Read Accidental Father for Free Online Page B

she’d still have plenty of little ones in her life when Liam went to live in St. Michel. It seemed wrong for her not to have children in her life somehow.
    As Alex watched Julianne haggle with the shopkeeper, he wondered why she didn’t have kids of her own. The report had indicated she’d been married briefly to a man who had also been a musician in the Continental Symphony Orchestra. After their divorce he left the group. Since him, there was no evidence of other romantic interests in her life. Perhaps she’d simply chosen to focus on hercareer. God knows she seemed busy enough with the orchestra, the foundation and now, Liam.
    Even though they seemed to click, Alex imagined that people took Julianne at face value. She didn’t seem like the easiest person to get to know. Sometimes reserve was mistaken for aloofness. Yet she was quite charming when given the chance.
    She wasn’t shy, as evidenced by the way she’d burst into his office to defend her nephew, and she obviously had no qualms about getting up on stage and performing her music in front of large audiences.
    Hmm… The woman was a study of contradictions.
    Although he couldn’t hear what she and the shopkeeper were saying, she seemed to be holding her own. The man must’ve spoken English, because Alex witnessed a lot of back-and-forth talking and some emphatic headshaking and gesturing on the part of the shopkeeper, an old man who looked as antique as some of the relics in his cluttered shop.
    Someone honked a car horn and Liam startled awake crying. Loudly.
    Oh, great.
    Clumsily, Alex picked up the baby, and that only seemed to make him cry louder.
    Much to his relief, an empty-handed Julianne exited the shop a few moments later.
    â€œOh no, poor baby,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
    At the sound of her voice, Liam turned and held his little arms out to her.
    â€œA car horn startled him,” Alex said.
    â€œHere…” Her voice was soothing as she took the baby. Liam stopped crying and smiled at her through his tears.
    â€œMa Ma,” he said.
    Ma Ma? He called her mama?
    For a moment, Alex worried about how taking the boy away from Julianne would affect his son.
    Mama…
    He blinked away the thought. Liam was young, and he was also a sitting duck for a kidnapping. Sending him to St. Michel was the best thing for him, even if he couldn’t expect Julianne to drop her life in Washington, D.C., and go with him.
    She has her foundation and her job with the orchestra; a full life and important commitments.
    â€œThe old coot must be insane to think he can charge $500 for that flute.” Her words chased away his thoughts. “If he’s not crazy, he’s unscrupulous. If he tricks someone into paying that kind of money he’ll be guilty of robbery.”
    They resumed their trek toward the hotel.
    â€œHow much did you offer him?”
    â€œI was willing to go as high as $30. But even that was high.”
    Alex shrugged. “Well, if he was asking $500 apparently he didn’t agree.”
    â€œMaybe it’s because I’m American, because my French isn’t very good? Do you think?”
    â€œWho knows? It’s hard to say since I wasn’t in there with you.”
    That wasn’t the only thing that was hard for him to say. She was set to leave Paris the day after tomorrow. At dinner tomorrow night he had to tell her that she’d be leaving without her son. No—without his son!
    Her nephew, who called her, “Ma Ma.”

Chapter Four
    â€œI ’m speechless,” Alex’s brother, Luc Lejardin, uttered through the telephone receiver.
    Breaking the news about Liam to the family was the first step in devising a security plan to protect the boy and to ensure Alex didn’t lose his son for good. Because Luc had once been the head of St. Michel’s national security before his marriage to Sophie, the newly crowned Queen of their