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

in her personal life. There had been a shrewdness behind Maria’s eyes, a calculating look that Lesley hadn’t seen six years ago. Maria seemed to view herself as the wronged party, when the truth was Lesley had done everything she could to help Maria, including adopting her child.
    But you haven’t been much of a mother to him, have you? her conscience chided her. No, she hadn’t. She admitted that to herself. Had known it almost from the beginning.
    But she was going to change that. Starting tonight. If Ricky would let her.
    Lita tapped on her open door. “He’s in bed.”
    â€œThanks, Lita.”
    At Ricky’s partially closed door, she knocked softly and stepped in. Ricky was sitting up in bed with pillows tucked behind his back. The light on his nightstand was on and he was looking at a picture book of dump trucks and earth-moving equipment. He watched her approach, his expression neutral. She swore she caught wariness in his eyes and wondered what had caused it. Her?
    Lesley sat on the edge of the bed and licked her dry lips. She’d rehearsed a bit of a speech in her head earlier but couldn’t remember a word of it. “I’m not a very good mother, am I?” She tried to smile, but failed.
    â€œYou’re not my mother,” Ricky said. It wasn’t meant as an insult. Lesley’d seen no reason to pretend with him. He knew he was adopted. “I don’t have a mother. Or a father.”
    He looked down at his book and fiddled with the pages.
    â€œThe truth is, Ricky, you do have a mother.” His head came up. “You have two, the one who gave birth to you and me, because I adopted you when she couldn’t take care of you.”
    Lesley hesitated, unsure where to go now that she’d started. “The thing is, I don’t think I’m so good at taking care of you either.”
    â€œAre you going to give me away too?”
    â€œNo. No. Nothing like that. When a mother has a baby, usually she naturally knows how to take care of it. If she’s able to, that is. Yours couldn’t, so I said I would, but I wasn’t really prepared. I didn’t know how. I was scared, I guess.”
    â€œGrownups don’t get scared.”
    Lesley smiled. “It seems that way, doesn’t it? But they do. They’re probably scared of more things than kids are, because they know more about what can hurt them.”
    Ricky frowned as if he didn’t quite believe her.
    â€œMaybe I can explain it better sometime. But for right now, what I wanted to say was I’m going to try harder to be a better mother to you.”
    â€œLike come to my soccer games? And not be late?”
    â€œYes. Like that.” She paused for a moment. “You know, Ricky, a lot of things happened when you were born. That’s when Grandpa got sick. We were all worried about him and about you too. There was a lot for me to do.”
    â€œLike run Grandpa’s company?”
    â€œExactly. All of a sudden I had to be the boss at work because Grandpa couldn’t. I guess I kind of became the boss at home too. I was so busy being the boss, I never learned how to be a mother.”
    â€œYou can be a bossy mother. I won’t mind.”
    â€œI’d like to be just your mother, if that’s okay with you.”
    Ricky beamed. “Sure. Can I call you Mom instead of Lesley?”
    â€œI think I’d like that.”
    â€œMaybe if I call you Mom, you’ll get better at being one.”
    â€œMaybe. I’m sorry, Ricky. That’s what I really wanted to say. I’m sorry and I’ll try harder. You might have to tell me what you need because I won’t always know. You’ll have to train me, okay?”
    â€œLike how Niko is going to train me to play soccer?”
    â€œSomething like that.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Lesley smiled and patted his knee through the covers. Kids were so much more accepting than