McKay’s words echoed back to me: The more I unplug from the matrix, the more I find myself. Walk away. Walk as far and as fast as you can. And then there was the man in the bar. You’ve got one shot at this. Don’t waste it. Get out of town. Go someplace they don’t recognize you, to an island or something. Go for a long walk.
It seemed that the universe kept hinting at walking. Even in my recurring dream. Of course, the obvious thing to do was to just go back to my life. At that moment I confronted the raw truth: I didn’t want to go back to my life. I wasn’t happy. I kept myself insanely busy just to avoid the quiet moments of loneliness and regret. In many ways I was as miserable as I had been as a child. The only real happiness I remembered had been those few years of bliss with Monica. What had I traded her love for?
In my first session with Dr. Fordham, she had questioned my dream. Why would the route start where I was and end where Monica was? At the time I told her that it was of no consequence, but even then, subliminally, I must have known she was right. That’s why I got so upset when she suggested it. The fact that I was walking Route 66 to Monica was no more a coincidence than the fire and wailing and sirens of a plane crash. My subconscious and Dr. Fordham had shown me what I was afraid to admit—if Monica would take me back, I would go to her, leaving all else behind. I would sell all I had to purchase the one pearl of great price.
At that moment I knew what I was going to do. What I had to do. Maybe I’d known all along. I was going to walk. Just as my dream, McKay, Dr. Fordham, and some stranger in a bar had said I should. I would walk as far away from my broken life as I could. It was only fitting that I would travel back on a broken road.
And I would walk to her. And in my journey I would show her that I had changed and that I was willing to take a chance that she might forgive me. For whatever reason, fate, the universe, or just stupid dumb luck had given me a second chance at life. Maybe Monica would do the same.
Acknowledgments
This book is a year late. Thankfully. The book I would have written, had I turned it in on time, would have been filled with anger and anguish. I would like to thank my friend Jonathan Karp, editor Trish Todd, Carolyn Reidy, and the Simon & Schuster family who stuck by me during a very difficult personal time. Without your kindness, love, and support, this book never would have been possible. Thank you to my new editor, Christine Pride. You hit the ground running! This book is much better because of your input and insight. I look forward to our future together. Also, thank you to my agent, Laurie Liss, who was and is always there for me and my family.
The Broken Road is loosely based on a real life, a true story of redemption. The first time I met the very successful man who inspired my main character, Charles James, he humbly told me that he was a sinner, but was hoping God would someday forgive him. The horrific childhood I describe in this book contains much of his truth. Way too much. For this reason, he has asked to remain anonymous so as to not bring pain to anyone. So here I thank my anonymous friend for inspiring me with a story of redemption. I believe that God has already forgiven you.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
© TRACEY EVANS
RICHARD PAUL EVANS is the #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box. Each of his more than thirty novels has been a New York Times bestseller. There are more than thirty million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Mothers Book Award, the Romantic Times Best Women’s Novel of the Year Award, the German Audience Gold Award for Romance, four Religion Communicators Council Wilbur Awards, the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award, and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, not far from their five children and two grandchildren.
You can learn more about Richard on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RPEfans or read his blog at www.richardpaulevans.com.
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Timepiece
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Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition May 2017
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Interior design by Joy O’Meara
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-5011-1164-8
ISBN 978-1-5011-1178-5 (ebook)
The Quotable Evans Page 21
