Thereâs something about Julie
Hunter Rafferty is committed to two things: his bachelor lifestyle and his career as an event planner. But working with Julie Fairbanks on a fund-raising gala is quickly becoming the best part of his day. He canât stop thinking about the mysterious beautyâdespite her refusals to have dinner with him.
Everything changes when seven-year-old Joy comes to The Lemonade Stand, a shelter for victims of abuse. To help Joy overcome her trauma and the mystery surrounding it, Hunter and Julie push beyond their boundaries, confronting their own past pain...and feelings for each other.
âJust be yourself, Hunter. She likes you.â
âI truly have no idea how you talk to a child,â he said. âIâm guessing golf scores arenât going to do it. And probably not surfing, either.â
His chuckle made her smile. Which sent warning notes through her. She was not going to soften toward this man.
Some man. Someday. Sure. If she was attracted to one she felt she could trust.
But not this man. Not a charmer.
âYou talk to her like sheâs a person,â Julie said. âI think back to when I was a kid and pull from that.â
His attention, fully on her now, warmed her all up again.
She was there to help him for Joyâs sake. She had to get it done.
And get out.
Dear Reader,
Joy is the pinnacle of good feeling for those of us living within the human condition! And for those of us who are parents? Holding your child in your arms, hearing his or her voice, watching him grow⦠These are some of the most joy-filled moments ever.
Theyâre also the moments that make us the most vulnerable ever. Because the shadowy side of joyâthe loss of joyâis excruciating. It can be debilitating. Weâll go to any lengths to avoid it, to prevent harm from happening to our children. Thatâs what Joyâs mother does: she puts herself in jeopardy to protect Joy. So that the child might know joy.
And in this story, the child brings joy to those who are there to help her.
The source of joy isnât just childrenâthe source is infinite, spreading itself more thoroughly than the worst disease (the shadowy side) ever could. Itâs here where I am and there where you are, touching us both and millions of others. And itâs up to us, each one of us individually, to let it in. A lesson Julie Fairbanks, a haunted soul, has to learn. For Joyâs sake.
I love to hear from my readers. Please find me at www.tarataylorquinn.com, Facebook.com/tarataylorquinn and on Twitter, @tarataylorquinn. Or join my open Friendship board on Pinterest, Pinterest.com/tarataylorquinn/friendship!
All the best,
Tara
Having written over eighty novels, TARA TAYLOR QUINN is a USA TODAY bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is known for delivering intense, emotional fiction. Tara is a past president of Romance Writers of America. She has won a Readersâ Choice Award and is a five-time finalist for an RWA RITA® Award, a finalist for a Reviewersâ Choice Award and a Booksellersâ Best Award. She has also appeared on TV across the country, including CBS Sunday Morning. She supports the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you or someone you know might be a victim of domestic violence in the United States, please contact 1-800-799-7233.
Cast of Characters
Lila McDanielsâManaging director of The Lemonade Stand (TLS). She has an apartment at the Stand.
Wife by Design (Book 1)
Lynn DuncanâResident nurse at TLS. She has a three-year-old daughter, Kara.
Grant BishopâLandscape developer hired by TLS.
Maddie EstesâPermanent TLS resident. Childcare provider.
Darin BishopâResident at TLS. Works for his brother, Grant. Has a mental disability.
Once a Family (Book 2)
Sedona (Campbell) MaloneâLawyer who volunteers at TLS.
Tanner MaloneâVintner. Brother to Tatum and Talia Malone.
Tatum MaloneâFifteen-year-old resident at TLS.
Husband by Choice (Book 3)
Meredith (Meri) BennetâSpeech therapist. Mother to two-year-old son, Caleb.
Max BennetâPediatrician.
Chantel HarrisâPolice officer. Friend to Max and his deceased first wife.
Child by Chance (Book 4)
Talia MaloneâTLS volunteer. Public-school scrapbook therapist. Student of fashion design.
Sherman PaulsonâPolitical campaign manager. Widower. Single father of adopted ten-year-old son, Kent.
Mother by Fate (Book 5)
Sara HavensâFull-time TLS counselor.
Michael EdwinâBounty hunter. Widower. Single father to six-year-old daughter, Mari.
The Good Father (Book 6)
Ella AckermanâCharge nurse at Santa Raquel Childrenâs Hospital. Member of the High Risk Team. Divorced.
Brett AckermanâTLS Founder. National accreditation business owner. Divorced.
Love by Association (Book 7)
Chantel HarrisâSanta Raquel detective. Member of the High Risk Team.
Colin FairbanksâLawyer. Member of Santa Raquelâs most elite society. Principal of high-end law firm. Brother to Julie Fairbanks.
His First Choice (Book 8)
Lacey HamiltonâSocial worker. Member of the High Risk Team. Child star. Identical twin to daytime-soap-opera star Kacey Hamilton.