Audra Adams - The Bachelor's Bride

Though her pride bristled at the thought of crawling back home, she knew that was her best course of action. At least if she wanted to have the baby. And she did. That was the only thing of which she was absolutely sure.

So the decision was made.

The buzzer sounded and Rachel rolled off the bed. Trudy had promised to stop by after work and bring take-out. Not that Rachel was the least bit hungry, but she knew if she didn’t eat, Trudy would lecture her, and she would have to agree. She was, after all, now eating for two.

She hit the button and set the table with silverware and napkins as she waited for Trudy to arrive. As the knock sounded, Rachel opened the door to her friend standing with a shopping bag full of Chinese food.

“Did you buy out the restaurant?” Rachel asked with an indulgent smile.

“No, I didn’t buy out the restaurant. I just bought enough for you to have some leftovers. I know you won’t cook for yourself.”

“You’re impossible,” Rachel said.

Trudy patted her cheek as she placed the shopping bag on top of the table. “But you love me anyway.”

They sat down to eat, and Trudy smiled, her mouth stuffed with lo mein. “Don’t we get along great?” she asked.

“Wonderfully,” Rachel said as she toyed with the fried rice.

“You know,” Trudy began, “we’d be great together.”

“Together?”

“Yeah. Living together.”

“What are you talking about?” Rachel asked.

“You. Me. Living together at my place.”

“Oh, Trudy—”

“No, really. We could do it. I work all day. You could help me out keeping the place neat and all.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You barely have enough room for yourself.”

“That’s not true. There’s that little alcove. We could put the crib in there. You could sleep in my room.”

“And what about Jake?”

“What about him?”

“Your relationship is just heating up. How is he going to fit into all this?” Rachel asked with a shake of her head. “Really, Trudy. Three’s a crowd. And once the baby comes, it’ll be four.”

“So? We’ll have a parade! Come on, we can do it.”

Rachel shook her head. “No.” She leaned forward and put her hand over Trudy’s, not even trying to fight the tears that filled her eyes. “You are the best friend I’ve ever had in my entire life. Thank you for the offer, but no. I’ve already made up my mind what to do.”

“And that is?”

Rachel pulled back her hand and looked down at her dinner. She didn’t answer right away. She couldn’t bring herself to say the words, as if once she did, she would be bound by them.

“Well?” Trudy prompted.

Rachel lifted her eyes and met her friend’s concerned stare. “I’m going back home.”

“You can’t. You’ll hate it there.”

“I’ve already called the airlines.”

“But have you called your father? ”

“No. But I will. Tomorrow.” She looked at Trudy’s disapproving face. “I have no other choice.”

“Yes, you do.”

“What? Tell me what other choices I have?”

“Reid.”

Rachel shook her head adamantly. “No.”

“Why not? He’s got more money than God. He can help you out, get you a job, set you up—”

“No. Don’t even think it. I won’t take money from him. Not now, anyway. Maybe later. When the baby’s older. For college.”

“Why? For heaven’s sake, tell me, why?”

Rachel gave up on eating. She stood and scraped the remainder of the food off her plate into the trash. “Because I’d be putting myself—the baby—up for sale. I’d feel obligated to him. Not to mention the publicity. Can you imagine what the newspapers would do if they found out about this? New York’s most eligible bachelor and moi. I could see the headlines now.”

“You’d live through it.”

“But I don’t want to live through it! I want to have my baby in peace and quiet. I don’t want to become part of any Reid James media circus. I couldn’t do it, Trudy, even if he offered.” She paused. “He hasn’t, has he?” she asked.

Trudy shook her head slowly. “No, but I know he would if—”

“If I asked him? Oh, Trudy, can’t you see how that would make me feel?”

Trudy got up from the table and came over to Rachel. She put her arm around her. “Why are you being so stubborn? He can do things for you.”

“I think he’s done enough for me already, don’t you?”

“That’s not fair,” Trudy said. “He’s really a great guy. A little rough around the edges, but that’s to be expected based on his background.”

“What about his background?”

The phone rang. Rachel drew a deep breath and let it out slowly as she walked over to answer it by the bed. She lifted the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Rachel? How are you?”

It was Reid. Rachel sank onto the edge of the bed and mouthed his name to Trudy. “Fine. I’m fine.”

“I hope you don’t mind my calling. Trudy gave me the number.”

“No. No, I don’t mind your calling.”

“Hell, no,” Trudy said out loud. “We were just talking about you.

Rachel shushed Trudy with a wave of her hand. “What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to meet with you...talk to you.”

Rachel shut her eyes and pressed her lips together for a moment. “I’ve already made my decision, Reid.”

He hesitated. “And...”

“And I’m going to keep the baby.”

If she thought it really mattered to him, Rachel could have interpreted a note of relief in his intake of breath.

“I’m glad.”

“Are you?” she asked.

“Yes. Very. Will you meet with me?”

“I don’t know for what, Reid.”

“To discuss how we’re going to handle this.”

“ We aren’t handling anything. I’ve decided to go back home.”

“Home?”

“To Ohio.”

“Oh. Is that definite?”

“Yes. All the arrangements are made,” she lied.

Reid was silent for a long time. Rachel could almost feel the steam from his temper seeping through the phone. Her heart began to pound.

Finally he said, “I see. Well, then, I guess this is—”

“Goodbye.” Rachel finished his sentence for him.

She hadn’t thought this would be so hard. She didn’t really know him at all. For all intents and purposes he was a stranger. Except for the outcome of their night together, they would probably have never met again. He’d only been a face in a dream to her, but meeting him again, seeing the dream come to life, walk, talk, touch her, was unbalancing to say the least.

He was real, and they had shared something special. She felt something for him she couldn’t even put a name to.

The lump in her throat was growing larger and more prohibitive by the second. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could continue to speak, so she thought it best to end this conversation as soon as possible.

“I have to go.”

“Okay...” he said softly. But when she didn’t hang up, he added, “Rachel? Are you still there?”

“Yes...” she squeaked.

“Will you let me know...when, and all...”

“Yes. Of course. Goodbye, Reid.”

And this time she did hang up, cradling the phone and gripping the receiver long after the connection was broken.

“Well, that’s that,” Trudy said with a faint tinge of disapproving resignation.

“Yes,” Rachel said. “It’s over.”

It wasn’t over. Not as far as Reid was concerned. Not by a long shot.

Rachel Morgan couldn’t possibly believe that she could enter his life, drop this kind of bombshell in his lap, and then shoo him away like an annoying fly on a hot summer day.