Maid for the Millionaire by Susan Meier Read Free Book Online

supplies. I’m part of the committee that welcomes a woman to her new house and stays in her life to help her acclimate.”
    â€œA Friend Indeed?”
    She nodded.
    Processing everything she’d told him, Cain stayed silent. He’d accomplished his purpose. A woman who not only donated the services of her business, but also bought groceries, was obviously committed to this charity. Anything he did for A Friend Indeed would be a kindness to her. Clearly, they’d won her heart. So all he had to do was make a big contribution, and his conscience would be clear.
    But figuring that out also meant he had nothing more to say.
    He could try to make up a reason to talk to her, but he’d already proven chitchat wasn’t his forte. Plus, that would only mean staying longer with the woman whose mere presence made him ache for what they’d had and lost. There was no point wanting what he couldn’t have. They’d been married once. It had failed.
    Exhaling a big breath, Cain rose. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”
    Her brow puckering in confusion, she rose with him. “I thought you wanted to talk.”
    â€œWe just did.” Rather than return to the kitchen and leave through the front door, he glanced around, saw the strip of sidewalk surrounding the house that probably led to the driveway and headed off.
    His conscience tweaked again at the fact that he’dconfused her but he ignored it. The money he would donate would more than make up for it.
    Â 
    On Monday morning, he had Ava investigate A Friend Indeed. At first she found very little beyond their name and their registration as a charitable organization, then Cain called in a few favors and doors began to open. Though shrouded in secrecy, the charity checked out and on Friday morning Cain had Ava write a check and deliver it to the home of the president of the group’s board of directors. She returned a few hours later chuckling.
    â€œAyleen Francis wants to meet you.”
    Cain glanced up from the document he was reading. “Meet me?”
    She leaned against the door frame. “I did the usual spiel that I do when you have me deliver a check like this. That you admire the work being done by the group and want to help, but prefer to remain anonymous, et cetera. And she said that was fine but she wouldn’t accept your check unless she met you.”
    Cain frowned. “Seriously?”
    â€œThat’s what she said.”
    â€œBut—” Damn it. Why did everything about Liz have to turn complicated? “Why would she want to meet me?”
    â€œTo thank you?”
    Annoyed, he growled. “I don’t need thanks.”
    Ava shrugged. “I have no idea what’s going on. I’m just the messenger.” She set the check and a business card on Cain’s desk. “Here’s the address. She said it would be wonderful if you could be there tonight at eight.”
    Cain snatched up the card and damned near threw it in the trash. But he stopped. He was this close to making it up to Liz for their marriage being a disaster. No matter how much he’d worked with his dad before he sold the family business in Kansas and retired, Cain had never been able to do enough to make up for his brother’s death. His parents had accepted Tom’s death as an accident and eventually Cain had, too. Sort of. As the driver of the car, he would always feel responsible. He’d never let go of that guilt. But he did understand it had been an accident.
    But his troubled marriage wasn’t an accident. He’d coerced Liz. Seduced her. More sexually experienced than she had been, he’d taken advantage of their chemistry. Used it. She hadn’t stood a chance.
    And he knew he had to make that up to her. Was he really going to let one oddball request stand in his way of finally feeling freed of the debt?

CHAPTER FOUR
    A RRANGING HER NOTES for the executive board meeting for A Friend