ for the first time because of something you read in the stories of Dayne and Katy and the Baxter family. If so, then realize this: though the people in Forgiven are fictional, the God they serve is not. He is alive and active and working in your life, whether you know it or not. If you don’t have a saving relationship with the living God, contact your local Bible-believing church and find out more about Him. Please know that I am praying for you and all my readers every day, that God will use these stories to draw you closer to Him, the way He uses them to draw me closer.

  There are still three books to come in the Firstborn series: Found, Family, and Forever. I hope you have the chance to read those books also.

  On a quick note, my family is doing well. We’re enjoying the Christian Youth Theater, which the kids are still involved in, and Little League, soccer, and basketball that keep us busy with our four youngest boys. As always, I covet your prayers for my family and me and for the ministry of writing Life-Changing Fiction.

  By the way, stop in and visit my Web site. It’s undergone some changes, and now there are many interactive links that give you the chance to leave comments, ask for prayer, or connect with other readers.

  As always, I love hearing from you. Drop me an e-mail at Karen@KarenKingsbury.com or go online to my Web site www.KarenKingsbury.com.

  Until next time . . . in His light and love,

  Karen Kingsbury

  Discussion Questions

  Use these questions for individual reflection or for discussion with a book club or other small group. They will help you not only understand some of the issues in Forgiven but also integrate some of the book’s messages into your own life.

  1. What is the connection between forgiveness and peace?

  2. Discuss a time when you forgave someone or when someone forgave you. Share how that forgiveness made you feel.

  3. Besides peace, what was Dayne Matthews looking for when he started attending the Kabbalah Center?

  4. Were you surprised about Alice Stryker’s car accident? Explain how the accident changed her.

  5. When has something tragic and unfair happened in your life or the life of someone you know? Describe the situation.

  6. How did you feel toward God after that event? How did Katy and the members of CKT feel toward God? toward the drunk driver?

  7. When Tim Reed prayed at the meeting at the Flanigans’ house, what did he say that showed his honesty in the matter? How did that help everyone else?

  8. When did the kids’ feeling toward the drunk driver begin to change? Why did they change?

  9. Is Elaine Denning a good addition to John Baxter’s life? Why or why not?

  10. Explain Ashley’s hesitance about her father spending time with Elaine.

  11. Why does Dayne have stronger feelings for Katy Hart than for his live-in girlfriend, Kelly Parker? What intrigues Dayne about Katy?

  12. What is it about Katy’s life that makes her feel she could never fall in love with Dayne?

  13. Why does Dayne cause Katy such emotional confusion? Explain the battle going on inside her when it comes to Dayne.

  14. Do you know anyone like Jeremy Fisher? What led to that person’s downtrodden lifestyle?

  15. How have you seen alcoholism or abusive drinking be a negative thing in your life or the life of someone you love?

  16. Jeremy Fisher assumed the kids were coming to the jail to condemn him. How did the visit from the CKT kids affect him? How do you think he felt when they were finished?

  17. Explain Ashley’s reaction when she opened the envelope marked Firstborn and realized that her parents had given up a child? What are three ways this helped her to better understand her mother?

  18. Should Ashley have opened the letter? How do you feel about her rationalizations to do so?

  19. How did Dayne come to understand forgiveness?

  20. Did he need to forgive or be forgiven or both? Explain.

  From

  Found

  by Karen Kingsbury

  Chapter One

  The story was more than any reporter could resist.

  A knife-wielding stalker with the delusional belief that she was married to the famous actor Dayne Matthews. The accusation that the same crazy woman had jumped from the dark shadows of Paradise Cove in an attempted murder of an associate of Dayne’s. The rescue of that associate by Dayne, the photos that showed him and an unknown woman kissing on the beach earlier that night, and the fact that no one had ever been able to identify her.

  Never mind that it was just a deposition. A crew of news vans and photographers surrounded the entrance to the Los Angeles Superior Court this January morning, hoping for a glimpse of the star they couldn’t get enough of. Desperate for details beyond what they already knew.

  Dayne Matthews sat in the backseat of the rented black Suburban. His attorney, Joe Morris, was driving. They were the only people in the vehicle, and from their position at a stoplight in front of the courthouse, they could see everything. Newscasters and print guys and tabloid photogs scurrying about the scene, searching for the best angle, the fewest shadows, plugging in wires and adjusting lenses as they waited for him to appear.

