Tempting Mr. Wrong (Wrong Man) by Kerri Carpenter Read Free Book Online Page A

to say? Did he ask her questions, or did she need a nap or something?
    Turned out Mya was ready to take the lead.
    “You have big boots.” She pointed her little finger toward his feet.
    “Uh,” he stumbled.
    “I have boots, too. They have Hello Kitty on them. Why don’t your boots have Hello Kitty on them?”
    “Well…”
    “I’m four years old. How old are you?”
    He cocked his head. “Thirty.”
    “That’s pretty old.”
    “I guess, but four is pretty young,” he countered. Vaguely, he wondered if they should go into the living room, but Mya seemed content to stand in the hallway.
    “Nuh-uh. I go to preschool. My best friend is Penny. She has blonde hair and her family got a new puppy.”
    “That’s cool.” He put his hands on his hips as he studied Mya. Her mind jumped from one thing to the next without warning. It was fascinating to him. She peered at him now, and he could sense more questions coming.
    “Aunt Carly said you’re Korean.”
    “I’m actually only half-Korean.” He leaned back on his heels.
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means that my dad is American, but my mom’s family is from a country called Korea.”
    “Where’s Korea?”
    “It’s all the way across the world. Do you have a map? I can show you.”
    “Does she have to live there now?”
    He shook his head. “Nope.” He took a breath. “She died a couple years ago.”
    “Uncle Lance, can I ask you a question?”
    “Sure.” He crouched down so he was closer to her eye level.
    Her smile faded. “You and my daddy were friends?”
    “Yep. He was my best friend.”
    She pulled on one of her pigtails, and Lance could tell she was considering something. But nothing prepared him for what came out of her mouth next.
    “When are my mommy and daddy coming home?”
    Lance had been screamed at and berated by one scary S.O.B. lieutenant colonel. He’d spent a night in a Mexican jail. Hell, he’d been held at gunpoint. Twice. But there had been no training on how to answer the question he’d just been asked. Panic. Pure unadulterated terror coated his veins as he remained unmoving, crouched in front of Mya as she patiently waited for him to answer.
    When were her mommy and daddy coming back? Oh God. He stopped breathing. He’d assured Carly that everything would be fine. And he thought they would be. They’d watch some cartoons and he’d give the kid a sandwich.
    He was not prepared for this scenario. What in the hell was he supposed to say? He didn’t want to emotionally scar her. Then he remembered something he’d heard somewhere. Something about telling kids the truth. He scratched his head as he tried to recall if he was supposed to tell kids the truth or hide it from them. Shit. He couldn’t remember. Making a snap decision, Lance went with the truth.
    “Well, Mya, your parents aren’t going to come back.”
    Her green eyes, so much like Chris’s—and Carly’s, come to think of it—widened. “Why not?”
    Truth. He took a breath. “Because your mommy and daddy were in a car accident, and they died. That means they can’t come back.”
    Mya dropped her head. Lance could see her lower lip starting to tremble. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Quietly, she whispered, “I know.”
    You’re doing this all wrong.
    But what the hell else was he supposed to do? If he said they were coming back, that would obviously be a lie. Wouldn’t that confuse her or something? When they never showed up again, Mya would be devastated. Or would she? At what age did kids stop believing everything you said?
    He sneaked a peek at the console table by the door. His cell was right there. Maybe he should call Carly? Then he realized he couldn’t call Carly. What would she think? Time for plan B. “You know what I think?”
    Mya raised her eyes, but her lip continued to shake. “What?”
    “I think your mommy and daddy would want you to have some fun.”
    She shrugged and then kicked at an imaginary spot on the floor.
    “I think they would