Claire compliantly stayed within the grip of the sleek bucket seat, struggling to quell her growing anxiety, until Tony parked the LFA and chivalrously came around to open her door. Upon seeing her expression, Tony whispered, “I’m not leading you into the den of lions.”
“No, you’ve already done that.”
His polished expression wavered. “This time, I won’t leave you. I’ll stay by your side, and you won’t be alone.”
His valiant tone strengthened her. Nodding, Claire grasped his extended hand. Being alone was always her greatest fear. As their fingers intertwined, she realized she wanted his support and presence. Walking toward the house, Tony leaned down. “I’d hoped seeing everyone here first would be easier than seeing them for the first time in a crowd.”
“It probably will be; nevertheless, I think I’m going to be ill.”
He stopped their forward movement and assessed the woman before him. “Your color looks good. You look amazing. I promise.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m right here.” His grin broadened. “A man of my word.”
She reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Before they could push the doorbell, Tim opened the wooden barrier. With Sue by his side, he politely offered a greeting, “Welcome to our home, Tony, Claire.” He nodded with a smile.
“Please come in,” Sue added. She motioned toward the large sitting room full of familiar faces. Feeling the cool insincerity, Claire secured her mask and clung tighter to Tony.
Silence prevailed as Tom, Bev, Brent, Courtney, Mary Ann, and Eli turned and watched Tony and Claire enter with Tim and Sue. Courtney was the first to move. Without speaking, she sat her wine glass on the large square table before the sofa. Ignoring Tony, Courtney approached Claire, her blue eyes glistening with tears. It wasn’t as dramatic as their reunion in Texas, but Courtney’s embrace squeezed the air from Claire’s lungs. Helpless, Tony released Claire’s hand as the two women clung to one another, weeping. Courtney whispered in Claire’s ear, “I’m so sorry; I’m so sorry.”
Claire nodded, swallowing her sobs. This wasn’t an act; it was the reunion of two friends. The ice was broken, another release. Eventually, the rest of the room began to talk. Sue, Bev, and Mary Ann led the women to the kitchen. Dabbing their eyes, all the women gave Claire the support she’d feared Tony’s friends would withhold. Everyone claimed to have doubted Claire’s guilt, and they all apologized for not being more supportive. Claire knew the man in the other room was the reason for their disobliging behavior. Nonetheless, she bashfully accepted their belated validation.
When they returned to the living room, Claire devotedly sat beside her ex-husband. His expression displayed genuine pleasure with the ladies’ response. When he reached for Claire’s hand and gently brushed her knuckles with his thumb, their faces bowed toward one another and their noses touched. The light contact provoked an approving smile from her lips.
Their Oscar worthy performance was outstanding, possibly under serious consideration for nomination. Throughout the entire evening, Tony was Claire’s anchor. By the time dinner was complete, even Claire believed the words coming from her mouth.
With Tony engrossed in conversation in the living room, Claire made her way to the kitchen. She’d spent the evening nursing a glass of wine, for appearances; however, water seemed to be the only liquid capable of quenching her ever present thirst. Leaving the others behind, Claire wondered, is thirst another symptom of pregnancy? She stood at the sink, filling her goblet when Brent approached and nonchalantly whispered, “Did you get my message?”
Claire looked nervously toward the other room. “No, I left that phone in California.”
He continued, “I saw some paperwork on a recent Rawlings hire. The man’s name caught my attention.” Claire looked questionably at him. Brent whispered, “Burke.”
Her mind twirled; there were so many things going through it. She tried to make a connection. “I’m sorry, should I know that name?”
Brent glanced to the other room to see everyone still talking. “Jonathon Burke worked with your grandfather—”
Claire’s eyes opened wide. “Yes. The securities officer.”
Brent nodded and whispered, “I understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, but please remember who you’re dealing with and be careful.”
Ignoring his warning, Claire asked, “Is there a connection between the Rawlings employee and Jonathon?”
“I haven’t had the chance to follow through, but I will.”
