The Baby Bargain Page 21

  The moment was forever frozen in Dan's mind. For one split second he stood poised in the doorway, while the camera in his mind registered the scene. Kelly was crouched against the base of the wall, curled into herself. A filthy old man with a shock of ragged gray hair stood over her, one hand drawn back as if to deliver a blow.

  Kelly lifted her head, looking at him with eyes blinded by

  fear. One cheek was livid and a thin trickle of blood marked where her lip had been torn.

  Dan's vision was suddenly overcast with a thin, red haze. Somewhere in his subconscious he recognized that this was Kelly's father, but his only conscious thought was to kill the man who'd dared to lay a hand on his woman.

  With a growl that was more animal than human, he launched himself forward. It was an unequal struggle. Dan was younger, larger and the fury that filled him magnified his strength. In a matter of seconds, he had the other man pinned to the floor, his neck caught in Dan's fingers. He proceeded to slowly choke the life out of him, feeling not a second's hesitation.

  It took Kelly several seconds to realize that Dan wasn't merely choking her father into submission. He had every intention of choking him into oblivion. She scrambled toward them on her hands and knees, grabbing at Dan's wrists.

  "Let go! You're killing him! For God's sake, let him go!"

  She might as well have been trying to move an iron bar. He didn't seem to hear her and his hold didn't slacken. The old man's face was slowly turning purple. The blows he'd been directing at Dan's shoulders grew weaker. Dan's lips were drawn back from his teeth in a terrifying facsimile of a smile.

  Frantic, Kelly tried to pull Dan away from him, her breath coming in deep sobs. "Stop it! Oh, please, you've got to stop."

  Her father's hands began to claw weakly at Dan's.

  "Dan. Listen to me. He's not worth it. Please, he's not worth it" Desperate, she caught his face in her hands, forcing him toward her. "Please don't do this. I beg you. He's not worth it"

  Whether it was her words or die sight of the tears streaming down her face, she didn't know. But she saw the change in his eyes, saw awareness break through the primitive rage. His hands loosened, allowing his victim to draw a gasping breath.

  "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

  "I'm okay."

  "You're sure?" He caught her shoulders, drawing her to her feet. He stepped away from the old man still gasping and choking on the floor. "You're not hurt?"

  She nodded, her throat too full of tears for her to get words out.

  "The baby? The baby's all right?"

  "We're fine. We're both fine."

  "Oh, God." He caught her to him, holding her so close it was hard to breathe. They stood like that, saying nothing, drawing comfort from the physical contact. Neither of them paid any attention as her father finally scrambled to his feet, one hand at his throat. He cast one terrified look in Dan's direction and scuttled out the door.

  It was a long time before any coherent conversation was attempted. Dan insisted on putting an ice pack to Kelly's face, though she assured him that it didn't hurt He hovered over her like a mother hen with only one chick. She allowed herself to revel in the attention, though a small voice in the back of her mind insisted on pointing out that of course he was concerned—he was worried about the baby. That didn't seem important at the moment. She'd been scared for the baby herself.

  "I shouldn't have let him in," she said, her speech muffled by the presence of the ice pack she was holding to her cheek.

  "You didn't know it was him when you opened the door. I shouldn't have let him go like that," he muttered. "I should have finished the job. I could still finish it."

  "No." Kelly reached out to catch his hand, drawing him to a halt as he paced restlessly in front of her. "No. He's not worth it He won't dare come back now. I think you gave him a closer look at the afterlife than he really wanted."

  "How can you joke about it?" he asked. He bent over her, his hand gende as he drew the ice pack away to look at her face. "Are you sure you're all right? We could call Ben."

  "I don't need Ben. And if I'm joking about it, I guess it's just because I feel a little light-headed."

  He didn't return her smile. "It's my fault. I should have known something like this could happen. I should have taken steps to prevent it" He spun away from her, pacing over to the window to stare out, his shoulders rigid.

