The Winter Reunion: Restoration

By Rhonda McKnight

veryone knows the woman in the "viral" video that hit two million views on YouTube. Humiliated, Tamar Johnson changed her name and disappeared behind the embarrassing video that captured her losing her virginity on prom night. But who was the guy?

NFL Running Back Stephen Pierce is football's darling. He's spent his entire career doing community service work with at-risk kids, and endeared fans as a devoted Christian, even claiming celibacy. It's time for his high school reunion. Stephen is determined to get his EX, Tamar, to come out of hiding, even going as far as posting their prom picture on Instagram in hopes that she would accept the challenge to show up.

Tamar isn't interested in the reunion, but her boss is. She writes for a small magazine. Stephen Pierce is a BIG story.
With reunion activity in full swing, the tension between Tamar and Stephen reaches an unbearable level. Before it's over will the world find out who the real Stephen Pierce is? And will Tamar survive spending time with the only man who's ever had her heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rhonda McKnight
• Release date: Nov 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201951092

Rhonda McKnight

Rhonda McKnight is the author of several bestselling novels, including An Inconvenient Friend and What Kind of Fool. She is the winner of the 2015 Emma Award for Inspirational Romance of the Year. She loves reading and writing books that touch the heart of women through complex plots and interesting characters in crisis. Themes of faith, forgiveness, and hope are central to her stories. Originally from a small coastal town in New Jersey, Rhonda writes from the comfort of her South Carolina home. Visit her online at rhondamcknight.com; Instagram: @authorrhondamcknight; Twitter: @rhondamcknight; Facebook: @BooksByRhonda; and Pinterest: @rhondamcknight1.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

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

Discussion Questions/Bible Study

Excerpt The Winter Wedding

About the Author

Available Now From Rhonda McKnight

Also by Rhonda McKnight

__________________

Samaritan Woman Series

An Inconvenient Friend

What Kind of Fool

Righteous Ways

Almost There

Shame On You – Jan 2016

Jordan Family Series

Give A Little Love

Live A Little

Love A Little

Laugh A Little – Summer 2017 (Cade’s story)

Second Chances Series

Breaking All The Rules

Unbreak My Heart

Other

When She Loves

A Woman’s Revenge

Secrets and Lies

Paige – Coming Spring 2017

__________________

Dedication

For Tia McCollors

I believe this story to be one of the best I’ve written. For that reason, it should have your name attached to it, because you my friend are a walking, talking, example of His excellence.

Thank you for being my friend and accountability partner. I appreciate and need your advice, concern, love, and support more and more each day.

I thank God for knitting our hearts and spirits together for His purpose.

Acknowledgments

My children, Aaron and Micah ...you love me and overlook much as I write. You also inspire me to be my personal best. I love you!

My parents, Bessie and Jimmie McKnight, and siblings, Cynthia and Kenneth McKnight...thank you for the encouragement, love, and support.

My destiny-sisters, Sherri Lewis and Tia McCollors. Love you both for encouraging me/cheering me on/checking me in love and for listening to all those long Voxes. Muah!

My writer-friends at Black Christian Reads, you inspire me, teach me, and hold me accountable in ways you’ll never know. Thanks for allowing me to call you sister.

Thanks to all My Readers for loving my books. You have challenged me to deliver my best with each story. I appreciate your love and support. 

The Winter Reunion

____________

Rhonda McKnight

God, your God, will restore everything you lost; He'll have compassion on you; He'll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered.

~ Deuteronomy 30:3 (Message Bible)

Chapter 1

Y ou’re fired.

I frowned. You can’t fire me.

Actually, I can. My boss, Eva Stanford, dropped into her chair. She folded her arms over each other on the desk. That position meant business. So did the steely glare in her eyes.

You can’t. This time my voice held the question. Could she?

I’m the managing editor. I can fire whomever I want.

But I have a contract.

You sure do. Have you looked at it since you signed it? There’s a part in the legalese that says you have to do the stories that are assigned to you.

I hadn’t looked at my contract in years. I never had a reason to. I was happy doing the stories that came across my desk. I didn’t have aspirations of becoming some big time reporter. All I wanted to do was pay my bills and keep pecking at the novel I’d been revising for three years. But now paying my bills might become an issue.

I can’t do a story about Stephen Pierce. I don’t know anything about sports.

Eva picked up her cell phone and shoved it in my direction. You may not know sports, but you know him. I’m pretty annoyed that you kept that from me.

I took the phone and looked down at an Instagram photo of myself and Stephen. The blood drained from my face. Pain constricted my heart. He was going to be the death of me. This is my prom picture.

That’s obvious. Eva rolled her eyes. One of the interns brought it to my attention. He recognized you.

I squinted at the picture. My head got light. I was glad I was sitting.  I can’t believe he posted this.

He’s on his way to your reunion. I guess he’s feeling nostalgic. 

I continued to stare at the picture – at him really. I hadn’t seen this picture in years. I didn’t even have my yearbook or any of the memorabilia anymore. My exasperated sigh filled the momentary quiet. It’s not my reunion. It’s a thing they do. It’s for all classes.

Small school stuff. I get it. Eva unfolded her arms and pressed her back into her plush, leather chair. You’re thirty, right? So it’s been eleven – twelve years since prom?

I nodded.

Did you go to this thing last year?

I don’t go to my reunions. I pushed the offending phone across the desk to her.

Eva cocked her head. I’m sure there’s a story there. Does it involve Pierce? Do you ever talk to him?

I fought hard to keep my face from telling my truth. He was a prom date, Eva. It was a lifetime ago. I have no idea what he’s doing now.

Eva extended a manicured fingernail and tapped the screen. Hmmm...the caption over his Instagram is evidence that he’s curious about what you’re doing. He put the same thing on Twitter.

I sighed again. I could tell by the look in her eyes that I was not getting out of this. I harnessed my irritation. I can’t believe you’re going to make me do this. I haven’t been to Pine since I finished high school.

Eva reached for a lipstick-smeared, latte cup. Stephen certainly seems to love it. It looks like he spends a lot of time there.

Easy for him to do. I resented that.

Do you have family there? Eva probed.

I shifted in my chair. Some. 

They’ll be glad to see you. She pushed the button to boot up her laptop. People get old. They die. I can’t stand my family either, but I visit every few years or so.

I stood. The booting up of her laptop meant I was dismissed.  Eva –

It’s settled, Anne. I need a good story. We’re going to run this for February. Try to find out if he’s dating someone. Something romantic for a Valentine feature.

I shook my head. You know how private he is. He’s not going to tell me that.

Eva cocked an eyebrow. I won’t push. You know what I need for a cover story.

I turned to leave the office.

Eva called to me. Any truth to that rumor about him? The one about the video.

I swallowed. "That old

Reviews for The Winter Reunion

[Tara Johnson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great introduction to the continuation of this story very well written and easy to relate to the struggles of rebuilding one's character when destroyed. Looking forward to more suspense and secrets in the next book.