The Baby Bargain

by Dallas Schulze

  She lifted her head to look at him.

  "I saw my father," she told him, her eyes still dazed with the realization that she'd faced a nightmare and come off unscathed.

  "Where? What happened? Are you all right?" Dan ran his hands over her arms, his eyes sharp as he sought some sign of injury. "Did he touch you? I'll kill him if he hurt you."

  "I'm all right." Her smile was shaky around the edges but she could feel the shock fading. "I'm all right."

  "Are you sure?" Dan sat back on his heels, his look still searching. "What happened?"

  "I faced him. I looked him right in the eye and I didn't cringe in fear." The wonder of it was in her voice.

  Hearing it, Dan let some of the tension ease out of his shoulders. His heart was still beating too fast. When he'd seen her with her head lying on the table, he'd thought for one terrifying moment that something was wrong.

  "What happened?" he asked again, more calmly this time.

  "I went to get groceries." She gestured vaguely to where the two bags still sat on the counter. "He was at the store. And I wasn't afraid of him. Not really. He's not nearly as big as I'd thought. In my mind he was huge. But he's really just average size. Nothing but a filthy, ragged old man. And that's what I told him."

  "You told him that?" Despite the fact that his heart was still beating too fast, Dan's mouth twitched. "How did he react?"

  "I think he was shocked that I hadn't collapsed at his feet. And then he was angry. For a minute, I thought he might hit me."

  Dan's hands were loosely clasped around hers as he knelt in front of her. His fingers tightened. "He didn't, did he?"

  "No. Mr. Johnson, the store manager, came out. He asked if I knew him. And I said he was no one."

  "My God, you do like to live dangerously, don't you?"

  Kelly's laughter was tremulous. "I guess I do. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. He can't hurt me again, can he?"

  "No."

  "I can't believe I said he was no one." Her giggle was more nerves than amusement.

  "You're a lot tougher than you look," Dan said, smiling at her.

  "I guess I am."

  "You're sure you're okay?"

  'Tm fine. In fact, I think I feel better than I have in weeks. Oh, Dan, I'm finally free of him." Without thinking she leaned forward, throwing her arms around his neck.

  Dan caught her with one arm, balancing himself against the table with his free hand when her exuberance threatened to tumble them both to the floor. Laughing, he stood, lifting her off her feet with an arm about her waist.

  Kelly's head fell back, her eyes smiling into his. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to bend his head and kiss her, tasting her smile with his mouth. For a moment, her lips relaxed under his, her body soft against him.

  Only a moment and then she stiffened, turning her head to the side at the same time that her arms pushed away from him. Dan released her instantly, startled by her nearly violent rejection. She stared at him wide-eyed, something that could have been fear in her eyes. But, no, it couldn't be fear because the next instant it was gone. And so was the sparkle of pleasure.

  Dan opened his mouth to apologize and then closed it with a snap. He was damned if he was going to apologize for a perfectly innocent kiss. She was the one who had thrown herself into his arms and there'd been nothing in that kiss to warrant her reaction.

  4 'I wasn't going to ravish you on the table," he said irritably.

  "I know. I... are you going to be home for dinner tonight?"

  And so ends another deeply insightful discussion, Dan thought, surprised at the depth of his frustration. He'd told himself he could be patient, but his patience was wearing a bit thin around the edges.

  "No, I'm not" The truth was he didn't have anywhere else to go. But he wasn't in the mood to spend the evening in this apartment, which seemed to be growing smaller every day. He didn't want to pretend to do paperwork or watch TV, while Kelly pretended to study.

  He didn't want to watch her close the bathroom door behind her and hear the water come on in the shower and then sit there with his imagination running wild, picturing her all wet and inviting.

  "I just came home to pick up a change of clothes and then

  I was going to the gym. Unless you'd like me to stay," he offered, not sure whether or not he wanted her to take him up on it.

  "No. I'm going to study."

  "Are you sure? You're not feeling a little nervous after seeing your father?"

