Love, Honor or Stray: New Day Divas Series Book Three

by E. N. Joy

  But on this day, this very moment, before he met his maker, he was going to do what he should have done a long time ago. After looking Tamarra in her eyes for a few more seconds, he pulled her tight again in a bear hug. Just quiet enough for her ears to hear, but loud enough to penetrate her heart, he said the words, “I’m sorry. Daddy loves you. Please forgive me.”

  Tamarra had no idea that simply having her father hold her, telling her he was sorry and that he loved her, could play such a huge role toward her complete healing from the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her brother. And healing from the hurt she felt for the role she believed her mother and father had played in it. Strangely enough, Tamarra didn’t even have to think on it, pray about it, or anything after her father had apologized. She immediately accepted by saying, “I forgive you, Daddy, and I love you too.”

  Before she knew it, her mother had joined them on the floor as well. There were apologies coming left and right. By the time they had gotten up from the floor, they’d each apologized to each other a dozen times at least, but the greatest thing was that they’d each said “I forgive you” at least a dozen times as well.

  It was genuine, so genuine that not one of them cared about the fact that on the other side of the kitchen door a room full of people had just overheard the Evans family’s deepest and darkest secret. Shockingly, they were glad the secret was out, that it had been overheard. It was as if all of them had been holding their breath for years, and now they were able to exhale…one big breath, all together.

  As the three got up off the kitchen floor, they could hear intercessory praying going on on the other side of the door. They could hear praise-shouting and folks speaking in tongues. When they entered the room, the anointing was so high that Mrs. Evans received the Holy Ghost for the first time in her life.

  It was the ringing of the telephone that brought a sudden silence to the room. The ring just seemed louder than usual. When Mrs. Evans walked over and answered it, it was obvious it was a collect call as she stared upon the onlookers and stated, “Yes, I’ll accept the call.”

  Before her mother could even speak another word into the phone receiver, Tamarra, Spirit-led, walked over to the phone and removed it from her mother’s hand.

  “He–hello,” she spoke into the phone.

  “Tammy, is that you?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

  “Yes, Raymond, it’s me. It’s your baby sister,” she replied. “I’m sorry about Raygene.” Tamarra burst out crying. “I’m sorry about your daughter.” She then swallowed hard and without shame said, “I’m sorry about our little girl.”

  Mr. Evans and a couple of visitors had to run over to Mrs. Evans’ aid as she dang near passed out and lost consciousness, but not before hearing her daughter speak into the phone receiver, “I forgive you…brother.” She regretted not making the right choice that day Raygene came to her house, so that she could have possibly heard those very same words directed at herself: “I forgive you…mother.”

  The next morning, repenting, rejoicing and restoration was the atmosphere at Raygene’s funeral. It was so very unfortunate that it had taken Raygene’s death to bring about true and complete healing to the Evans family. They no longer had to walk on eggshells and live a lie. Not only had they lived a lie regarding Tamarra’s rape by her brother, but they’d hidden the fact that she’d had a baby as a result of the rape. Mrs. Evans had raised the child as her granddaughter, but her son’s daughter, not Tamarra’s. Tamarra had wanted nothing to do with Raygene, so that was one secret Tamarra hadn’t resented her parents for keeping. Come to find out, it had been a secret they’d resented her for keeping.

  All of that was in the past now. God showed up and showed out. For Tamarra, it was proof that when God says He will move the heavens and the earth for His will to be done, He ain’t playing.

  Now it was two days after the funeral, and Tamarra was driving back to Ohio. She’d decided that upon arriving back in Ohio, she was going to meet with her pastor and officially, decent and in order, withdraw her membership from New Day Temple of Faith. She was also going to share with her pastor her truths…all of them. The pastor had been there for her so much and for so many years that she just felt her leader deserved to know the person she really was.

  After that, on the following Sunday, she planned to start her journey of finding a new place to worship. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with New Day, the church she’d been a member of going on eleven years. It was just that for Tamarra, it was literally a new day for her. She wanted to enter into a new season, new beginnings, and a fresh start. With the help of God Himself and the strength of Jesus Christ, that’s just what she was going to do. To God be the glory!

  Chapter Forty-three

  Deborah and Elton had been on their plane to Chile for over an hour. Elton sat next to her in their first class seats, fast asleep. Deborah couldn’t sleep if she wanted to. She had far too much on her mind. She shifted in her seat and then decided to close her eyes and force herself to sleep. Her eyes might as well have been open, as she was fully alert, too focused on all the thoughts fluttering through her mind. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked down at her carry-on bag. She could see the burgundy edge of her Bible and the golden edges of the pages. Her Bible seemed to be calling her name. She picked it up and opened it to a random page, no particular chapter or scripture.

  “Hmm, Jeremiah 17:9-10,” she said to herself. That scripture rang a bell for some reason, so she read it softly to herself: “The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

  Why had she turned to this particular passage? Was God trying to tell her something? She looked over at Elton, who, at that moment, let out a loud, disgusting snore. Deborah cringed. She always did hate that. Oh well, seemed as though she’d have to get used to it.

  Deborah read the scripture again and again. She just couldn’t seem to move past that scripture. Closing her Bible, Deborah looked over at a sleeping Elton once again. He looked so peaceful, so kind, gentle, and loving. He had the innocence of a child—at least on the outside anyway. For some reason, she couldn’t get that scripture out of her head. Then it hit her: Lynox had given her that scripture to read, but she hadn’t. And now God Himself had all but pulled out her Bible for her and turned directly to the scripture. She was convinced; God was definitely trying to tell her something. Perhaps He was trying to tell her what was in Elton’s heart, if he was sincere in everything he’d told her since returning to Malvonia.

