Fall From Grace: A Christian Romance Novel: Glen Ellen Series, #1

By Kelsey MacBride

Kevin failed to save Rachel in the ER...

So his life spiraled out of control until a stranger named Stephanie came to help.

But when he finds out Stephanie is Rachel's mother, can healing and true romance change his life?

If you want an uplifting story that will restore your faith in unselfish love, you'll want to get your copy of this Christian clean romance book.

 

*This is the first half of the Glen Ellen Series and not a standalone book*

 

This novel consists of two heartwarming Christian romance books by reader favorite Kelsey MacBride.

In Book #1, Fall From Grace, Kevin Pierce is an ER doctor whose life crumbles when he fails to save Rachel, a girl who resembles his late niece, who also lost her life while he was behind the wheel.

To escape his paralyzing memories, he leaves LA for a small town by the ocean, hoping to rebuild his life. But a surprising twist develops when he meets Stephanie, Rachel's mother, in that town.

Stephanie Knight is a Christian single mother who suffers the loss of her daughter in a tragic car accident. She relocates to her parent's home where she can escape memories of the accident and heal.

But when she discovers Kevin is also there, she proposes they work together to help each other heal.

Will he accept her help and forge an unlikely relationship? Or will Kevin reject her and miss out on an opportunity to experience true Christian romance?

 

Find out by reading this uplifting clean romance novel for women.

Get your copy now!

Other Christian romance books in the Glen Ellen Series by Kelsey MacBride

-Saving Grace: Book 2 of the Glen Ellen  Story

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelsey MacBride
• Release date: Feb 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507093627

Book preview

Chapter 1

The man on Kevin Pierce’s examination table at Harbor Hospital was of average height, with dusty brown hair and bluish eyes. According to the clipboard now resting beside him, his name was Peter Renfrew. Peter had come into the ER complaining that his ribcage was busted up, After seeing the significant bruising pattern on his torso, Kevin was inclined to believe him.

Still, he prodded the area gently with his fingertips, feeling for trauma and irregularities. He knew the man probably had some broken ribs and bruising, but his first problem was ensuring there were no other internal complications.

Ow! Renfrew burst out suddenly, jerking away from Kevin’s hands. Take it easy, will you? I already told you they’re broken.

Kevin backed up slightly, holding his palms out as if the man was ready to lunge at him in revenge. I’m sorry, sir. We always need to check your condition first because self-diagnosis can be misleading. So let me finish checking, and then we can get you all fixed up and on your way. Okay?

Peter rolled his eyes as a sigh of exasperation escaped his thick lips. I guess that is your job. So what d’ya think? Am I right?

Unfortunately, I’m afraid you are. Kevin picked up the clipboard and studied it while he talked. I’ll need to take an x-ray to confirm it, but those ribs certainly do seem to be broken. He paused, glancing at his patient. Have you been experiencing anything like coughing up blood, shortness of breath, or bloody stools?

No.

Kevin marked down his response. Okay. And when exactly did the injury take place?

Renfrew hesitated before lowering his voice. Two nights ago.

Hmm. Kevin scribbled on the paper that was attached to the clipboard. How did it happen? Were you in a car accident? You probably should have come in earlier. But, as you’re experiencing, broken ribs are nothing to be taken lightly.

The man shifted a little and winced. Sorry, Doc. I can’t tell you that, or I’ll have many more problems than just this lousy ribcage. The wife would murder me for sure.

Mr. Renfrew. Kevin adopted his best soothing medical-professional voice. As your examining doctor, I must stress that I need to know all the details of your circumstances to make sure you get the best care possible. Then, after a moment, he added, Everything you say here in the emergency room will remain confidential. Even to your wife.

At last, Peter Renfrew sighed, running his hands through the top of his thinning hair. All right, listen. My wife is a lovely woman, the sweetest lady you’ll ever meet. But she’s ... well, she’s big. I mean, like, at least three-fifty. So the other night, we’re in bed, me and her, just sleeping. And she rolls over, and I guess she didn’t notice that I was there because ... He stopped, indicating the bruises. A couple days later, here I am. He exhaled heavily. I wanted to come and see you earlier; I really did. Believe me, this hurts like crazy. But she stopped me every time I tried to get out of the house. She doesn’t want me telling anyone what really happened. He glanced at Kevin. She’s embarrassed about it, see? Peter shook his head. I guess it’s not exactly flattering.

