A Child's Wish

A Child's Wish
Tara Taylor Quinn

Ever since her mother left them, nine-year-old Kelsey Shepherd has been raised by her dad, Mark, who's also the principal at her school. Kelsey loves her dad, and she misses her mom–but she's uncomfortable about the secret her mother wants her to keep.Meredith Foster, Kelsey's teacher from last year, seems to know there's something wrong. She seems to feel it. Meredith comes over to visit sometimes, and Kelsey likes that.Maybe Meredith and her dad could fall in love. That would be good, even if principals and teachers aren't supposed to kiss…

Praise for the Novels of Tara Taylor Quinn

“One of the skills that has served Quinn best…has been her ability to explore edgier subjects.”

—Publishers Weekly

“One of the most powerful Superromances I have had the privilege to review.”

—WordWeaving on Nothing Sacred

“Quinn writes touching stories about real people that transcend plot type or genre.”

—All About Romance

“Quinn explores relationships thoroughly…. Her vividly drawn characters are sure to win readers’ hearts.”

—Romance Communications

“Quinn’s latest contemporary romance offers readers an irresistible combination of realistically complex characters and a nail-bitingly suspenseful plot. Powerful, passionate and poignant, Hidden is deeply satisfying.”

—Booklist

“Somebody’s Baby is an exceptional tale of real-life people who are not perfect, feel heartache, make mistakes and have to find their inner strength…. Somebody’s Baby easily goes on my keeper shelf.”

—The Romance Reader Reviews

Where the Road Ends is “an intense, emotionally compelling story.”

—Booklist

Dear Reader,

Most of us, when we were children, spent a lot of time playing. As we grew up and responsibilities presented themselves, the child inside us was slowly buried. For some, the burial was complete and we forgot how to play at all. For many of the rest of us, playtime was minimal. We not only lost the “fun” that filled the majority of our waking hours, but we lost the ability to believe in things we couldn’t explain, to assume we’d be loved just because we existed, to wish for something with any expectation of receiving it.

A Child’s Wish is the story of a woman who didn’t lose that ability to listen to her heart, who didn’t lose the ability to believe in the things she couldn’t explain. It’s also the story of a child whose greatest wish, and her attempts to achieve it, could cost her her life. And it’s the story of a man who trusts only what he can explain with his head, not his heart.

A Child’s Wish feels, in part, like my own autobiography. While all the events are pure fiction, the catharsis, the coming of age, by all three of the story’s major players touched me personally. This story gave me hope and joy; it gave me not only the reminder, but the license, to play. I hope you can find the freedom to believe what your heart tells you, no matter where it leads—even if it goes against the crowd. I wish you all joy in life. I’m off to play now….

Tara Taylor Quinn

P.S. I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at P.O. Box 133584, Mesa, Arizona 85216 or through my Web site, www.tarataylorquinn.com.

A Child’s Wish

Tara Taylor Quinn

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

For Kevin, Rachel, Mom and Sherry, the daily recipients of my intensity, who hang around in spite of me. You are the culmination of my deepest wishes and I am grateful for you every single day.

Acknowledgment

Many thanks to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy David Parra for his generous contribution to the technical aspects of this book. And for the kindness, respect and humor with which he handled my ignorance.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY