The Bachelor's Bride. Audra Adams

her head. “There are no other options.”

      “Yes, there are. You’ve chosen not to pursue them.”

      “You mean, you.”

      “Yes, me.”

      “No.”

      “Why not?”

      “Because I’m not taking any money from you. I’m not...the baby’s not for sale.”

      “I would never presume to think that. There are other ways, Rachel. Not money. Help. So that you don’t have to go back to your father with your tail between your legs.”

      “How do you know about that?”

      “I don’t. I guessed.”

      “You had me checked out, didn’t you?” she asked.

      “Yes, I did. Things haven’t been easy for you, have they?”

      Unbidden tears tightened her throat and she fought for control. She stared at him. His eyes were an all-business green, cold, hard, deliberate. Why was he doing this?

      “Why are you doing this?” she asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

      “Because I want you to stay.”

      “What you mean is, you want the baby.”

      “Same thing.”

      “Not to me.”

      Reid’s jaw tightened and he pinned her with his eyes. The words hung in the air as the buzzer sounded again. Rachel didn’t move right away, mesmerized by his presence and his intense look. It buzzed again.

      “I’d better get that.” She walked around him and hit the button, then turned back to him. “The movers are here.”

      “Cancel them.”

      “I can’t—”

      “Yes, you can.”

      She shook her head. “No.”

      Reid came up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Give me a chance to talk you out of this.”

      “The plane—”

      “All right. My car is downstairs. I’ll take you to the airport. If I can’t change your mind before the plane takes off, I’ll come back and personally arrange to have your belongings transported to Ohio. Deal?”

      “Why would you—”

      “The meter’s ticking, Rachel. All I’ve got is two hours to convince you to stay. Give me at least this, won’t you?”

      The knock saved her from answering. A gruff voice sounded on the other side of the door. “Movers.”

      Reid’s gaze locked with hers. She didn’t protest when he pulled her back from the door and opened it. He took it for her acquiescence.

      “We won’t be needing you anymore,” he said to the burly man standing in the hall.

      “What? I got an order here says I have to pick up—”

      “Yes, well, the order’s canceled.” Reid reached into his pocket and pulled out a billfold. Extracting one of the larger denominations, he handed it to the mover. “For your trouble.”

      The man looked at the bill, then at Reid. “Suit yourself,” he said, then marched back toward the elevator mumbling to himself.

      Reid shut the door and turned to face Rachel.

      “Now you’ve done it,” she said. “The way things were I already had to wait a week for my things. Now who knows when I’ll see them again.”

      “I promise you’ll have everything within a week if I have to rent a truck and drive to you myself.”

      Rachel turned her face from him, his eyes too penetrating for her to withstand right now. He was seeing too much with those eyes. Seeing things she didn’t want to admit even to herself.

      She hadn’t realized how fragile she was until he’d appeared. She had thought she was handling this move so well. Why even the difficult phone call to her father had gone okay, with Sally being very congenial and friendly, and her father’s voice soft and welcoming.

      She’d thought she had reconciled herself to her decision to go home. She was no longer hesitant about leaving, had even convinced herself that it might be fun living back in her old room, seeing everyone again.

      But she hadn’t counted on Reid showing up and dredging up all her reservations she’d done her best to bury.

      “I have to leave,” she said, feeling trapped here in this small apartment with him and her misgivings.

      Reid picked up her two suitcases. “I’ll take you to the airport.”

      She nodded, following him out the door, locking it behind her. Rachel glanced at the key in her hand and was about to pocket it, then changed her mind. “Here,” she said to Reid. “Take this. You’ll need it to ship my stuff.”

      “I’ll take it, but I won’t need it,” he said.

      Her smile was puzzled. “You seem so sure you’ll get your way.”

      Reid put a hand to her back and ushered her toward the elevator. “I usually do.”