Blackmail (22 page)

Three weeks later

“Y
ou ready?” Sadie smiled at her brother.

He slung his duffel over his shoulder. “Yep, all ready.”

“Head on out to the moving truck, then. I'll lock up.”

Alone, Sadie did a final walk-through of her house. Well, it wasn't hers anymore. Mike Fontenot and his fiancée, Jon's former assistant, Lisa, had bought the house and would move in right after their wedding in two weeks.

But that didn't stop the memories from flooding her. The bathroom tile she'd saved up three months to have laid. The wallpaper in the living room that she'd hung herself. So much of her life over the past four years sat in this house.

The horn honked outside.

She smiled and turned to the front door. Saying goodbye to the house wasn't as hard when she had a wedding band on her finger, a brother excited about seeing a different part of the States and a husband who loved her unconditionally.

Sadie locked the front door for the last time, slipped the key under the welcome mat and smiled up toward heaven.

Thank You, Father, for so many blessings. May this house bring Mike and Lisa much joy.

The horn honked again. This time, Jon and Caleb waved at her from the cabin of the moving truck.

“Come on, sis. Daylight's wasting.”

She bounced down the steps, ready for a new adventure. One filled with love…and hope.

And Jon and Caleb.

What more could she ever want? Father had read her heart and given her the dreams of her soul.

Amen.

Dear Reader,

 

Thank you for journeying with me through the Louisiana bayou as I've shared with you the characters from Lagniappe. It is bittersweet that this is the last installment of the bayou series. I've grown to feel like these characters are friends of mine and I'll miss visiting with them every day.

The stories in this series are all very near and dear to my heart. Some of the spiritual lessons the characters have learned are mine and some are shared by family very close to me. Throughout these six books, I've laughed and cried. I hope that each story has touched your heart in some small way.

I love hearing from readers. Please visit me at: www.robincaroll.com and drop me a line, or write to me at PO Box 242091, Little Rock, AR 72223. I invite you to join my newsletter group and sign my guestbook. I look forward to hearing from you. After reading one of my books, if you've felt led to give your life to Christ, please contact me immediately so I may send you a special gift.

 

Blessings,

1. Sadie has a past reputation that kept haunting her. How has a past reputation of yours, good or bad, affected your life now?
   
2. Jon feels very out of his element in Louisiana, having moved from Nebraska. Have you ever felt like that? How did you deal with the situation?
   
3. Caleb comes into Sadie's life at a difficult time and doesn't ease her worries in the beginning. Have you ever felt burdened by a family member? How did you deal with the emotions?
   
4. Jon has become cynical and judgmental after years on his job. Have you ever found yourself being or thinking judgmentally? How did you reconcile your thoughts?
   
5. Sadie's position at work constantly puts her in the public eye, even though she'd prefer not to be so that she could live down her past. Have you ever been put in such a situation? How did you handle it?
   
6. Jon has allowed another person to have great impact on his own faith. Have you ever had someone influence your beliefs? Explain.
   
7. Caleb is basically a good kid who's done something foolish and paid the consequences. How do you feel about rehabilitation and punishment? Why?
   
8. Deacon Wynn's son goes to extremes because of his greed, yet, in the end, he's right about his father's wife. In his
   case, do you feel like the end justified the means? Why or why not?
   
9. Sadie feels alone quite a bit due to her past. Have you ever been overwhelmed with loneliness? What did you do?
   
10. Jon has to learn to let go of his painful past to move on to love again. How has your past affected you? What have you done to overcome past influences and move on to the future?
    
11. Caleb is thrust into a new town and a very strained situation. At first, he acts out in typical teenage attitude, but then he softens toward his sister. Have you ever had a family member who was difficult because of his/her personal situation? How did you react?
    
12. Sadie is put in a difficult situation by the blackmailers. Have you ever felt like you were “between a rock and a hard place” where neither option was good for you? What did you do?
    
13. Jack Kinnard is bitter because he's been laid off due to new technology. Have you ever lost a job? How did that make you feel? How did you cope?
    
14. Even during trying times and trials we don't understand, God is our protector. How can you back up that statement with Scripture?
    
15. Sadie and Jon have to learn to trust one another. Have you ever found it difficult to trust someone? How did you handle the emotions and the situation?