Devoted to Drew

Devoted to Drew
Loree Lough

They were worlds apart, connected by a boy…Why would a football star like Logan Murray pay attention to her? Bianca Wright was a far cry from the beautiful women she'd seen him with in the tabloids. He was just being kind. Or even worse–felt sorry for her. He knew she was a widow with an autistic son. That had to be too much baggage for any man, and Bianca wouldn't accept anything but the best for her child. But if Logan could use his connections to match her son Drew with a therapy dog, she’d swallow her pride and accept his help. And his visit to their home. Anything for Drew.And yet, after fifteen minutes with Drew, Logan seemed to “get it" better than Drew’s own father ever did. Had Bianca misjudged him? Maybe he had hidden depths. She would've liked to find out, but that was a risk she just wouldn't take…not when her precious boy was involved.A Child to Love

“Mom. What’s that TV guy doing here?”

Bianca pulled the boy into a sideways hug, attempting to finger-comb his sleep-tousled hair. A loving, motherly gesture, but her furrowed brow made it clear that the kid’s sudden appearance had caught her off guard.

So he answered for her. “I’m Logan Murray, and I just dropped by to thank your mom for helping me at the station the other day.”

“Logan Murray, Logan Murray. From the commercial about tires. And the bank with the big green M.” The boy held up a forefinger. “And Dogs for Kids, where they match kids like me with helper dogs.”

Kids like him. So Drew was aware that his brain functioned differently from other kids’.

Drew quoted the commercial almost verbatim, explaining how the agency spent many months training dogs to open doors and pick up dropped items for kids in wheelchairs, act as the eyes and ears of children who couldn’t see or hear … “and keep autistic kids from wandering off or engaging in dangerous activities.”

Bianca shrugged one shoulder. “He only needs to hear a thing once, and he can recite it word for word.”

“Took me four takes to get it right,” Logan said. “And I was reading from a teleprompter.”

Bianca hugged Drew tighter and sent Logan a silent message with her eyes: Thank you.

Dear Reader,

As you may know, autism affects one child in 88 (one in 54 are boys…including my ten-year-old grandson), and it’s the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S., Canada and Europe today. There is no known cause or cure, and studies conclude that more children will be diagnosed with the disorder than cancer, diabetes and AIDs combined, at an average annual cost per family of $60,000…yet autism receives less than five percent of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.

According to a recent article in Psychology Today, more than 50 percent of parents surveyed believed autism was a contributing factor in their divorce. More often than not, it’s the mom who continues to care for her autistic child and, in most cases, other children, as well.

With statistics like that affecting literally thousands of children—and their families—around the world, I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s possible for the single mom of an autistic child to ever find love again.

In Devoted to Drew, I attempted to show a realistic—sometimes stressful, and always challenging—picture of the life of such a mom. If you enjoy the story, I hope you’ll be moved to find ways to help an Autism Society in your area.

Until then, here’s to happy endings!

All my best to you and yours,

Loree

Devoted to Drew

~ A Child to Love ~

Loree Lough

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

LOREE LOUGH

With more than four million books in circulation, bestselling author Loree Lough’s titles have earned hundreds of 4- and 5-star reviews and industry awards. She splits her time between her home in Baltimore and a cabin in the Alleghenies, where she loves to show off her “Identify the Animal Tracks” skills. Loree has 100 books in print, including reader-favorite series such as the First Responders, Lone Star Legends, Accidental, Suddenly and Turning Points. She loves to hear from readers and answers every letter, personally. Visit her at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and www.loreelough.com!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my daughter, the best mom any on-the-spectrum kid could possibly have, and to all the kids and families struggling to find their path to normal.

Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks to B.J. Surhoff, who during his 18-year baseball career, played every position except pitcher, earning just about every award a major leaguer can win. After retiring from the Orioles, he and wife Polly cofounded Pathfinders for Autism. Now a special training assistant for the team, he agreed to a “walk-on” part in this story, so that he could explain what Pathfinders is, and what it does. Thanks, too, to Shelly McLaughlin at Pathfinders, for some great “what it’s like to parent a kid on the spectrum” information (www.pathfindersforautism.org/).

To Rosemary and Burton from National Capitol Therapy Dogs (www.nctdinc.org/new/index.php), to Karen with 4Paws for Ability (4pawsforability.org/), and to Kati and Lauren with Autism Service Dogs of America (autismservicedogsofamerica.com/) for invaluable input that allowed me to provide accurate info about service and therapy dogs.

Thanks to the National Autism Society (www.autism-society.org/) and Judy at the Howard County Autism Society (www.howard-autism.org/). To Kelly Case and Kelly Higgins-Lund, for sharing personal experiences with their own on-the-spectrum sons. And last, but certainly not least, a hearty thank-you to Marty Bass, weatherman at Baltimore’s WJZ-TV (baltimore.cbslocal.com/personality/marty-bass/), for insights that helped me write the opening scene. (A rabid Ravens fan and stellar newsman, he knows a few team secrets!)

You’re all amazing, and I couldn’t have written this novel without you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Contents

CHAPTER ONE (#u324e5b93-9a32-5e91-be35-1db498250b78)

CHAPTER TWO (#uf2cb9211-b5b2-5880-83d6-c69ed33f572d)

CHAPTER THREE (#u383f1526-e177-58c2-a990-5f95eee5aaee)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u2985e433-2ff0-5a97-968c-5fd27156ad32)

CHAPTER FIVE (#u27e7af8c-45d6-5523-a98e-2e54ad32c4e5)

CHAPTER SIX (#u35721685-1563-5eb9-b3d3-99e8b0940b5f)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#ua30d69ff-2a2b-5c9f-9e2f-d3d817d2e8e6)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)