The CEO's Surprise Family by Teresa Carpenter Page A

it didn’t happen differently and here we are.” She bit into the roll and chewed. And then moaned. “OMG, these rolls are delicious. They practically melt in your mouth. Oh, yum.” She pushed the basket toward him. “Keep those over there. Do not let me have another one. Not even if I beg.”
    â€œNaturally, I’ve looked you up,” he stated. “But why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”
    He probably hadn’t gotten the full report on her yet. She had no doubt whatsoever someone was working on one. “I was a music prodigy as a child. I graduated when I was fifteen, played violin with the Michigan Philharmonic at the age of sixteen while pursuing my PhD at the University of Michigan.”
    â€œYou have a PhD in music and you’re a hairdresser?”
    â€œI burned out in music when I was young. I love it, but on my own terms. And I never had that luxury.”
    The waiter arrived with plates of salmon served with polenta and roasted vegetables. She leaned back to give him access. The food smelled as good as it looked.
    â€œPlaying with the Michigan Philharmonic at the age of sixteen is pretty impressive.”
    â€œYes, and I don’t regret it. But I wanted to dance and my mom shut me down every time I asked. At eighteen I came into a small inheritance from my father and I took off.”
    â€œWhere’d you go?”
    â€œNew York, of course. It’s where dancers go. But it’s expensive. And competitive. And I was so new to it. Thankfully, I met Alliyah.”
    â€œAnd ended up in Las Vegas. You fought so hard to dance, why give it up now?”
    She shook her head, poked at the fish. Dance would always be a part of her life. Except now it would only be a form of exercise. She still struggled with the change.
    â€œDancing is considered high-risk employment because contracts can be limited in term and there’s the chance of injury. Plus, most of the work is at night. So it’s not a good job for a single woman looking to adopt. I have to agree with the last. If I get custody of Jazi, I want to be there for her. As a hairdresser, I can adjust my hours so I can spend part of every day with her.”
    She laid down her fork and leaned across the table. “Thank you for listening to me last night. Thank you for considering my request.”
    Eyes on hers, he shook his head, the dim light playing over his dark hair. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ms. Malone. We don’t even know if there’s anything to thank me for yet. If I have my wish, there won’t be.”
    Her heart hiccupped at his declaration. Everything she longed for would turn his world upside down. Impulsively she reached across the table and laid her hand on his. “I’ll still say thank you because you’ve given me something I haven’t had in a long time. Hope.”
    * * *
    â€œGood morning.” Clay strolled through Jethro’s open office door. He carried a manila envelope in one hand.
    Jethro nodded for Clay to close the door and then he tossed his pen on his desk and leaned back in his chair. This better be the test results.
    His nerves were so frayed he couldn’t concentrate. He’d been a beast all morning. His staff mutinied twenty minutes ago and left en masse for an extended coffee break. He’d be lucky if he saw them before lunch. Nothing got in the way of work, but before she left he finally gave in and had his assistant clear his schedule for the day.
    â€œI heard hell froze over up here.” Clay dropped into one of the black leather visitor chairs. “I had to come check it out.”
    â€œYou’ll get a front-row seat if those aren’t the test results. I’m about to gnaw off my own thumbs.”
    â€œThese things take time. I had the lab run the tests twice, just to be sure.” Clay held out the envelope. “Fresh off the printer.”
    â€œAnd?” Jethro took the