The Baby Bargain

by Dallas Schulze

  44 Not right now. I have to get home before my father gets back and finds me gone."

  44 Okay, but we need to talk. Where do you live? How can I get in touch with you?"

  4 'You can't!" The look she threw him held something approaching terror. "Please, I'll call you in a day or two and we can work out the details. Now I really have to go."

  "Let me give you my number." He found a pen and grabbed a napkin off the table, hastily scribbling his home number and the number at the garage. Kelly took it from him, stuffing it into her pocket without looking at it.

  "You'll call? You won't change your mind?" Dan didn't try to conceal the urgency he felt. What if she just disappeared, taking his unborn child with her? He would never know what happened.

  "I won't change my mind. I don't have any other choice," she said firmly. She turned and hurried away as quickly as the heavy boots would allow.

  Dan watched her leave, clenching his hands against the urge to go after her. It took every ounce of willpower he had to watch her walk out the door of Rosie's and disappear. She literally carried all his hopes for the future.

  Chapter 5

  JL/an straightened from under the hood of his Corvette and stared at the phone on the wall, willing it to ring. It remained stubbornly silent, a fact that Lee regretted as much as he did, though for different reasons. Business at Lee's garage had been slow for the past two days. Lee was working on a truck, the only job they currently had. Dan was giving his own car a totally unnecessary tune-up.

  A Corvette was probably not the best car for a family man, he thought, frowning down into the engine compartment. He wanted his child surrounded by something a little more substantial than fiberglass. He would need something solid, a wagon maybe. Of course when the child got older they might get something a litde snappier.

  Maybe he could keep the car, give it to his son or daughter for their sixteenth birthday. His scowl deepened. No, he didn't want to be the kind of parent who gave their children everything they wanted. A kid needed to learn the value of hard work, of earning something for themselves.

  His own father had given him a job working on one of the construction sites so that he could earn the money to buy his

  first car. He had resented it, knowing his father could have given him the money outright But he'd busted his butt for nearly six months and nothing in his life had ever felt quite as satisfying as paying for that car with money he'd earned himself.

  He wanted to give his own child that same sense of independence, of accomplishment. He grinned. His child. He liked the sound of that phrase. He'd told Kelly that he wanted the child without giving it any thought. Now he'd had forty-eight hours to think about it and he hadn't felt a twinge of regret for his snap decision.

  So why hadn't she called? Why hadn't he insisted on knowing where she lived? It had been stupid of him to let her walk away like that, when he had no way of finding her. Of course, he could always call every family named Russell listed in the phone book. But that didn't guarantee he'd find her.

  "Problem with the car?" Lee stood on the other side of the car, looking at the immaculate engine, seeking a reason for the heavy frown Dan had been wearing all day.

  "No. It's fine." Dan answered distractedly. "I was thinking about something else."

  "Wondering why the phone doesn't ring?" Lee's dark eyes studied his friend.

  "Things are kind of slow around here, huh?" Dan reached to lower the hood, letting it shut with a thud.

  "I didn't realize you were so passionate about my business," Lee commented, absently wiping his greasy hands on an equally greasy rag.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, you checked the phone half a dozen times yesterday to see if it was still working. And every time it rang, you sprinted for it like you were trying for an Olympic medal. And you've done the same thing today."

  Dan shrugged, reaching for the jar of waterless hand cleaner and smearing it over his hands. The sharp scent filled the air, competing with the odor of grease and new rubber from the rack of tires that lined one wall.

  "I'm expecting a call," he admitted.

  4 'Something important?" Lee leaned back against the truck he'd been working on.

  4 'Yeah, it's important." That was the understatement of the year. Why didn't she call? He glanced at the phone again. It was getting dark out. Why hadn't he heard from her?

  "Something to do with that little girl who was here a couple of days ago?"

  "She's not a little girl," Dan snapped, feeling the phrase bite at his conscience. He felt guilty enough about what had happened without Lee making Kelly sound like a child. He rinsed the cleaner off his hands.

