Is there enough forgiveness for all of the secrets that lie within this sinner’s heart?
Natalie Coleman has always done whatever was necessary to survive—even if it meant stealing another woman’s husband or trading her favors for money. But now, with a steady job, a rekindled bond with her grandmother and a promising new relationship, Natalie finally feels like her life is back on track.
Handsome, sexy and smart, Troy Evans is everything Natalie ever hoped to find in a man, and things get serious quickly—too serious for Troy. Devastated by his rejection and determined to confront the painful events of her past, Natalie returns to the Mississippi birthplace she fled years ago.
Back home, Natalie finds comfort in the faith and wisdom of those around her. Soon, old wounds start to heal and the burden of long-buried secrets begins to lift. Natalie wants to believe that she has been led home for a reason, but she has her doubts. Can love, prayer and a willing heart redeem every sinner and save every soul…even hers?
YOLONDA TONETTE SANDERS
This book is dedicated to anyone being held a prisoner of your past.
May you find freedom in Christ.
Acknowledgments
For the re-release of this book I needed to scale down my original acknowledgments in order to complement the change in format. I didn’t want to not thank someone previously mentioned. That would just be wrong! So, I decided to give shout-outs to everyone listed before (plus one or two extras) by using fewer words, BUT with more gratitude in my heart.
I thank God first because He blessed me with the talent, imagination and dedication to complete this project.
To David—thank you for showing the depth of love toward me that’s illustrated in Ephesians 5:25 and for everything you do!
To my gifts from God, Tre and Tia—I love you!!!
To my parents, Wilene and Eddie—y’all are still the bomb supporters!
To my fam (in ALL forms) and friends—thanks for your love and support.
To Danella, Carla and Janice—thank you for the time you invested in helping me get this story together!
To Kesha—thanks for everything you do for me and Yo Productions. “Slap it high!” LOL.
The following were a blessing in some capacity and I thank you all—Tyree Ayers, Richard Decker, Kym Fisher, Kim Hahn, Deidre Hampton, Michelle (Graham) Jones, Teresa Lewis, Sharon Lindsey, Willie Marshall, John Martin, Peggy Parsely, Jennifer (Schwind) Pollard, Deputy Scott Spencer (excellent jail tour guide), Major Strickler (approved my jail tour), MaRita Teague, Connie Thompson (arranged jail tour), Robin Thornton, Clarke Tobin, Peter Tobin, Suzy Tobin, Tonya Turner, and David Zeyen (worked at Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and patiently answered my questions).
To John (Dr. John Nathaniel Singer), who has a good fussin’ coming the next time we talk (smile)—thanks for lending me your ear many times. (Note the date is 1-15-13. We’ll see how long it takes you to read this. LOL.)
To Bishop and Sister Clarke, Elder and Sister Stowers, and Reverend and Sister Mickles (aka my Uncle Sammy and Aunt Mildred)—each of your ministries has had an impact on me at some point in my life. I appreciate your seeds of faith, words of wisdom, and labor of love. A special thank-you goes to members of First Church, New Hope, and Providence for your support as well.
To Glenda Howard—I enjoyed working with you! Thanks for setting the bar high. Thanks to everyone at Harlequin & Kimani Press who work behind the scenes. (Shannon Criss—thanks for not giving up until you got in touch with me!)
To ALL authors I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since entering the literary world, especially those with whom I’ve toured (Angela, Bonnie, LaTonya, Leslie, Mata and Tiffany)—thanks for the support, laughs and encouragement.
To EVERYONE (including you) who has supported me along the way—THANK YOU!!!
To all the “Natalies” out there—may you experience the kind of love and forgiveness that only God can give.
Love & Blessings,
Yolonda
Websites: www.yolonda.net or www.yoproductions.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YoProductions
Twitter: @ytsanders
Contents
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 13
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
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Book Discussion Questions
Chapter 1
A Way Out
“Excuse me, ma’am—will this be with cash or credit?” The waiter, a short, bald Caucasian who had introduced himself earlier as Paul, walked up to Natalie.
“I don’t know,” Natalie answered roughly, her narrow, copper-brown eyes peering up at him. Her matching pearl necklace and earrings complemented the black dress she was wearing, which accentuated every curve of her body. Her dark, shoulder-length hair was pinned up and two tiny spiral curls dangled on either side of her honey-colored face. “You’ll have to ask my boyfriend. He’ll be back—he went to the rest room.” Natalie’s sharp glance at the waiter silently requested that he leave until her date returned.
“Are you referring to the gentleman who was just in here with you?”
“Yes,” she answered, though it seemed like a pretty dumb question. Who else would she be referring to?
Paul frowned. “Ma’am, he left. On the way out, he said you were ready for the bill. Again, will this be cash or credit?”
