The Baby Bargain Read online

  "Dan?"

  The voice was light and feminine. Kelly felt the sudden tension in Dan's fingers before they fell away from her cheeks. Her gaze swept up to his face, seeing the same tension there in the instant before he turned toward the voice.

  Chapter 8

  .Dan. I thought it was you." The woman who spoke was quite simply the most beautiful woman Kelly had ever seen. Wide-set gray eyes dominated beautifully chiseled features topped by a thick chignon of glossy black hair. The man with her was dark haired also but his eyes were blue. Perched on his hip was a little girl of three or four, her eyes blue like her father's, her hair lighter than either of her parents'.

  "Hello, Brittany," Dan said. His eyes flicked over to the man. "Michael." His face softened, something akin to pain in his eyes as he looked at the child. "Hi, Danielle."

  She stared at him for a moment with eyes wide and then ducked her head, burying her face against her father's shoulder. There was a moment of silence that seemed fraught with more tension than was warranted by a child's shyness.

  "She's just at that age where she's shy with strangers. Not that you're a stranger," Brittany added hastily. "She's just in a shy stage."

  "It's okay, Brittany," Dan said, his mouth kicking up on one side.

  The look she threw her husband seemed to hold a plea. For

  what, Kelly couldn't guess. "How have you been?" Michael asked, the words flat.

  "Not bad," Dan said. He seemed to suddenly remember Kelly and reached out to take her arm, drawing her forward "Kelly, this is Michael and Brittany Sinclair and—their daughter, Danielle."

  There was an odd hesitation in the way he added the little girl's name, a flash of something unreadable in Michael's eyes and visible distress in Brittany's.

  "This is Kelly Russell," Dan continued. She could feel the tension that radiated from him in the too-tight grip on her arm.

  "Hello," she said quietly. Tension surrounded the little group and she almost envied Danielle the ability to duck her head and hide her face.

  "Kelly. It's nice to meet you." Kelly took the hand Brittany held out, feeling the tension revealed in the other woman's eyes. "Have you and Dan known each other long?"

  "Not long," Kelly said, feeling as if she were swimming in dangerous waters without the least idea where the danger might come from.

  "Actually, Kelly is staying with me," Dan said, his words bringing instant silence. Kelly flushed.

  "Dan has been living like such a hermit these past few months. I'm surprised he managed to meet anyone," Brittany said brightly—too brightly.

  "Nosiness does not become you," Michael told her dryly. He hitched the little girl farther up on his hip. "We ought to be going. We're expected at my parents' house."

  The two men stared at each other for a long moment. Glancing at Brittany, Kelly saw the anxiety that was so evident in her eyes. Just when Kelly was sure that the tension was going to reach an unbearable level, Dan glanced away, smiling.

  Brittany looked as if she might want to say something more but Michael set his hand against die small of her back, urging her toward the door.

  "It was nice to meet you, Kelly. Maybe we'll get a chance to talk next time."

  4 'That would be nice," Kelly replied, thinking that there wasn't likely to be a next time.

  She turned to watch the little family as they walked toward the parking lot Glancing at Dan, she saw that he was watching them, also, his expression hard with some emotion she could only guess at.

  "Friends of yours?" she asked.

  "More or less." Dan was still staring outside, though Michael and Brittany were no longer in sight

  "Brittany seemed nice," she ventured, watching his profile.

  "Yes."

  "And Michael."

  "Hmm."

  "And Danielle is very cute."

  "Yes." He turned away from the door abruptly. "If we're going to buy you a wardrobe to rival Princess Di's, we should get started."

  It was obvious that the subject was closed. Kelly filed the odd little meeting in the back of her mind She knew so little about Dan. The incident only emphasized just how little. It was something she could think about later.

  At the moment, there was no time to think about anything but shopping. Dan hadn't been kidding when he'd said they were going to buy a complete wardrobe. It might not quite match British royalty's, but it was enough to make Kelly feel like the princess in a fairy tale.

