The Temporary Wife - By Jeannie Moon Page 0,58

bidding just like always.”

Jason stared for a moment.

“What? You think I married her to keep my parents happy?”

“I think you’ll screw my sister over as soon as you get the chance.”

Jason let his head get around the accusation. It made him feel a little sick inside that Kevin’s reasoning made sense. They thought that he was in the marriage for his family, not to protect Meg and Molly. To screw her over for his old man. Considering their history, Jason couldn’t fault them.

But how could he make them understand that they were wrong?

“My parents hate that we got married. The only thing that shut them up was when we put Molly’s money in a blind trust.”

“I don’t trust you, Campbell,” Kevin said. “I don’t. Because of your family my father dropped dead from a heart attack. If you do anything to hurt my sister or Molly, I will fucking crush you.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t already.” Jason tugged at his cuffs thinking about everything the Rossis went through after they left the estate. Mr. Rossi dying just a month later was the blow that left everyone reeling. Logically, Jason knew his family wasn’t directly responsible, but it felt like it. And that alone made him want to make amends. “Look, I’m going to take care of them. You aren’t going to have to crush anyone. Just let us figure it out.” The valet pulled up with his car, and Jason slipped a tip into his hand. “And you have to trust me, because I’m the only thing standing between her and an ugly custody fight.”

When he got in his car and closed the door, he thought he probably shouldn’t have said what he did. They could have explained away the separate bedrooms, but now they all knew this marriage wasn’t what it appeared to be on the surface. Meg’s family wasn’t the problem, though. They’d protect her and Molly at all costs. It was his family, his parents, who would cause a shitload of trouble if they thought for one second there was a vulnerability.

Jason pulled away and headed for 7-Eleven to get some ginger ale, because his focus needed to stay on a sick little girl and on Meg, not his parents or the trouble they might cause.

***

Meg got Molly settled in bed and went to her room to change into some sweats. It had been the weirdest night.

It was like the incident with Grant and the challenge from her family flipped Jason’s husband switch. Yes, he was late, but he’d shown up with an incredibly thoughtful gift for her mother, said all the right things, and was the perfect dad to Molly.

The sound of the garage door opening told her he was home, and for some strange reason, that calmed her, made her happy, and she wished it didn’t. Meg needed to remember how much it hurt when he ignored her. How abandoned she felt when they got home from their honeymoon.

But where Jason was concerned nothing made sense.

Even with all the things he’d done, she’d lost control of her heart. Again.

Heading back to Molly’s room, Meg tried not to think about what she was going to do about him. She was falling for him, there was no doubt in her mind about that. What she wanted to do was figure out a way to stop herself.

“Is Uncle Jason back? He was going to read to me.”

“He just got home. Do you want anything?”

“I’m thirsty.”

“Then it’s a good thing I brought you this.” Jason walked into her room with her favorite pink cold cup filled with ginger ale and ice. “So where are these books I’m reading?”

Molly bent over and rifled through the basket next to her bed, examining each book.

“How is her fever?” Jason asked Meg.

“A little over a hundred. While you’re reading I have to report my absence.”

“From school? Why?”

“I can’t leave her all day with the house staff.”

“I’ll stay home and work here. I can set Molly up on my office couch like last time, and the housekeeper will be here all day. It will be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Meg looked at Molly and then back at him. “We can take turns, you know.”

“It’s easier for me. I can work here. No one checks up on me, and I don’t have to worry about my students tying up the substitute.”

Meg smiled and chewed on her fingernail while looking at him. “You don’t mind?”

He smiled into her eyes. “I’m positive. Let me help.”

“Okay. I really don’t want