  "Sorry." Lee's gaze sharpened at Dan's tone. "She a friend of yours?"

  "More or less." Dan reached for a towel, turning to look at Lee as he dried his hands. "It's funny, you don't look like my father but you're beginning to sound like him. Is there a reason for this catechism?"

  Lee laughed, lifting one hand in apology. "Hey. I didn't mean to sound like a cop. It's just that you've seemed different the past couple of days. More alive than I've seen you in a long time."

  Before Dan could find an answer to that, a car pulled into the parking lot and Lee turned to greet what he sincerely hoped was a new customer.

  More alive. Dan rolled the phrase over in his mind. Yes, it pretty well described how he felt. Ever since coming back to the States, he'd been drifting. There had been nothing left of his old life and he hadn't been able to find a new direction so he had just drifted, mentally at least Now he had something to focus on, something to strive for.

  He frowned at the phone. If only Kelly would call.

  As if on cue, the phone rang. Dan lunged for it, telling himself that there was no reason to think that it was Kelly, any more than any of the other calls had been her. But this time he was rewarded.

  "Is Dan Remington there?" The voice was muffled and slightly shaky, as if she were nervous.

  "Kelly? This is Dan/' His fingers knotted around the receiver. He felt almost dizzy with relief She'd called.

  "I...I'm sorry to bother you at work." His relief was tempered by uneasiness. She sounded...odd

  "Are you all right?"

  "Can you come get me?" Her voice wavered.

  "Where are you? Are you all right?" Dan scribbled down the address she gave him, aware that she'd twice ignored the question of how she was. "Kelly?" His voice was sharp.

  "Can you come get me?" There was a note of something he couldn't quite define in the question. Fear? Panic?

  "I'll be right there." He set the receiver down hard enough to draw a ping of protest from the phone. Ripping the address off the notepad, he turned toward his car, digging the keys out of his pocket

  "I gather you're on your way out," said Lee, who'd come back into the building.

  "Yeah. Sorry to give you such short notice but I won't be back today."

  "No problem."

  Dan backed the Corvette out of the garage and into the small parking lot, spinning the wheel so hard that the tires squealed a protest He felt a sense of urgency he couldn't explain and didn't try to argue with.

  Kelly cradled the receiver to her cheek, though the line had gone dead. Her knuckles were white with the force of her grip. He had said he'd be right here. How long would it take him to get here from the garage? How long could she wait? She leaned into the corner of the phone booth, hoping that she looked as if she were using it for its intended purpose and not as a refuge.

  The mild weather had continued and the temperature hovered in the sixties, but Kelly hugged her coat closer around her body. Shivers coursed through her frame. How long would it take Dan to get here?

  In fact, it took Dan less time to arrive at the address Kelly had given him than he had thought it would. Luckily traffic

  was light.

  The address turned out to be that of a convenience store. Dan pulled the Corvette into a parking space and started to get out, but Kelly had already s
tepped out of a phone booth and was hurrying toward the car. He leaned across the seat, pushing open the passenger door for her.

  She was wearing the same coat she'd had on two days ago and the same thick boots, but this time she had a scarf wrapped around her head as if she were cold. The scarf was a faded navy blue, ragged around the edges, and she'd pulled it forward until it obscured her features.

  "I got here as soon as I could," he said as she slid into the car. He felt as if he should apologize, though he knew it hadn't been more than ten minutes since she'd called.

  4 'Thank you." Her voice still sounded muffled, almost as if she had a cold. She didn't look at him, didn't push the scarf back, didn't loosen her coat, though the interior of the car was comfortably warm.

  Dan put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot He glanced at Kelly. She was sitting as rigidly upright as the low-slung seats would allow. A convulsive tremor jerked her thin body.

  "Are you all right?"

  "Fine," she muttered in that oddly thick voice.

  His frown deepened. "Where do you want to go?"