  She had been determined to add only a few more things to her meager wardrobe; however, Dan was even more determined to outfit her with everything she could possibly need. In the end, Kelly couldn't stick to her resolve. Not only was Dan aligned against her, but the temptation he was presenting was simply too much for her beauty-starved soul to resist.

  Dan watched her pick through the racks, saw the way she'd hesitate over a particular garment and then turn away as if shunning temptation. He followed along behind her, pulling each item off the rack and handing it to the saleswoman who had become their affectionate shadow as soon as she realized the kind of money Dan was planning on spending.

  When Kelly reached the changing rooms, she had four or five items in her hand and the saleswoman had another fifteen. When she would have protested, Dan gave her a bland look that dared her to argue with him. He might have felt guilty about the way he was half bullying her into buying clothes, but his determination to see her outfitted won out over the mild twinge of conscience.

  He roamed restlessly through the women's wear while Kelly tried on clothes. Seeing Brittany and Michael had been a shock, not so much for what he'd felt but for what he hadn't felt. Seeing them together no longer hurt. He hadn't been overwhelmed by a wave of regret. Even seeing Danielle hadn't caused the ache in his gut that it usually did.

  It still hurt that he'd lost her. But he'd let go. It wasn't until now that it occurred to him that he hadn't been by her school since Kelly had burst into his life. He didn't feel the need to watch Danielle play in the school yard and wonder what might have been. He had a future now, something to look forward to, something to build dreams around. The past could recede to its proper place.

  And a part of him felt he owed it all to Kelly. Not only did she hold the key to all his dreams in the child she carried, but she'd made him see how he'd been wallowing in his own misery. Seeing what she'd been through and the way she was trying to put it behind her had made him realize what a fool he'd been to waste so many months regretting things that couldn't be changed.

  He turned as Kelly came out of the dressing room wearing a dress in an odd bluish green that the saleswoman called teal. The soft wool fabric—just right for spring—draped Kelly's body as if meant for her alone. The color made her skin seem translucent and made her eyes look even bigger and darker. Or maybe it was the price tag that had widened her eyes.

  "I like it," Dan said, noticing the way the skirt swirled around her knees.

  Kelly crossed the few feet that separated them, one of the only occasions he could recall when she'd approached him voluntarily.

  "Do you know how much this costs?" she asked in a strangled whisper.

  "No and I don't care. Do you like it?"

  "Of course I like it Who wouldn't like it?" She stroked her hand over the skirt as if it were made of something very delicate and precious. "But it costs much too much," she said firmly.

  The saleswoman watched discreetly from a few feet away, wondering if she was about to lose what had promised to be a fat commission.

  "I thought we agreed that you needed clothes," Dan said, taking an angled approach to the question.

  "We did. But this dress costs too much." She fiddled with the tag that dangled from the end of one sleeve. "You can't spend this much on one dress."

  "Yes, I can. It looks terrific on you and you like it."

  "But..." She broke off when he raised a cautioning hand.

  "If you argue about it, I'll buy seven of them, one for every day of the week."

  "Where
would I wear it?" she protested, knowing she was losing the battle and not entirely regretful about the defeat.

  "Shopping or out to dinner or something." He waved a vague hand, unconcerned with the specifics.

  "If I buy this dress, can we be more careful about the rest of the clothes?"

  "No." Dan smiled at her, softening the flat refusal. "I don't like being careful."

  He could see in her eyes that she knew she'd lost the battle. He also saw the way her hand trembled as she fingered the full sweep of a skirt.

  "Kelly, do you like the dress?"

  "It's beautiful," she said, her voice shaky. "I never thought I would have anything so beautiful."

  He felt a surge of anger that something as simple as buying a dress should move her to tears. He forced the feeling down and smiled at her.

  "You ain't seen nothin' yet. We're just getting started."

  It was a promise he kept. Clothes piled up at a rate that

  made Kelly's head spin. Skirts, slacks, blouses, dresses and lingerie. He wasn't buying anything more than the average woman might have in her closet, but to go from owning one dress and one pair of shoes to owning an entire closet full of garments was a little difficult for Kelly to absorb.

