Read Online The Millionaire's Secret Wish by Leanne Banks - Free Book Online

she said, reaching out to him the best way she knew.
    He met her gaze and in his eyes she saw a kaleidoscope of emotions. The one that affected her most profoundly was regret. “Some will,” he said, “and some won’t.”
    Alisa’s heart twisted. She sensed that he was certain something important to him would not work out.
    He glanced up. “Here they come. Do you want me to give you names or—”
    “No! Let me guess. I’m getting more and more of my memory back. Let me see what I remember.” Shegot out of the car and was immediately greeted by twin boys, pre-school age, and a girl, slightly older, followed by two couples. Her memory creaked like a rusty wheel. “I did some baby-sitting for you,” she said.
    The twins gave big nods. “And you let us eat cookies,” one of them said.
    “For dinner,” the other one added.
    The little girl covered her mouth and made a shushing sound. “You weren’t supposed to tell!”
    “Starts with a J, ” Alisa murmured.
    “Jeremy,” one of the twins said proudly. “I’m Jeremy and I start with a J. Aunt Amy told me.”
    Alisa laughed and tried to concentrate. “Emily.”
    Emily’s eyes lit up and she nodded with a huge smile. She mouthed the letter N.
    The cue did the trick. “Nick,” she said, delighted with herself.
    He nodded and stepped closer to her. He pointed his finger at her head. “You bonked your head. Are you all better?”
    “Mostly better.”
    “Can you still bake cookies?”
    She heard Dylan’s muffled chuckle and smiled. “I brought some cookies with me and I need someone to tell me if I baked them correctly.”
    The twins jumped up and down. “Me! Me! Me!”
    “After dinner,” a red-haired woman said, then turned to Alisa. “No more guessing games. Save yourbrain strain for something more important. I’m Amy, Justin’s wife.”
    Alisa immediately liked the woman all over again. “Thanks,” she said and glanced at Justin. “How’s the market?”
    He blinked in surprise. “Hey I saw you in the hospital and you didn’t remember squat. You’re remembering everything.”
    “Breakthrough day,” she said, riding the wave. She looked at her hosts. “Michael and Kate, it’s nice of you to invite me.”
    Both Michael and Kate embraced her. “We’re so glad you’re okay,” Kate said sincerely.
    Overwhelmed with emotion at finding another part of herself that had been lost, Alisa struggled with tears. Floundering, she instinctively looked for Dylan.
    Correctly reading her face, he put his arm at her back. “I need some help with these cookies,” he said, taking the pressure off Alisa. “How soon can we have those burgers?”
    The kids clamored for the cookies, and the group scattered.
    “Thanks,” she whispered.
    “No problem. Remember, you’re recovering.”
    “Nice way of saying I’m difficult?” she asked wryly.
    “I did not use the ‘D’ word,” he said firmly.
    “You know everything that has happened to me since the accident has been a roller-coaster ride. I don’t understand why you’ve stuck with it.”
    His gaze held hers. “I have my reasons.”
    She would love to know what those reasons were, but she wouldn’t be finding out tonight, she realized as they neared a long picnic table. Alisa enjoyed a lighthearted hour with the adults and children. Kate and Amy made her feel at ease and brought her up to speed on recent events in their families.
    “The adoption has been official for several weeks now,” Amy said. “Justin has been great for all of us.”
    “Who would have known,” Kate said, “that our allergic-to-marriage-tightwad-millionaire could be such a great instant dad?”
    “He was a good guy when he was a kid,” Alisa said.
    Amy raised her eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Kate. “You remember back that far?”
    “I remember some,” Alisa said. “I remember my childhood, but it gets sketchy during my teen years. Very recent memories are starting to come back. I wish I remembered more