Free Ask Mariah by Barbara Freethy Page A

he mused.
    Lily and Rose glanced at each other. Then Lily spoke to Rose. "Grandma Sophia said Mariah probably only talks to little girls."
    "Or to people who believe in magic," Rose added.
    "That's convenient." He turned to Mariah with a scowl. "I think you're a troublemaker," Mariah's smile seemed to grow wider. Michael shook his head. He needed coffee. For a second there he could have sworn her lips moved.
     
    * * *
     
    An hour and a half later, Michael helped the girls out of the car and watched them run into the school building without a backward glance. They weren't crying today or dawdling or pretending to be sick. They were excited and anxious to see Joanna again.
    Joanna . His stomach turned over; his heart quickened. He was tempted to follow them inside. He'd thought of her all night. Or had he been thinking of Angela? The two women blurred in his mind, leaving him confused, restless, and ridiculously needy.
    It was stupid. His dreams had probably been a result of Tony's relentless questioning about his sex life. He'd started thinking about how alone he was, how empty the bed was, how long it had been since he'd held a woman in his arms.
    But Joanna Wingate was not Angela De Luca. He couldn't let himself think for an instant that there was any connection between the two women. Joanna was not attracted to him. Although the way she'd looked at him yesterday... No, that was just wishful thinking -- make that foolish thinking. The last thing he needed was attraction, especially to this woman.
    That's why he wasn't going inside the school. He was going to his office, where he would work hard until he forgot about her. But as he turned away he caught a glimpse of a woman standing in one of the classroom windows -- a woman with dark brown hair and a lovely profile. He could see her slender figure bend as if she was saying hello to some children, possibly his children.
    Michael's breath caught in his throat as she straightened, as she turned toward the window. He couldn't move. Silently he willed her to turn around. At the same time he prayed that she wouldn't.
     
    * * *
     
    "I dreamed about you last night, Mama," Rose said shyly. "I dreamt you came home, that you told us a bedtime story, and stayed with us until we went to sleep."
    "Oh, honey." Joanna tucked a strand of Rose's hair behind her ear. "You know it was just a dream."
    "But it seemed so real. You even kissed my forehead. And you smelled so good."
    "She wasn't really there, Rose," Lily interrupted. "Because I went into Daddy's room last night after he went to sleep, and he was all alone in his big bed." Lily looked up at Joanna. "Daddy never sleeps on your side, you know. He's waiting for you to come home."
    She caught her breath at the image of Michael Ashton alone, waiting for the woman he loved to come back to his bed. Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the girls.  She was determined to convince them that she was not their mother.  "Your dad didn't come in with you today?" she asked.
    "He had to go to work. He said we should call you Joanna," Lily added.
    "That's a good idea. You need to remember that even though I look like your mother, I'm not her, right?"
    "I guess we still can't talk to Daddy then," Rose said with a sigh.
    "What do you mean?" Joanna asked.
    Rose sent a questioning look in Lily's direction. Lily shook her head. "Nothing."
    She debated pushing the issue, then decided against it. She did not need to get more involved in the Ashton family. She would just treat them like any other students.
    "Why don't you two start coloring? We'll have circle time in a few minutes." Joanna glanced out the window. Michael Ashton stood on the sidewalk, staring at the school -- at her. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. Even from this distance, she felt a pull in his direction. It was so strong, it was almost frightening.
    Suddenly Michael turned and walked briskly to his car. He got in and sped down the street before she had a chance to