Heart Wish (A Hidden Beauty Novel Book 9)

by Mary Crawford

  “Wow! We’ve been trying to move for years. This is like a dream come true,” Kendall comments, sounding breathless. “If you don’t mind Colette, I’m going to go sit down before the reality of all this hits me.”

  I walk up to the stage to help Kendall down the stairs. As I do, I pass Will and raise an eyebrow in question.

  He meets my gaze and shrugs. “A heart wish is a powerful thing.”

  When we reach the back of the room, Kendall throws her arms around my neck and kisses me enthusiastically. “I can’t believe it! Did you have anything to do with this? It’s like Christmas, my birthday and New Year’s Day all rolled into one.”

  “I wish I could take credit for all of this, but I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m just the guy who is in love with the new director of Locate My Heart. I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”

  “We get to do this celebration thing again in a couple weeks. I can’t believe they are already breaking ground on Identity Bank’s new facilities. Tristan must be thrilled that you guys are actually ahead of schedule.”

  “He is, but I think he is more excited to come out and talk to Toby. If I don’t miss my guess, Tristan’s probably going to talk him into joining his software development team.”

  Kendall grimaces. “I don’t know how I feel about that. It’s a great opportunity for Toby, but it would break your mom’s heart.”

  “Tristan is pretty good about making deals which make everyone happy. I have a feeling he’s already got a work around figured out.”

  Suddenly, the noisy environment starts to close in on me. I reach into my pocket and palm my gift for her. I place my arm around Kendall’s waist as I escort her out of the concert hall. I spot a couch in a secluded corner of the lobby and head toward it.

  “Is everything all right?” Kendall asks.

  I sit down and tuck her close to me. “I guess I am feeling a little overwhelmed. When I first met you, I was merely functioning. I was going from job to job and crisis to crisis. I think I did it on purpose to dull the pain from Toby’s disappearance. If I was too busy to think, I was too busy to miss him and realize all the love I had lost. I was keeping myself separate from my parents because I didn’t know how to deal with their pain.”

  “That must’ve been awful. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Kendall comments as she squeezes my hand.

  “Then you came along and shoved me out of my comfort zone. You showed me I could risk showing people how I feel without being weak.”

  “That’s funny. I always think that you’re the one pushing me out of my comfort zone. After all, you turned me into a climbing addict.”

  “Well, maybe we push each other,” I concede.

  “I think that’s true,” Kendall says as she places her head on my shoulder.

  “The point is, you’ve shown me how to trust and love again. I’ve never been this happy in my life. I love you Kendall Kordes, will you marry me?”

  She stares down at the solitaire ring I am holding near her right hand. She looks up at me with wide eyes. “Yes! Yes, a thousand times, yes.”

  With slightly less than steady hands, I place the ring on her finger. I take a deep breath as relief washes over me. “You know, your brother’s right. A heart wish is a very powerful thing.”

  Kendall stands up and pulls me up next to her before she gives me a passionate kiss. When she pulls away she says, “I argue with Will all the time, but I won’t argue with him this time. I love you Jameson Payne, and I can’t wait to be your wife.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Heart Wish started with the simple idea that words could change the world. Okay, maybe not the whole world but a small corner of it. As you may know, I'd choose a charity to donate fifteen percent of my profits to with each book. Things will operate a little differently with Heart Wish. One hundred percent of the profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Child Find.

  This book is meant to honor the organizations and volunteers who show up every day to do the tough, grueling work to serve families in need. It is hard, thankless work which often doesn't get recognized, but I want you to know your work is valued immensely. Thank you.

  Special thanks to photographer Jean Maureen Woodfin and cover models Matthew Hosea and Kristen Lazarus-Wood for supporting #teamsupersecretproject even when it meant doing a photo shoot when it was 107° outside. Thank you to Trish Ruschke Rice for dressing my books so beautifully and making them look professional.

  I want to give a shout out to Kathern Watts, Kathy Faltinson, Becca Draper-Ristanovic and Stacy Beduhn who always give me honest feedback even when it's tough.

  A special thank you to my family. Leonard, I love you. You always support my dreams — no matter how crazy they are. Brandon, I'm so proud of you. Just think, you are almost six months into your residency. Way to make the world a better place! Justin, thanks for your technical assistance on video games.

  This a partial list of my current books. For other books and more details, please visit MaryCrawfordAuthor.com

  Jeff finally has his life back on track after deferring his dreams so he can be there for his family when they were stuck with a health crisis. As a lifeguard and a law student, he is solely focused on graduating at the top of his class and passing the bar exam so that he can help his mom and sister.

  In a blink of an eye, all of that changes when a beautiful redhead rescues a little boy right under Jeff’s nose while he’s lifeguarding and challenges everything he thought he wanted from the world.

