What a Rich Woman Wants by Barbara Meyers Read Free Book Online

indicated his sandwich. “Go ahead and eat.”
    â€œThat’s all you’re having?”
    She wrinkled her nose. “You’ll think I’m a snob. I don’t really care for fast food.”
    â€œYou’ll think I’m one too, then, because neither do I. But I’m hungry.” He bit into his sandwich. His gaze wandered around the restaurant. From his vantage point he could see Ricky. Lesley’s back was to the kids’ table.
    â€œThank you for coming today. I think it meant a lot to Ricky.”
    His gaze swung back to her. “You should have seen him after he scored that goal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid so excited about anything. Oh, sorry.”
    â€œNo, it’s all right. I wish I’d been there. I intended to, but I had an unexpected visitor I had trouble getting rid of…although that’s really no excuse.”
    Niko’s gaze shifted away from her and he frowned. Lesley glanced over her shoulder, certain he was watching the table of boys. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œIs Ricky having trouble in school?”
    â€œWhat do you mean? No, not as far as I know. He’s in first grade. How much trouble can he have?”
    â€œI mean socially. Does he get along with the other kids? Does he have friends?”
    Lesley’s face clouded. She glanced again at the boys’ table. Ricky’s shoulders were hunched. He wasn’t eating, but instead was staring at the food in front of him. Something ugly and painful welled up inside of her. Her own sense of failure swamped her. He was so young, but already there had been hints that he wasn’t welcome in the circle of kids he went to school with. A birthday party or two she’d heard about after the fact, to which he hadn’t been invited. None of the other mothers called to arrange playdates. Ricky didn’t belong. He was an outcast because she’d made him one.
    She had no idea how to explain any of this to Niko, but before she could try, he bolted from the table. In a second he was next to the boys’ table. The kid Niko had greeted earlier was already there. Ricky was on the floor, his food and drink spilled around him. Carp helped him up. Carp’s friends gathered around Ricky like a silent army. Lesley skidded to a halt next to her son, nearly losing her balance in a puddle of soda. “What happened? Are you all right?”
    Niko curled his fingers around the upper arm of the boy who had been sitting next to Ricky. He pulled the kid to his feet. Silence fell. The other kids at the table were saucer-eyed.
    â€œGet your hands off my son,” bellowed a man wading through the crowded tables.
    Niko released the boy. “He needs to apologize. Then he needs to clean up the mess he made.”
    â€œWho do you think you are?” the man sputtered. “Don’t tell me what my son needs to do.”
    Lesley recognized the boy’s father. Irwin Chapman, a local businessman who’d made his fortune in cement. Mitzi was friendly with his first wife, whom he had divorced. He’d acquired a younger, dumber wife and started a second family.
    â€œHe pushed Ricky off his chair and his meal off the table. I saw it. So did these boys.” He looked at the four boys still seated. “Didn’t you, guys?”
    Almost as one, they nodded. Their parents had crowded around.
    â€œSo did we,” Carp said. His comrades nodded in unison.
    Niko stared at Irwin Chapman. “Sir?”
    Irwin gave Niko a mutinous glare. He grabbed his son by the arm and hauled him through the mess on the floor. Lesley stepped out of the way with Ricky just in time to avoid being splashed. Irwin glanced back once, fixing his gaze on Niko. “I won’t forget this,” he said in a threatening tone.
    â€œNeither will I,” Niko replied softly.
    A yellow bucket appeared, accompanied by a mop-wielding employee who seemed unsurprised and unconcerned