The Baby Bargain

Chapter 11: Alison

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Alison's heart slowed to a normal pace as she turned the car down their street and didn't see any flashing lights, but something was wrong. Her aunt wasn't prone to theatrics. She pulled into the driveway. Aunt Tiff wouldn't have texted her to come right home unless it was very important.

Randy had understood but he probably thought she was crazy for rescheduling the date, changing her mind and meeting him for dinner, only to leave half-way through for a family emergency. She'd be lucky if he answered her texts again. She hurried into the house. "Mom. Aunt Tiff. What happened? Is everything okay?"

She stepped into the kitchen and stopped. Harker sat at the table chatting with her aunt. He was still dressed in his black business pants, white button-down shirt and he looked large, impeccable, and out of place in her mother's kitchen. "What are you doing here? And how did you get here? I didn't see your car."

"I thought"—his eyes darted to Aunt Tiff—"that it'd be best if I moved the car down the street."

"There's no emergency is there?" She looked at her Aunt Tiff. She'd been betrayed.

When she'd told her aunt about the unbelievably horrible offer from Harker, Aunt Tiff hadn't seen it in the same light. Her aunt had been married four times and each man had been richer than the last. She'd still have money except Aunt Tiff's last husband had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her aunt had spent every dime she'd had for his care. Aunt Tiff had seen Harker's offer as a blessing. Alison had thought she'd made it clear that she had no intention of selling her child for any price.

"Of course, there is," said Aunt Tiff. "Harker wants to speak with you about that business offer."

"That offer has been refused."

"That offer should be reconsidered." Aunt Tiff smiled but her voice had an edge to it that Alison recognized. "All deals require negotiations."

"Exactly." Harker, the bastard, stared at her with a smirk on his face as he stood. "But we should talk about the details in private."

"There's nothing to discuss. I told you that some things aren't worth any amount of money."

Aunt Tiff snorted and smiled at Harker. "This one is young at heart and sometimes, soft in the head."

"I am not. I can't believe you think..." She glanced at her mother. At least she and Aunt Tiff agreed that this should not, could not be shared with her mother. "Harker, we have nothing further to discuss on this matter." She stepped away from the kitchen door. "You should go."

"Alison." Her mother's tone was like a slap. "This is my house, and you'll treat my guests with respect."

"Yes, mother." Alison literally bit her tongue to keep from saying—Yeah, your house that's falling down and wouldn't be livable if it hadn't been for her money fixing the plumbing and the electric.

"I'll have to remember that tone." Harker walked past her. He must've realized how hard it was for her to stay quiet because his half-smirk lifted, making him look like an evil clown. "I can never get her to obey me that easily."

"And you never will."

"We'll see about that." His confident grin sent a chill down her spine.

"I don't think we will." She'd just been challenged by the devil, but she wasn't backing down now.

"You should come with me." He motioned for her to proceed him out of the kitchen. "I'm ready to concede your point." His eyes locked with hers. "Like your aunt said, all deals require negotiations. I'll meet your demands. We should go to my"—he glanced at her mother—"office so you can look over the rest of the contract."

"No." Her stomach dropped to her toes. If he agreed to joint custody, she wasn't sure she could turn his offer down. Not only was it a lot of money but she'd be co-owner of Angel Face. She'd put her life into that software.

"Are you sure?" His gaze lifted above her head to the corner.

She knew exactly what he was looking at. The roof had leaked and the plaster on the ceiling was starting to crumble. This whole blasted place was falling down around them.

"This deal could help a lot of people." He glanced at her mother.

"I think you should at least hear him out," said Mom. "He agreed to your demands, whatever they were." Her mom hugged her and whispered, "I think you'll do an excellent job running a team of your own."

"He told you—"

"I explained that you'd be co-owner and run a team instead of working long hours doing everything yourself."

Of course, he'd only told her mom the parts that made him look good. It was typical Harker, but she was glad. Her mother would never understand the rest. Having a baby with a man Alison didn't love for money and career advancement was as foreign to her mother as an alien planet.

"Go with the man and hear what he has to say," said Mom. "You can always refuse again."

"It's not an ideal offer but I'm sure you'll get worse ones in life," muttered Aunt Tiff.

"It's a great offer." Harker sent her a dirty look.

Aunt Tiff shrugged. "Not terrible but I've had better."

"Better than co-owner of a successful company?" asked Mom. "What offer did you have that was better than that?"

"Marriage." Aunt Tiff's gaze darted to Alison and then to Harker.

He frowned but Alison understood the message. Her mom didn't approve of divorce, but she'd accept it. Having a baby out of wedlock would shame her mother at church. Marriage was the only option Alison had if she agreed to this offer.

"Fine. I'll go." This was perfect. Harker would never agree to marriage. His face had paled at the mere mention of the word. She grinned at Aunt Tiff. This decision would soon be out of her hands. "You're right. You have had better offers." She glanced at Harker and almost burst out laughing when his frown deepened, displaying his dimples.

"And Alison, be polite," said Mom.

"Oh, I'll be polite. I'll be super-duper sweet." She couldn't wait to see the panic in his eyes when she insisted on marriage. Then all she had to do was convince him that even though she wasn't the right woman to have his baby, she was the perfect woman to run the software engineering team.