The Miracle Wife (Harlequin Romance)

by Leclaire, Day

  “What do you mean you’ve come to grant her wish?”

  Spying her briefcase resting against the leg of his desk, J.J. stooped beside it. “I thought you said you knew about Mathias and the wishes.”

  Perhaps if she’d been looking at him she’d have had some warning. Instead the heavy hand that clamped on her arm and drew her to her feet came as a complete—and unnerving—surprise. “Mathias sent you to give my daughter a wish?”

  If only he weren’t holding her so close. She drew a shaky breath, but that only made it worse. Now she had his scent to contend with in addition to the powerful play of muscles across his chest and along his arms. “He—he does that. Surprises people with Christmas wishes.” Her eyes widened as she belatedly recalled the directive to keep the project absolutely confidential. Dammit all. This was Raven’s fault! If he hadn’t been touching her, she wouldn’t have lost her concentration and revealed so much.

  “A Christmas wish,” he repeated. “In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s not Christmas.”

  “I guess he decided to give me a head start.” It sounded lame, even to her ears.

  “I don’t need Blackstone giving my child anything—especially not wishes.”

  Perhaps she should start over. She’d made a number of assumptions that under other circumstances, she’d never have done. Apparently, since leaving her father’s PR firm, she’d lost her edge. Carefully she eased from his hold. It helped. A little. “Look, I’m new at granting wishes,” she confessed. “To be honest, your daughter is my first assignment. So, perhaps I’m not going about it exactly right.”

  “Have you any idea what her wish is?”

  His question resurrected that horrible moment downstairs, when they were besieged by reporters and River had said... Said... “Justice is going to be my new mommy!”

  J.J. moistened her lips. “Please tell me it isn’t what she mentioned downstairs. She wants a...a mother?”

  His eyes caught fire again and she realized she’d run full tilt into a father’s protective instinct—an instinct that had unquestioningly slipped into overdrive. “You told her that’s why you came,” he accused. “My daughter is sitting in the other room indulging unrealistic fantasies about weddings and mothers and fairy-tale endings. And you’re responsible.”

  “I came to grant her a wish. That much is true.”

  “What wish were you instructed to grant?”

  Heaven help her. If he was angry before, he was going to be furious when he heard her answer. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  “You don’t know?”

  How could three tiny words sound so deadly? “The memo just gave her name and instructed me to come here and grant her wish,” J.J. hastened to explain.

  “Let me see this memo.”

  “I don’t have it. It was on my computer at work.” Inspiration struck. “Ask Gem. She was there.”

  His eyebrows winged upward. “My computer system is privy to the memos at Blackstone?”

  “Oh, right. I guess they wouldn’t be interconnected, would they?”

  “They better not be.”

  And yet...Gem had recognized her in the elevator. J.J. fought an overwhelming sense of bewilderment. She needed to think, to puzzle the problem through—assuming Raven gave her a chance to do that. “Look, I don’t understand any of this. Mathias grants wishes that are really straightforward. And good-hearted. He’d never deliberately—”

  “Do not sing Mathias Blackstone’s praises to me,” Raven cut her off with unmistakable fury. “I know all I need to about your boss. He’s a procurer.” He made it sound tainted. “He’ll pay any price or go to any extreme to obtain whatever treasure he’s after at the moment. Even if it involves hurting a little girl.”

  “No! That’s not true. He’s a Secret Santa.” Oh, no! She’d done it again. What was it about Raven? How did he manage to pull words from her mouth that had no business being there? “Mathias gives people wishes free of charge,” she explained with a sigh. “He’s the most generous man I know.”

  “My daughter is desperate for a mother. Not any mother, but a mother who happens to be a fairy. A fairy who looks just like you. How’s he going to grant her wish?”

  He had her with that one. “I suppose he sent me because I do look like Justice. I guess I’m in the best position to handle the problem.”

  “You both could have handled the problem by not showing up,” he growled. “Before it was a child’s fantasy. A dream. Now she thinks that dream can become reality. Well, thanks, but no thanks.” Swearing beneath his breath, he swung away from her. “How did Mathias know about her wish?”