  “They’re out in full force.” Joe turned the SUV into the parking lot.

  “They love a good story.” Today’s newspaper lay on the seat beside Dayne, and he picked it up. His publicist had spoken with the media and put quite a spin on the facts. The article read: Dayne Matthews and his unnamed associate will appear in court this mor
ning to give depositions in the case against stalker Margie Madden.

  Dayne chuckled to himself. Katy was coming into court half an hour after him, and she was hardly a mere associate—though that’s what the media and the police had believed about Katy since the beginning. An “associate” helping him scout out a location for an upcoming film. Since Katy was an unknown and since they didn’t need to release her name until the trial, no one had to know that she was an actress or that she’d turned down the lead role in Dream On or that she lived in Bloomington, Indiana. The tabloids had a picture of him kissing an unknown woman earlier that evening on the beach, and he had explained that she was an actress who preferred to stay anonymous. The media had never put the two stories together.

  “Let’s go.” His attorney exhaled hard as he put the vehicle in park. “It’ll take a while to get through the throng.”

  Dayne unbuckled his seat belt and slid toward the door of the Suburban. The explanation he’d given to the press and the police had holes big enough to drive a train through, but none of it was a lie, not really. Katy was his associate, in the sense that she’d associated with him in a work setting for a time. And the police didn’t care about the tabloid photos of him kissing some woman on the beach. He wasn’t on trial after all.

  Margie Madden was.

  The explanation bought them time. That way Katy could stay out of the limelight as long as possible. By the time the press heard actual testimony and realized her name, and that she’d been thinking about the role in Dream On, the movie would already be released and Katy would be only a small aspect of the story.

  Dayne and Joe walked close together, their pace fast and clipped. Joe had flown out from New York City to be here, even though his presence wasn’t really necessary. The prosecuting attorney would handle the deposition, and normally witnesses needed no other representation. But Dayne’s situation was different. His public persona was at stake any time he did or said anything involving the law. His attorney even planned to have someone out here from the New York office at Dayne’s side every moment during the trial.

  They were a hundred feet from the courthouse when the swarm of media caught wind of Dayne’s arrival. In a rush they pivoted and aimed their cameras. A few nicely dressed newscasters stepped in front of the others, large booming microphones in their hands. The bigger the network, the more likely they were to use his last name.

  “Mr. Matthews.” A heavily made-up blonde stepped into his path. “Is it true you want the judge in this case to make an example of Margie Madden, and is it true—?”

  “No comment.” Joe took hold of Dayne’s elbow and straight-armed a path through the crowd. “Excuse us.”

  “Dayne.” It was a photographer shouting from a few layers back in the crowd. “Tell us about the associate. Where is she? Isn’t she supposed to be—?”

  “She’s already here.” Joe’s answer was loud enough for most of them to hear. It was part of the plan, that he would discourage the press from sticking around and waiting for Katy.

  The photographer raised his hand and shouted again, “Does she still work with Dayne and in what capacity, since we don’t have a name on her and—”

  “No comment.” Joe kept up his pace. He pulled Dayne along, leaving no room for responses. Dayne sort of liked the help. Maybe if he had Joe around more often, the paparazzi would leave him alone. He stifled a grin at the thought.

  The crowd parted easily, and Dayne did his best to look straight ahead, his expression serious. The press would have their requisite photos and footage—Dayne Matthews, Hollywood star, coming to court to give testimony on the crazy stalker who tried to kill his associate. None of them really expected more than that.

  Other than passing glances and whispered comments, Dayne and Joe weren’t approached again as they entered the building and took the elevator to the eighth floor. Dayne stopped for a minute and looked out the window across the hazy Los Angeles scene. Somewhere out there Katy Hart was back in his city, making her way to the courthouse. Her visit was all he’d been able to think about since Christmas.

  “This way.” Joe took the lead and headed toward a room at the end of the hall.

  They were met by a sharp-looking woman who appeared to be in her midfifties. She introduced herself as the prosecuting attorney. “We have a room set up for you.” She gave them a businesslike smile. “Follow me.”

