Three Wishes by Juli Alexander Read Free Book Online Page A

really cause problems. Most of the time, the Committee handed over big bucks for custody of the child. Now I knew what had happened to his mother. “I’m sorry.”
    “No big deal.”
    “Your father raised you?” I dug into the chips again.
    “No. My grandmother did. When she died, my dad stepped up, and he’s been there for me ever since.”
    His grandmother could only have raised him if she had been bonded to his grandfather. Leo was lucky his grandparents had married, or he would have been sent to a foster home.
    I’d never been so glad that I would never have a child who was a genie. My granddaughter would be a genie, but my daughter would not. Neither would my sons. Unless, a little voice in the back of my mind said as I studied Leo, you have a child with a male genie. I shrugged off the thought. Leo was dangerously sexy, and I shouldn’t even be here.
    “I should get home,” I said. What was wrong with me? Having children was something I never thought about. I didn’t even sit around daydreaming about a husband like those girly girls in the wedding movies.
    Leo checked his watch. “Ian said we’d practice at five.”
    I glared at him. Thanks for the reminder. I took a sip of tea. “You know that spot in the band was mine.”
    “It’s just temporary,” Leo said. “Give me a couple weeks, and then it’s yours.”
    “You don’t even want to be in the band?”
    “It’s been kind of cool, but basically I just needed access to your house and your family.”
    “We won’t even discuss how creepy that is.”
    “I’ve been messing around with the drums for a while, so when I heard about Ian needing a drummer—”
    Wait a minute. “Messing around? Can you even really play?”
    He narrowed his eyes. “Of course I can play.”
    “How long have you been playing?”
    With a shrug, he said, “You know that doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
    My jaw dropped. “Of course it does. What are you saying? That you have more raw talent than me?”
    Leo gave me a funny look before he answered. “No,” he admitted. “I’m as good as the average high school senior. That’s all I needed. Honestly, it isn’t like your brother’s songs are all that complicated.”
    “No way are you as good as me.”
    Leo’s lips quirked at the corners. “I’m probably not as good as you, Jen, but I have the look your brother was going for.”
    “True, but you’ve got to pace Ian. He tends to rush the song, and you’ll all end up sounding horrible.”
    “No problem.” He studied me for a moment then started to say something but stopped. Finally, he said, “You’re worried about Ian? You can be sure that I have the skills his band needs. You should know that.”
    “Maybe I just don’t want him to ruin his reputation before I get my turn in the band.”
    “Sure,” Leo said fighting a grin. He shut down the laptop and put it back in the case.
    I had the strangest feeling that I had missed out on part of the conversation.
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    By the time Leo pulled the car into my driveway, I had decided that there was more to Leo’s father than met the eye. The troublemaker that Leo described would not drive this sunshine yellow, politically-correct car. Maybe Leo was right. Maybe his father had reformed.
    Could someone really have framed him for the thefts? Leo was right about one thing, I did not want to be next. My mother would die if I was convicted of a crime, and wasting away in the other realm wouldn’t be a picnic for me either.
    According to Leo, his father had enemies. My only enemies were my brothers, and they weren’t smart enough to orchestrate my downfall with the Oversight Committee.
    Leo got out of the car and shoved his hands into his pockets. “You want to go in first? I’ll wait a few minutes.”
    “Yeah. Thanks for the tea and chips.”
    “I’ll owe you way more than tea if you can find a way to help my father.”
    I just nodded and walked to the front door. I really, really