Dandelion Wishes
Will Jackson was a control freak and a killjoy.He had been since they were kids. He’d made it his mission to come between Emma Willoughby and her best friend—his little sister—all their lives.But why?Until the day of the accident Emma had always thought of herself as adventurous, not dangerous…. And then her friend had almost died.She desperately needed to apologize, to try to explain, if she could.Will had managed to keep the two apart while Tracy was in the hospital, but now that she was home in Harmony Valley, the winemaker-wannabe had to understand that getting past this was the only way they could heal.And yet even if Tracy was able to, Emma wasn’t sure she could forgive herself.And Will had made it abundantly clear: he wouldn’t sleep until he’d found retribution.
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Will thought dandelion wishes were a waste of time.
Will thought dandelion wishes spread weeds into the world. Will thoughtâ
Emma spun around and plucked the dandelion from the side of the road. She didnât care what Will thought. She and Tracy had been making dandelion wishes since they were kids.
She turned toward home, stopping in the middle of the bridge over Harmony River. She tried to catch her breath. She tried to be as calm as the water flowing beneath her.
It wasnât possible. Not even with a dandelion wish at the ready.
What would she wish for?
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Harmony Valley!
Things arenât as harmonious here as they once were. Jobs have dried up and almost everyone under the age of sixty has moved away in the past ten years, leaving the populationâ¦wellâ¦rather gray-haired and peaceful.
Enter Will Jackson, newly minted millionaire and hometown success story. Heâs been on the fast track too long and is looking for a break. But then his sister, Tracy, and her friend Emma get in a car crash, and he realizes Harmony Valley would be a perfect place for Tracy to stay permanently. If he could just create a business for his sister and keep her away from Emmaâs spur-of-the-moment adventurous tendencies, everything would be fine.
Emma may look as if she walked away from the accident unscathed, but she bears emotional scars. She wants to rebuild her friendship with Tracy and heal. But nothing in life ever comes when you want it, especially not love and healing.
I hope you enjoy Will and Emmaâs journey, as well as the romances in the works for friends Flynn and Slade as they get their winery in Harmony Valley off the ground. I love to hear from readers and you can always check on the progress of Harmony Valley on my website, www.MelindaCurtis.com.
Melinda Curtis
MELINDA CURTIS grew up on an isolated sheep ranch, where mountain lions had been seen, and yet she roamed unaccompanied. Being a rather optimistic, clueless of danger sort, she took to playing âwhat ifâ games, which led her to become an author. She spends her days trying to figure out new ways to say âhe made her heart pound.â That might sound boring, but the challenge keeps her mentally ahead of her three kids and college-sweetheart husband.
Nothing in my life would be possible without the love
and support of my immediate family, extended family and close friends. This past year was a roller coaster and you helped keep me strapped in.
With special thanks and hugs to A. J. Stewart, Cari
Lynn Web and Anna Adams for holding my hand and kicking my butt throughout the writing of this book.
And to Carrie Knudson, thank you for the laughter,
the love and the memories.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
TODAY WAS THE day.
Thereâd be hugs and smiles, reminiscences and laughter.
And apologies. Of course thereâd be apologies. But theyâd be accepted and waved aside because best friends stood by each other. Always.
Today was the day.
If Emma Willoughby repeated it to herself often enough, this time it might come true.
Standing in the parking lot next to clumps of cheery daffodils, she checked her purse to make sure Tracyâs gift was inside. She silenced her cell phone. She pasted a friendly smile on her face, passed under the grand portico and headed toward the massive glass doors of Greenhaven Rehabilitation Center.
The doors slid open as she neared. On previous visits, sheâd recognized people in the lobbyâelderly actors recovering from strokes, aging politicians recovering from hip surgeries, elite athletes recovering from injuries. But in nearly six months, sheâd never caught a glimpse of Tracy.
The Sunday receptionist, Francie, looked up to greet her, recognition stealing the beginnings of a smile from her face.
Today, Emma silently prayed.
Francie pushed her rhinestone glasses up the bridge of her nose, tugged the lapels of her aquamarine polyester jacket tightly together and sent an icy glance toward a tall, aging security guard, who stepped forward to block Emmaâs path. In all the months Emma had been coming here, this was the first time Francie, Greenhavenâs gatekeeper, had set a guard on her.
âYoung lady, Iâm terribly sorry.â
Emmaâs smile weakened. She would not give up. She would keep coming every Sunday until someone let her in. Tracyâs family couldnât keep her out forever.
âI know I canât go inside, Francie.â Emma reached into her purse for her giftâa Carina Career doll. Sheâd been handing the receptionist a doll every Sunday for months. This week Carina was an astronaut. The dolls were meant as a reminder of their friendship and to let her best friend know Emma believed she still had plenty of choices ahead of her. âCould you please give this to Tracy?â