  “I assume someone told him.”

  Raven turned to face her again, his eyes brimming with suspicion. “Who?”

  “I haven’t a clue, though Mathias has incredible sources.”

  “He’d have to. I didn’t even know about River’s wish until five minutes ago.”

  “Someone had to,” she insisted gently. “Even if you didn’t.”

  “And Mathias discovered my daughter wanted you for a mother and, without any warning, pitched you into the middle of it.” His sarcasm cut deep. “How kind of him.”

  He’d touched on a sore point. She didn’t appreciate being manipulated, and right at this moment, she definitely felt as though she’d been used. It was all too reminiscent of the years she’d spent working for her father—long, painful, soul-corrupting years. JJ. lowered her head, fighting the cynical side of her nature. There had to be some other explanation for Mathias’s actions. He knew her history and wouldn’t hurt her that way. Her hands collapsed into tight fists. Please don’t let him have set her up like this.

  “Perhaps he didn’t realize that was her wish,” she suggested, fighting a creeping despair. “Perhaps he just knew she had one and—”

  Raven cut her off. “Don’t bother covering for him. Face it. He’s using you and my daughter to get at me. How noble.”

  That caught her attention. Mathias hoped to get at Raven? “What does he want from you?”

  “He didn’t even tell you that much?”

  She shook her head. “Nor do I believe he’d use a child to obtain a procurement any more than he’d use me. Mathias isn’t like that.” Although he had used Jacq to fulfill a wish one time. But that had been different. Still... Doubts assailed her yet again.

  “Let’s just say that your precious boss has been in touch for the past six months in an effort to purchase some property of mine. I’ve refused him every single time, but the man doesn’t give up.”

  “He is rather determined,” J.J. conceded.

  “So now he’s using a more ruthless method. My daughter. He’s trying to force my compliance through her.” He approached, his eyes reflecting a harsh warning. “It’s a mistake he’s going to regret.”

  Somehow she suspected her brother-in-law wasn’t the only one who would experience regrets. She struggled for composure. “Mathias wouldn’t do anything to harm your daughter. Nor would I. Tell me how you want to handle the situation with River and I’ll do it. Will that satisfy you?”

  “It’s a start.”

  “So? What do you suggest?”

  “First, you’re going to convince my daughter that you’re not a fairy. Then you’re going to explain that you can’t fulfill her wish. Understood?”

  “Yes.”

  He crowded close again, the warmth of his body invading hers. Did the man have no sense of personal space? Apparently not. “I’m warning you, Ms. Randell. Be very careful what you say. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m extremely protective of my daughter.”

  A thousand sarcastic retorts leapt to her tongue and she successfully bit back every last one of them. Years of practice helped. When she fixed her gaze on him, she knew it would be empty of all expression. “I understand,” she replied evenly. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt her.”

  He studied her for a moment longer, no doubt assessing her sincerity. Finally he nodded. “I’ll bring
her in.”

  “Will you allow me to speak to her privately?”

  It went against his better judgment, she could tell. Tension radiated from him, his muscles clenching as if he were a predator on the verge of attack. “Don’t screw this up, Ms. Randell.”

  “I’ll do my best not to.”

  “You better hope your best is good enough.”

  He left the room and J.J. took a deep breath. Then another. Dear heaven, what had Mathias been thinking? Had he completely lost his mind? She wished she had enough time to call and demand an explanation, but somehow she doubted that was a possibility. Fighting for control, she stooped beside her briefcase again and removed the Jack Rabbitt book she’d brought for River. Thank goodness she’d tossed it in.

  She suspected it just might change everything.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Fausta was the oldest and wisest fairy in the entire kingdom. And she knew more magic than all the fairies put together. Rumor had it, she even knew how to tame the great dragon, Nemesis—or at least how to win a favor from the dark beast. It was this ability Justice wanted to learn more than anything else in the whole world.