How did you manage to get here tonight, then? Kevin said. I’m glad you did, but it must have taken some planning to get here. She sounds like she was watching you, so how did you sneak away?

When I knew it was one of those nights when she took a long shower, I ran out as fast as I could. I try to be a good husband, Doc. I really do. I don’t even mind so much that she squashed me. But I can’t just leave broken bones to heal on their own, can I?

Kevin raised the clipboard to his face and bit down on his lip, willing himself not to laugh out loud. He knew the man was being serious, and he felt terrible for him. The poor guy didn‘t want to upset his wife but knew he also needed medical attention. No, you can’t, he stated calmly. You made the right decision. He peered at Peter over the top of the board. I promise not a word of this will ever leave this room. You’ll be fine.

Whew. Visibly relieved, Renfrew relaxed a little. What about my chest?

It’ll heal on its own, assuming the x-ray shows nothing unusual. I’m going to prescribe some pain medication to help you during the healing process, but I want you to get in to see your regular physician as soon as you can, okay? We can send over the x-rays and all your reports whenever you can make that appointment.

Do I have to tell him what happened, too?

Kevin smiled a little. Tell him whatever you like, as long as you go. He tucked the clipboard under his arm and reached to shake Peter’s hand, but the patient stopped him.

Wait a minute. Aren’t you going to wrap up my chest? I thought that’s what happened with broken ribs.

Well, that’s what doctors used to do, but more recently, we’ve observed increased chances of complication from wrapping the chest. So now, we just make sure Everything’s stabilized. The human body has a remarkable ability to heal on its own without intervention. Again, he held out his hand. The x-ray technician will be in shortly to take care of you. Best of luck at home.

As soon as the door had shut behind him, Kevin’s head wagged in sympathy as he crossed over to his office. The computer was already on, and he chuckled as he sat in front of it with the clipboard. This was certainly not the adrenaline-pumping residency he had envisioned for his career as an ER doctor. How many times had he been warned about the insanity of the emergency room, especially in a big city like Los Angeles? He had joined the staff at Harbor Hospital ready for the kind of harrowing action that happened in movies: paramedics bursting through the doors with barely-breathing patients in need of immediate, lifesaving operations. Instead, he’d expected blood, gore, gang-related gunshot wounds, and 18-hour days. He thought he had moved into the bustle of the busy life. He wanted to do surgery. Any kind of surgery, as long as it was needed and an emergency.

Instead, the closest heart-thumping action his senior resident had assigned him since joining Harbor had been a 55-year-old man with chest pains, a woman who’d gotten food poisoning from some bad Mexican food, and Peter Renfrew, a victim of his own obese wife. Kevin sat back in his office chair, wondering what his professors would say. He had graduated in the top ten percent of his class at Stanford and started his residency at Harbor under the weight of exceptionally high standards. There wasn’t a single person on ER staff who hadn’t heard of how promising and talented Kevin Pierce was. It was a lot of weight to carry, but he was determined to bear it with pride, even if his illustrious career hadn’t quite started off with a bang.

He had learned from his Uncle Thad that one needed to take life with big steps. His uncle never missed a thing. It didn’t surprise him that was why the man was so successful. His uncle owned a thriving and prominent private practice in the upscale part of Los Angeles. He had tried to get Kevin to come work for him, but he had declined. He had told his uncle he needed to be in a hospital setting, to experience everything medicine had to offer so he could discover his element.

But what he really desired was the adrenaline-pumping spontaneity of the ER. He didn’t want to do the same thing every day or see the same people over and over. He felt he had made the right decision and was in the best environment for him and his career.

Hey, Pierce?