“What! You have got to be kidding me,” Natalie accused. Her eyes roamed back and forth between Paul and the private-dining-room door. She hoped he’d been mistaken. It wasn’t her date who’d left the restaurant. It had to be someone else’s. Any minute, Kevin would come waltzing through the door and the two of them would work out their issues and go home.
Her eyes were now glued to the door as she drummed her nails on the table, still trying to convince herself that Kevin would be back shortly. He had to come back. After all, it had been his idea to eat at this fancy restaurant in the first place. In addition to ordering a very expensive Italian wine, Kevin had ordered three entrées: lobster, steak and chicken, though he’d barely touched any of them. At an upscale establishment like Skyler’s, each one of those entrees ranged anywhere from fifty to seventy-five dollars. Sure, he had a right to be upset with her, but he wouldn’t walk out without paying the bill...would he?
“Will—this—be—cash—or—credit?” Paul raised his voi
ce, seemingly irritated by Natalie’s lack of response. The intensity with which he spoke forced Natalie to accept the truth. Kevin was gone.
Natalie stood up and snatched the bill out of his hands. “Oh my God!” She grabbed the table to keep her tall, slender frame from falling when she saw the total printed in bold, black ink at the bottom. The dinner came to $567.98, including tax, tip and the service charge for using a private room. “I—I—I can’t afford this,” she stammered.
“You are Renée Coleman, correct?”
“Yes,” she admitted quietly. The reservation had been made using her middle name.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry but since you made the reservation, you are responsible for tonight’s meal,” he affirmed.
“Wait a minute. There has to be a misunderstanding here.” Natalie had less than twenty dollars in her purse, and all of her credit cards were maxed out. Since moving back to Ohio from New York where she’d been pursuing a modeling career, Natalie hadn’t worked full-time. She still modeled occasionally and was also registered with a local temporary agency. However, with her mother battling breast cancer and being in and out of the hospital so much, the work assignments that Natalie could accept were few and far between. It was impossible to hold down a full-time job, model on the side and look after her mother all at the same time. “I’ll just call Kevin and clarify this whole thing. I’m sure he probably meant to give you his credit card or pay for it before he left,” Natalie said to Paul as she nervously got her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Kevin’s number.
“Yeah?” Kevin answered the phone in a calm voice.
“Where are you?” Natalie demanded.
“I’m in my car driving on the freeway.”
“How dare you leave without telling me? You forgot to pay the bill.”
“No, I didn’t.”
She turned away from the waiter and whispered into the phone, “Kevin, I know you’re upset, but this is not the time for games. I don’t have any money.”
“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you can come up with it somehow. Skyler’s does prosecute people who leave without paying. It’s called theft of service.”
“Theft of service!” Natalie looked behind her. Paul impatiently tapped his foot on the floor, waiting for payment. Natalie turned back around and pleaded with Kevin. “Look, Kevin, please come back and pay this bill. Hate me if you want to, but don’t leave me in this position. You’re the one who ordered three entrées, not me.”
“Sorry, Natalie, or whatever your name is, but I’m afraid I can’t help you out.”
“You idiot!” she screamed. “How can you justify doing this to me?”
“Let’s see... What was that you said to me when I asked you how you could justify your deceptiveness these last few months? Oh that’s right, you said, ‘I don’t have to,’” Kevin retorted sarcastically and hung up.
Kevin’s demeanor toward her was undoubtedly dramatically different than it had been just twenty-four hours ago. Last night he had expressed his willingness to explore the possibilities of their relationship now that he and Wendy were getting a divorce. Having pursued this man—and his money—for months, the words were soothing to Natalie’s ears. Somehow, between yesterday and today, Kevin had learned that Natalie had befriended him using her middle name purposely to conceal from him that she and Wendy had been friends since high school.
Natalie and Wendy had lost contact when she’d moved to New York, and it was during this time that Wendy and Kevin had married. They were already separated by the time Natalie came back to Ohio, so, when the opportunity to get to know Kevin appeared, Natalie took it. Sure, there were other well-to-do men in Columbus, but it made no sense to let Kevin get away...especially since Wendy had told her so much about him.
Being the “middle man” provided Natalie with the perfect opportunity to manipulate the couple’s situation. She had urged Wendy to “move on” while advising Kevin to file for divorce. Natalie knew that she would have to admit her dishonesty to Kevin eventually. She’d planned to do so well after the divorce was final, hoping by then Kevin would be willing to overlook her transgression. However, tonight he’d angrily confronted her and Natalie now realized that this whole evening had been a set-up. “Ugh!” she grunted.
“Ma’am, is there a problem?” Paul asked, appearing unsympathetic to her plight.
“No, there’s no problem.... I—”
“I take it your gentleman friend is not coming back.”