  She and the prince had continued to meet in secret. But that secret wouldn’t last much longer. Soon they would be forced to part unless... Unless Justice coaxed a favor from Nemesis.

  Page 10, The Great Dragon Hunt

  Jack Rabbitt

  THE door swung open and River peeked around, cradling her rag doll to her shoulder. She appeared absurdly tiny in comparison to the massive wood panel. “Justice?” she whispered. “Are you there?”

  J.J. stepped from the shadows so she could be seen. “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

  With a broad grin, the little girl erupted into the room. “I was afraid you turned back into a fairy and flew away.” She threw herself against J.J., her arms desperately tight, as though she truly were worried that her “fairy” might disappear at any second.

  JJ. released her breath in a frustrated sigh. Time to set the poor thing straight. Destroying River’s illusions would be one of the most difficult tasks she’d ever faced. But what choice did she have? This whole “wish” business had gotten seriously out of hand. “I didn’t change back into a fairy because I’m not a fairy,” she explained gently. “I’m a real person, just like you.”

  River shrugged, clearly unconcerned. “I know. Fairies can do that for a little while.”

  J.J.’s brows pulled together. “They can?”

  The little girl giggled. “Didn’t you know that? Is that why you don’t think you’re a fairy? Did you forget when you turned into a lady?”

  “No. I—” Good grief. This wasn’t getting her anywhere. Here, she’d been in a flat-out panic about causing permanent psychological damage to the poor kid. It had never occurred to her that River wouldn’t believe what she had to say. Determinedly, she held out the Jack Rabbitt book, The Great Dragon Hunt. “I brought this for you as a present. It’s brand-new.”

  River’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you!” She stared at the cover with a touch of awe. “A dragon. I didn’t know there were dragons, too.”

  Oh, great. “Not real dragons, honey. Look. Let me show you something inside.” Turning to the back flap, she pointed to the picture of Jacq. “That’s Jack Rabbitt. Her name’s pretend just like her stories. She’s my sister. Her real name’s Jacqueline Blackstone. She’s the one who writes the books and draws the pictures. She makes them up. Understand? They’re all make-believe, not real.”

  “Is she a fairy, too?”

  J.J. groaned. Clearly she was having limited success explaining reality to the little girl. It would seem the stubbornness gene had made a successful pass from father to daughter. “No. She’s a real person, just like me. She invented the dragons and fairies and used people as models for her drawings. That’s why I look like Justice. But my real name is J.J.”

  “Where do you keep your wings when you’re bein’ a person?” River circled J.J., tilting her head from side to side. “Do they come off? Do you hang them up in your closet? Or are they invisible?”

  J.J. twisted around to face the little girl. “Sweetheart, please listen to me. I don’t have wings. I’m not a fairy. Fairies are pretend. Do you understand pretend?”

  River simply nodded, not in the least troubled by the revelation. “That’s what you have to tell people so nobody finds out about your being a fairy. That’s what the book said.”

  “What book?”

  “You know. The one where you became real so you could help save Celia from the trolls.”

  “Oh, right.” She vaguely recalled thumbing through that one, marveling that her sister had kept her occupation a secret from the family for so long. Especially considering she’d used every last one of them as characters in her books. “My brother was one of the trolls.” And her father a king, heaven help Jacq’s mythical world.

  “He’s a troll?” River asked, clearly awestruck.

  J.J. wished she could have bitten off her tongue. “Not a real troll. I meant—”

  The rag doll was clutched closer. “I don’t have any brothers. But if I did, I wouldn’t want them to be trolls.”

  J.J. nodded in perfect understanding. “It can be a problem.” Almost as much a problem as her current predicament. “Listen, River. We need to talk about this. Your dad is really mad at me.”

  “That’s because he doesn’t believe in fairies. He doesn’t want to get married, either. That’s why I wished.”

  “You made a wish?”

  “Uh-huh. The wish you came to give me.”

  “The one about having a mother?”

  “Yes.” River fingered the doll’s black yam head, carefully straightening each individual strand so the “hair” fell in a tidy curtain. “I wished for a mother just like you.”

