The Long Road Home

by H. D. Thomson

  And to make matters worse, she had handled the entire situation wrong. Didn’t she know getting emotional didn’t solve things? She snorted in disgust. Obviously not.

  A tear trailed hotly down her cheek, and she brushed it off with the back of a hand. She sank down on the bed and buried her head in her pillow. Toto jumped down from the chair he had been sleeping in and joined her on the bed, curling against the curve of her stomach. Absently she scratched behind his ears. “You like me, don’t you?” The dog licked her hand, almost as if it sensed her hurt. “At least someone does. Right now, I know John can’t stand the sight of me. And how can I blame him, when I turn hot and cold on him like that? But what else am I to do? Vivian isn’t exactly out of the picture. Then there’s my stupid leg. It’s ugly. And John doesn’t like ugly. Just look at Vivian. She’s got those long, slinky legs he likes. She’s perfect for him.”

  She trailed her fingers through the animal’s soft pelt. “What’s the point of hashing it out in my head? In a day, I won’t have to worry about either of them.”

  She flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling. Oh, but why did it have to hurt so much?

  ****

  Someone pounded on her door. The offending noise vibrated through her head, waking her from a fitful sleep. She jerked to a sitting position and glared at the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “John.”

  Stiffening, Clarisse gripped the sheets bunched around her waist. Memories of last night flashed through her mind. Groaning, she moved across the room and combed unsteady fingers through her hair. She didn’t have to look in the mirror to know that her blonde hair sprang out in every direction and dark shadows circled her eyes. She opened the door.

  “You’re not ready.” John stated the obvious as he strode into the room. “How long do you think it will take you?”

  Heat crept beneath the skin of her cheeks at his acid tone. “Only a couple of minutes. I just need to take a quick shower and change.”

  He nodded, seeming satisfied. He walked over to the table and sat down. “How’s your knee?”

  “Fine.” Self-consciously, she brushed her hands across her hips, then clasped them in front of her. Even though her red satin negligee covered her from breast to ankle, she felt naked beneath his slow, clinical appraisal. She watched him with guarded eyes. How could he look so refreshed and clean-shaven when she knew she looked a mess after battling with the sheets all night? It didn’t seem fair.

  He stretched out his jean encased legs and grabbed a magazine on the table as if he were planning to stay. She tensed. “You’re not going to wait here, are you?”

  Eyebrow raised, he looked up from the pages and regarded her coolly. “Is there a problem with that? It’s not like we’ve never shared a room. You can always change in the bathroom if you’re feeling modest.”

  Clarisse gritted her teeth. So he was going to be obstinate. That was fine by her. Just fine. She could be just as pig-headed.

  She hurried to her suitcase and rummaged around until she found some clothing. Grabbing the least wrinkled, she disappeared into the bathroom. She showered quickly and rubbed herself dry. While she was reaching for her bra and underwear on top of the commode, John knocked on the door.

  She whipped a towel from the counter and covered herself haphazardly. “Don’t come in!”

  Silence followed her alarmed screech. She sensed his puzzlement even through the door. “I wasn’t planning to.”

  “Oh.” Shaking, Clarisse clutched the sink. “What is it?”

  “I just wanted to let you know I’m going to take the dog for a walk. When you’re done, just meet me out at the car.”

  “Sure.”

  Still trembling, she reached for her underwear for the second time. There had been no need to panic, Clarisse derided. After all, why would John barge into the bathroom? It wasn’t like he was going to ravish her, now was it? Especially after the way she behaved last night.

  She found John waiting by the car. From his rigid posture and closed expression, Clarisse surmised his mood hadn’t improved. She sighed. It looked like the remainder of the trip was going to be hell on wheels.

  Silently, he took her bag and stuffed it in the back. She barely had enough time to close her door, before he shifted gears and stamped his foot on the gas. The Explorer sped forward, spitting dust in its wake.

  “How long do you think it will take to get to San Diego?” she ventured.

  “About ten hours. Maybe longer.”

