A Season for Goodbye Read online

  “Is it a real diamond?” Dullas’s eyes grew round.

  “It’s from the crown of a fairy princess,” Chelsea said. “Guard it.”

  Dullas glanced from face to face, as if they were playing some elaborate trick and might start laughing. When they didn’t laugh, she asked, “You’re serious? You want me to take care of a real diamond?”

  “That’s right. We’re entrusting it to you for safekeeping.”

  “Until when?”

  Lacey offered a smile. “Until you find somebody you want to entrust it to.”

  “But who?”

  “You’ll know when you meet her,” Katie said. “Just like we did.”

  “What if I get sick again?”

  “You’ll know what to do with it when the time comes,” Lacey assured her.

  For the first time in days, Dullas dropped her guard. She nodded, clutched the diamond stud tightly, and solemnly hugged each girl, first Chelsea, then Katie, and finally Lacey. “Will you write me at Kimbra’s?” she asked.

  “We’ll write,” Lacey said.

  One of the horses whinnied impatiently. “We’d better go,” Chelsea said. “I sure don’t want that animal angry with me because he missed lunch.”

  They laughed together, then arm in arm walked to their horses and rode the trail down to all that remained of Jenny House.

  Dear Reader,

  For those of you who have been longtime readers, I hope you have enjoyed this One Last Wish volume. For those of you discovering One Last Wish for the first time, I hope you will want to read the other books that are listed in detail in the next few pages. From Lacey to Katie to Morgan and the rest, you’ll discover the lives of the characters I hope you’ve come to care about just as I have.

  Since the series began, I have received numerous letters from teens wishing to volunteer at Jenny House. That is not possible because Jenny House exists only in my imagination, but there are many fine organizations and camps for sick kids that would welcome volunteers. If you are interested in becoming such a volunteer, contact your local hospitals about their volunteer programs or try calling service organizations in your area to find out how you can help. Your own school might have a list of community service programs.

  Extending yourself is one of the best ways of expanding your world … and of enlarging your heart. Turning good intentions into actions is consistently one of the most rewarding experiences in life. My wish is that the ideals of Jenny House will be carried on by you, my reader. I hope that now that we share the Jenny House attitude, you will believe as I do that the end is often only the beginning.

  Thank you for caring

  YOU’LL WANT TO READ ALL THE ONE LAST WISH BOOKS BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  Let Him Live

  Someone Dies, Someone Lives

  Mother, Help Me Live

  A Time to Die

  Sixteen and Dying

  Mourning Song

  The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True

  Please Don’t Die

  She Died Too Young

  All the Days of Her Life

  A Season for Goodbye

  Reach for Tomorrow

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MEGAN, BE SURE TO READ

  ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS 0-553-56067-0

  Excerpt from Let Him Live by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Being a candy striper isn’t Megan Charnell’s idea of an exciting summer, but she volunteered and can’t get out of it. Megan has her own problems to deal with. Still, when she meets Donovan Jacoby, she find herself getting involved in his life.

  Donovan shares with Megan his secret: An anonymous benefactor has granted him one last wish, and he needs Megan’s help. The money can’t buy a compatible transplant, but it can allow Donovan to give his mother and little brother something he feels he owes them. Can Megan help make his dream come true?

  “When I first got sick in high school, kids were pretty sympathetic, but the sicker I got and the more school I missed, the harder it was to keep up with the old crowd,” Donovan explained. “Some of them tried to understand what I was going through, but unless you’ve been really sick …”He didn’t finish the sentence.

  “I’ve never been sick,” Meg said, “but I really do know what you’re talking about.”

  He tipped his head and looked into her eyes. “I believe you do.”

  I YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KATIE AND JOSH, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from Someone Dies, Someone Lives by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Katie O’Roark feels miserable, though she knows she’s incredibly lucky to have received an anonymous gift of money. The money can’t buy the new heart she needs or bring back her days as a track star.

  A donor is found with a compatible heart, and Katie undergoes transplant surgery. While recuperating, she meets Josh Martel and senses an immediate connection. When Katie decides to start training to realize her dream of running again, Josh helps her meet the difficult challenge.

  Will Katie find the strength physically and emotionally to live and become a winner again?

