The Baby Race (8 page)

"Why for his money, of course. Not that it's
any of your damned business." She slammed her glass on the bar and
stalked away.

*****

With dinner an unqualified success, Claire
allowed herself to relax and enjoy the party. Music reverberated
through the tent and out into the starlit night. Around her, people
danced and laughed. She smiled when she heard their satisfied
comments about the meal. Earlier, Vicki had taken the girls up to
the house and put them to bed, so Claire was free for the rest of
the evening.

Just outside the tent, Race stood with his
father and Colin. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but
judging by their frowns, the conversation wasn't going well.

The tension between Race and his family
puzzled her. She'd give anything to truly belong to such a large
and loving family. Though Mrs. Reed - Grandmere - Claire corrected
herself, tended to be a bit overbearing, Jackson and Cindy were
wonderful. They'd accepted Claire and Bobbie Sue without a moment's
hesitation, despite their suspicions about the hasty marriage.

Colin was a friend. When she'd first met him,
she'd even thought he might be interested in her, but nothing ever
developed. She had yet to meet Colin's parents because, they and
their other son, Travis, were somewhere in South America studying
bugs. Vicki, their youngest sibling was living with Cindy and
Jackson so she could finish her senior year in high school.

His face twisted into an angry scowl, Race
approached.

"Smile." Claire took his arm and turned him
away from a society matron who scampered away when she caught sight
of Race's frown. "People aren't likely to give money to a man who
looks like he chews nails for breakfast."

Race ran a hand over his face. "Sorry. I just
had another go round with Colin and my father. They both think I
should sell this land to the developer. Jackson's convinced I'm
going to lose it all. I got a lecture about my responsibilities now
that I'm a married man with a child. He all but called me as
reckless and unreliable as my mother."

Hurt, at his father's lack of confidence,
underlay the anger in Race's voice.

"Your father and Cindy really don't know
about your arrangement with his mother?"

"No, that was part of the deal with her.
Colin knows, but he won't say anything. He was just announcing his
and Lizzie's engagement to Jackson."

"They're getting married? I didn't think they
liked each other." All through dinner, Lizzie had sniped at Colin
every chance she got. Though Colin's eyes and mouth grew tighter
with each swipe, he didn't respond in kind.

"I'm not sure what to think anymore. Colin
doesn't need the money from Grandmere and Lizzie has always seemed
to detest the Reeds."

"Maybe they love each other?"

"Unlikely. I need a drink, would you like
something?"

"No, thank you." Talking about the other
couple's relationship made Claire aware of just how shallow hers
was with Race. Each time he started to get close to her he found an
excuse to flee. How could she face another eleven months of living
with a stranger? How long before her unhappiness affected Bobbie
Sue? What other choice did she have? Suddenly the spacious tent
felt close and confining. "I'm going to get some air."

The balmy night air eased some of the heat of
her anger, but did little to alleviate the ache in her heart. She
took off her shoes and walked along the sandy stretch of
riverfront. With her eyes closed, she could almost imagine herself
a carefree child again, living in a tropical paradise, unaware of
the forces that drove her parents to wander the world in search of
impossible dreams. Then from inside the tent, the singer crooned
about love gone wrong and the illusion faded.

She was no longer a child. She was an adult,
with adult responsibilities. She'd do whatever was necessary to
keep Bobbie Sue safe, even if it meant forfeiting her own
happiness.

"Jensen? Claire Jensen?"

She whirled around. "Who's there?" Why the
man's harsh whisper should make her heart pound in sudden fear, she
didn't know.

A dark form moved out of the shadows into the
moonlight. "You Claire Jensen?"

She took a step back and looked toward the
tent. If she screamed would Race hear her? "Claire Reed," she
corrected.

"Jensen. Reed. What's the difference? I'm
Ricky Banner, the kid's dad."

Panic gripped her. Bobbie Sue's natural
father. Here. Now. "Why are you here?"

The man laughed, a hoarse grating sound
bereft of humor. "A friend pointed out the notice about you trying
to adopt my kid. Thought I'd come see he was okay."

