Two Weeks (The Baxter Family #5)(88)

As you close the cover on this book, think about who you can share it with. A friend whose child is grown and heading off to school? A sister who can’t seem to have the baby she’s always prayed for? Someone struggling to make sense of a loss? Or just that person who loves to read.

A book dies if it’s left on the shelf. So please share it.

As with many of my other books, this novel gave you the chance to spend a little time with our favorite family—the Baxters. And now you are about to have the chance to watch the first season of The Baxters on TV. Something I only dreamed about back when God gave me these very special characters. The series is expected to become one of the most beloved of all time. I know you’ll be watching.

You won’t find the Baxters in my upcoming book—Someone Like You. It’s a stand-alone love story that is perhaps the most unique, breathtaking story I’ve written yet. I can’t wait to tell you more!

Visit my website, KarenKingsbury.com, to find out more about The Baxters on TV and about my other books. At my website, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter. These emails come straight to you and offer pieces of my writing you will not find anywhere else. Sign up today! You can also stay encouraged by following me on social media.

Remember, the Baxter family isn’t just my family. It’s yours. And with them at the middle of our lives, we are all connected. Until next time . . . I’m praying for you.

Thanks for being part of the family.

Love you all!





THE BAXTER FAMILY: YESTERDAY AND TODAY


For some of you, this is your first time with the Baxter family. Please know you don’t have to read any other Baxter books to read this one. Like my other recent titles, Two Weeks stands alone! But if you read this and want to start at the beginning, the starting place is Redemption.

That’s where the adventure of the Baxters begins.

Whether you’ve known the Baxters for years or are just meeting them now, here’s a quick summary of the family, their kids and their ages. Also, because these characters are fictional, I’ve taken some liberty with their ages. Let’s just assume these are their current ages.

Now, let me introduce you to—or remind you of—the Baxter family:

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THE BAXTERS BEGAN in Bloomington, Indiana, and most of the family still lives there today.

The Baxter house is on ten acres outside of town, with a winding creek that runs through the backyard. It has a wraparound porch and a pretty view and the memories of a lifetime. The house was one John and Elizabeth Baxter moved into when their children were young. They raised their family here. Today it is owned by one of their daughters—Ashley—and her husband, Landon Blake. It is still the place where the extended Baxter family gathers for special celebrations.

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JOHN BAXTER: JOHN is the patriarch of the Baxter family. Formerly an emergency room doctor and professor of medicine at Indiana University, he’s now retired. John’s first wife, Elizabeth, died long ago from a recurrence of cancer. Years later, John married Elaine, and the two live in Bloomington.

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DAYNE MATTHEWS, 44: Dayne is the oldest son of John and Elizabeth. Dayne was born out of wedlock and given up for adoption at birth. His adoptive parents died in a small plane crash when he was 18. Years later, Dayne became a very visible and popular movie star. At age 30, he hired an attorney to find his birth parents—John and Elizabeth Baxter. He had a moment with Elizabeth in the hospital before she died, and years later he connected with the rest of his biological family. Dayne is married to Katy, 42. The couple has three children: Sophie, 9; Egan, 7; and Blaise, 5. They are very much part of the Baxter family, and they split time between Los Angeles and Bloomington.

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BROOKE BAXTER WEST, 42: Brooke is a pediatrician in Bloomington, married to Peter West, 42, also a doctor. The couple has two daughters: Maddie, 21, and Hayley, 18. The family experienced a tragedy when Hayley suffered a drowning accident at age 4. She recovered miraculously, but still has disabilities caused by the incident.

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KARI BAXTER TAYLOR, 40: Kari is a designer, married to Ryan Taylor, 42, football coach at Clear Creek High School. The couple has three children: Jessie, 18; RJ, 12; and Annie, 9. Kari had a crush on Ryan when the two were in middle school. They dated through college, and then broke up over a misunderstanding. Kari married a man she met in college, Tim Jacobs, but some years into their marriage he had an affair. The infidelity resulted in his murder at the hands of a stalker. The tragedy devastated Kari, who was pregnant at the time with their first child, Jessie. Ryan came back into her life around the same time, and years later he and Kari married. They live in Bloomington.

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ASHLEY BAXTER BLAKE, 38: Ashley is the former black sheep of the Baxter family, married to Landon Blake, 38, who works for the Bloomington Fire Department. The couple has four children: Cole, 18; Amy, 13; Devin, 11; and Janessa, 7. As a young single mom, Ashley was jaded against God and her family when she reconnected with her firefighter friend Landon, who had secretly always loved her. Eventually Ashley and Landon married and Landon adopted Cole. Together, the couple had two children—Devin and Janessa. Between those children, they lost a baby girl, Sarah Marie, at birth to anencephaly. Amy, Ashley’s niece, came to live with them a few years ago after Amy’s parents, Erin Baxter Hogan and Sam Hogan, and Amy’s three sisters, were killed in a horrific car accident. Amy was the only survivor. Ashley and Landon and their family live in Bloomington, in the old Baxter house, where Ashley and her siblings were raised. Ashley still paints and is successful in selling her work in local boutiques.