  "What could you have done?" she asked patiently.

  "I don't know. I should have done something. I promised you I'd never let anyone hurt you again."

  "This wasn't your fault If anything it was mine. I was so proud of myself for standing up to him yesterday, but it was a stupid thing to do. I would have been better off ignoring him.

  As long as he thought I was terrified of him, he wouldn't have felt the need to come looking for me."

  "You didn't do anything wrong." Dan turned away from the window, frowning at her. "You're sure you're all right? And the baby?"

  "We're both fine." Her smile held a bittersweet edge. "Dr. Linden tells me babies are a lot tougher than most people think. Your son or daughter is just fine."

  "Good." He said it absently as if his mind was on other things.

  "You were going to show me something," she said, hoping to distract him.

  "I can show it to you tomorrow," he said, still in that absent tone of voice. She waited but he didn't add anything more. Shrugging, she stood, rubbing one hand against the small ache in her lower back.

  "I think I'm going to take a shower."

  "Are you up to it?" Dan turned, his gaze sharp with concern.

  "I'm okay. Stop worrying."

  Dan watched her leave the room, thinking how impossible it was to follow that advice. He couldn't stop worrying. He'd only just realized how much she meant to him. When he'd walked in the door and seen her father standing over her, the blood on her mouth, the terror in her eyes...

  He closed his eyes, feeling his body tighten with remembered rage. He should have killed the bastard. He should have choked the life from him, made sure he could never come near Kelly again. He could have done it without regret in that moment.

  Looking out the window again, his thoughts wandered. He'd planned to tell her how he felt today. He'd had it all arranged. A picnic lunch on the site of what he hoped would be their new home. A proposal. He even had the ring in his pocket.

  He could tell her, anyway, but he didn't want it to be like this. He wanted everything to be perfect, something they'd remember the rest of their lives. That was if she accepted him. Did she love him? She had to.

  He noted vaguely that the shower had been turned off. Kelly was probably going to want to skip dinner and go to bed,

  though it was still early. She was bound to be worn out This wasn't how he'd hoped to be spending this evening. But another day wasn't going to matter. Now that he thought about it, there was something he could do in the morning. Then he could get Kelly and take her out to the site.

  He glanced up as the bathroom door opened. Shock swept across his face. Kelly stood in the bathroom doorway, her hair piled on top of her head, leaving a few ends free to trail against her neck. She was flushed from the shower, her skin moist as if she hadn't taken time to dry off thoroughly. And there was plenty of skin to see because all she wore was a bath towel that exposed a dangerous amount of leg.

  Dan swallowed hard. He moved forward, telling himself that he was imagining the look in her eyes, that the invitation that seemed so clear wasn't really there. He stopped within inches of her, close enough to smell the fresh-washed scent of her skin.

  "How was your shower?" he asked, his voice husky, his eyes questioning.

  "Very nice." She blushed but met his gaze openly. When she reached up to loosen the knot that held the towel over her breasts, Dan thought his heart might stop. She hesitated, the knot undone but the towel still closed.

  "I want you to make love to me."

  Dan swallowed, wondering if he could possibly
be dreaming. His hands were shaking as he reached out to take the ends of the towel from her. His eyes never left hers as he opened it, letting it fall to the floor.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes." She closed her eyes, a delicate shiver running over her as his hands came up to cup the full weight of her breasts.

  "Yes." He echoed her agreement, his head spinning with the scent of her, the feel of her.

  At another time, he might have wondered at her sudden decision. But not tonight. It fit so well with what he'd dreamed, what he'd hoped for, that he didn't think to question it, didn't think of anything beyond the warmth of her.

  Carrying her into the bedroom, he made love to her with slow passion, telling her with his body what he hadn't yet said in words. If Kelly had had more experience, she might have

  recognized the message he was giving her, might have felt the love in his touch. But she didn't have the experience to know the difference between sex and making love, real love.

