A Christmas Surprise

By Janelle Taylor

An unexpected miracle or a risky dream? She never expected to get pregnant so soon after a health scare, and her work as a nurse makes her all too aware of the dangers. Will sharing her secret with her adoring husband create a holiday disaster-- or a Christmas surprise?

Betsy Reed and her husband, Tommy, have a marriage that other people envy--romantic, passionate, and filled with happiness. The news Betsy brings home from her doctor right before Christmas could destroy all that. Against all odds, just a few months after surgery to remove cysts in her uterus, she's pregnant. She's familiar with the dangers of pregnancy--her beloved sister-in-law died of complications.
As Betsy and Tommy head for a Christmas in the Blue Ridge mountains, he begins to realize she's hiding something from him. Although their nights are filled with desire, her holiday joy seems forced. He fears the worst.
New York Times bestselling romance author Janelle Taylor puts her magic to work in this Christmas story about love, courage, faith, and trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BelleBooks
• Release date: Nov 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781611942347

Book preview

Promo Page

An unexpected miracle or a risky dream? She never expected to get pregnant so soon after a health scare, and her work as a nurse makes her all too aware of the dangers. Will sharing her secret with her adoring husband create a holiday disaster—or a Christmas surprise?

Betsy Reed and her husband, Tommy, have a marriage that other people envy—romantic, passionate, and filled with happiness. The news Betsy brings home from her doctor right before Christmas could destroy all that. Against all odds, just a few months after surgery to remove cysts in her uterus, she’s pregnant. She’s familiar with the dangers of pregnancy—her beloved sister-in-law died of complications.

As Betsy and Tommy head for a Christmas in the Blue Ridge mountains, he begins to realize she’s hiding something from him. Although their nights are filled with desire, her holiday joy seems forced. He fears the worst.

New York Times bestselling romance author Janelle Taylor puts her magic to work in this Christmas story about love, courage, faith and trust.

Also by Janelle Taylor

From Bell Bridge Books

Kiss of the Christmas Wind

Straight From the Heart

Valley of Fire

A Christmas Surprise

by

Janelle Taylor

Bell Bridge Books

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.

Bell Bridge Books

PO BOX 300921

Memphis, TN 38130

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61194-234-7

Bell Bridge Books is an Imprint of BelleBooks, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 by Janelle Taylor

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

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Cover design: Debra Dixon

Interior design: Hank Smith

Photo credits:

Legs and background - © Madartists | Dreamstime.com

:Esc:01:

Chapter One

IT CAN’T BE TRUE. Heaven help us, it just cannot be true. My file must have gotten mixed up with someone else’s. Or the lab made a terrible error. I’m sure that happens plenty of times with all sorts of tests, Betsy Reed rationalized aloud, as she tried to convince herself the laboratory’s reported results were a huge mistake, just as she had done with the nurse in her doctor’s office. She called to mind the blonde’s empathetic gaze and tone of voice as the female shook her head and repeated the dismal news. Obvious the revelation was distressing, the nurse had sighed deeply and said she was sorry, as if the blonde was to blame for the life-altering situation.

As Betsy drove homeward, she reasoned with herself as she often did when dismayed or while trying to figure out a problem of any kind. Tommy sometimes teased her about talking to herself, but it seemed to help her make the best decisions when she heard her pros and cons spoken aloud in a soft tone. Of all the times for Doctor Williams to be away until next week. He could have gone over the tests, examined me, and resolved the ridiculous matter today. I bet he’ll discover fast who or how this blunder was made after his nurse tells him how upset I was. Was? Is! There is no way, no way on earth, the results can be positive. How dare a doctor allow a nurse to relate such grim information! We’re so young and we’ve got so much living to do. This condition will spoil our plans. Dear Lord, this can’t be happening to me. To us. Why?

How in the world, a distraught Betsy worried, was she going to tell Tommy about what she had just learned? They were leaving today for her parents’ cabin, a place which held special memories for her, to spend their first Christmas alone together. She loved the idea of starting new traditions with her husband. She wondered if she should keep this dark news a secret until after the trip so it wouldn’t ruin their romantic weekend. The only problem with that plan was that he knew her well enough to realize something was wrong, unless she could keep them happily occupied all weekend. If she kept his mind on other things, he wouldn’t have time or the clear wits to suspect any distress or change in attitude. After they returned home, she would tell him about the medical report and hope he took the shocking disclosure better than she had, if it was indeed accurate. Maybe she should stay quiet until Doctor Williams confirmed the results.

Betsy was thankful she had not quit her job in the emergency room to go back to school, so she still had her employee insurance. She knew how hospitals treated those without it and knew she would not be able to purchase any new coverage with a pre-existing condition. She knew from experience that medical bills were high and added up fast.

Reviews for A Christmas Surprise

[arlenadean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By: Janelle TaylorPublished By: J. T.Age Recommended: AdultReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: 4Book Blog For: GMTAReview:"A Christmas Surprise" by Janelle Taylor was a nice short Christmas holiday novella. This novel was of 'heart wrenching, deeply moving and emotionally fervent tale' that would keep you turning the pages until the end. With this mother finding herself pregnant Betsy Reed was in shock and wondering how her husband, Tommy would react. They had planned on waiting a while but now she was pregnant and Betsy was 'having a hard time telling her husband for fear he will not be happy.' It appears that both of these two had secrets and only if they had shared, and then their is the neighbor Peter who now had guessed what was going on. Now, this is the time you must pick up this good read to see how it will all turn out. How will Tommy's reacted to the wonderful news? If you want to read a short story with a lots of 'sparkles and shines' especially during the holidays then I would recommend "A Christmas Surprise" for you.