  Kiera, a former swimmer turned social worker, is a distraction he never expected to encounter. She is smart, outgoing, witty, and vivacious and he is drawn to her more than he could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, both Jeff and Kiera come with strings attached. . .

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-one/

  Carrying unseen scars from her tragic past, Tara Isamu felt destined to live a life of solitude. Her heart just couldn't take any more risks. But a chance meeting with an old friend could open the door to healing and love. Aidan O’Brien misses the joyful dancer Tara once was. He’ll do anything to set her free so her heart can dance. He believes that together, they can conquer the world, if only he can convince her to trust in love again.

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-two/

  Tyler Colton is exactly the irritating, overbearing take charge, livin’ large kind of guy that Heather LaBianca has been dodging her whole life. So, why exactly does her heart beat faster every time Officer Colton enters the room?

  Tyler wasn’t exactly looking for happily ever after when his best friend got married and started hanging out with a new group of friends. Sure, the curvy spitfire blonde Italian who had as many jokes as a standup comedian intrigued him, but exasperatingly his natural charms seem largely ineffective for this fiercely independent woman.

  When personal tragedy strikes in Heather’s life, Tyler gets a chance to be Heather’s real-life knight-in-shining-armor. Yet even as he’s helping her dreams come true, Tyler realizes that this puzzling enigma of a woman is quietly helping him exorcise the nightmares of a mission that went horribly wrong. Will he be brave enough to accept her love so that they can move forward together through Joy and Tiers?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-three/

  Madison LaBianca’s whole life as a hard-hitting journalist is dedicated to explaining things and breaking big problems into manageable pieces. What happens when she apparently snoops into the wrong story, her life slowly spirals out of control, and she runs into a man who is just inexplicable?

  Trevor Black is a man who is used to having to pick up the pieces of his life and rebuild after his world was shattered by an IED and when his wife was killed after she finally had sense enough to leave the disillusioned, sullen man he had become.

  Trevor is working hard to find meaning in the senseless and to find purpose when life has kicked him to the curb. Can helpin
g Madison sort out the pieces of her mixed-up life help Trevor face down his own painful demons and learn to just Love Naturally?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-four/

  Who says love is only for the young? When Denny Ashley lost his wife to brain cancer, he never imagined he’d get another chance to find someone. That was just fine with him. As a long-haul trucker, he was used to being alone. But, a vivacious florist enters his world and Denny hopes he can do love justice.

  Gwendolyn has loved and lost before. She’s experienced both heaven and hell when it comes to men. When Denny Ashley starts to turn on the charm, she must decide if she can handle love seasoned by time.

  Just as Denny and Gwendolyn are putting their pasts into perspective, Gwendolyn learns she must face something bigger than she has ever encountered. Will Denny be able to face down his own ghosts and be by her side or should she ask him to after all of the blows he’s been dealt?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-five

  Donda has seen more than her fair share of tragedy. Between the assaults she suffered as a child, her eating disorder, and addictions, she feels like she’s the last person who should get a second chance.

  Jaxson has spent years trying to move past his own inner demons. His ex-wife was a junkie who let their young daughter die rather than miss a score. Though he has committed his career to saving lives, he can’t shake the feeling he should have done more back then. When the single mother and doctor finally meet, it seems like fate. A car accident turns a shared glance into a chance at happiness neither one expected or believes they deserve.

  Becoming a teenaged matchmaker extraordinaire, Donda’s son, Gabriel, is convinced the two are perfect for each other, but they aren’t so sure.

  Can the pair get past their troubled histories, self-doubt, and bad experiences to find love at last?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-six/

  Tasha Keely has just been offered the break of a lifetime —award-winning musician Aidan O’Brien has just offered her a spot in his band. It’s exactly what every aspiring rock star dreams of. Tasha has been in the limelight since she was old enough to hold the microphone and this should be enough to make her walk on clouds. So, why does she feel like her real dreams are even more unobtainable?

  Jude Hernandez is both drawn to and repulsed by the newest star of Aidan’s band. He spends all day breaking his back moving gear for the band and writing songs in hopes that one day he’ll get a chance to catch the ear of Aidan O’Brien. What musician in their right mind would turn down the chance to live this dream?

  Can they find the right notes between them to find a mutual love of music and each other and what happens if someone else threatens their dreams?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-seven/

  As a former motocross competitor and X Games television commentator, Cristiano Romero knows a little bit about competition and drama, but he hadn't ever seen anything like he did the day he went to buy a suit for a charity event. Although he encountered Jordan on what might've been the worst day of her life, he was impressed by her ability to hold it together under fire.

  When Jordan Shepherd was hired by an up-and-coming designer in New York, she thought she was going to have a chance to make her mark as a fashion designer. An afternoon from hell made her dreams vanish and humiliated her in front of the most attractive man she'd seen in forever. To save her sanity, Jordan walked away from her career and returned home to face the music. Jordan is tired of everyone else deciding what her version of happily ever after should look like. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a good track record of finding happy endings either.

