The Baby Race

THE BABY RACE

By Elysa Hendricks

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011

Elysa Hendricks

Cover image courtesy of Les3photo8 &|
Dreamstime.com

Cover by Joleene Naylor

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~~~~~

CHAPTER ONE

"I can't marry a stranger." Claire shifted
restlessly on the stiff brocade sofa then shook her head at the
gray-haired, steely-eyed woman sitting across from her in the
formal parlor of the Reed mansion. Race Reed, the name sounded like
a 60's cartoon character.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Reed gave an aristocratic
sniff. "Race isn't a stranger. He's my grandson." She eyed Claire
critically. "Though you're far from his social equal, you're young,
healthy and presentable. Race needs a woman who values home and
family. The two of you shall deal quite nicely together."

In spite of her nervousness, the woman's
autocratic tone amused Claire. In the small town of Council Falls,
Illinois the Reeds were the local reigning family and Amelia Louise
Reed took her position as matriarch to the clan quite seriously.
There wasn't much in town she didn't know about or have her hand
in. Home and family were important to Claire. Fortunately, though
the Reeds were active in all the social and charitable activities
in town, the rest of the family were more egalitarian.

"Why haven't I ever met this grandson?"

Mrs. Reed's gaze slid away, but her tone when
she spoke was firm. "Jackson," she referred to her oldest son, "was
married briefly to another woman, a Native American, before he wed
Cynthia. The marriage was a mistake from the beginning. The woman
was completely inappropriate. She left him within weeks. She died
when Race was sixteen. He then came to live with Jackson.

"Race and I do not see eye-to-eye on his
responsibilities to the family, therefore he doesn't attend many
family functions."

Claire had heard rumors of the Reed black
sheep and his wandering ways, but with the death of her parents on
their latest hunt for treasure, she'd been too busy to pay
attention. "Another rolling stone is just what I don't need or want
in my life. Thanks, but I'll find another way to keep Bobbie
Sue."

"Race is no longer a rolling stone. He's made
a place for himself here. Now he needs someone like you to…" Amelia
broke off what she was about to say and leaned forward. "How? You
are a 22-year-old unmarried woman. Your part time job at Max's Cafe
can't possibly pay enough to support you and a child. In addition,
Roberta Suzanne is not related to you by blood. Without a steady
job or stable home it's doubtful you'll be allowed to adopt
her."

A familiar sense of despair broke over
Claire. She couldn't lose her six-year-old stepsister. Life would
never be the same. Bobbie Sue was Claire's only family.

"I only have another year before I receive my
degree in food management, then I'll be able to secure a better
position or even start my own catering business."

Amelia sniffed. "The Department of Children
and Family Services won't wait while you get your life in order.
With your father and stepmother dead, custody of the child will be
given to her birth father."

Claire's blood chilled at the underlying
threat in Amelia Reed's voice. The woman had close contacts with
all the social agencies in town. She and her late husband had
practically founded the town and funded most of the town's
businesses. Everyone in town knew the power she wielded. When
summoned to the Reed mansion Claire hadn't had the nerve to object.
To see her black sheep grandson married, would Amelia Redd really
go so far as to sabotage Claire's chances of adopting Bobbie
Sue?

"Bobbie Sue's father hasn't expressed much
interest in her in the last six years, why would he want her
now?"

"Then she'll be placed in foster care."
Amelia Reed waved her hand in dismissal. "You need a husband and a
home. Race needs a wife. He's the answer to your prayers."

"Why does he need a wife and why can't he
find one on his own?" Just what was the Reed matriarch
planning?

Amelia's trademark blue Reed eyes turned
crafty. "Quite honestly the man is too particular when it comes to
women. All my grandsons are."

Claire noted the hint of pride in the older
woman's tone.

"But they're getting older. It's time they
settled down. Just meet him. What do you have to lose?"

"Only my self-respect," Claire muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." Fear lent force to Claire's next
words. "Set it up."

With everything else she'd lost, she wouldn't
lose Bobbie Sue.

Race glared at the stack of bills threatening
to topple over and bury his desk. The phone gave a muffled ring. He
ignored it - just another creditor - and turned his gaze to the
smaller stack of mail in front of him. He scanned the flowery
script on the shocking pink, heavily scented paper, then crumbled
the sheet and tossed it at the overflowing wastebasket behind
him.

Another loser. So far his carefully worded ad
in the Chicago newspaper Personals had garnered him nothing but the
weirdos, the wackos and the desperate. Weren't there any normal
women left in the world?

"No luck?" An overly cheerful voice intruded,
followed by the blond head of his cousin, Colin.

"No." Race bit back a more hostile reply.
Colin might believe they were in competition in Grandmere's bizarre
race, but he didn't deserve to bear the brunt of Race's
increasingly black mood.

Colin moved into the cramped, cluttered
little office and peered over Race's shoulder at the next letter.
"Hmmm, very interesting," he drawled and picked up a photo of a
well-endowed woman dressed in a tight black leather outfit complete
with chains and a whip.

"If you're into S&M. Take her, she's
yours."

Colin chuckled and dropped the photo. "Sorry,
Cuz. I've already got a woman picked out and I don't think she'll
want to share. And remember you're looking for mama material, not a
Hot Mama."

His cousin's good humor further depressed
Race.

"Why are you even considering Grandmere's
bizarre contest?" Colin asked.