  "No. I feel fine. I think it was really good for me. You go ahead and go to the gym."

  There was no reading anything beneath the careful smile she wore. Dan swallowed the urge to curse roundly. Why was she so bloody determined to keep him at a distance?

  He was no closer to an answer an hour later when Ben collapsed against the bleachers in the gym, holding up a weak hand for mercy.

  "You're getting soft in your old age," Dan told him heartlessly. He sat down a few feet away, spinning the basketball between his hands. Patches of sweat darkened the back of his T-shirt and drew circles under his arms.

  "I thought this was supposed to be a friendly game of one-on-one," Ben protested, dragging himself upright so that he could lean against the bleachers. "You were playing for blood."

  "Was I?" Dan tossed the ball up in the air and caught it Despite thirty minutes of brutal play, there was still a coiled restlessness about him. The physical exertion hadn't exorcised the demons riding him.

  "You want to tell me what's going on with you and Kelly?"

  "No."

  "Well, that's honest enough," Ben said, nodding. "I could accept that and change the subject, but I don't think you're going to be safe to turn loose on a basketball court until you get it off your chest. What's going on?"

  "Nothing's going on except that she's driving me crazy," Dan said moodily.

  "I'm glad it's nothing serious."

  "I don't know what she wants," Dan said, ignoring Ben's flippant remark. "I'm taking care of her. I've given her a home, have said I'll get her into college. We're going to have a kid

  together. And she still acts like she expects me to grow fangs and turn into Dracula one night What does she want from me?"

  "You really want my opinion?"

  "No."

  "Good." Ben settled himself more comfortably, eyeing his friend with a mixture of sympathy and amusement "Have you told her you love her?"

  The basketball shot into the air, landing in the bleachers with a thump. Dan paid it no attention, fixing Ben with a surprised look.

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Why not? Well, because I don't. I like her. I admire her guts. She faced down her father today, did I tell you?"

  "Twice." The dry interruption was ignored.

  "She's got more courage than she realizes. And she's a fighter—but I'm not in love with her."

  "Uh-huh."

  "She's got a good sense of humor and sometimes, when she laughs, her nose wrinkles. It's kind of cute, really. And she's a hard worker. She's really worked on the stuff for the exam. She'll probably ace it But she's too young."

  "Some people are born old," Ben said to no one in particular.

  "Sometimes she does seem almost older than I am. If I were planning on falling in love again..." He shook his head. "But I'm not"

  "I wasn't aware that falling in love was something one put on an agenda."

  "She's got her whole life ahead of her. School and a career and...stuff."

  "You know, you're right." Ben seemed struck by this. "She's much too young. I bet, in a year or two, she'll meet some handsome guy—in college, perhaps—and they'll fall madly in love. They'll get married. She'll have other kids."

  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the flush slowly rise in Dan's face as he contemplated the future that had just been outlined.

  "Maybe she'll even ask you to the wedding."

  "Like hell!"

  Ben looked at him, his eyes wide with surprise. "Yo
u know, if I didn't know better I might think that sounded like jealousy."

  Dan stared at him, the flush slowly fading as he realized how neatly he'd been trapped. "You lousy son of a bitch!"

  "I'm glad we're friends, too." Ben stood and stretched. Dan climbed to his feet more slowly, his eyes glazed. At another time, Ben might have felt sorry for him. As it was, he clapped him on the back with heartless good cheer. "Don't look so shocked. It happens to the best of us."

  Dan watched him leave the gym, whistling softly under his breath. He felt as if he'd been struck in the solar plexus, driving all the air from his lungs.

  He was in love with Kelly. Why hadn't he realized it before? Of course he was in love with her. He felt a foolish grin stretch his mouth. How could he not be in love with her?

  But did she feel the same? The grin faded. She had to love him. She simply had to. And if she didn't, well, then he'd just do his damnedest to make her fall in love with him.

  He wanted to rush home and tell her immediately. He wanted to know if she felt the same. But he reined in the urge. He wanted everything to be perfect when he told her. He wanted to be able to make her see how much she meant to him, to show her how much they belonged together.