  It took J.J. a moment to respond. For some odd reason, her throat had closed over, emotions she’d always been able to control with ease fighting for release. She didn’t understand it. She’d always lived a practical life. Always made the reasonable choices. Never wished on a star or dreamed of flying to the moon on gossamer wings. That had been her sister’s department.

  J.J. closed her eyes, admitting the painful truth. She’d always longed for such a rich fantasy life. Longed—just once—to be the creative, head-in-the-clouds daughter. Unfortunately her older sister had filled that role, and quite capably, too.

  Taking a deep breath, she faced her tiny nemesis. “Sweetheart, that’s why I’m here. I’ve been sent to explain that your wish isn’t possible.”

  Tears spiked the lashes around River’s pale blue eyes and her chin quivered ever so slightly. “You can’t stay? You can’t be my mommy?”

  Oh, great. She’d made the kid cry. Sierra would have her head. “I can give you another wish,” she offered out of sheer desperation. “But not... not the one you made.”

  “I don’t want another wish! I want you. I want you for my mommy. All the other girls have one. All except me. I asked Daddy, but he said no. And Ge—” She clutched the doll tighter, practically squeezing the stuffing out of it. “Somebody said I could get a mom if I wished. So, I did. I wished real, real hard. That’s why you’re here. Don’t you remember?” Her voice rose. “You have to remember!”

  “I’m here to give you a wish, just not—”

  “Be my mommy!” River’s voice broke. “That’s my wish.”

  JJ. stood there, achingly erect. How fitting. She’d gone from a woman without fantasies of her own, to a breaker of dreams. A destroyer of illusions. A practical twenty-six-year-old who’d never made a wish and who, apparently, couldn’t grant one, either. “I’m so sorry, River,” she whispered. “What you ask isn’t possible.”

  “Why?” The question was heartrending, dredged from the deepest part of a small child. It was a plea for someone to explain the capricious nature of Fate, to explain why she must go without a mother’s love.

  “I don’t know. I’ve been told I can’t do it.”
<
br />   “But why can’t you?”

  A vague memory sparked an idea, something she recalled reading in one of Jacq’s books. Clearly using facts as an argument wasn’t working. So, perhaps the fantasy laws of her sister’s make-believe world would do the trick. JJ. knelt beside River and gathered her close. “You think I’m a fairy, don’t you?” At the little girl’s nod, she asked, “Can fairies stay people forever?”

  “No. Only a little while.”

  “So how can a fairy be your mother?”

  It was obviously a question that hadn’t occurred to River. JJ. pressed home her advantage, hating that she was still playing into fantasies instead of dealing with the realities of the situation. “It wouldn’t work, sweetie. That’s why I have to give you another wish. But,” she hastened to add, “it has to be a wish I can do.” The way her luck had been running, River would ask to see the dragon. And somehow she doubted Mathias would make an adequate substitution.

  “I just wanted a mommy,” River whispered. “I don’t have any other wishes.”

  J.J. didn’t doubt it. She’d bet her last penny that Raven took care of every need the little girl had. Well...except one. She enclosed River in a warm hug. “I’m so sorry. This is the very first wish I’ve ever tried to give someone and I’m sorry I can’t do it.”

  “Would you...would you be my mommy if you could?”

  The question brought tears to J.J.’s eyes. “I’d love to have a daughter just like you. Any mother would.” She felt tiny fingers gently comb through her hair. It was a tentative touch, wistful and delicate, almost instantly withdrawn—a child hesitant to reach for what she wanted most in the world. Was she afraid it might disappear? The thought hurt unbearably.

  Easing back, J.J. captured River’s chin with the knuckle of her index finger. What incredible eyes the little girl had, as clear and deep as a fast-tumbling stream. Hope and despair were mirrored in the silver-blue depths and J.J. couldn’t bring herself to crush that tiny spark of hope. She knew Raven wanted her to shatter his daughter’s fantasies, to explain that fairies weren’t real. But she couldn’t be so brutal. She just couldn’t.