Free Make A Wish (Dandelion #1) by Jenna Lynn Hodge Page A

from his friend.
    “I care about Beau more than I should despite what went down between us and as hard as it will be to tell him, I want him to know about our child.” I willed the tears away and replaced it with a fierce boldness. My shoulders held back and my head stood tall, despite what I was feeling inside. Just because I normally broke under pressure, it didn’t mean that at that moment I had to. And I wouldn’t.
    Jack didn’t respond but walked back inside the diner. I stood dumbfounded in the wake of his absence and never thought he’d just walk away. As I was turning to leave, he emerged from the diner doors and handed me a piece of paper, his chicken scratch writing scribbled across it.
    “This is Beau’s address. If I see him first, I’ll let him know you were looking for him. I promise I won’t tell him about your—err situation. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is get caught up in whatever is between you two. Good luck, Jules. See you Friday.”
    When would Jack stop catching me off guard? I didn’t dislike it but it was certainly strange.
    As I was walking to my car, a little fluffy ball caught the corner of my eye. Wedged in between the parking meter and a crack in the sidewalk sat the cutest and daintiest little dandelion. It amazed me that something so small and magical could find a way to grow with very little to no nature surrounding it, only the hustling and bustling of the city.
    I bent down, fingering the little fuzzy weed of a flower. Dandelions had always been my favorite flowers—though most people considered them weeds—ever since before I can remember, all thanks to my mother.
     
    “Mama, look!”
    I bent down in a field of tall straw-like grass. I picked the fuzzball from the ground and held it up to her in amazement. I’d never seen one before and it was so pretty.
    My mom stood tall and proud, looking down at me with her blond hair blowing in the breeze — her face nothing more than a blur in the sunlight.
    She bent beside me, placing her hand on my back, the other one gripping my hand that held the little flower.
    “What is this?” I asked her.
    “Jules, this is a dandelion. A dandelion is a small fluffy flower that has the magic to make any dream come true. After you close your eyes and make a wish, you blow gently on the little ball. The wind will carry the little pieces off into the world, planting seeds for your dream to become true.”
    “Can I make a wish? Can I make a wish?” I bounced on the tips of my toes, readying myself and trying with all my might to think of a wish worthy of all the magic that the little fuzzball held.
    “Of course, sweetie. Close your eyes.” I did as she instructed. “Think of your one wish. When you’re ready, blow as hard as you can, thinking only of that wish.”
    I closed my eyes tightly and blew.
     
    I climbed into my car, leaving the small dandelion alone. I could feel my heart beating faster with the memory of something that I hadn’t thought of in years.
    Los Angeles was a city full of people who’re chasing after their deepest desires, but just maybe, someone else would stumble across the magical flower and need it more than I did.
     
    ***
     
    I had been driving for awhile when my GPS led me onto a deserted dirt road. Just as I was about to turn around, I came upon a small reservation, hidden off in the middle of nowhere. Very private. The entire place looked like a community straight out of a Stepford Wives catalog mixed with that whole fairy tale vibe.
    There was only one road that led throughout the reserve and I noticed it wrapped around the entire community before leading back out the same road that I’d come in on. Brightly colored houses lined each side of the paved streets and roses, dandelions, and daisies of every color grew all around. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the magical nature of the place before me.
    I continued on until I finally reached the address that Jack had given