A Baby by Christmas

A Baby by Christmas
Linda Warren

Jake's wife, Elise, wants a baby more than anything.Then Jake discovers that a brief liaison more than three years ago - before he even met Elise - had an unexpected consequence. A baby. A child who's been abandoned by his birth mother and needs a home. And he's not just any little boy - he has some special needs and requires extra attention.Jake knows he can be a father to his son and can put in the time and effort it will take to make Ben grow up to be a healthy boy. But can Elise become this little boy's mother? She'd hoped to be pregnant by Christmas. Can she accept another woman's child instead?

“It’s our first Christmas together.”

“Our first Christmas,” Elise repeated as they touched their glasses together. They sat for a while, just enjoying the moment and this quiet time together, but Elise had to tell Jake how she felt or she thought she’d burst.

“I saw the cradle,” she said quietly. “It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you ordered it.”

He swirled the wine in his glass and leaned back on his elbow. “I didn’t.”

“Sure you did. I saw it.”

“I made the cradle.”

“What?”

“I made the cradle,” he repeated.

“Oh, Jake, why?”

“Because I wanted a baby, too.”

Silence followed his words and Elise knew he wasn’t telling her his true feelings. “There’s another reason, isn’t there?”

The words were in his throat, but he couldn’t force them out. He’d waited for this moment forever, but fear kept him silent, kept him prisoner, kept him chained to the past. He found it hard to express something he felt so intensely, especially since his ghost was always there.

Elise took a breath. “Say it, Jake.”

Dear Reader,

A Baby by Christmas is the story of a couple, Jake and Elise McCain, who get married for the wrong reason—to have a baby. Their plans begin to unravel when they discover Jake already has a child by another woman. The book is about how two people struggle with this situation, how they learn to cope and, most important, how they find love. It’s also about a special little boy named Ben who changes their lives.

This book is a little different than my others, but I hope you will enjoy it no less. May the Christmas season embrace you and your families as you journey with Jake and Elise to find the true meaning of love.

Happy holidays,

Linda Warren

You can reach me at LW1508@aol.com, superauthors.com, or visit my Web site www.lindawarren.net, or you can write me at P.O. Box 5182, Bryan, TX 77805. Your letter will always be answered.

A Baby by Christmas

Linda Warren

DEDICATION

This book is about a special little boy, so I dedicate it to the special little boys (the great ones) in my life:

John Fuller, Matt Fuller, Jake Fuller, Josh Rychlik, Tyler Phillips, Layne Tharp, Scott Patranella and Taylor Siegert.

And to Ty Siegert, a special nephew, who never fails to ask about my books.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

A BABY. A BABY. A BABY.

The words resounded in Jake McCain’s head as he entered the house. He stopped and took a deep breath. Damn, he hated this. It ruined his whole workday. Then why was he here? Because he didn’t hate it. It was just so…hell, he couldn’t explain it to himself. Elise had called and he’d come running. Ever since he’d met her he seemed to be jumping through hoops. At times it irked him, like today; at others he found it quite enjoyable. That was the problem with their relationship, their marriage—he never knew what the hell was going to happen next. But he’d signed on for better or worse…and a baby.