  "I don't care," she whispered.

  Dan glanced in the rearview mirror and then pulled over abruptly, stopping next to the curb. Reaching out, he twitched the scarf from her head. She gasped and shrank back against the seat, ducking her head, but he'd already seen enough to tell him thai fine didn't begin to describe her condition.

  His hand was gentle but implacable as he cupped her chin, lifting her face so that the light fell on it

  "God Almighty." The words were more prayer than curse.

  No wonder her voice had been muffled. Her lips were swollen and bruised. One eye had swelled almost shut, the other

  was puffy. There was a cut on one cheekbone and blue bruises marked one side of her jaw.

  "Who did this to you?" His voice was hoarse. Rage like he'd never known before threatened to choke him. He could hear the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears.

  She shook her head, trying to pull away but he refused to let her hide.

  44 Who did this?" he demanded, his eyes a fierce, angry blue.

  "Don't. Please." She shrank back, lifting one hand, afraid that he was going to strike her.

  Dan released his light hold as if burned. 44 I would never hit you. I've never hit a woman in my life." He sounded as shaken as he felt 44 Tell me who did this to you," he asked again, more gently.

  She shook her head, pressing her fingers to her battered mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. She began to cry, slow, painful tears that ran silently down her pale cheeks.

  Dan started the Corvette, aware that his hands were shaking. 4 Tm taking you to the emergency room."

  44 No!" She reached out to clutch his arm, her fingers digging through the light flannel of his shirt 44 No, I don't want to go to a hospital. I don't want to see anyone."

  4 'Kelly, you need to see a doctor." He set his hand over hers, intending comfort, but she jerked away from the light touch, wrapping her arms around herself. She rocked back and forth, those painfully silent tears trickling down her face.

  44 I don't want to go to a hospital. I won't I won't, I won't" There was an edge to her voice that made it clear she was on the verge of hysteria.

  44 0kay, okay. I won't take you to a hospital. I'll take you to my apartment. You'll be okay there."

  Kelly huddled in a corner of the car, crying silently. Dan drove with one eye on her, one eye on the road and his thoughts torn between rage and concern. He wanted to get his hands on whoever had beaten her. He wanted to tear them limb from limb. And he wanted to take Kelly to a hospital. She should have a doctor take a look at her, make sure she was all right.

  And the baby. His hands tightened on the wheel. Was the baby all right?

  He couldn't think about that now. His first concern had to be taking care of Kelly. If he took her to the hospital, she was likely to go into hysterics, which couldn't be good for her or the baby. He'd take her home, get her calmed down and they could go from there.

  Ben. Dan felt a wave of relief. Ben Masters was a friend of his, a doctor who had been there for him when he came home and had seen him through some rough times. He could call him if it looked as if Kelly needed medical attention.

  Dan parked the Corvette in front of his apartment building. Kelly didn't move, didn't even seem aware that the car had stopped. He hesitated, wondering if this was such a good idea, after all. He shook his head, thrusting open his door.

  She started when he opened the door, pulling back against the seat.

  "This is just my apartment," he told her soothingly. "You'll be able to clean up and we'll get some ice on that eye. You'll be okay here."

  She stared at him blankly for a moment, as if having trouble sorting his words into something she could understand. Dan's hand clenched on the edge of the door frame. He wished he knew who had hit her.

  Kelly swung her legs out, her movements stiff, as if she were a very old woman. Dan held back the urge to help her, remembering how she reacted to his smallest touch. But when she stumbled against the curb, he caught her automatically, one arm around her waist as she fell against his chest. He expected her to immediately jerk away, to see that look of fright in her eyes. But it seemed she'd expended the last of her strength. She lay against him, her eyes closed, her breathing quick and shallow.