  When she woke the next morning, Dan was gone, leaving a note on the pillow that said he'd be back before noon. He had signed it Love, Dan. She tried to convince herself that those words were significant but she knew it didn't mean anything. Kelly touched the note to her lips, blinking back the tears she refused to let fall. She didn't have time for tears. She had things to do.

  She searched the closet until she found a duffle bag, probably a remnant of Dan's college days. Stuffing a few garments into it, she made what plans she could. She hadn't thought things out clearly, but she had realized last night that she couldn't stay here.

  She'd made a promise she couldn't keep. She couldn't give up her child—not even for Dan. When her father had come at her, her only thought had been that she had to protect the baby. She'd tried to deny her feelings, tried to pretend that she could walk away from her child, but she couldn't do it.

  Kelly sniffed back tears as she zipped up the duffle bag. She wouldn't keep the child from Dan. She couldn't do that to him. But neither could she just hand her baby over to him. She needed to get away, maybe try to establish herself a bit. She'd take the money Dan had given her. In a couple of weeks she would take the exam and get her high-school diploma. After that, she'd see about finding a job. First she had to find a place to stay.

  The first problem came when she looked out the window and realized that Dan had taken her car, leaving the Corvette sitting at the curb. He sometimes took the compact if he was going to a site where the low-slung sports car wouldn't travel.

  Kelly wasted only a moment cursing the fact that he'd taken it today of all days. She hesitated, frowning at the phone before picking it up. Brittany had said she wanted to patch up their friendship. Well, she could start by coming to her rescue.

  4 'Hello?" It was Michael's voice on the other end of the line.

  "This is Kelly Russell. Is Brittany there?"

  4 'Hi, Kelly. Brittany isn't home. Can I give her a message?"

  "I...no...no, I don't think so. Thanks, anyway."

  Perhaps something in her voice sounded odd. "Kelly? Can I do anything?''

  Kelly's fingers tightened over the receiver. It was eleven o'clock. Dan had said he'd be home by noon. She could call a cab but the taxi service was notoriously erratic. And Michael had kind eyes.

  "I...could you come pick me up?" she asked in a rush. "I'm at Dan's."

  There was a momentary pause while she waited for him to question why she needed someone to pick her up.

  "I'll be right over."

  True to his word, Michael was there in less than ten minutes. Kelly was waiting on the curb. Michael got out of the car, one dark brow arching when he saw the duffle bag at her feet. His eyes skimmed to her, widening in shock when he saw the bulge of her stomach. Kelly waited for him to say something but he only bent to pick up the duffle, tossing it in the back of his car without comment, shutting Kelly's door once she was settled.

  She didn't dare to relax until they'd turned the corner and were out of sight of the apartment building. She stole a glance at Michael.

  "I suppose this seems pretty odd."

  "A bit."

  "I suppose you'd like an explanation."

  He slanted her an unreadable look out of dark blue eyes. "Only if you feel like giving me one. Do you have a destination in mind?"

  "No."

  "Then I guess you'd better come home with me. Brittany is out of town with my mother and Danielle until tomorrow. But you're welcome to stay at our place."

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  Neither of them said anything for the space of several blocks.

  "I promised Dan I'd give him this baby," Kelly said, as if he'd been questioning her.

  "Did you? Why?"

  "It seemed like the only thing to do at the time. But I can't do it. No matter what, I can't do it."

  *Tm sure Dan isn't going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

  "I know, but I feel so terrible. I mean, he's already given up one child."

  Michael's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I know. It wasn't easy for him."

  Somehow the whole story seemed to come tumbling out. She would never in a million years have imagined herself confiding in Michael Sinclair. But there was something so solid about him, something that said he could be depended on.

  4 'Kelly?" Dan pushed the door open with his hip, maneuvering the dusty box through the opening. * 'Kelly?"

  There was no answer. He set the box on the table, feeling a twinge of unease. Since he'd had her car, she couldn't have gone anywhere. He'd told her that he'd be home by noon. He was a little later than that but she'd forgive him when he showed her what he'd brought home.

