Marrying the Millionaire by Sabrina Sims McAfee

woman I helped at the
cemetery. How ironic? “Oh her, she’s one
of the candidates. She got a flat tire on her way to interview for
the position, so I brought her here with me. I’m going to fix her
tire when I get back home.”
    Sandella nodded, then tossed her hair
behind her shoulder. “I see. She’s very pretty. Are you going to
hire her?”
    Yes, she is pretty. “No.”
    “ Why not?”
    “ I don’t think she’d make a
good fit for Isabelle. But hey, thanks again for watching my baby
girl for me. I know you have to get back to the bakery, so I won’t
keep you. Tell Braylon I said hi.”
    Still holding Logan on her hip,
Sandella gripped the handle of her daughter’s stroller. “I will. As
soon as he gets some time off, I’m going to make a good home-cooked
meal and invite you and Isabelle over for dinner. Feel free to
bring a date if you’d like.”
    Richmond chuckled. “I’ll be coming to
dinner by myself. My dating days are way behind me. I’ll never find
another woman like Salina. They don’t exist.”
    Smiling, Sandella waved a fingered.
“Never say never.”
    Richmond smiled in return.
“Never.”
    Sandella and Richmond parted ways. As
Richmond headed back toward the truck with Isabelle perched in his
arms, his mind reverted back to the private investigator he’d hired
to find Salina’s killer.
    Thank God Don has a lead
on who killed my wife. I’m going to wring the bastard’s neck for
murdering Salina when I lay eyes on him.

 
     
     
     
     
    BACK AT HIS ESTATE, RICHMOND jabbed
the key into the lock of his front door to unlock it.
    “ Come in,” he welcomed
Kayla, pushing open the heavy wooden door, then stepping to the
side.
    “ Thanks,” Kayla said,
stepping over the threshold.
    Richmond’s gaze transferred from Kayla
to Isabelle as she sat rocking in the chair on the porch.
“Isabelle, darling, that’s enough playing in the rocking chair.
It’s time for your lunch.”
    Isabelle’s legs kicked back and forth
as she sat rocking in the red chair on the porch. “But Daddy,
please let me rock one more time.”
    “ No, Pumpkin. You’ve played
enough for today.”
    “ But I didn’t get to play
in the chair.”
    Kayla smiled at the fine, gorgeous
specimen standing close to her. Brown, smooth skin, chestnut brown
eyes, and black hair cut close to his scalp, Richmond Spaulding
made her sex clench. The tall, hot man had broad shoulders. A
perfect pert nose. Dimples buried deep in both his cheeks,
too.
    “ If you’re okay with it,
I’ll stay out here and watch her until she’s finished playing,”
Kayla offered.
    The tight expression on his face
relaxed. “You sure you don’t mind?”
    “ I’m positive,” Kayla
admitted, still unable to get over how much Richmond looked like
the guy named Russell in the photo her grandfather had hidden
inside the picture frame. Could Richmond and Russell be related? No
way, that’d be too big of a coincidence. Their meeting at the
cemetery, and then again two years later, was already too big of a
coincidence for her to believe.
    “ Thanks.” Richmond came and
stood in front of Isabelle. “Ms. Kayla is going to watch you while
I change her tire. But after I’m done, you’re going to eat lunch
and take a nap.”
    Isabelle smiled, then nodded. “Okay,
Daddy.”
    At the sound of the front door
closing, Kayla took a seat in the chair next to Isabelle. Inhaling
the scent of peppery fall leaves while rocking, Kayla’s eyes
traveled over the many acreages of land. Colorful fall leaves
sporadically scattered over the grounds of the property. Thick,
burly trees rooted deeply into the front yard. Dense, wooded
forestry situated across the street and for many miles down the
road. A stone white, Audi R8 convertible was parked right next to
Richmond’s Range Rover.
    Releasing a sigh, Kayla looked
sideways at Isabelle.
    Dear God, was Richmond at
his wife’s funeral the day we first met? Is your mother deceased?
No child should have to live without