Rage banished fear. The man didn't even
remember his child was a girl. "Bobbie Sue is a little girl and
she's fine."

"Whatever. That's good. I'm sure you'd do
anything to keep it that way."

A cold chill ran through her. "What are you
threatening?"

He gave a ragged cough. "Threatening? I'm not
threatening a thing. Tough luck about her ma and step-dad. Treasure
hunting is a risky business. Just wanted to check up on my kid,
that's all. Make sure she's being treated proper." He paused then
added softly. "If not, I may just have to go see that there social
worker lady."

"What do you want?" Claire couldn't keep the
pleading note out of her question.

"Nice set up you got here." He looked around,
his eyes glinting with avarice. "Must be money in this horse
business."

Her heart jumped. He was going to blackmail
her. "The ranch is a non-profit organization. There's no
money."

"Too bad. I'll be in touch."

Before she could say more, he melted into the
night.

~~~~~

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Wake up, Claire." Bobbie Sue bounced into
Claire's bedroom. "I want to ride the roller coaster and the Ferris
wheel and the tilt-o-whirl and eat cotton candy and hot dogs," she
announced breathlessly as she spun around.

"Come on. I don't want to miss anything."

Her cheerful chattering made Claire groan and
try to bury her head beneath the covers. "There's plenty of time.
The carnival doesn't start until noon." She peered at the clock.
"It's only six. Go back to bed."

Outside the sun barely peeked above the
horizon. Fear over what Ricky Banner might do had kept Claire up
most of the night. If she thought that Bobbie Sue's natural father
might truly love and care for his daughter, Claire, though it would
break her heart, would be willing to let the child go. But the
man's sleazy appearance and obvious lack of knowledge about the
little girl didn't bode well for his intentions.

Though Claire's parents might have been
casual about their parenting duties, she never doubted that they
loved her. Bobbie Sue deserved at least that and more.

Whatever it took, Claire vowed to keep Bobbie
Sue safe, to give her a secure childhood.

Bobbie Sue plopped on the bed and tugged at
the covers. "I'm not tired."

"Why don't you come out to the barn with me
and let your sister sleep awhile longer?" Race stood in the open
doorway. His gaze traveled over Claire leaving a wake of heat that
made the blanket irrelevant. "I'll give you a ride on Thunder."

"Wow! I'll get my boots." Bobbie Sue bolted
from the room.

Claire pulled the sheet around her chest,
brushed a tangle of hair from her eyes and sat up, but kept her
head lowered. "Are you sure that's safe?"

"Thunder is a big softie. He just looks
dangerous because he's big. Besides, I'll be right there with them.
I won't let anything happen to Bobbie Sue."

"I know." Even though she'd spent most of her
time working on the house, Claire was well aware of how much time
Bobbie Sue spent shadowing Race and how patient he was with her.
The little girl adored him. Claire felt a pang of misgiving. How
would Bobbie Sue feel when they left Race's ranch?

How would she feel?

He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned
forward. Her breath froze when his fingers touched the corner of
her suddenly dry mouth. A stray strand of hair trailed across her
cheek. Warmth from his fingers lingered.

"Did I thank you for everything you did?" he
asked. The sunlight streaming in behind him cast his face into dark
relief hiding his expression.

"Y-yess," she stammered, her heart racing
from his too casual caress.

"Good. You've done wonders here, too." He
looked around her now comfortable bedroom, taking in the polished
wooden floor; the colorful woven rugs and bedding; the painted
white furniture and tiny rosebud wallpaper. "This room is a far cry
from the mess it was the day you arrived."

His approval sent a shiver through her.

She'd worked hard to create a restful haven
where she could retreat at the end of the day. Now with one visit,
he ravaged the peace of her sanctuary. His presence filled every
corner. The feminine atmosphere underlined his blatant masculinity.
Still, he didn't appear out of place or ill at ease.

"The whole house looks great. I'll have to
turn you loose in my room next."

"No," she whispered. Being in his room
conjured images she thought she'd banished.

"No?" His lips quirked up. "Guess I'll have