  From the corner of her eye, Katie saw a boy with red hair who was about her age. He stood near the doorway, looking nervous. With a start, she realized he was watching her because he kept averting his gaze when she glanced his way. Odd, Kane told herself. Katie had a nagging sense she couldn’t place him. As nonchalantly as possible, she rolled her wheelchair closer, picking up a magazine as she passed a table.

  She flipped through the magazine, pretending to be interested, all the while glancing discreetly toward the boy. Even though he also picked up a magazine, Katie could tell that he was preoccupied with studying her. Suddenly, she grew self-conscious. Was something wrong with the way she looked? She’d thought she looked better than she had in months when she’d left her hospital room that afternoon. Why was he watching her?

  Katie is also featured in the novels Please Don’t Die, She Died Too Young, and A Season for Goodbye.

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SARAH, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from Mother, Help Me Live by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Sarah McGreggor is distraught when she learns she will need a bone marrow transplant to live. And she is shocked to find out that her parents and siblings can’t be donors because they aren’t her blood relatives. Sarah never knew she was adopted.

  As Sarah faces this devastating news, she is granted one last wish by an anonymous benefactor. With hope in her heart, she begins a search for her birth mother, who gave her up fifteen years ago. Sarah’s life depends on her finding this woman. But what will Sarah discover about the true meaning of family?

  Didn’t the letter from JWC say she could spend it on anything she wanted? What could be more important than finding her birth mother? What could be more important than discovering if she had sibling? with compatible bone marrow? Her very life could depend on finding these people. Sarah practically jumped up from the sofa. “I’ve got to go,” she said.

  If YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ERIC, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from A Time to Die by Lurlenc McDanicl Copyright © 1992 by Lurlenc McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Sixteen-year-old Kara Fischer has never considered herself lucky. She doesn’t understand
why she was born with cystic fibrosis. Despite her daily treatments, each day poses the threat of a lung infection that could put her in the hospital for weeks. But her close friendship with her fellow CF patient Vince and the new feelings she is quickly developing for Eric give her the hope to live one day at a time.

  When an anonymous benefactor promises to grant a single wish with no strings attached, Kara finds a way to let the people who have loved and supported her throughout her illness know how much they mean to her. But will there be time for Kara to see her dying wish fulfilled?

  “What am I going to do about you, Kara?”

  Eric’s tone was subdued and so sincere that his question caught her by surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t stay away from you.”

  “You seem to be doing a fine job of it, “she said quietly, but without malice.

  “I know it seems that way, but you don’t know how hard it’s been.”

  She was skeptical. “We just danced together, but after tonight, how will it be between us? Will you still ignore me in the halls? Will you duck into the nearest open door whenever you see me coming?”

  He turned his head and she saw his jaw clench. She thought he might walk away, but instead he asked, “What’s between you and Vince?”

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MORGAN, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from Sixteen and Dying by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  It’s hard for Anne Wingate and her father to accept the doctors’ diagnosis: Anne is HIV-positive. Seven years ago, before blood screening was required, Anne received a transfusion. It saved her life then, but now the harsh reality can’t be changed—the blood was tainted. Anne must deal with the inevitable progression of her condition.

  When an anonymous benefactor promises to grant Anne a single wish with no strings attached, she decides to spend the summer on a ranch out west. She wants to live as normally as she possibly can. The summer seems even better than she dreamed, especially after she meets Morgan. Anne doesn’t confide in Morgan about her condition and doesn’t plan to. Then her health begins to deteriorate and she returns home. Is there time for Anne and Morgan to meet again?

  Fearfully, Anne stared at her bleeding hand.

  Morgan reached beneath her, lifted her, and placed her safely away from the hay and its invisible weapon. “Let me see how bad you re cut.”

  “Its nothing,” Anne said, keeping her hand close to her body. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine. You’re bleeding. You may need stitches. Let me wipe it off and examine it.”

  Her eyes widened, reminding him of a deer trapped in headlights. “No! Don’t touch it!”

  “But—”

  “Please—you don’t understand. I—I can’t explain. Just don’t touch it.” Wild-eyed, panicked, she spun, and clutching her hand to her side, she bolted from the barn.

  Dumbfounded, Morgan watched her run back toward the cabin.

  YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ

  ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS 0-553-29810-0

  Excerpt from Mourning Song by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1992 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  It’s been months since Dani Vanoy’s older sister, Cassie, was diagnosed as having a brain tumor. And now the treatments aren’t helping. Dani is furious that she is powerless to help her sister. She can’t even convince their mother to take the girls on the trip to Florida Cassie has always longed for.

