THE BAKER'S DOZEN by S.D. Denny
ISBN:
GENRES: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
BLURB
In order to heal you must first acknowledge the truth about yourself, no matter how ugly it may be. Breanna Baker stopped believing in fairytales the night of the tragic accident that claimed her father's life. It took only one disastrous
relationship as an adult for her to know that she'd seen enough disappointment. After relocating to the Atlanta area to begin a new life, Bree plans to focus on her career and stay as far away from love as possible; that is until Charles Porter appears. Could he possibly be as wonderful as he seems, or is he just too good to be true? Ultimately she steps out on faith, allowing him into her life, but when her doctor drops the unexpected bomb that she's five weeks pregnant she panics. Her old fears begin to resurface and Bree plans the unthinkable, but before she can follow through with it, her grandmother suddenly passes away and she's forced to return to Charlotte.
Back home Bree tackles one family issue after another, but nothing can
prepare her for the shocking information she learns that leads to a secret
her family has kept hidden for years - a secret so horrifying that she
questions what really happened the night of her father's fatal accident and
suddenly the past has more influence on her future than she could have ever
imagined. The Baker's Dozen is an unforgettable story so overflowing with sacrificial love you'll want to share it with your friends and loved ones.
EXCERPT
I’ll never forget the look on Daddy’s face as he lay limp and lifeless
at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes were open and fixed on the front door,
looking as though he’d seen a ghost. Mama was on her knees next to him
crying, while Deanna was crouched against the railing at the top of the stairs
peering through two wooden slats with tears streaming down her face. He’d
been drinking and had fallen from the top, breaking his neck as he hit the bottom.
Mama and Dee witnessed everything while everyone else slept. I woke up and ran
out of my room when I heard screaming, but it was too late; Daddy was already
dead.
I cried quietly in the shower as my thoughts led back to that horrible night
fourteen years ago. Before the accident I led a carefree life. At least it didn’t
seem as harsh. Afterwards, I’d grown cold and learned how to suppress
my feelings and pretend like nothing fazed me. Sometimes I wished I were the
same person I was years ago, but life has a way of transforming you and since
I couldn’t change what had happened, I learned to adapt to people and
things around me. After the accident, Mama seemed distant most of the time and
my twin sister, Deanna, just shut herself down completely. Eventually, she went
to live with our grandparents because they could dedicate more time to caring
for her. The rest of my eleven siblings and I handled things as best we could
with what we had to work with. It seemed unfair, but I learned to play with
the hand I’d been dealt.
I stood in the shower with hot water beating against my neck and back, clutching
my abdomen to see if it felt different. The news of my pregnancy was shocking
and seemed like the beginning of a horrible nightmare.
Lord, why me? This can’t be happening again. I was careful. This should
never have happened. I can’t handle this – that’s all to it!
And I can’t tell Charles.
“Bree!” Charles yelled from the bedroom. “What are you doing
in there? Did you fall asleep?”
I straightened up and rinsed the tears away, while managing to let out a sluggish
reply.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” As I stepped out of the shower
I caught a hint of frying bacon and flew over to the toilet, gagging from the
greasy stench. Normally, I loved that smell, but for the last couple of weeks
I’d apparently been suffering from morning sickness, the second sign I’d
gotten that something was wrong. After missing my period, I knew I was in trouble.
I’d given my period a week to show up in the event something else may
have been wrong, but to my dismay, it never came. That’s when I decided
to call Dr. McGhee for an appointment. I was not ready for the news I received
yesterday that I was five weeks pregnant with Charles’ baby.