to find a way to convince you."

His gaze locked with hers and his head bent.
Warmth from his body drew her. The covers slid down as she swayed
toward him. Strong fingers wove into her hair and cupped the back
of her head. Like a moist summer's breeze his breath brushed over
her heated cheeks and her eyelids dropped heavily. She lifted her
face to his. A moan of satisfaction slipped from her as he covered
her mouth with his own.

The clean scent of soap and man filled her
nostrils, then his arms closed around her. Worry and fear, caution
and conscious thought dissolved as she surrendered to the
sensations coursing through her. Crushed against his broad chest,
her breasts swelled. His mouth feasted on hers, evoking feelings
and longings that she'd never even imagined were possible. Like on
a roller coaster ride her stomach rose and fell with every kiss,
leaving her breathless and restless for what might come next.

An explorer in undiscovered country his mouth
moved down her throat, nuzzling aside her nightgown. Her nipples
grew hard and ached for his touch.

She ran her hands up his arms and into his
hair. Pulling loose the rawhide tie, she let the black silk strands
flow through her sensitized fingers.

This was what she'd been searching for.

This was home.

"I'm ready."

Bobbie Sue's voice from the hall acted like a
bucket of cold water on Race. He jerked away from his heated
embrace with Claire.

What was he thinking? Against her pale face
her lips appeared blood red, her brown eyes wide and full of
distress. Her simple white cotton nightgown fell off one shoulder,
exposing the vulnerable skin of her throat and collarbone, also red
from the scrape of his unshaven jaw.

He strode over to the open doorway and
blocked the little girl's view of Claire, who looked as stricken as
he felt.

"Why don't you go on down to the kitchen?
Vicki's there. She'll make you some breakfast."

Bobbie Sue looked doubtful. "Is Claire okay?"
She tried to peek around Race.

He put his hands on her thin shoulders and
turned her toward the stairs. "She's fine. We'll be down in a
minute. Have you fed Cassandra yet this morning."

Distracted by the thought of her kitten,
Bobbie Sue raced away. "Hurry."

Reluctant to face Claire, Race ran a hand
through his hair. The action resurrected the feel of her fingers
massaging his scalp.

He'd only meant to give her a friendly kiss,
a thank you for her hard work. But when she melted in his arms,
he'd wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life.
The thought scared him beyond reason. With that kind of wanting
came commitment and responsibilities he had no intention of
fulfilling. He yanked his hand down and turned.

Claire stood at the window with her back to
him, her spine a rigid exclamation mark. A long worn terry cloth
robe covered her from neck to ankles.

"Claire, I'm sorry...."

Eyes blazing, she whirled on him. "Don't you
dare apologize. I'm not a child or a fool."

"But...."

"No buts. While our marriage is one of
convenience, we're both human, with adult wants and needs. We have
to control them. Bobbie Sue won't always be around." Color flooded
her pale cheeks. Her voice started to quaver. "We each have our
goals. Let's not complicate the situation with sex."

Sex? That's exactly what he'd been about to
tell her. So why did it bother him to hear her speak of what they'd
almost shared as merely sex?

"I don't think...."

"Exactly. You didn't think what might happen.
I have to focus my energy on convincing the social worker I'm a
proper parent for Bobbie Sue. I can't afford to complicate things
with a physical relationship. So let's just forget this. It was a
fluke, a mistake. It won't happen again. We can be partners without
becoming lovers."

A mistake? Then why did it feel so right?

She held her chin high and her eyes glinted
with determination, but Race could see the slight tremble of her
lips and her voice shook on the word lovers. They both might reject
the attraction between them, but somehow he doubted they'd be able
to resist it.

"Be sure and remember that when you move into
my room."

"What are you talking about?" Shock widened
Claire's eyes.

He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed
his arms over his chest. "Well," he drawled. "It'll hard to
convince the social worker we're happy newlyweds if we don't share
a bedroom."

The sudden panic in her eyes made him wonder
if he'd gone too far.