  Dan had never shopped for a woman before and he found it surprisingly fun. At least, shopping for Kelly was fun. She was so cautious, so determined to be practical. It was fun to coax her into admitting that she really preferred the hot-pink top to the more practical ivory one she'd picked out.

  After an hour, she had all but given up protesting his extravagance. The worried little frown that puckered her forehead had been replaced by pleasure, underlaid with a certain resignation.

  It became Dan's mission to coax a smile out of her, and when he achieved that he wanted a laugh. He couldn't ever remember hearing her laugh out loud. Not even on New Year's Eve. He finally achieved his goal when he held a particularly frilly dress up to himself, raised his brows haughtily and suggested that the hem needed to come up just a trifle.

  Kelly had been looking at something else and turned to see him with the pink-and-white confection draped around his rugged frame. The contrast was so ludicrous that she was momentarily struck dumb. When he reached out and removed a pillbox hat, complete with veil, from its stand and plunked it on his rumpled blond hair, the picture was complete. She pressed her hands to her mouth, laughter bubbling up inside.

  "Dahling, don't you think this is just perfect for the governor's ball," he asked her in a very bad British accent.

  Kelly's muffled giggle became full-blown laughter. Dan couldn't have felt more pleased with himself if he'd just won the lottery. With her eyes sparkling and her face flushed with laughter, Kelly looked young and happy.

  And pretty. He'd been so focused on her health and on making sure that the baby was going to be all right, that he sometimes managed to forget how pretty she was, especially when she smiled. Her eyes weren't just brown. Up close, he could see little gold flecks in them. Her hair swung full and thick

  against her shoulders, the color of tobacco and looking like silk. Her mouth was soft, with a full lower lip that seemed just made for kissing.

  He could remember the feel of that mouth beneath his, the way she'd responded, her body melting against him. It was odd how, the more time he spent with her, the more vivid those memories became.

  What was he thinking? He dragged his gaze from her mouth. He had no business thinking like that, no business feeling that particular kind of awareness. She was under his protection, to use an old-fashioned phrase. He'd promised to take care of her, not lust after her. All he had to do was keep that in mind and he'd do just fine.

  It got harder to remember his proper role as the afternoon wore on. The twinkle in Kelly's eyes was so inviting. The excitement she was trying so hard to contain was infectious. With her face flushed with color and her hair mussed from trying on clothes, she looked sweet and desirable.

  Only he had no right to find her desirable. Through his carelessness she'd found herself carrying his child. Oh, it was true that he hadn't forced her and she could argue that the situation was as much her fault as his, but Dan didn't see it that way.

  He was the one with the experience, the one who should have known better. And the fact that he'd consumed enough alcohol to knock an elephant to its knees was no excuse. If he couldn't hold his liquor, he'd had no business drinking it.

  No, the responsibility was entirely his. Now he had to do his best to make sure that Kelly didn't have to suffer the consequences of his stupidity alone. And he'd make sure that the child they'd so carelessly conceived never wanted for anything.

  In the meantime, he simply had to view Kelly as his responsibility—like a little sister. He frowned at a rack of dresses. No, not like a sister. There was nothing brotherly in the way he felt when he looked at her. Okay, so he just had to keep in mind that she was pregnant. No, that wasn't quite the right approach, either. Just the thought that she carried his child stirred feelings he shouldn't be having.

  Did she have to be so damned pretty, so vulnerable? Those

  soft brown eyes made him want to put his arms around her and keep her safe from the world. Unfortunately they also stirred thoughts that had nothing to do with keeping her safe and everything to do with desire.

  He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and tried to force his thoughts away from Kelly. Maybe this was part of his penance—to have her so close and so out of reach. Maybe this was his just deserts for having been so foolish. Maybe if he looked on having her underfoot but untouchable as a kind of medicine he had to take, it would be easier.

  But medicine generally didn't come in such an attractive package.