  She slumped against her seat. Over ten hours of pure fun. “About last night...”

  “Let’s forget it ever happened.”

  She flinched at the harshness of his voice. “What ever.” Oh hell. She was sounding like Vivian.

  John turned on the radio and increased the volume, hindering any further conversation. Her lips thinned at the obvious snub. So he didn’t want to talk. Fine, Clarisse told herself. She didn’t have anything to say to him either.

  The minutes ticked by with excruciating slowness. She looked out the window, blind to the passing scenery. Ignoring John in the adjacent seat was impossible. His bulk took too much room, his aftershave, faint yet distinct, drifted to her, and the way his large hands caressed the steering wheel made her think of how they had touched and stroked her last night.

  She pulled her book from her purse. Maybe this time, if she concentrated hard enough, the pages would hold her attention.

  By the time the sun slipped in the west, and fingers of orange and pink trailed across the sky, a dull headache throbbed against her temples. The distant lights of San Diego appeared over the horizon. Finally. She felt almost giddy with relief. For a time she thought she would never see the city or her sister.

  “I need to call Laura.”

  He thrust the cell at her. She grabbed the phone, smothering the urge to hit him over the head with it, and dialed her sister’s number.

  Laura answered after the first ring. “It’s about time. I was beginning to wonder. You could have called sooner.”

  “I didn’t think you deserved it.”

  “Yeah, that’s right, pound the nail in further.” In a whisper, Laura confessed, “We were only trying to help.”

  Glancing over at John, Clarisse bit back a retort. How she wanted to rant and rave! “Next time—don’t.”

  “How are you holding out?”

  Mindful of John beside her, Clarisse struggled to keep her voice casual. “What do you think?”

  “I can’t hear over this static. What did you say? Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” Her voice lowered dramatically. “When will you be here?”

  Clarisse frowned. Laura was acting strangely, almost as if she were afraid of being overheard. “I don’t know,” she said over the growing interference. “We’re just coming into the city now. Probably in half an hour.”

  “Don’t come—” Static cut off the rest of the sentence. Then the connection cleared enough for Clarisse to hear, “There’s something you need to know.”

  She tensed at the gravity in Laura’s voice. “What?”

  The line worsened. She could only make out a few garbled words. “There’s—waiting—” More static.

  Clarisse pressed her ear to the headpiece. “What?”

  The static halted; the connection died. She punched in Laura’s number again, but failed to get through. Baffled at her sister’s urgency, she turned the telephone off. Then she shrugged. She would find out soon enough.

  When John pulled into her sister’s driveway, her headache had grown, creeping down from her temples to hammer at the base of her skull. Wearily, she crawled from the Explorer and held onto the door. Blood flowed painfully back into her legs. She ignored the discomfort and eyed Laura’s stucco and red tiled home with appreciation. Even if the place had been a dilapidated piece of junk, she would have loved it. She had survived the trip!

  John unloaded her luggage by the front door. With the dog beneath one arm, she followed him to the entrance. Clari
sse looked up at his shadowy profile. The night shielded his expression, yet she knew he must feel relieved to get rid of her.

  “I guess this is it,” he said, pressing the doorbell.

  The finality of his words slapped her. “I guess so.”

  “I’ll probably be seeing you around at the wedding.”

  “Yes.”

  The door opened and Laura stepped onto the porch. Short, blonde hair capped her flushed face, and an agitated smile trembled on her lips.

  “Clarisse! John! You should have taken your time. There was no need to rush.”

  Oh, yes there was, Clarisse thought darkly to herself. Another minute in his company would have been like a jagged splinter burrowing deep into her skin.

  “I wanted to hurry,” Clarisse assured. “It isn’t every day my little sister gets married. I thought the day would never come.”

  Laura made a face and laughed. “And I can see you haven’t changed a bit these last months. You still have a mouth on you. Give me a hug.” Turning serious, she whispered in Clarisse’s ear, “I thought I told you to give me an hour before you got here.”

