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  More Than Words: Stories of the Heart

  Three bestselling authors

  Three real-life heroines

  Even as you read these words, there are women just like you stepping up and making a difference in their communities, making our world a better place to live. Three such exceptional women have been selected as recipients of Harlequin’s More Than Words award. To celebrate their accomplishments, three bestselling authors have written short stories inspired by these real-life heroines.

  Debbie Macomber touches the heart in What Amanda Wants—a young woman’s story of strength and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

  Brenda Novak’s Small Packages shows us how the love of a very special baby boy helps two people get past their pain and embrace a hopeful future…together.

  Meryl Sawyer explores the importance of creating balance in our lives, stopping to smell the roses and making time to chase our dreams in Worth the Risk.

  Dear Reader,

  For many years Harlequin has been a leader in supporting and promoting causes that are of concern to women, and celebrating ordinary women who make extraordinary differences in the lives of others. The Harlequin More Than Words program honors three women each year for their compassionate dedication to those who need it most, and donates $15,000 to each of their chosen causes.

  Within these pages, you will find stories written by Debbie Macomber, Brenda Novak and Meryl Sawyer. These stories are beautiful tributes to the Harlequin More Than Words award recipients who inspired them, and we hope they will touch your heart and inspire the real-life heroine in you.

  Thank you for your support. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be reinvested into the Harlequin More Than Words program so we can support more causes of concern to women. And you can help even more by learning about and getting involved with the charities highlighted by Harlequin More Than Words, or even nominating a real-life heroine in your life for a future award. Together we can make a difference!

  Sincerely,

  Donna Hayes

  Publisher and CEO

  Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.

  Debbie Macomber

  Brenda Novak

  Meryl Sawyer

  More Than Words:

  Stories of the Heart

  Contents

  What Amanda Wants

  Teens Living With Cancer

  Debbie Macomber

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Small Packages

  Memory Box Artist Program

  Brenda Novak

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Worth the Risk

  Recipe for Success Foundation

  Meryl Sawyer

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  What Amanda Wants

  Debbie Macomber

  TEENS LIVING WITH CANCER

  Lauren Spiker

  Lauren Spiker’s daughter Melissa was a typical high school senior, preparing for her prom and graduation, excited about attending university to study nursing. And then Melissa was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow cancer. In June 2000, after two courageous years, Melissa lost her battle with the disease. She was nineteen years old. But before Melissa died, she asked a promise of her mother. “If you have learned anything from me through all of this, do something with it to make a difference—to make things better.”

  Lauren kept her promise, establishing Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping teens with cancer meet their life challenges in productive, creative and satisfying ways. Committed to upholding and fostering the basic values of honesty, compassion, self-determination, courage and perseverance, Melissa’s Living Legacy’s mission is to provide resources and support that enhance the quality of life for teens with cancer throughout each stage of their disease, from diagnosis through treatment and remission and, if necessary, when facing death.

  Motivated by the special needs of teens

  Nearly 15,000 teens are in active treatment for cancer each year and the challenges confronting all teens are magnified in those with this disease. Teens with cancer face physical changes and/or disfigurement at a time when appearance is a paramount concern, loss of peer groups and acceptance when inclusion is a primary need, and reproductive challenges and sexual dilemmas at a time of emerging sexuality. They also must deal with unwanted dependence at a time of newfound independence and a loss of control when new boundaries are just being tested.

  Though Melissa received excellent medical care, Lauren was struck by the limited focus on the unique issues faced by teens with cancer, as well as the absence of helpful resources. Information in books and on the internet was either filled with complicated medical jargon or too simplified and geared toward children. To combat this problem, in September 2002, the foundation launched the Teens Living with Cancer website (www.teenslivingwithcancer. org) in order to bridge this gap. Providing online resources to support teens, their families and friends, as well as ways to connect with others, the TLC site is now the most comprehensive web-based resource available for teens with cancer.

  The website provides information about the various forms of adolescent cancer and describes treatments and their effects on the body in “teen-friendly” terms and based on the real-life experiences of teens with cancer. Teens Living with Cancer is also an online community offering a forum for teens struggling with the disease to meet online and share their experiences. It’s an opportunity to connect, interact and encourage each other, bridging emotional gaps with an understanding the teens can’t truly get from people who aren’t living with cancer.