  She then looked down at her engagement ring that Elton had given back to her the day before after finding it. She’d been sitting at her computer holding her stomach that was doing cartwheels. She’d been so full of doubt about leaving the country and starting a new life with Elton. Then he had come in the house with that beautiful ring fit for the bride of a rock star, and he’d proposed again, down on one knee. She couldn’t give up the dream, could she?

  Besides that, Deborah had gone too far to turn back now. She looked out of the airplane window, thousands of feet up in the sky. Literally, she’d gone too far to turn back now. She wasn’t going to be humiliated again by going back to Malvonia without Elton as her husband. She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it. And she certainly wasn’t going back as an unwed mother…again. She had to do it this time no matter what. She had to stay with Elton and see to it that the two of them became husband and wife, no matter if Elton was married or not. No matter how long it took for his divorce to be final. No matter what his intentions with her truly were. She was carrying his baby. Once again, he didn’t know it yet, but if his heart reflected his outside, he would be able to do nothing but rejoice. That’s what Deborah prayed for, anyway, as she closed her eyes in an attempt to fall off into a deep, restful sleep, knowing that the next time she opened them, she’d
be on new soil, starting her new life, eventually with her new husband…and her new baby.

  Readers’ Group Guide Questions

  1) Do you think there are other women like Tamarra: women who get involved with men with children, but are secretly jealous of the children?

  2) Would you categorize Lynox as persistent, or as a stalker?

  3) In your opinion, did Blake play any role in Paige’s infidelity?

  4) Do you think Deborah and Lynox’s cyber-relationship was unholy?

  5) Even though Deborah and Lynox had initially met in person, they used the Internet to get to know each other on a more intimate level. Do you classify this in the arena of cybersex? How do you feel about cyber-relationships? Have you or anyone you know met someone over the Internet and had a successful relationship?

  6) Deborah wouldn’t allow Lynox to talk negatively about Helen, even though she and the woman weren’t the best of friends. What does that say about her spiritual maturity? Do you cut people off when they try to run someone else in the ground, even if you aren’t the best of friends with the person, or do you just listen?

  7) Do you believe it’s possible for a man to suffer the same way the mother does as a result of his child being aborted?

  8) Deborah felt that by marrying Elton, she was going back in time to wipe her slate clean. Do you agree with her mindset, or do you feel that her slate was already cleaned by the blood of Jesus when He died on the cross?

  9) Paige wasn’t really happy with the skin she was in, which led to depression and mind games. Do you think God uses diseases such as diabetes to get someone’s attention, to make them change for the better, like it did for Paige? Or do you believe things like diseases are works of Satan? Explain.

  10) Do you feel that Deborah made the right decision when it came to Lynox and Elton? Why or why not?

  11) Will Maeyl truly be happy in his relationship with Sasha? Why or why not?

  12) Do you feel as though Mother Doreen made the right decision by not trying to talk Deborah out of her decision, but instead deciding to just pray for her? Why or why not?

  13) Are there any New Day Divas characters that you feel are washed up, that their storyline is no longer interesting?

  About the Author

  E.N. Joy is the author of Me, Myself and Him, which was her debut work in the Christian Fiction genre. Formerly a secular author writing under the names Joylynn M. Jossel and JOY, when she decided to fully dedicate her life to Christ, that meant she had to fully dedicate her work as well. She made a conscious decision that whatever she penned from that point on had to glorify God and His Kingdom.

  The New Day Divas series was incited by her publisher, Carl Weber, but birthed by the Holy Spirit. God used Mr. Weber to pitch the idea to E.N. Joy, to sort of plant the seed in her spirit, over which she prayed. Eventually the seed was watered and grew into a phenomenal five-book series that she is sure will touch readers across the world.

  “My goal and prayer with the New Day Divas series is to put an end to the Church Fiction versus Christian Fiction dilemma,” E.N. Joy states, “and find a divine medium that pleases both God and the readers.”

  With book one, She Who Finds a Husband, launching the series, and then book two, Been There, Prayed That, readers agreed that this project is one that definitely glorifies God in every aspect, but still manages to display in a godly manner that there are “Church Folks” (church fiction) and then there are “Christian Folks” (Christian fiction) and come Sunday morning, they all end up in the same place.

  E. N. Joy currently resides in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, where she is continuing work on the New Day Divas series, as well as working on the Sinners series, which includes the anthologies Even Sinners Have Souls, Even Sinners Have Souls TOO, and Even Sinners STILL Have Souls.

  You can visit the author at www.enjoywrites.com or e-mail her at enjoywrites@aol.com to share with her any feedback from the story, as well as any subject matters you might want to see addressed in future New Day Divas books.

  Trying to Stay Saved

  New Day Divas Series Book Four

  Lorain is back from her sabbatical, and although God didn’t reveal to her all that she wanted Him to regarding her past, she refuses to just let things be. When all the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, just how many lives will be damaged, and how many will be restored?

  The survivor of one of the most horrific experiences a person could ever endure, it appeared as though Sister Nita, as leader of New Day’s Janitorial Ministry, was hiding behind a mop and a broom. When her spirit discerns a cover up amongst a couple at New Day Temple of Faith, will she turn a blind eye and mind her own business, or will she finally begin to operate in her true calling?

  Mother Doreen knows who she is and whose she is; a child of the King on assignment doing Kingdom work. When the plot thickens to a story she thought God had closed the book on, will she forget who she is and what she was called to do?

  The New Day Divas series, known as the soap opera in print, is full of chance, coincidence and fate. But more importantly, it’s full of faith.

  Urban Books, LLC

  78 East Industry Court

  Deer Park, NY 11729

  Love, Honor or Stray: New Day Divas Series Book Three

  Copyright © 2010 E.N. Joy

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  ISBN: 978-1-59983-159-6

  This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living, or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.

  Distributed by Kensington Corp.

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