Free Millionaire Husband by Leanne Banks Page B

she thought hopefully at the same time she was ashamed for having such dark thoughts. He looked pretty darn good for having had a rough night.
    “Morning, boys,” he said cheerily, then offered the same muted tone back at Amy with a nod, “Good morning.”
    “G’mornin’, Justin,” Emily said in her sweet, sleepy tone as she spooned cereal into her mouth.
    Justin returned the greeting. Amy’s heart softened and she stroked her niece’s hair. “I’ll ask the Colemans if you can borrow their piano again today. Okay, sweetie?”
    Her mouth full, Emily smiled and nodded.
    “Who are the Colemans?” Justin asked.
    “A family down the street. They’ve been kind enough to let Emily use their piano. I think she’s interested in taking lessons.” Amy hadn’t figured out how she would afford a piano or the lessons, but she supposed that was a challenge for another day.
    Justin nodded thoughtfully. “I’m heading over to my other home office, and I’m meeting some friends tonight, so I won’t be home until late. You guys, give it your best shot to have a good day.” He paused and met her gaze. “You too, Amy,” he saidin a deeper, almost intimate tone that tugged at something deep inside her.
     
    That night, for the sake of sanity, Justin revisited his bachelor roots. He met Dylan at O’Malley’s for beer and a burger.
    “Michael will be late,” Dylan said as he joined Justin at a table perfectly positioned for watching the wide-screen television playing the Baltimore Orioles game.
    “Problem?” Justin said.
    Dylan made a face. “Yeah, he’s getting a home-cooked meal instead of a burger. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kate has another baby soon.”
    “So soon?”
    “I think they want a big family,” Dylan said, and the look on his face reminded Justin of time spent at the Granger Home for Boys.
    “Remember when everybody wanted a big family?” Justin said, taking a drink of beer.
    “A big nuclear family,” Dylan said. “We wanted Dad and Mom and a bunch of brothers and a sister or two to attract the girls when we were teenagers.”
    “It may not be nuclear, but you technically have a big family,” Justin pointed out. “You’re part Remington, so you’ve got two half-brothers and a half-sister.”
    Dylan laughed shortly. “Half is the operative word. Nothing would make them happier than if Idisappeared. Especially Grant. He’s the oldest and I know he thinks I’m trying to take over the entire company.”
    Justin quirked his mouth in a partial grin. For the most part, Dylan concealed his competitive nature with a well-honed, cool untroubled air. “And you’re not?”
    Dylan gave him a sideways glance. “Careful, someone might find out I give a damn after all. I don’t want control of the entire company, just part of it,” he said in a voice that reminded Justin of a shark.
    “No wonder Grant doesn’t sleep well at night.”
    “Enough about me. How’s married life? How are the perks?” he asked with a sly grin.
    “Amy and I haven’t known each other very long, so we’re not to the perks stage yet.” He gave a sigh of frustration. “Besides I’m married to a descendent of Joan of Arc, so she doesn’t believe she has any human needs.”
    Dylan winced. “Sorry, bud. But you know even Joan of Arc burned in the end. How’s the rest of it? Are you spending money like water?”
    “Not yet,” Justin said, the prospect of uncontrolled spending threatening a bout of indigestion. “I bought something today for one of the kids and I’m setting up accounts for their college education.”
    Dylan raised his eyebrows. “This sounds like the real thing to me.”
    “The kids are very real,” Justin said with a shrug that belied his true feelings. “Kids take a lot of planning. I always knew that. I didn’t know they could be fun, too.”
    “And Amy?”
    Justin thought about how responsive she’d felt last night and wanted to growl. “Amy could be a lot of fun if she’d quit