  By the time they'd bought all the clothes Dan felt she needed and far more than Kelly could ever imagine wearing, it was late afternoon. They'd eaten lunch early and Kelly's stomach was sending up a polite inquiry as to the condition of her throat. She was thankful when Dan suggested an early dinner.

  They ate at the mall, coffee-shop food that was plain and filling. Kelly ate a hearty meal, trying not to think that her sudden appetite might have something to do with the baby, just as she generally tried to avoid any thought of the baby.

  Today, more than ever, she didn't want to think about it. She felt almost pretty today, wearing one of the ridiculously expensive outfits Dan had insisted on buying. She'd changed in the store, putting on a pair of trim gray slacks and a soft sweater in a delicious shade of raspberry pink. She could pretend that she was an ordinary girl out for a date with a handsome man. It was almost possible to forget the real reason she was here, the reason she had the beautiful new wardrobe, the reason Dan was with her at all.

  The meal was hardly finished when Kelly became aware of a sweeping tiredness. She stifled a yawn. Dr. Linden had told her that she was likely to find herself sleeping more.

  "You look beat," Dan commented, pulling out a bill and slipping it under the check. "Maybe we tried to do too much today."

  "I'm fine." She tried to look bright eyed and alert as she

  slid out of the booth, but the truth was she was suddenly exhausted.

  "I shouldn't have tried to get this all done in one day," Dan said, seeing the dark tint under her eyes.

  "I'm not that tired," she said, spoiling the protest with another yawn.

  4 'Sure you're not. Let's get you home." He reached out to take her arm in a gesture so natural Kelly hardly noticed it.

  Outside, the air was chill with evening's approach. Kelly felt the cold, but she was snuggly wrapped in her new coat. She turned the collar up higher, enjoying the feel of the soft ivory wool against her face. She'd never owned anything so luxurious in her life. She pulled a pair of black leather gloves out of a deep pocket and slowly drew them on. The short walk to the car hardly warranted the gloves but she couldn't resist the supple feel of them.

  When they had gone into the mall, they'd had to circle around a small construction crew making repairs to t
he roadway that ran between the mall and the parking lot The crew was packing up for the day as Dan and Kelly left the mall.

  4 'Dan! Dan Remington!" Dan turned, his face breaking into a smile when he saw the heavy set man who'd called his name.

  "Larry Welch! You old dog."

  The other man covered the distance between them with a speed that belied both his age and his weight. Dan thrust out his hand.

  "I heard you hadn't been killed in that crash, after all, but by the time the rumors got around to me, you'd left town again. How the hell have you been, boy?"

  Kelly watched as the two men shook hands fervently. Killed in a crash? Dan? What was he talking about?

  "I've been okay. How about yourself?"

  "Not bad, not bad." Larry shook his head, his broad face sobering. ' 'Sorry about your dad. He was a good man. Musta been tough on you."

  "Yeah, well, it was a long time ago," Dan said.

  "Best damn boss I ever had," Larry said.

  "He thought you were the best damn foreman he ever had."

  Dan*s father was dead, apparently. Kelly drew back a little, pushing her hands into her coat pockets. It had never occurred to her to ask about his family; she was realizing more and more that she knew so little about him.

  44 Your mom sold the business right after he died. Offered me first bid but you know I ain't got that kind of dough. Said she was real sorry but she just wasn't up to running a construction outfit."

  4 'She told me," Dan said. "I don't think Mom is the construction type."

  "Guess not. A mite too elegant for it, I'd say."

  "What have you been up to, Larry? Who are you working for?"

  4 'The county." Larry's tone expressed his disgust.

  44 Good pensions."

  44 Yeah, but it ain't the same. Too many bureaucrats. Say, you wouldn't be thinking about starting up your dad's old business, would you? You got the know-how. You have plenty of experience working on the crews."

  Kelly was as curious about Dan's answer as Larry was. Dan had told her that his job at the mechanic's garage had been more a favor to a friend than real employment. He hadn't said anything about wanting to do something else. They'd talked so little.