  Then Cassie receives an anonymous letter offering her a single wish. Dani knows she can never make Cassie well, but she is determined to see Cassie’s dream come true, with or without their mother’s approval.

  Dani had rehearsed the speech so many times that even she was beginning to believe it. “It’s as if you’re supposed to do this. While we don’t know who gave you the money for a wish, I think you should use it to get something you’ve always wanted. Listen, even a trillion doüars cant make you well, but the money you’ve gotten can help you have some fun. I say let’s go for it! You deserve to see the ocean, whether Mom agrees or not. I’m going to help you make your wish come true.”

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT RICHARD HOLLOWAY AND JENNY CRAWFORD, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Who is JWC, and how was the One Last Wish Foundation created? Follow JWC’s struggle for survival against impossible odds and the intertwining stories of love and friendship that developed into a legacy of giving. And discover the power that one individual’s determination can have, in this extraordinary novel of hope.

  “I had my physician call the ER doctor and afterward, when we discussed their conversation, he suggested that I get her to a specialist as quickly as possible.”

  “A specialist at Boston Children’s,” Richard said with a nod. “What kind of specialist?”

  “A pediatric oncologist.”

  Before Richard could say another word, Jenny’s grandmother spoke. “A cancer specialist,” Marian said, her voice catching. “They believe Jenny has leukemia.”

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KATIE, CHELSEA, AND LACEY, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from Please Don’t Die by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1993 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  When Katie O’Roark receives an invitation from the One Last Wish Foundation to spend the summer at Jenny House, she eagerly says yes. Katie is ever grateful to JWC, the unknown person who gave her the gift that allowed her to receive a heart transplant. Now Katie is asked to be a “big sister” to others who, like her, face daunting medical problems: Amanda, a thirteen-year-old victim of leukemia; Chelsea, a fourteen-year-old candidate for a heart transplant; and Lacey, a sixteen-year-old diabetic who refuses to deal with her condition. As the summer progresses, the girls form close bonds and enjoy the chance to act “just like healthy kids.” But when a crisis jeopardizes one girl’s chance of fulfilling her dreams, they discover true friendship and its power to endure beyond this life.

  “Me, too. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Katie. Whenever I think about last summer, about how you were so close to dying …”

  She didn’t allow him to complete his sentence. “Every day is new, every morning, Josh. I’m glad I got a second chance at life. And after meeting the people here at Jenny House, after making friends with Amanda, Chelsea, and even Lacey, I want all of us to live forever.”

  He grinned. “Forevers a long time.”

  She returned his smile. “All right, then at least until were all old and wrinkled.”

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KATIE AND CHELSEA, BE SURE TO READ

  ON SALE NOW FROM BANTAM BOOKS 0-553-56263-0

  Excerpt from She Died Too Young by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1994 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Chelsea James and Katie O’Roark met at Jenny House and spent a wonderful summer together.

  Now Chelsea and her mother are staying with Katie as Chelsea awaits news about a heart transplant. While waiting for a compatible donor, Chelsea meets Jillian, a kind, funny girl who’s waiting for a heart-lung transplant. The two girls become fast friends. When Chelsea meets Jillian’s
brother, he awakens feelings in her she’s never known before. But as her medical situation grows desperate, Chelsea finds herself in a contest for her life against her best friend. Is it fair that there’s a chance for only one of them to survive?

  “Don’t you see? There’s one donor coming in. Only one. Who will the doctors save? Who will get the transplant?”

  For a moment Josh stared blankly as her question sank in. “Katie, you dont know for sure there’s only one donor.”

  “Yes, I do. Theres only one. One heart. Two lungs. The doctor said the donor’s family had given permission for all her organs to be donated.” Katie’s voice had risen with the tide of panic rising in her. “There’s two people in need and only one heart.”

  Katie and Chelsea are also featured in the novels Please Don’t Die and A Season for Goodbye.

  IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT LACEY, BE SURE TO READ

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  Excerpt from All the Days of Her Life by Lurlene McDaniel Copyright © 1994 by Lurlene McDaniel

  Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved

  Out of control-that’s how Lacey Duval feels in almost every aspect of her life. There’s nothing she can do about her parents’ divorce, there’s nothing she can do about the death of her young friend, there’s nothing she can do about having diabetes—that’s what Lacey believes.