  Chapter 15

  JVelly knew she'd overreacted to the kiss. She'd known it as soon as it happened, but it had been too late to change things then. There had been something in Dan's eyes—something like hurt And if he was hurt, it was her fault. She'd reacted like an hysterical little fool. No wonder he'd gone out again. He probably didn't want to look at her. She had made it a point to be in bed before he got home, taking a book with her and not reading a word of it

  She didn't sleep well and woke later than usual, feeling groggy and out of sorts. Slipping into the bathroom, she caught a whiff of coffee, which meant Dan must already be up and about Hopefully he'd be gone by the time she got out of the shower. He probably didn't want to see her any more than she wanted to see him.

  Not even a shower could wash away the rumpled state of her mind. And it didn't improve her mood to hear Dan whistling in the kitchen. She debated ducking back into the bedroom and hiding there until he was gone, but that was hardly an adult way to behave. Smoothing one hand over the thick fall of her hair, she made her way toward the kitchen.

  The scent of coffee had been joined by that of bacon and

  eggs. As Kelly came around the breakfast bar, Dan was just slipping slices of bread into the toaster. He turned, his face creasing in a disgustingly cheerful smile when he saw her.

  "Good morning. My timing is impeccable as usual. Pull up a chair. Breakfast will be on the table in a minute.' *

  Kelly sat down at the table, watching him warily. Why was he suddenly so happy? Where was the tension that had been a constant companion these past weeks? He hadn't been in this kind of a mood last night. In fact, she'd never seen him like this.

  The toast popped up and he lifted it onto a plate, buttering it with what could only be described as a flourish. A moment later, he set a plate of crisp bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs and golden-brown toast in front of her. It wasn't until then that Kelly noticed that the table was neatly set for two, including glasses of chilled orange juice and the omnipresent milk.

  "Looks great, doesn't it?" Dan sat down across the table from her. "Hope you're hungry."

  "It looks wonderful." On the contrary, what little appetite she might have had disappeared in the face of his unexplained good cheer. She picked up her fork and poked it into the eggs, sliding a glance at him from under her lashes.

  What had happened between last night and this morning to change his mood? Whatever it was, he didn't seem to be interested in offering any explanations, leaving her imagination free reign.

  Unfortunately the only thing her imagination came up with was that he must have met another woman and fallen madly in love. Probably some athletic blonde at the gym. Someone who didn't look as if she'd swallowed a basketball. Someone who didn't act like an idiot over a little kiss.

  "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" Dan's question dragged Kelly away from her evermore gloomy thoughts.

  "No."

  "Good. I have something I want to show you."

  "What?"

  "It's a surprise. Wear comfortable walking shoes and you'd better bring a jacket. They're threatening us with showers."

  He glanced at his watch. "I've got to run. I'll pick you up about four. Is that okay?"

  4 Tine." Kelly watched him pick up his empty plate and carry it into the kitchen. Her own food was barely touched.

  "Eat up. You need to keep up your strength," Dan told her on his way back through. 'Til see you this afternoon."

  He was whistling under his breath as he lifted a stack of folders from the breakfast bar. Turning, he gave her a wide smile that somehow managed to hold secrets. Kelly couldn't manage more than a weak grimace in return but it didn't seem to bother him. With a lift of his hand, he disappeared into the entryway and a moment later she heard the door shut behind him.

  It was only in the silence he left behind that she realized what he'd been whistling. "Some Enchanted Evening." The blond bimbo theory seemed to have some supporting evidence.

  The hours between the time Dan left and four o'clock seemed to move by in slow motion. If Kelly glanced at the clock once, she glanced at it a hundred times. The textbook she was supposed to be studying remained open to the same page, her notebook filled with nothing more informative than lots of doodled lines.

  He had something he wanted to show her. She tapped her pencil on the table, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. A surprise. What could he want to show her that was a surprise and that required comfortable shoes?

