Wish on the Moon Read Free Page B

held on to
her hand during the ride down the runway, during the take-off. The
awed expression on her face was priceless. They'd been cruising a
little while when Mitch shifted in his seat to find an easier
position for his long legs. His shoulder bumped hers. She was
entirely too aware of the bulk of him, the cut of his expensive
suit, the aura of pure masculinity that surrounded him.
    "Being short has its advantages," she quipped
as he finally settled his right foot under the seat in front of
him.
    He grimaced. "They should have short and tall
sections."
    She laughed. He smiled back. Ah hah. He could
be friendly. She gestured toward the science fiction novel he'd
taken from his duffel. "Is that any good?"
    "It's intriguing." He nodded to Mandy looking
out the window rather than using the crayons and coloring book on
the tray in front of her. "But sometimes I'm more fascinated by the
view. It stirs my imagination."
    What did he do with his imagination after it
was stirred? "When I was a little girl, I saw pink castles behind
every cloud."
    "You lived in a house large enough to be a
castle."
    She stared at his long black lashes rather
than into his probing eyes. She knew nothing about him. He seemed
to know a lot about her. "Oh, but it didn't have turrets or moats.
And in my castles only happy things happened."
    "We learn too soon life isn't like that.
Maybe reading kids fairytales is a bad idea. It sets them up for
disappointment."
    There it was again. The sad note that drew
her, made her want to touch him to give him solace. She tapped his
book. "Adults need escape. Children need it more."
    His blue eyes were penetrating. "But I know
the difference between fantasy and reality. They don't."
    "That's a parent's job--to kindly teach the
difference."
    Mitch thought about her reply, then glanced
at Mandy. "Are you going to take her to see Ray? We can probably
get special permission."
    "No."
    Mitch's jaw tensed into a stiff line. "Why
not?"
    She'd met fire with fire before, but with
Mitch it seemed she was doing it every other sentence. "If he's in
critical care, he's hooked up to monitors, an IV. Right?"
    "Yes. Oxygen, too."
    "I won't scare her like that. She gets
nightmares from watching monster cartoons."
    Mitch twisted in his seat to face her more
directly. "He's her grandfather. He needs to see her. It might make
a difference."
    He couldn't make her squirm or back down.
"After surgery will be soon enough."
    "And what if he doesn't make it?"
    "I won't think that way."
    He grunted. "Isn't that a naive
attitude?"
    "It's an optimistic attitude. The last time I
saw my father, he wasn't overweight, he didn't smoke, and he drank
on a few social occasions. Has any of that changed?"
    "He's not careful about what he eats. He
fired his cook last year so he eats out a lot."
    Mitch's reply was quick. He knew her father's
habits well. How much time did he spend with him? Why did it
matter? Was she jealous? No. Simply curious. "Does he have a
housekeeper?"
    "A cleaning lady comes twice a week."
    "I'll have to hire someone. He'll need help
when he comes home."
    "We could take care of him."
    She wondered if Mitch had seriously
considered that option. If he cared about her father enough to take
care of him, he must love him. "Dad doesn't even know I'm coming.
He might want me to turn right around and go back if our last
encounter is any indication. Besides, if you took care of him, the
business would suffer, wouldn't it?"
    Mitch hooked onto the first part of her
response. "And if he doesn't want you to turn around?"
    "I have two weeks. After that, I go back to
my life in Independence."
    "And George?"
    The look in Mitch's eyes said he thought she
was a callous, ungrateful child. But she couldn't expect her father
to be any different today than he was six years ago. Now, her
independence not only directed her life, but Mandy's too.
    Her head bobbed up. "Yes. And Anne." Laura
suddenly thought of a glitch. "Are you going to stay with Mandy
while I