"I need the money when the balloon payment
comes due next spring if I'm going to save my ranch."

Colin perched on the edge of the desk and his
grin widened. "Give it up, cuz. I'm going to win anyway."

"Oh, has Miss Elizabeth Ashley Colston
finally agreed to your proposal?"

Colin's grin faltered. "No, not exactly, but
she will soon."

"Yeah, and my horses will grow wings and fly.
That woman hates the very ground any Reed walks on."

A frown crossed Colin's face. "So she says.
But she will marry me. Grandmere's little contest gives me just
what I need to push Lizzie over the edge into marriage."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too."

"I don't get your attraction to married life.
Why settle for hamburger every night when there's so many dishes on
the menu?"

"Yeah? Like this little serving of blood
pudding?" Colin pointed at the leather-clad dominatrix staring up
at them from the photo. His tone turned serious. "Marriage can
work, but this isn't the way to go about it. Forget Grandmere's
crazy plan. Sell me the ranch, pay off your loan and start
over."

For one weak moment Race considered his
cousin's offer, then his determination hardened. He'd worked too
long and too hard to get his horse rescue ranch up and running to
quit now. "So you can build a mall and tract homes? I don't think
so."

"Don't forget the industrial complex." There
wasn't a bit of apology in Colin's tone, he believed in his goal as
much as Race disliked it. "Council Falls needs new businesses if it
wants to keep its young people and grow. Your ranch is a prime
location. My offer is more than fair. You can accept it now," Colin
paused, "or after I win Grandmere's little baby race."

"I think we're both forgetting the other
contestant in this crazy contest. What about Travis, your
brother?"

"Haven't forgotten him. With the way he feels
about women, I don't think he'd be interested, not for any amount
of money. Besides, he's off somewhere on the Amazon hunting bugs,
so I doubt Grandmere has even been able to notify him about the
race."

"Maybe, but Travis has always had a way of
popping in and messing up plans when least expected," Race
muttered, remembering more than one time that his oldest cousin had
caused him grief.

"Think about it, Race," Colin picked up his
previous train of thought. "For the last fifteen years you've
fought against being manipulated by the Reed family. If you go
through with this, you'll not only play right into Grandmere's
hands..." he paused at the door. "...You'll bring another Reed into
the world."

Race shrugged. His name might be Reed, but he
wasn't and would never be part of the charmed circle. He wasn't
about to share with Colin his plan to manipulate his grandmother's
contest to his advantage. Nor did he intend to create any more
Reeds.

Claire watched the approaching man. Tall,
dark and dangerous, Race Reed bore down on her with determined
resolve. Despite his odd name, this man was no cartoon character.
He stopped next to her outside table at Max's Cafe, downtown
Council Falls, and scowled down at her. Several patrons glanced
over in typical small town curiosity, but quickly turned their
attention back to their meals when he glared at them.

Hardly the friendly sort, with his bronzed
skin, black shoulder length hair, piercing dark eyes and rugged
features, he looked more like he was about to give a Comanche war
cry and take a few scalps than sit down and propose marriage.

With a small shudder, Claire ducked her head
and let her brown hair veil her expression from his probing eyes.
She couldn't marry this man. He was just too much. Too dark, unlike
the rest of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Reeds. Too tall. Too broad.
Too forceful. Just too male, a niggling voice of honesty forced her
to admit. Summoning her courage, she lifted her head and met his
questioning gaze.

Some of the hostility had faded from his look
and stance. With a small crooked smile teasing the corners of his
mouth, he appeared less intimidating, almost handsome in a craggy
way. Her own lips started to curve into an answering smile. She
stiffened. He'd recognized her instinctive fear of his blatant
masculinity and it amused him. Anger banished fear.

She stood and stuck out her hand. "Claire
Jensen. Won't you join me?"

Race's grip was warm and firm, but not
painful. His large hand swallowed hers. The calluses roughening his
palms and fingers abraded her softer flesh and sent a shiver of
foreboding through her. This man was no stranger to hard physical
labor and he knew how to hold what was his. Still, he didn't try
and retain her hand when she jerked it free.

"Race Reed. Pleased to meet you."

His tone indicated the opposite, but he
pulled out her seat, and then straddled a chair across from her.
The sight of his jean-clad thighs spread wide to accommodate the
chair back caused Claire's mouth to go dry. She swallowed and
forced her gaze back to his face.

"Do you think this is really the best place
to discuss our business?" He looked around at the other patrons
busy trying to appear like they weren't straining to hear this
conversation. "My truck is parked over there. We can go to my place
for a bit more privacy."

Heat flooded under Claire's skin at the
thought of what this man could do with her in private. Pale skin
glowing against dark in a dim room. Cool, moist lips soothing
heated flesh. She blinked and shook off the tantalizing images.
Where had they come from? Sex hadn't been, wasn't, and couldn't be
a priority in her life. She had to think of Bobbie Sue not her
underdeveloped libido.

"No," she stammered. "No. This is fine." It
wasn't really. She wasn't any more eager to run the risk of others
finding out about this arrangement than he was. Adopting Bobbie Sue
depended on convincing the court that she was emotionally,
socially, and financially capable of caring for a child. A marriage
of convenience to a complete stranger wasn't likely to provide that
proof. But being alone with Race in his home didn't seem wise
either. Despite being a Reed, which somewhat vouched for his
character, she didn't know him.