Marrying the Millionaire by Sabrina Sims McAfee Page A

a mother.
    Kayla brought her wrists up to her
eyes to spy the time on the clock. Jeez, she hated she’d had to
bother her neighbor Betsie Mae about keeping CJ for her, especially
considering she wasn’t even going to get the job. Talk about bad
luck. She had the worst.
    “ How come you so dirty?”
Isabelle asked, breaking into Kayla’s thoughts.
    Kayla smiled. “Well, because I
fell.”
    Isabelle stopped rocking. “Me, too.”
She touched a scar on her knee. “That’s how come I got this. Did
you get a boo-boo, too?”
    Ah, she’s too cute. “No. I didn’t.”
    The front door cracked
open, and Richmond emerged wearing a Nike T-shirt and a pair of
sweatpants. He changed clothes.
    “ Where are the keys to your
car?”
    He extended his open hand to her.
Kayla reached into her purse, pulled out her keys, and when she
placed them in his big hand, their fingers touched. A spark of
electricity zapped up the length of her arm, igniting her insides,
tingling her nipples. The chemical reaction stemming from his
magical touch made her mouth slightly part.
    “ Something’s
wrong?”
    Kayla snapped her lips shut and shook
her head. “No.”
    “ Daddy, can I go inside
now? Can I please show Ms. Kayla my new doll house?”
    “ Ms. Kayla may not want to
see your doll house, pumpkin.”
    Don’t tell me what I’d like
to see or not see, Mr. ‘can’t deal with late people’. “I’d love to see your doll house,
Isabelle.”
    Isabelle hopped out of the rocking
chair. “Yes!”
    He looked at her with amused wonder.
“Well, if it’s okay with Kayla, then it’s fine with me. Make
yourself at home. It shouldn’t take me too long to fix your
tire.”
    Richmond clambered down the steep
steps, walked down the long driveway, and headed down the street
towards Kayla’s raggedy red truck.
    “ Come this way.” Isabelle
wrapped her tiny fingers around Kayla’s hand and led her inside the
house.
    When Kayla entered the mansion, she
felt as if she were seeing the breathtaking structure for the very
first time. Comprised of tan marble floors, the spacious home had a
huge living room and a breathtaking dining room, which was equipped
with a long rectangular table and French chairs. The exquisite
mansion looked like something you’d see in a Parade of Homes
magazine.
    Leading the way, Isabelle walked up a
flight of stairs to the second floor. Skipping along the plush
carpet, she rounded into the second room on the right, and Kayla
followed her. Isabelle’s room looked made for a little princess. A
pastel pink color coated the walls. A small, sparkling chandelier
hung over her white canopy bed, draped with sheer scarves. White,
long drapery with pink circles covered the windows overlooking the
marsh in the back yard.
    Isabelle stood proud in the center of
the room, with her hands on her hips. “This is my room.” She
pointed to the corner. “And that’s my doll house. My daddy bought
me it for my birthday when I was a little girl. Want to
play?”
    You’re still a little
girl , Kayla thought, snickering
inwardly.
    Isabelle picked up a tiny doll
sporting a yellow dress, then sat Indian style on the
floor.
    Isabelle is so
precious. “Sure, Isabelle. I’d love to
play with you.” Kayla flopped down to the floor in front of the
doll house beside Isabelle. She hefted one of the tiny doll
figurines in her hand. Using a squeaky voice, Kayla said to
Isabelle’s doll, “May I have some lemonade, please?”
    Isabelle burst into laughter. “He, he.
He, he. You sound silly. Like a mouse. Do it again.”
    Kayla put her fist on her hip. “What’s
your doll’s name?” she asked in the squeaky mouse voice.
    “ Gracie. What kind of
lemonade do you want? Uh-oh.” Isabelle shrugged. She pointed to
Kayla’s doll. “Her name is Keisha.”
    Kayla made her doll march up to
Isabelle’s doll. “Hi, Gracie. My name is Keisha, and I’d like some
strawberry lemonade.”
    “ Okay. I’ll get you some.
But only if you be my friend.”