“No, but that’s okay,” she said, nervously biting her bottom lip while trying to think of a solution. Her first impulse was to try and charm her way out of this unfortunate situation. Maybe she and Paul could work out a deal. On second thought, Paul looked too serious to be overcome by any type of female persuasion. Besides, the gentle sway in his walk suggested that Kevin was more likely his type than she was.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid that if you don’t pay, I’m going to have to get the manager.”
“Hold your horses, will you!” She frantically punched numbers on her cell phone. She really didn’t want to call Richard, but there was no other choice. It’s not like her mother could get up from the hospital bed to come and help her out. Natalie was totally out of options—she had to call him.
“Great!” Natalie uttered as the voice mail kicked in and she prepared to leave a message. “It’s Natalie. Um...I need a favor. I’m downtown at Skyler’s. My date left me with the bill and no money. Can you please help me out?” she pleaded.
“I’ll be right back with the manager,” Paul insisted.
“No! Wait—” Natalie tried to object, but her words trailed behind Paul as he stormed off. How in the world would she get out of this mess? She desperately glanced around the private dining room looking for a way out. There was no way to escape except by going through the main restaurant. If she hurried, maybe she could leave before Paul returned with the manager.
With her heart pounding at three times its normal rate, Natalie took off her two-inch heels before grabbing her purse and her suede, knee-length coat, then sprinted toward the door. The adrenaline rush was almost more than she could handle, except it was quickly subdued; she opened the door to be met by Paul and a tall, stocky, dark-haired man who looked more like a bouncer than a manager.
“Going somewhere?” the manager smirked.
Chapter 2
Short and Simple
Natalie tried calling Richard again after she’d been taken to jail—still no answer. She left another message, stressing the urgency of the matter. Under Ohio law, because the restaurant bill was over five hundred dollars, she was arrested on a fifth-degree felony theft charge.
Now, trapped inside a holding cell, her sexy black dress replaced with a plain light-brown shirt and green pants—compliments of the Franklin County Corrections Center—Natalie quickly glanced around. With the exception of one heavyset woman who was propped up in the corner of the cell sleeping, the other women looked up briefly when Natalie entered. No one said anything to her, but soon returned to their conversations. Frightened by her circumstances, Natalie stood frozen. She wasn’t a criminal and didn’t like being treated like one. She’d watched movies about women in jail before. What if she got jumped, or even worse, raped!
Silently she pleaded with God to get her out of this situation. But, having nothing to offer Him in exchange, she felt her prayers were in vain. She would vow never to date another married man again, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep that promise...especially if the right one came along. She didn’t mind dating married men who weren’t going to remain married, but Natalie demanded too much attention to be someone’s permanent mistress. The one thing she knew for sure was that she’d never date Kevin again. That was definitely a commitment she’d be sure to keep.
“You’ll probably be here for a while,” called out a Caucasian w
oman with a boyishly short hairstyle. She looked around Natalie’s age, maybe a few years younger. “You might as well make yourself at home, sweetie.”
The woman had to be a repeat offender in order to say something so stupid. How could Natalie possibly make herself at home in this place? And what was up with the pet name? Sweetie? Natalie didn’t like that inference. Was the lady coming on to her? Just to make it perfectly clear that she wasn’t interested in having any type of relationship, Natalie slowly walked over and took a seat on the opposite side of the cell from where the Caucasian woman was sitting.
“This is your first time, ain’t it?” another lady asked. She was Black, her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Natalie nodded yes. The woman reeked of alcohol, but didn’t show any obvious signs of being drunk. Her speech wasn’t slurred nor did her eyes appear to be glassy. She just stunk.
“Don’t get too paranoid. You’re in the county jail, not the female penitentiary. Nothin’s gonna happen to you in here,” she assured her. “What’s your name?”
Natalie answered, praying her voice wasn’t shaking. She didn’t want people to know how scared she was.
“Well, Miss Natalie, I’m Jacqueline, but my friends call me Dee. It’s short for Denise, my middle name. Whatcha in for?”
“Theft,” Natalie reluctantly answered, sickened by the stench of the woman’s breath. It was just as assaulting as her body odor. Somebody really needed to pour some mouthwash down her throat.
“When you go to your arraignment hearing, make sure you plead not guilty,” she advised. “See, if you plead guilty, the case will automatically be over. Whatcha wanna do is make them prove your case to a jury.” She pointed at Natalie as if she was scolding her. “All you need is reasonable doubt to be scot-free, baby!”
When the woman called her “baby,” Natalie’s heart raced. Maybe Jacqueline was coming on to her now. “I...um, this seat isn’t too comfortable. I’m gonna try and sit somewhere else.” She sprang up and moved to a different part of the cell. This time she chose to sit between the heavyset woman sleeping in the corner and an unattractive, dangerously skinny Black woman leaning sideways against the cement wall, her back toward Natalie. At least that’s how the thin woman was positioned when Natalie first sat down. Within seconds, she turned and faced Natalie.
Secrets of a Sinner Page 1