  Muttering a curse directed toward whoever had done this to her, he bent to scoop her up in his arms. She didn't protest. He wasn't even sure she was aware of what was going on. He pushed the car door shut with his foot. As he carried her up the walkway, it came to him that he'd carried her to the door

  on New Year's Eve, too. It was too bad the circumstances were so different

  The curtains in the window of the apartment below his twitched violently. So Mrs. Barnett had been watching the street more than her television. She'd certainly been rewarded for her inattention today. Within the hour, every old woman in the small building would know that he'd carried a woman to his apartment.

  Most of the apartments were occupied by retirement-age women, a fact that meant the building was generally very quiet It also meant that, as the only young, unattached male in the building, his movements had been carefully scrutinized since moving in nearly a year ago.

  His life had been so dull he thought he'd pretty well discouraged them. Sheer boredom had made him a less than hot topic. But that would all change now. If it had been just a little later, it would have been too dark for her to see anything.

  He set Kelly down in front of the door, keeping one arm around her waist as he thrust the key into the lock. She leaned against him, seemingly incapable of supporting her own weight. Lifting her again, he carried her into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind them. He brought her into the bedroom and set her on the bed.

  She sat without moving, her hands limp at her sides, her battered features without expression. Dan frowned down at her, wondering again if he'd made the right decision in bringing her here.

  "Let's get these off." He knelt in front of her, unlacing the work boots with quick jerks. She seemed hardly aware of him removing them, but when he reached for her coat, she pulled back with a whimper of protest, clutching the ratty cloth.

  44 All right." Dan pitched his voice low and soothing. "You can keep the coat on. I'm going to call a friend of mine who's a doctor and ask him to come over and take a look at you."

  44 No," she mumbled, his words snapping her out of her despondency. Her eyes flickered with awareness as she drew farther back onto the bed. 44 I don't want to see anyone."

  *'Kelly, you have to see a doctor. You could have serious injuries."

  "No." She made an effort to draw herself upright, wincing as her bruised body protested the move. "I'm fine," she said, apparently unaware of how ridiculous the claim sounded, muffled as it was by her swollen mouth.

  "No, you're not." Without thinking, Dan reached up to brush back a lock of hair that had fallen over her forehead. She winced back,
her eyes frightened, freezing the movement. His fingers curled into his palm before he let his hand drop away from her.

  "I would never hurt you, Kelly," he said quietly.

  She said nothing, watching him warily. Clearly she didn't believe him.

  "You should see a doctor."

  "No." The word was little more than a whimper of protest. She turned away, wrapping her arms around her knees and pressing her battered face against them.

  Dan stood. Looking down at her, he felt a sense of helplessness, a feeling he'd grown familiar with during the two years he'd spent in prison. It was not a sensation he enjoyed. Kelly began to rock back and forth, seeking comfort in the gentle rhythm.

  Dan's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He wanted to reach out and gather her up and tell her that no one was ever going to hurt her again. His mouth twisted. He was a fine one to promise her protection, considering the results of their brief acquaintance on New Year's Eve.

  Still, he was all she had at the moment.

  "Kelly, you've got to let someone take a look at your injuries. If not a doctor, then it's going to have to be me."

  For all her response, he might not have spoken at all. He waited but she didn't lift her head. It was as if by wrapping her arms around herself she had shut out the rest of the world. Considering what the world had done to her lately he couldn't say he blamed her.

  Someone still had to look at her injuries. He turned on his heel and left the room. When he came back a few minutes

  later, he was carrying a bowl of warm water, a wash cloth and a bottle of alcohol. He set everything on the floor next to the bed.

  Ben's answering service had informed Dan that Ben was unavailable but would return his call at the first possible moment. He'd left a message, saying it was urgent that Ben call him. Meanwhile, he could take Kelly to a hospital, which seemed likely to throw her into hysterics—or he could try to tend her injuries himself.

  He snapped on the lamp next to the bed. The sudden rush of light in the darkened room seemed almost painfully brilliant. Kelly hadn't moved. She was still crouched in the middle of the bed, curled protectively into herself. He set his teeth and reached for her. She started when his hand touched her shoulder, pulling back.