Delayed Justice
Page 31
That had been his greatest gift to her. He hadn’t let her be alone. Neither had Caroline or her other friends. They’d been there each step of the way, for as much or as little as she could handle.
“Dane can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I know.”
Someday she might really believe he was gone. That he could no longer reach her or haunt her dreams, but for now she would take it moment by moment. One thing she’d learned through all her counseling was that she couldn’t rush the process.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to move your stuff off-site?” Her father’s question was gruff, but now she heard the love that underlay the words. He really did care even when he struggled to show her the depths of that love.
“I don’t want to rush away. Living with you and Mom for a bit is a good intermediate solution.”
“You need time to breathe.” Her mom slipped close for a quick hug. Her phone dinged and her mother glanced at it. “It’s Tiffany. I promised I’d bring her home for a bit after school. Sounds like she needs a Happy fix.”
They all did. If only Jaime could bottle the feeling that little dog freely gave to people. Between Happy and Aslan, the world would be a more relaxed, happy place. “It’s okay, Mom. We’re basically done. And Tiffany needs you too. She needs us.”
That young girl wouldn’t know the isolation Jaime had endured, if Jaime could help it. And if that meant sharing her mom for a while, she would gladly do it.
“Where do you want these?” Chandler stood there looking all Captain America with a couple boxes stacked in his arms.
“Over there.” She waved against a wall, eager for the boxes to be dropped so that he could take her in his arms. She was hungry to feel the security that came from knowing he was there for her.
He set them down, and she slid into his arms before he could pick up anything else.
“Thank you.” She murmured the words against his flannel shirt.
“For what?”
She loved the way his voice rumbled in his chest. “For being here.”
“There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
She soaked in the warmth of the words. There was a truth in them that she relished. And a promise that she wanted to clutch to her. Instead, she pivoted slightly in his arms so she could tip her chin up. The invitation would be enough.
When his lips claimed hers, she knew she’d found her home.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Victoria Huber, my Savannah, who spent hours with me the first year at George Mason, convincing me I would make it. Victoria also connected me with some fellow George Mason alums who are spending their lives as Public Defenders. One woman in particular generously gave me her time so that I could confirm that I had the law and the motivation right for Jaime. Many thanks, Bonnie! While I have served as appellate counsel on criminal appeals, I have not worked in the trenches of public defense and wanted to make sure I honored those who do. As I conversed with Bonnie, she reaffirmed my impression it is a calling.
I also have to thank the many people who shared with me the experience of sexual abuse and what it did to their families. I knew Jaime had a hard story, but I didn’t know it was this difficult until I started digging into her past. Two people read the manuscript to make sure I honored the experience and made it real. Thank you, Hannah and Nick, for helping me honor the experience of survivors.
As I reread this book at the final stage, I realized how much my life has mirrored Jaime’s as I wrote it. With each book there is something that I learn, and for Delayed Justice I was in a season of asking many of the questions that Jaime wrestled with. God brought certain people along my path to hold me up when I didn’t think I had the strength. A huge thank you to Beth Vogt who faithfully texts me each morning with an encouraging Scripture. If you haven’t read her books yet, you really must! Thank you to Beth Nagel for all of the coffee, prayer, and love. And to Kim Lunato, my friend who has known me for years and still loves me. You consistently spoke truth when I needed it. You three have been my Hayden, Emilie, and Caroline this year. Thank you!
One thing I have learned through this season is that God is with us every step of the way, and His greatest desire is for our healing and wholeness. I don’t know where you are on your life’s journey, but my prayer is that God will reignite hope and joy in your life.
Thank you for joining me on Jaime’s journey.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Bella tells Jaime that, “sometimes He [God] makes total sense in the moment. Other times, it’s only in the rearview mirror that we can see the why of the experience” (page 268). Have you seen this in your life? How would you describe the way you saw God’s actions make sense in the rearview mirror of life?
2. Jaime is faced with confronting a horrific past. It’s not easy and requires a strength she’s not sure she has. Have you ever tried to solve a challenge in your life with your own strength and skills? How did that work? Is there a better way?
3. “When we live with mights, we live with regrets” (page 283). When Jaime says this, she is talking about Chandler’s fears that he caused Jake’s injury. How does it also apply to her life?
4. Chandler has to be careful with the way he approaches Jaime. What could he have done to demonstrate his care and concern for her? How does his approach mirror the way Christ loves us?
5. Aslan may be a dog, but he plays a pivotal role in the story by providing a safe place for Tiffany. Have you ever had an animal like Aslan? One who seemed to be able to communicate with you?
6. Chandler is a strong hero but not quite typical. He’s wounded by his past and things that happened on his last tour of duty. Now he’s trying to take what he’s learned and help others. At one point in the book he says, “It was easy to focus on the fix rather than on Who did the fixing.” Which is easier for you?
7. Jaime is slowly wooed over the course of Delayed Justice into a relationship with God. She doesn’t believe He can love her because He didn’t stop the evil that happened to her as an eight-year-old. Do you know people who have struggled with that same question? How would you answer the question?
8. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a book that plays a key role in this novel. In what way has a novel helped birth or develop your faith?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo by Emilie Hendrix
As a preteen Cara Putman watched lawyers change legislative opinions at an important legislative hearing in Nebraska. At that time, she wondered if she became an attorney if people would give her words the same weight. An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, Cara has turned her passion for words into award-winning stories that capture readers hearts. Her legal experience makes its way into her stories where strong women confront real challenges.
An award-winning author of thirty books and counting, Cara writes legal thrillers, WWII romances, and romantic suspense because she believes that no matter what happens, hope is there, waiting for us to reach for it.
When she’s not writing, Cara is an over-educated attorney who teaches law and communications to graduate and undergraduate students at the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. She and her family live in Indiana, the land of seasons. You can read chapters for most of her books and connect with Cara at her website.
Visit her website at CaraPutman.com
Facebook: Cara.Putman
Twitter: @Cara_Putman
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