  The website offers information and advice that is medically sound and nonjudgmental—answering important questions that teens may be hesitant to ask their parents or medical team. The goal is to empower young people to make the best decisions for themselves, both physically and emotionally. Teens want to have a voice in what happens with their care, but often feel they have no spokesperson. Teens Living with Cancer encourages them to be their own advocate.

  Support for families and friends

/>   Teens Living with Cancer also addresses issues relevant to the families and friends of teens living with the disease, providing information, as well as stories, from family members and friends of teenage cancer patients. So often, friends and loved ones want to be helpful but they aren’t sure what to say or do. Through Teens Living with Cancer, family and friends find ways to provide help and understanding—even if they can’t take away a friend or relative’s suffering.

  The Teens Living with Cancer website connects groups and individuals with ways to volunteer and participate in fundraising for the cause. Lauren especially encourages healthy teens who want to help others and works with groups of young people on fundraisers, giving them the chance to feel they are doing something concrete and productive to help their peers who are living with cancer. Lauren has recruited people in all walks of life to use their individual talents—from music to juggling to gardening—to come up with imaginative ways to participate.

  Lauren also works closely with the medical community to involve them in new projects and help raise money for endeavors that will benefit hundreds of teens with cancer. Doctors and nurses are not immune from human emotions when treating teens with this disease. Each day, they face their teen patients with a warm smile on their faces and deep pain in their hearts. Lauren says that words cannot adequately express her gratitude for their efforts.

  A commitment…for life

  In addition to having a full-time job running her management training company, Lauren continues to devote countless hours as executive director of Melissa’s Living Legacy, helping the foundation reach its goals. These include creating local peer support networks, where teens have access to age-appropriate programs and services, and the development of innovative, educational resources for health-care professionals.

  With three grown sons, two stepdaughters and five grandchildren, Lauren tirelessly balances family and work with traveling on the foundation’s behalf, speaking at conferences as an advocate for teens with cancer and heading charitable events that raise funds and awareness for the cause. The subject matter is an emotional one, and some of her speaking engagements are difficult, but Lauren never shrinks from the opportunity to help others dealing with cancer. She is committed to motivating teens with cancer to live life to the fullest, just as her daughter Melissa did—to have a sense of their own ability to influence their situations and lead meaningful, productive lives.

  Lauren Spiker continues to be inspired by her daughter Melissa’s extraordinary zest for life and by the promise Lauren made to her daughter—to make things better for teens with cancer. Today, Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation is helping to support and celebrate the courageous journeys of thousands of other teenagers—just like Melissa.

  DEBBIE MACOMBER

  is a number one New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. Among her recent books are 1225 Christmas Tree Lane, 1105 Yakima Street, A Turn in the Road, Hannah’s List and Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook. The story in this volume, What Amanda Wants, is connected to her popular Blossom Street books, which include The Shop on Blossom Street, A Good Yarn and Twenty Wishes among others. Debbie Macomber has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide and her work has appeared on every major bestseller list, including those of the New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. She is a multiple award winner, and won the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance. Two of her MIRA Books Christmas titles have been made into Hallmark Channel Original Movies. There are more than 100 million copies of her books in print. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit her website, www.debbiemacomber.com.

  Chapter One

  Amanda knew. She knew even before Dr. Fleishman stepped into the room with her chart in his hand. Before he spoke the words that would forever change her life. She knew.

  The cancer was back.

  She’d always realized that it might return, but she’d been cancer-free for almost eight years. An intellectual understanding of something wasn’t the same as an emotional acceptance. Perhaps she’d grown complacent, convinced that after all this time she was cured. As a childhood-cancer survivor, perhaps she’d come to believe she was invincible.

  The silence that followed his announcement reminded her of the eerie lack of sound before a storm. Before the thunder and lightning and torrential rain.

  “Amanda,” Dr. Fleishman said, breaking into her thoughts.

  He wanted her attention, but she couldn’t give it to him. Instead, she continued to stare at the floor. She didn’t look up. She couldn’t. Not just then. It would take a few minutes for the news to settle, a few minutes before she could face him.

  It was the same with her mother. Joan Jennings sat in the chair next to Amanda’s and it seemed as if all the life had drained out of her. Suddenly, after that long, awkward silence, Amanda’s mother started to weep.