  “What—”

  Laura pinched her arm. “Shhh!” She pulled away and frowned at the animal in Clarisse’s arms. “What’s that? Don’t tell me it’s a dog.”

  “I won’t.”

  Laura sighed with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. “I should have known you’d pick something up on the way.”

  “It was a stray,” Clarisse retorted defensively. “It was going to starve.”

  “Clarisse, everything to you is a stray,” Laura admonished.

  Clarisse stood stiffly as her sister turned to John and gave him a brief but warm hug. “It’s good seeing you again, John.” She smiled fondly. “It’s been too long. Thanks for coming. I couldn’t have anyone else but you do my wedding.”

  John arched a brow, humor softening his strained features. “That’s not the only reason why you begged me to come, now is it?”

  Laura blushed a deep red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Have Mom and Dad driven in from Seattle yet?” Clarisse interrupted, not liking where the conversation was heading.

  “They were delayed. They’ll be in late tomorrow. But please come in. You must be tired.” Pausing at the screen, she yanked Clarisse’s arm and hissed in her ear, “Prepare yourself. We’ve got company. Vivian’s here.”

  She inhaled sharply. Dread slammed into her from all sides, shredding her nerves with vicious talons.

  John stayed his ground. “I’ll have to take a rain-check. I’m dead on my feet.”

  Laura bit her lip. “Vivian’s waiting inside.”

  She felt John right behind her. She didn’t dare look back. She couldn’t. One glance and he would see how much the news upset her.

  So Vivian was here. But had she learned anything? Had she managed to unearth Clarisse’s past? In a minute, whether she wanted to or not, she would find out.

  She took a deep, fortifying breath and stepped across the threshold and into the living room.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Vivian lounged in a black leather chair in the corner of the room. Brilliant red waves of hair framed her face and flowed past her shoulders. A sleeveless white crop-top exposed a healthy portion of tanned skin while a black suede mini-skirt accentuated the smooth length of her legs. No doubt, Clarisse thought in disgust, John found her legs fascinating.

  Angrily, she squashed her jealousy. So Vivian had beautiful, long legs. And what if Clarisse felt suddenly frumpish and inadequate with her serviceable jeans, pink T-shirt and heavily scarred leg? She wasn’t in a contest vying for John’s attention.

  Vivian rose fluidly to her feet and smiled. She looked beautiful, exotic, and if Clarisse could go by the hungry gleam in her eyes, ready to devour John whole.

  “John, darling,” she purred. “I missed you.”

  She flowed across the room, brushed by Clarisse and wound her arms around John. Clarisse watched in distaste as the redhead kissed him.

  His hands caught Vivian’s elbows and he drew her away. Lingering surprise and what looked like a guarded expression flickered across his face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t wait at the hotel any longer.” Vivian ran a red talon playfully along his chest. “I found Laura’s address in the book and had a taxi drop me by. And talk about a surprise! I’d only just gotten here when she got your call.”

  Now Clarisse understood her sister’s concern on the phone. All along, Vivian had been nearby. If only she had known. She would have found some way, however crazy, to delay their arrival until tomorrow so she might have gotten a full night of sleep. Right now, being totally exhausted after enduring ten hours of driving in a cramped car wouldn’t make the situation seem like a fun, filled encounter.

  “Hi, Clarisse.”

  A tall, slender man with brown hair and an open face stepped from the corner of the room and walked toward her. The bar of tension that had wedged between her shoulders eased.

  “Hi Darren.” She smiled with genuine pleasure. “Just think. In another five days you’ll be officially part of the family. Are you sure you want to take that risk?”

  Love shone in his eyes as he looked to Laura. “You can bet on it.” He squeezed Clarisse’s shoulder and grinned down at the animal in her arms. “I see you brought a friend.”

  She smiled ruefully. “I picked him up on the way.”

  “Are you ready to go, Vivian?” John asked.

  “Of course.”