  The apartment was empty. It took him several minutes to convince himself of that fact. It wasn't until he was making his second circuit of the rooms that he noticed the note propped against the saltshaker. The box had all but obscured it.

  He was aware that his hand was not quite steady as he reached out to pick up the note. It was short and simple. She couldn't give up her baby, after all, and she'd gone away for a little while. He wasn't to worry. She wouldn't try and keep him from his child. She'd be in touch.

  Setting the note down, he stared around blankly. She couldn't go. Not now. Not when he'd gotten it all worked out. He'd been going to tell her how he felt today. The way she'd made such sweet love with him the night before had given him hope that she loved him, at least a little bit. And if she didn't love him as much as he loved her, he was willing to wait for that.

  Thrusting his fingers through his hair, he forced himself to think clearly. He'd had her car, which meant she'd either called a cab or she'd walked. Or someone had picked her up. Only she didn't know anyone. Ben was out of town. He'd been leaving for some sort of convention this morning. Besides, Ben

  knew how he felt. Ben wouldn't help Kelly leave before he got a chance to talk to her.

  Brittany. As far as he knew, she hadn't talked to Brittany since that disastrous dinner. Still, it was worth a try. He punched the buttons on the phone and then waited impatiently while the phone rang.

  "Hello?" Michael's voice was unexpected but Dan didn't hesitate.

  "Michael. It's Dan. Is Brittany there?"

  "No. But Kelly is."

  "Thank God. I'll be right over."

  "Wait a minute," Michael protested. But Dan had already hung up the phone.

  Dan pulled the Corvette up in front of the Sinclair house, paying no mind to the fact that he'd parked crookedly. Long strides carried him up the walkway and he took the three steps up to the porch as one. Michael opened the door before he had a chance to knock.

  "Where is she?"

  "She's upstairs, lying down. Wait a minute." Michael put his hand on Dan's chest, stopping him. "Before you go up there, I think we should talk."

  "Later, Michael." Dan glanced impatiently up the stairs. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone but Kelly.

  "Now," Michael said, the flat tone getting Da
n's attention at last.

  "What is it?" he asked impatiently.

  "I think you should give some thought to what you're going to say to her."

  "I think you should mind your own business."

  "When Kelly called my home for help that made it my business. I don't know what the hell you were thinking of in the first place."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Taking her home from that bar."

  "She told you that, did she?" Dan felt color mantle his cheeks. It wasn't something he was proud of.

  "She told me quite a bit. About this 'deal' the two of you struck. She seems very concerned that you not get hurt I per-

  sonally would like nothing better than to knock your teeth down your throat."

  "I wouldn't advise trying."

  They glared at each other for a moment. Michael was the first to soften, his eyes lighting with a trace of something approaching humor. "You always were the most pigheaded, stubborn s.o.b."

  "And you always were poking your nose in where it didn't belong." There was no anger in Dan's tone.

  "You're in love with her, aren't you?" It was only half a question but Dan answered it, anyway.

  "More than I'd ever thought possible."

  "Then why the hell haven't you told her so?"

  "I was going to. Today. I had it all set up." Dan thrust his fingers through his hair, his smile rueful. "I guess I should have figured it out sooner."

  "Yeah. You were always slow-witted, too." There was remembered affection in the insult.

  "I can't argue this time around. Is she all right?"

  "She's fine. But I think she'll be a lot better once you tell her you love her."

  Dan started up the stairs and then stopped, turning back to look at Michael. * 'You know, you and Brittany are a lot happier than she and I ever would have been."

  The words were a letting go—of old hurts, old losses, old bitterness. Michael's expression made it clear that he recognized them as such.

  "Thanks."

  Dan turned, taking the stairs two at a time. He stopped outside the door Michael had indicated, feeling suddenly uncertain. What if she didn't want to come back under any circumstances? What if she felt she could never love him?