  With the future of his show on the line, Cristiano chooses the path not taken and gambles on Jordan Sheppard. He didn't count on Jordan sewing up a lot more than just his suit.

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-eight/

  Kendall Kordes is having a rotten day. First, an infant was abducted from a bathroom at a strip mall after his mother was assaulted. To complicate matters, her computer at Locate My Heart is under a ransomware attack. How can she help find a missing child when she can't even access the files on her computer? As if things couldn't get any worse, an information technology expert hired to make things better seems to hate her at first sight.

  Jameson Payne knows computers inside and out. Unfortunately, when his little brother went missing, he also learned all about agencies like Locate My Heart. Con artists nearly destroyed his parents. He has no interest in helping Kendall, but as an employee of Identity Bank, he does what he's told -- even if it makes him uncomfortable.

  After Kendall hears about Jameson's brother, she is determined to show him that not every organization is corrupt. Can Kendall help Jameson find his brother and recover from her own heartbreak?

  Along the way, Jameson and Kendall discover a heart wish is a compelling thing.

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-beauty-nine/

  After Marcus Brolen’s best friend, Rogue Bentancourt, swears that guys aren’t interested in trying to keep up with her busy schedule as an apprentice in his tattoo shop and art student with some modeling and waitressing thrown in on the side to make ends meet, he signs her up for an online dating service called BrainsRSexy.com.

  After all, it won’t be all that weird…right? He’ll be there to play her wingman as always. Even though he and Rogue have never had chemistry, she deserves the absolute best and he’s going to help her find her perfect guy.

  When Computer Security Expert Tristan Macklin is hired by Ivy Love Montclair, to figure out what’s happening to her dating profile, he quickly concludes that the problem goes much deeper than a simple computer glitch and has become an issue of the Identity of the Heart.

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-hearts-one/

  For most of her life, Jessica Walker has felt like a bit of a stray no one wants. It’s no surprise that when she finds an injured dog she feels compelled to intervene. When she whimsically names the dog Hope, she has no idea how prophetic her decision will turn out to be.

  When Mitch Campbell encounters Jessica and Hope, he jumps to all the wrong conclusions. Can he put his judgments aside and deal with his past and make a new future for all of them and will they find shelter in each other’s hearts?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-hearts-two/

  All her life, Jade Petros, has been known as the wild, edgy artist, who no one could rein in, but her brother Onyx knew a side of her few others ever saw. After her brother committed suicide, Jade felt as if the hole in her heart would never heal.

  She has allowed family friend, Declan Ailín a glimpse of her dreams, but will he allow his feelings for her to color his judgment and create a barrier between them? Can Declan settle his own issues with his past and become her biggest supporter or will he stand in the way of her dreams? Will the two of them together find the true Hearts of Jade?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-hearts-three/

  Shelby Lyons was thrilled to be starting her career as a teacher and impulsively stopped into her favorite shop to get a tattoo to mark the occasion. Little did she know that the decision would change her life.

  Getting a tattoo is not something attorney Mark Littleson had ever considered, but after he discovered artwork from his late brother, it seemed like a perfect tribute. Mark is busy raising his daughter and he knows better than to be drawn to the ethereal blonde woman with the soothing laugh. Yet when he finds her withdrawn and crying, he can’t help but be drawn in.

  Will he discover that love is more than skin deep?

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-hearts-four/

  Savannah Lyons has her secrets. She buried them in the past long ago, and she’d like to leave them there. She never talks about her past with anyone—especially wickedly handsome restaurant owners like the guy next door.

  Casey Moore has met women with moves and insti
ncts like hers before but not since he was a teenage runaway. He lost his best friend to the streets, and for once, he hopes his razor-sharp intuition is dead wrong, because there’s just something about Savannah that turns him from a tough guy to a tender heart.

  Authors note: This book contains descriptive memories of sexual abuse. It may be disturbing to some.

  http://marycrawfordauthor.com/books/hidden-hearts-five/

  Once upon a time, Tayanita Moya had what should have been a perfect life. She had a handsome, ambitious husband who was like her best friend, and an adorable daughter. Things should have been perfect — but they weren’t. So, she walked away.

  Now, her teenage daughter wants her to be part of that life again. Tayanita isn’t so sure she can be strong enough to watch another woman live the life she should have had. In a moment of desperation, she reaches out to an unsuspecting, sexy, anonymous voice on the phone one night and unloads her whole dreadful secret life.

  John Ashford looks forward to his nightly call from his secret, sexy siren. He hears hundreds of voices on the phone every day, but few sound as broken and haunted as his secret caller. Since being injured in the line of duty, Lieutenant Commander Ashford has a few secrets of his own.