Lorraine Beatty - A Mom For Christmas

A Christmas Reunion

Noah Carlisle is surprised to see first love Beth Montgomery back in Dover. Beth left their small Mississippi town—and him—years ago for a ballet career. Now the only female in Noah’s life is his daughter, and he won’t risk their future for a temporary reunion with Beth. Home to rehab her knee, Beth counts the days to resume her career—until she sees her long-ago beau. Celebrating Christmas with the handsome man and his adorable child, Beth wonders if the dreams worth chasing were always right in her own backyard. Can she stay and be Noah’s second chance and his daughter’s Christmas wish—a gift-wrapped mom under the tree?

It was like old times.

They were talking again, like when they were teenagers. But Noah wasn’t the same. The lanky, nerdy teen was now a man. A father.

He glanced over at her, his blue eyes clouded. “When I found out you’d joined the ballet company and never bothered to tell me, I figured—” He stared straight ahead, his jaw flexing.

Beth longed to reach out to him. Years ago she’d shut him out of her life. And then so had his ex. All he’d wanted was to make a family with his little girl, and his dream had been shattered.

“I’m sorry, Noah. I didn’t mean to cut you out of my life.”

“We can’t go back and change the past, Beth. But we can learn from it.”

“Can we call a truce? For Chloe? After all, it’s Christmas.”

Finally he looked at her. “Sure. For Chloe and for Christmas.”

Wasn’t that what she wanted? So why did her heart still ache? Because just like old times, being friends with Noah wasn’t enough.

LORRAINE BEATTY was raised in Columbus, Ohio, but now calls Mississippi home. She and her husband, Joe, have two sons and five grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in junior high and is a member of RWA and ACFW, and is a charter member and past president of Magnolia State Romance Writers. In her spare time she likes to work in her garden, travel and spend time with her family.

A Mom for Christmas

Lorraine Beatty

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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You shall have no other gods before Me.

—Exodus 20:3

To Jovetta Ealy, a woman after God’s heart, and in loving memory of her sons, Marco and Willie.

Acknowledgments Contents Cover Back Cover Text Introduction About the Author Title Page Bible Verse Dedication Acknowledgments Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Dear Reader Extract Copyright

To Jon Young, who shared his structural

engineering expertise with me, and who,

when I told him what I wanted to do to my hero,

didn’t blink, but proceeded to tell me

how to make it happen.

To Katie Lohr, the ballerina the Lord

literally placed in my car. Her knowledge

and experience with ballet and with

Ballet Magnificat added so much to Beth’s story.

Dr. Brad Kennedy, DC, who always

has the perfect solution to any injury

I decide to inflict upon my characters.

I couldn’t have written this book without

the three of you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text A Christmas Reunion Noah Carlisle is surprised to see first love Beth Montgomery back in Dover. Beth left their small Mississippi town—and him—years ago for a ballet career. Now the only female in Noah’s life is his daughter, and he won’t risk their future for a temporary reunion with Beth. Home to rehab her knee, Beth counts the days to resume her career—until she sees her long-ago beau. Celebrating Christmas with the handsome man and his adorable child, Beth wonders if the dreams worth chasing were always right in her own backyard. Can she stay and be Noah’s second chance and his daughter’s Christmas wish—a gift-wrapped mom under the tree?

Introduction It was like old times. They were talking again, like when they were teenagers. But Noah wasn’t the same. The lanky, nerdy teen was now a man. A father. He glanced over at her, his blue eyes clouded. “When I found out you’d joined the ballet company and never bothered to tell me, I figured—” He stared straight ahead, his jaw flexing. Beth longed to reach out to him. Years ago she’d shut him out of her life. And then so had his ex. All he’d wanted was to make a family with his little girl, and his dream had been shattered. “I’m sorry, Noah. I didn’t mean to cut you out of my life.” “We can’t go back and change the past, Beth. But we can learn from it.” “Can we call a truce? For Chloe? After all, it’s Christmas.” Finally he looked at her. “Sure. For Chloe and for Christmas.” Wasn’t that what she wanted? So why did her heart still ache? Because just like old times, being friends with Noah wasn’t enough.

About the Author LORRAINE BEATTY was raised in Columbus, Ohio, but now calls Mississippi home. She and her husband, Joe, have two sons and five grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in junior high and is a member of RWA and ACFW, and is a charter member and past president of Magnolia State Romance Writers. In her spare time she likes to work in her garden, travel and spend time with her family.

Title Page A Mom for Christmas Lorraine Beatty www.millsandboon.co.uk

Bible Verse You shall have no other gods before Me. —Exodus 20:3

Dedication To Jovetta Ealy, a woman after God’s heart, and in loving memory of her sons, Marco and Willie.

Acknowledgments Acknowledgments Contents Cover Back Cover Text Introduction About the Author Title Page Bible Verse Dedication Acknowledgments Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Dear Reader Extract Copyright To Jon Young, who shared his structural engineering expertise with me, and who, when I told him what I wanted to do to my hero, didn’t blink, but proceeded to tell me how to make it happen. To Katie Lohr, the ballerina the Lord literally placed in my car. Her knowledge and experience with ballet and with Ballet Magnificat added so much to Beth’s story. Dr. Brad Kennedy, DC, who always has the perfect solution to any injury I decide to inflict upon my characters. I couldn’t have written this book without the three of you.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

The air in the enclosed stairwell reeked of age, and the timeworn wooden stairs creaked with each step. The glass in the old-fashioned door rattled in protest when Bethany Montgomery grasped the knob and pushed it open.

She stepped from the narrow staircase leading to her apartment above her mother’s real estate office and inhaled deeply. Even here in the broad recessed entry of the downtown building, the air was tinged with the scent of degrading metal and aged wood. The tiny black-and-white octagonal tiles on the floor from over a hundred years ago completed the picture. Everything in her hometown of DoOver, aka Dover, Mississippi, was old. And at the moment she felt the same. Old, worn-out and irrelevant. And in need of a major do-over.