  Did the surprise have something to do with him getting die business off the ground? After the tension that had been between them these past few weeks, why would he want to share that with her?

  She changed clothes three times, trying to decide just what comfortable shoes implied. Did it mean sneakers or low pumps? Slacks or a soft skirt? She finally settled on a pale gray trousers and a pair of flat skimmers.

  Despite her indecision, she was dressed and waiting at three-thirty, with nothing to do but stare at the clock and will the hands to move faster.

  When there was a brisk knock on the door a few minutes before the appointed hour, Kelly jumped as if stung. She hurried to the door. Dan must have forgotten his keys.

  But it wasn't Dan who stood on the other side of the door. Her father's lean frame was such a shock that it took her a

  moment to believe he was actually there. Stunned, she hesitated for one disastrous instant before moving to slam the door. He thrust a battered work boot into the door, blocking it open.

  "I've come to talk to you," he said, pushing the door open despite her efforts to close it

  Breathless, she fell back. He stepped into the hallway, bringing a miasma of dirt and sweat with him. He pushed the door shut behind him, and Kelly felt her heart bump with something she didn't want to admit was fear. It was one thing to face him in the open, with people all around. It was something else completely to be alone with him, closed off from the rest of the world, closed off from help.

  "What do you want?" She was proud of the steadiness of her voice, determined that he would never know that her heart was beating double-time.

  "It's my duty to try and turn you from the path of sin you've chosen to walk," he said, his voice booming out over her.

  "I have nothing to say to you. I want you to go."

  "You're my flesh," he said as if she hadn't spoken. "And Td be failing the Lord if I didn't try to save you."

  "The Lord has nothing to do with what you're doing," she told him.

  "That child is born of sin," he said in a menacing voice, pointing one grimy finger at her stomach. "You must repent, lest you both burn in hell."

  "Get out," Kelly spat, one hand pressed over her stomach as if to shield her unborn child from the venom her father was spewing.

&
nbsp; "You've turned your back on the Lord and chosen to walk Satan's path. You must get down on your knees and beg His forgiveness."

  "You're mad," she breathed, seeing that it was no more than the truth. The fierce light that burned in his eyes held little sanity. "You're completely insane. Get out. Get out before I call the police."

  Madness burned in his eyes and she backed away, a coppery taste of fear in her mouth. Brought up short by the breakfast bar, she was afraid to turn away from him, as if the only thing holding him in check was the fact that she faced him.

  "Repent. Repent and you may yet be saved."

  "Get out." She groped behind her, trying to find the phone.

  "The Lord has shown me the true path," he intoned, advancing toward her. Kelly choked back a sob of sheer terror. She knew that look, knew what followed it. Abandoning her search for the phone, she slid sideways, thinking perhaps she could dart around him and reach the door.

  "I am the Lord's instrument," he told her, his eyes seeming to glow with a terrifying inner light.

  Kelly didn't bother to answer, edging closer to the door, hoping he'd shift just a little bit farther. But she'd run out of time. She saw him reaching for her. With a terrified sob, she tried to dart past him. But pregnancy had slowed her and he was too close. His fingers closed over her upper arm, jerking her to a halt and spinning her around.

  "Your sins must be punished," he thundered Kelly saw the blow start to descend and she closed her eyes, both hands covering the swell of stomach.

  The openhanded slap caught her across the cheek, jerking her head to one side. She felt her lip split and her mouth fill with the taste of blood. The force of the blow sent her stumbling backward. Only a wall stopped her from falling. Her breath coming in ragged sobs, she crouched down, making herself as small as possible, wrapping her arms around her swollen stomach, her only thought to protect the baby.

  She heard him take a step toward her and whimpered, trying to brace herself for the next blow, knowing there was nothing she could do but endure.

  She'd forgotten that Dan was due home, forgotten everything but the need to protect herself as best she could, the need to survive. At the sound of the door opening, she lifted her head, sensing more by instinct than by conscious thought that help had arrived.