Millionaire Husband Read Online Free Page B

Something inside him lightened at the sight of her.
    “Pretty!” yelled one little girl.
    “Pirate,” called a boy.
    “Pancake,” yelled another.
    And so on until Amy held up her hands. “I thinkyou’ve got it,” she said. “It’s time for us to part, ” she said, grinning as she emphasized the last word. “You’ve been practically perfect. Ask your parents to talk to you about the letter Q. Bye for now.”
    She glanced around the room as the little ones left and her gaze landed on Justin. She met his eyes for a long moment that hit him like a gut punch. He walked toward her.
    “You’ve surprised me again,” she said. “Just please tell me you’re not having a recurrence of your ulcer.”
    He shook his head. “I’m still clear,” he said, then remembered the original purpose for his visit. “I asked you about your program a few times and what the financial needs were, but you never answered.”
    She nodded, the P pipe cleaner bobbing on her head. “And you never told me why you were interested.”
    “I know someone who may be interested in helping.”
    She brightened. “Oh, that would be great. A blank check would be great, too,” she joked, then her eyes clouded. “A new social worker would be terrific.”
    “Ms. Hatcher still causing problems?” he asked.
    Amy absently pulled the makeshift P hat from her head and sighed. “Every time I think we’re making progress, she throws something else in front of me.I’m starting to wonder if she really can prevent me from adopting the kids.”
    Seeing her discouragement, Justin felt an odd need to fix her situation. He shouldn’t care, he thought, but for some strange reason he did. “I have some connections. Would a different lawyer help?”
    “I think I need to be about ten years older and married,” she said wryly. “Got any miracles in your pocket?”
    Miracle. The word jarred him. He swallowed over a knot of tension in his throat. Miracles were too closely associated with the man upstairs for Justin’s comfort. “So you’re saying that if you were either ten years older or married, you would have no problem with gaining custody of the children?”
    “Both would be nice,” she said. “But either would probably work at the moment.”
    “You would give up ten years for those kids?” he asked incredulously.
    “Oh, yeah,” she said without pause. “A stable loving parent during childhood can make all the difference in the world.”
    She spoke as if she’d experienced a stable loving environment. Justin felt a sliver of envy. “Did yours make a big difference for you?”
    She paused and met his gaze. “I didn’t have the most stable upbringing. I always viewed my background as something I would overcome, and for themost part, I think I have. I want something different for my sister’s children.”
    In that moment Justin felt a bone-deep connection that reverberated throughout him like shifting plates of the earth’s crust during an earthquake. Justin looked into the fire of Amy’s brown eyes and had the sinking sense that he was staring into the face of his purpose.

Three
    “N o, no and no,” Justin muttered as he entered O’Malley’s bar later that night. “This has got to be a joke,” he said to himself. To God. “I thought we had this settled. You know more than anyone that I am not a choice candidate for marriage or anything involving kids.” Continuing his conversation with the Almighty, Justin made his way to the opposite end of the bar where Michael and Dylan were seated. “I realize you’re perfect and you don’t make mistakes, but this looks like the makings of a whopper to me.”
    “Justin, who are you talking to?” Dylan asked.
    Justin shrugged. “You wouldn’t understand.”
    “Did you get the research taken care of?” Dylan grinned. “I realize how much you hate to part with your green, but we’ve been talking about the after-school reading program for months.”
    “I talked to the woman in charge