  “I’m so sorry,” Dr. Fleishman said softly.

  Amanda nodded. Needing to hold on to something, she reached for her mother’s hand. “It’ll be all right, Mom,” she whispered. She didn’t know where that encouragement came from because she didn’t feel it. Her entire world was about to implode.

  “I guess this means I won’t be cheerleading at the pep rally, doesn’t it?” She tried hard to make a joke of it. She failed miserably; she didn’t even sound like herself.

  “Not this year,” Dr. Fleishman murmured in reply.

  She honestly hadn’t expected an answer. He seemed so calm about it, but why shouldn’t he be? It wasn’t his life that was taking a nosedive. Anyway, the cheerleading thing was minor. More importantly, the Junior/Senior Prom was in May. By then her hair would’ve fallen out and Lance… She couldn’t do that to him, couldn’t embarrass him that way. The dress she loved, and had saved countless months for, would languish in her closet. Maybe she could be buried in it. Funny, the idea of dying didn’t immediately upset her. She noticed then that her mother and Dr. Fleishman were carrying on a conversation.

  Amanda sat there, half listening while they exchanged questions and answers. When he saw that he finally had Amanda’s attention, Dr. Fleishman outlined a treatment schedule.

  Amanda tried to take it all in but she couldn’t. By the time they left the office, her mother had stopped crying. She clutched a wet tissue in her hand, and Amanda was afraid she’d dissolve into heart-wrenching sobs once again. Maybe in public.

  “I don’t want anyone to know,” Amanda insisted as they walked toward the parking complex.

  “We’re going to do whatever it takes,” her mother said with a grim set to her mouth. “I don’t care what it costs. I don’t care how much the insurance company fights us—I’ll fight harder.”

  Her mother hadn’t even heard her.

  “You weren’t listening to me,” Amanda said. All her mother could think about was the money and how much these treatments were going to cost and struggling with the insurance company. Amanda wanted an iPod and her mother had claimed it wasn’t in the budget. But chemo, radiation, a bone-marrow transplant would cost a whole lot more.

  “What did you say?” her mother asked.

  “When?”

  “You said I wasn’t listening. Tell me what you said.”

  “Annie,” she whispered. “I’ll tell Annie.” Annie was one of her best friends, and Amanda wouldn’t be able to keep this news from her. Besides, when she didn’t show up for the pep rally rehearsal, Annie would know something was wrong. So would Laurie, another of her good friends.

  “I bla
me this on that party job,” her mother said angrily.

  “What?” Amanda stared at her in shocked disbelief. She worked with Annie and her mother on their birthday party business. Almost every weekend, Bethanne organized a number of birthday parties for youngsters, and she paid both Annie and Amanda to help. At first Amanda had tagged along…just because. She soon discovered it was a lot of fun; she liked helping kids celebrate their birthdays in a creative way. Annie’s mother was really good at this. The money was a bonus, and Amanda had used it to save up for her prom dress.

  “Those kids exposed you to all their germs,” her mother snapped. “Those birthday parties are breeding grounds for—”

  “I didn’t get cancer at a birthday party.”

  Amanda could see it already. Her mother was going to smother her. In a misguided effort to protect her from harm, Joan would make everything worse. It’d been bad enough when Amanda was eight and nine. She couldn’t even imagine what her mother would be like now. Amanda figured she’d be lucky to step inside a movie theater again—the germs floating around in places like that. And if her mother had anything to say about it, she’d be banned from shopping, too. How ridiculous was that! Amanda sighed heavily. Even if she survived, she’d be doomed to her mother’s heavy-handed protection for the rest of her life.

  And that remark about the birthday parties! It was as though her mother would feel better if she had someone or something to blame. Amanda didn’t understand why. It wouldn’t make the cancer magically disappear. And it didn’t benefit anyone, except maybe her mom. That kind of thinking would drive Amanda crazy.

  Neither spoke on the ride home. The minute she got out of the car, Amanda went straight to her room and shut the door. Once inside the relative privacy of her bedroom, she placed headphones over her ears and immersed herself in music.

  Someone—obviously her mother—knocked loudly on her door, but Amanda ignored it. She didn’t know if Joan came in to check on her, because she kept her eyes closed.