  The attorney explained the proceedings as they walked down another hallway, but Dayne did little more than give an occasional nod in her direction. Joe would handle the details. All he had to do was tell the story while the prosecutor tape-recorded it. For now he could let his mind wander, let himself think about Katy.

  He hadn’t heard from her since opening night of Annie, but she was there when he woke up and when he lay down to sleep. The past few months had been the loneliest of his life. Not that he hadn’t had offers. He was in the middle of filming a romantic suspense film opposite Angie Carr, a dark-haired beauty with exotic looks and a penchant for her leading men. They’d met at several functions but never starred in a film together until now.

  On the first day of filming she had poked her head out of her trailer and called to him. “Dayne, come here.” Her eyes danced, and her smile held the pout she was famous for. “I have a question.”

  He was in the middle of three things, including a conversation with his agent. But she was his priority as long as they were still establishing chemistry for the film. He jogged to her trailer, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.

  She stood facing him, dressed in nothing but a transparent negligee. “Hi.” She took a step closer. “I need your opinion.” Another step. “Will this work for the bedroom scene, the one at the beginning of the film?”

  He swallowed and put his hand on the trailer door. “I thought the script called for a nightgown.”

  She pushed out her lips in a pout most men would have found irresistible. She played with a lock of her hair, dropping her chin and looking beyond seductive. “You don’t like it?”

  “Yeah, well . . .” He let loose a single chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “The film’s PG-13, so I’m thinking something less see-through.”

  She grinned. “Oh, well.” One more step and now she ran her finger down the length of his arm. “It works for right now, anyway.” She nodded toward the set crew outside. “They’ll be busy for an hour before they need us.” Her face was so close he could smell the mint on her breath. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to practice a love scene with you, Dayne Matthews?”

  He gritted his teeth. “Angie, listen . . .” She was stunning, but so what? Did she want him to take her right here on the trailer floor? And if he did, then what? They’d pretend to be hot lovers for a few weeks, and after that he’d be lonelier than ever. Something else too. The peace he’d found in Bloomington wouldn’t last if he went back to his old ways.

  With gentle hands, he framed her face and drew her close. Then he kissed her forehead. “The film calls for a few kisses—that’s all.” He searched her eyes. “We’ll have time to practice later, okay?”

  She could’ve gotten angry, but she didn’t. Instead she took a few steps back, making sure he had a view of her full frame. “I’ll look forward to it.” She tossed him a confident smile as if to say she wasn’t giving up that easily. “Dinner tonight?”

  Since then, Angie’s attempts had been relentless, just short of desperate, but he’d managed to keep his distance and still build chemistry with her. Working with her had its benefits. She was a professional, brilliant on the screen and fun off it. But she made him feel empty and plastic, the way all of Hollywood made him feel lately.

  He was glad for a day off now, and never mind that he’d spend most of it here in a Los Angeles courthouse. He would’ve looked forward to a day in jail if it meant seeing Katy Hart again.

  The attorneys were still talking as they reached a door at the end of the hallway. Dayne glanced at
his watch, then toward the elevator. Katy would be here in fifteen minutes.

  “This is perfect.” Joe opened the door and led the way into a small room. He looked at Dayne. “You ready?”

  “Perfectly.” Dayne felt a sudden rush of passion toward the job ahead. The stalker had cost him much. This was his chance to get back at her.

  The prosecutor followed them inside. “The deposition doesn’t start for twenty minutes.” She checked the clock on the wall. “I’ll grab coffee and be back by then.”

  “I’ll come.” Joe set his portfolio on the desk and nodded at Dayne. “Want anything?”

  “I’m fine.”

  The attorneys left, and Dayne took one of the seats. In the silence he could almost hear his heart beat. Would Katy still have feelings for him? Would the electricity, the emotions that had existed between them still be there after they’d been apart so long? He tapped his fingers on the table. The minutes couldn’t drop off the clock fast enough.

  He should’ve brought his Bible, the one Katy had given him. That would’ve passed the time. He had been reading it lately, taking in a little more of the message every night. Not that he was ready to hit the nearest church or claim himself born again, the way some of his athlete friends had done recently. But the God of the Bible was the same God claimed by his parents, the Baxters, and Katy Hart. Because of that, He was the same God on Dayne’s mind more often now.

  He was about to step outside and check for Katy when he heard a knock. The attorneys would’ve come in without waiting, so maybe it was . . .