Kevin looked up to see his good friend Dr. Brian Turner. He was one of the other residents on the floor, and they had been classmates, graduating from the same medical school. They had both been fortunate enough to land a job at Harbor and hung out together frequently outside of work. Hey. How are ya?

I’m good. Hey, Sandy, Harry, and a couple of the nurses are going over to Caffe Grande for a coffee after shifts. Whadya say? Join us?

Sounds like a plan. It was common for many of the doctors and staff to hang out at Caffe Grande after their shifts were done. The tiny place was easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention while driving down the street. The Northern Italian-influenced cafe featured some of the best espresso drinks on the west side of Los Angeles, and Kevin would frequently order the espresso shots steeped with cinnamon.

After that, some of us are catching a 9:45 movie. Interested?

That sounds like a lot of fun, I wish I could, but I can’t. I’ve got an early shift tomorrow. Kevin looked at Brian with disappointment. He knew Brian was referring to one of his favorite places, a historic multiplex theater in the Westwood area, a place that played many of the new hit films and even some indie films. A group of them would often catch the latest flicks and always pay extra for the reserved seating just to ensure their faces weren’t five feet from the large screen.

Aw, sorry to hear that. Don’t you hate it when you get those? I think we should all vote to have early shifts eliminated. An unprofessional grin spread across Brian’s face.

I hate those shifts too, but somebody has to do it. Patient care first, remember our Hippocratic oath?

Brian raised his right hand. I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, yaddy yadda. But Hippocrates never said anything about super early morning shifts. Brian chuckled.

Kevin could still recall graduation day from medical school. It was a clear summer day, and his class of one hundred ten students sat anxiously under the beating sun as they waited for their names to be called. His medical school was one of the few that still required a live recitation of the modern Hippocratic Oath as a requirement to graduate, an ancient practice most of his classmates frowned upon with apprehension.

Dressed in a black cap and matching gown with lines of Irish green trimming running down the front, the words flowed effortlessly from his lips as he recited the phrases he had practiced almost a hundred times. In fact, his rendition had such an impact that even the Dean of Medicine congratulated him on his flawless performance. Yes, Kevin fully embraced every tenet of that oath, and as he started his new career, he vowed to use everything within his skills to save every precious human life that needed his help.

Maybe we can do something this weekend. By some miracle, I’ve got the whole weekend off. How about tennis Sunday morning?

Sunday sounds perfect. Brian swung an imaginary tennis racquet through the air and suddenly stopped midswing. Oh, wait a minute, I forgot. Terry and I are taking her girlfriend Lisa out for dinner, and then we’re going go-kart racing. We’ll probably be out late, so I don’t think I can play tennis early in the morning. How about the afternoon?

I’m stopping by at my uncle’s office after lunch. He wanted me to check out a fancy heart machine he bought.

Your Uncle Thad has a great thing going on with that practice. I would love to own an internal medicine practice like his someday. Sometimes I wonder if I should have chosen internal medicine instead of trauma.

Yeah, my uncle’s one lucky man. But let’s face it, you and I are a different breed. We’re here because we love the excitement of the ER.

Brian gave him a grin. You’re right. I can’t think of any other job I’d rather do besides the ER. But, I’ll admit, I’m an adrenaline junkie. It’s in my blood.

Well, if we can’t schedule tennis this weekend, we can do it another weekend.

Brian’s face lit up with excitement. Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t you come out with Terry and me? You could help us keep her friend Lisa company.

Kevin pushed his nose up with disapproval. What, you mean you want to set me up on a blind date? He shook his head. No, thank you, I’m not in the mood for one of those dating disasters. Dating the opposite sex was one subject Kevin had never mastered while attending school. Having gone through high school with his head buried in textbooks, he paid little interest in chasing after girls. Occasionally, he would notice a cute girl that would catch his eye, but then his insecurities would pop up, drowning the spark of hormonal desire that would often consume other boys his age.

The fact he had on braces with headgear and wore high water pants with black leather shoes probably didn’t help his situation. But looking back from the present, Kevin didn’t care. He loved school and all its challenges, and he looked forward to the day when he would fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor.

"C’mon,