Tara Quinn - The Holiday Visitor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Title Page The Holiday Visitor Tara Taylor Quinn www.millsandboon.co.uk

About The Author With more than forty-five original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA TODAY bestselling author with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels. Ms Quinn is a three-time finalist for the RWA RITA ® Award, a multiple finalist for the National Reader’s Choice Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award and the Holt Medallion, and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestseller list. Ms Quinn recently married her college sweetheart and the couple currently lives in Ohio with their two very demanding and spoiled bosses: four-pound Taylor Marie and fifteen-pound rescue dog/ cockapoo, Jerry. When she’s not writing or fulfilling speaking engagements, Ms Quinn loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little smalltown antique shops all across the country.

Dedication For Chelsea Barney - a beautiful young woman who is a new addition to my family and who is very, very welcome here.

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

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Copyright

With more than forty-five original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinnis a USA TODAY bestselling author with over six million copies sold. She is known for delivering deeply emotional and psychologically astute novels. Ms Quinn is a three-time finalist for the RWA RITA ®Award, a multiple finalist for the National Reader’s Choice Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award and the Holt Medallion, and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestseller list. Ms Quinn recently married her college sweetheart and the couple currently lives in Ohio with their two very demanding and spoiled bosses: four-pound Taylor Marie and fifteen-pound rescue dog/ cockapoo, Jerry. When she’s not writing or fulfilling speaking engagements, Ms Quinn loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little smalltown antique shops all across the country.

For Chelsea Barney - a beautiful young woman who is a new addition to my family and who is very, very welcome here.

Friday, September 4, 1992

Dear James Winston Malone,

They gave me your name as someone who wanted to write to someone else who had a parent that was a rape victim. My name is Marybeth Lawson. I am twelve years old. My mother was raped and killed last March. I just started eighth grade this year. If you want, we can write.

Sincerely,

Marybeth Lawson

Tuesday, September 8, 1992

Dear Marybeth Lawson,

I just turned thirteen last week. When will you be thirteen? I am in eighth grade, too. Writing’s cool if that’s what you want. Later,

James Malone

Saturday, September 12, 1992

Dear James,

I only want to write if you do. But if you do, I do, too.

Sincerely,

Marybeth Lawson

P.S. I turn thirteen in January. I’m the youngest in my class because I started kindergarten early.

Tuesday, September 15, 1992

Dear Marybeth,

Okay, yeah, I want to. What classes are you taking? I have shop. I like it. I make things out of metal. Right now I’m working on a shelf for the bathroom wall for my mom’s birthday. There’s no medicine cabinet in there. We just moved and the place isn’t all that great. I have art, too, and that’s cool. English and the rest of that stuff I’m not so good at. I get okay grades, I just don’t like ‘em. Like who’s ever going to need to know that that Shakespeare dude wrote about some guy who killed a king to be king and then had his wife commit suicide and then was beheaded? What kind of crap is that?

Sorry. You probably like that stuff.

Later,

James

Friday, September 18, 1992

Dear James,

I can’t believe you’re reading Shakespeare, too! In our school it’s only the advanced classes who get it in eighth grade. I didn’t much like Macbeth, either, but I loved Romeo and Juliet . They were almost our age. Not that that means anything. I wouldn’t be in love if they paid me a million dollars. I just liked that they were such good friends that they would die for each other. Someday I want to have a friend like that. (I can tell you that because you’re just a piece of paper in another city and I’ll never have to meet you or anything. That’s what they said in counseling.) You’re in counseling, too, right? So your mom lived? You’re very lucky.

Write back soon,

Marybeth Lawson

Thursday, September 24, 1992

Marybeth,

Yeah, I’m in counseling just like you, but I don’t like it much. And yes, my mom is alive. It’s just me and her. I have to watch out for her, ‘cause I’m all she’s got. But, in case you’re wondering, I’m pretty good at watching out so if you ever need to say something, go ahead. I won’t make nothing of it. I could kinda be your good friend from far away, if you want. If you think that’s corny then just forget I said it. I’m sorry your mom died.

Write back if you want,

James

Saturday, September 26, 1992.

Dear James,

I just got your letter. It’s been over a week and I thought you weren’t going to write back. I don’t think what you said is corny at all. Why don’t you like counseling? I think it’s okay, it just doesn’t seem to change anything. They say talking makes it better, but it doesn’t. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to forget it. My dad quit already. He didn’t like it, either. But he won’t let me quit, yet. He’s a great guy. I love him a lot. He can’t help that he’s so quiet and sad all the time now. I’m all he’s got, too, and I try my best to take care of him. I’ve learned to cook some stuff pretty good, and I already knew how to clean. I ruined some of his white shirts in the wash but he didn’t yell or anything. He just told me not to cry and went out and got more. He was always good that way. In the olden days he would’ve given me a hug, but we don’t do that around here anymore. Does your mom? Sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.

School’s okay. I was in cheerleading last year but dropped out this year. I’m doing gymnastics, though. I got my back handspring. I used to be too chicken, but I’m not any more. My coach says that I could probably compete in high school if I want to. I don’t know if I want to. My dad wouldn’t have the time to come see meets any way.

I like English. And math. Home ec is dumb. I already do all that stuff. But it’s a required class to pass eighth grade so my dad said to just try to find something to like about it. I tried, but so far, nothing.

My dad’s a manager of a company that makes computer parts. He golfs a lot. What does your mom do?