  With mounting horror, she watched Vivian saunter toward her. There was no mistaking the predatory light in her eyes. Vivian knew. Somehow she had found out about the plane crash. Hugging the dog to her chest, she struggled for calm.

  “I hope the trip wasn’t too taxing for you.” Deliberately, she looked down at Clarisse’s leg. She flicked her hair behind one shoulder and smiled smugly.

  Lifting her chin, Clarisse held the dog closer to her chest with chilled hands. “Not at all.”

  Her panic must have shown, for the redhead’s smile widened. “I’ll be talking to you. It’s just a matter of time.”

  She stiffened at the threat, but remained silent. With narrowed eyes, Clarisse watched her leave the room. The redhead’s light, mocking laughter lingered in the air.

  Why? Why stay silent? To torment her? Was this her way of getting even for something she thought Clarisse had done? She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to know for fear of the answer.

  She turned from the doorway, to find John staring at her. She drew in a ragged breath, and all thoughts of Vivian fled. Something flickered in his eyes. Sadness? Regret? Or just relief?

  “I’ll see you at the rehearsal.”

  She nodded. So, that was that. Other than a few glimpses at the rehearsal and wedding, she probably wouldn’t talk to him for any length of time.

  Then he walked out of the room. Silence, thick and heavy, hung in the air as Clarisse’s throat tightened with suppressed tears. The dog squirmed in her arms so she placed him on the floor.

  The Explorer’s headlights arched across the front window and faded. Sighing with a mixture of relief and despair, she met Laura’s pitying look. Her sister opened her mouth.

  “Don’t say a word.” Clarisse glared, the constriction in her throat tightening.

  “Now, don’t get that attitude with me,” Laura protested defensively.

  “I think I’ll leave,” Darren said, “so the two of you can talk.”

  “Please, don’t go on my account,” Clarisse stalled quickly. She wasn’t in the mood to be alone with Laura and her questions.

  “I think I’d better.”

  He smiled kindly. Clarisse caught the sympathy in his eyes, and her jaw hardened. He knew about John and herself. It was there in his eyes. And why not? It was just like her sister to shoot off her mouth. Even after twenty-one years, Laura had never learned to keep a secret.

  When Darren left, Laura go
t directly to the point. “Things didn’t go well with John. That’s why you’re angry, isn’t it?”

  Clarisse snorted. That didn’t dignify a response. She left the living room and turned down the hall. “Where’s my room?”

  “Second door on the right.” Laura trotted after her. “Don’t leave yet. Not when you look like you’re going to blow up.”

  “That’s why I am leaving. If I stay in the same room with you, I’m liable to strangle you.”

  “How was I to know your trip would backfire like that?”

  She whirled and nearly bumped into Laura. “So you admit you and Jennifer planned this?”

  “It was her idea. I just went along with it.”

  “Just went along with it? What was in your head? Did you ever stop to think how seeing him again would hurt me?”

  “N-no. I thought, given time, the two of you could get back together.” Twisting her hands in front of her, Laura followed her into the bedroom. “He never mentioned to Jennifer he was bringing anyone along. It was supposed to be easy.”

  Anger drained away, and in its place a deep sadness enfolded her. “Life is never that simple. Not when people’s feelings are involved.”

  “But if only you would—”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s just drop it. It’s done. I’m here, and I’m tired. More importantly, I don’t have to deal with John much longer. Thank God, after I go up to Seattle with Mom and Dad for a visit, I’m riding back home with them in their motor home.” Sinking down on the end of the bed, she tiredly rubbed her brow. Toto jumped on the bed and sprawled out alongside her leg. Absently, she scratched behind his ears. “Can we talk in the morning?”

  “Sure.” She backed out of the room. A sheepish look crossed her features. “Tough couple of days, huh?”

  She laughed bitterly. “You can say that.”

  “See you in the morning.” Laura softly closed the door.

  Sighing, Clarisse stripped, tossed her clothing on the corner chair and fell into bed. She hugged the covers up to her chin, determined to forget John, the trip, and Vivian’s threats. It was time to forge on with her life.