“Oh, there you are—” Courtney came loudly into the kitchen with Tony close behind. Claire finished putting ice in her water glass, grinned, and walked toward Tony.
“What are you two in here talking about?” Tony asked. Claire heard his question, but at the same time, her mind tried to process the new information. Are other people suffering because of Nathaniel and Tony’s vendetta?
“Monterey,” Brent said. Claire pushed her new concern away and turned toward Brent with a grin. Brent continued, “Yes, Courtney and I’ve been there a few times and really enjoyed it. I wondered, with Claire living in Palo Alto, if she’d been.”
Claire interjected, as she smiled toward Tony. “I was telling him the only time I’d been there was with you.”
Tony placed his arm around her back. “We did go there, didn’t we?”
Courtney said, “I hate to leave this get-together, but we have a lot to do before the rehearsal and dessert celebration.” She addressed Tony and Claire, “You two will be there, won’t you?”
Unsure of their plans, Claire looked to Tony. He replied, “Of course, we will. That’s why we met tonight. I hoped Claire’s reintroductions would be easier if she could meet first with friends. Hopefully, this will allow her additional support with increased people.” His arm gently squeezed his ex-wife to his side. She smiled appropriately to his friends.
“Well, you have ours. Oh, Claire!” Courtney asked, “Could I have your cell phone number? I’d love to talk more after the wedding.”
A flashback of a similar situation years earlier entered Claire’s thoughts. Before she could answer, Tony responded, “Courtney, I’ll give her your number tonight. She can call or text, and then you’ll have each other’s number.”
The women nodded. “We’ll do that,” Claire said with a smile. Maybe things do change, she pondered.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to say our goodbyes,” Brent offered as they turned to leave.
Tony stopped them. “Wait, we should probably go, as well. Claire’s had a pretty emotionally packed day. Besides, I believe the four of us need to speak privately. Perhaps out by the cars?”
Claire’s insides suddenly twisted, and she refused to look toward the Simmons; what could he want to discuss privately? Did he know about their clandestine relationship and support?
“All right,” Courtney managed. “But we do have a lot to do.” Her tone sounded as if she were agitated by the delay; however, Claire knew the same concerned inflections would be present if she spoke, so she didn’t.
Tony thanked Tim and Sue for hosting the dinner, and the four of them said goodbye to the others. Before they could leave, Sue asked, “Could you please wait just a minute?” Without waiting for an answer, she hurried away toward the stairs.
Courtney seized Claire’s hand. “I think she’s going to get Sean. He’s upstairs with the nanny.”
A lump developed in Claire’s throat, recognizing Sue’s ultimate gesture of acceptance. Through pleading eyes, she looked to Tony, silently conveying her desire to stay and see Tim and Sue’s son. He shrugged. Claire turned back to Courtney. “Can you stay for a few more minutes? I know you have a lot to do, and Tony wants to talk—”
“Oh, honey, I always have time for babies. Wait until you see him!” Turning to Brent she asked expectantly, “How long do you think it’ll be until Caleb and Julia make us grandparents?”
“I’m not old enough to be a grandparent.”
Courtney lau
ghed. “You are, and so am I, but I don’t look like it!”
“No you don’t.” They all light-heartedly agreed.
Moments later, Sue appeared with a pajama clad, very blonde, little boy in her arms. He alternated nestling into his mother’s shoulder and peering at the people around him while keeping his little arms wrapped tightly around Sue’s neck.
“Claire, I wanted you to meet Sean. I’m sorry. This is past his bedtime, and the poor little guy is getting tired.”
Claire’s heart melted. “Hello, Little Guy, it is nice to meet you.” She looked at his small frame, calculated Sean’s age and asked, “He’s what? About fifteen months?”
“Almost.” Sue smiled. “He’s so much fun, getting into everything and learning new words every day.”
Tim approached the group; Sean held out his arms. Tim lovingly swung his son into his embrace and added, “Believe me; it makes you think about every word when little ears are listening.”
The attention made Sean awaken. He smiled mischievously at the Simmons, Tony, and Claire, while intermittently hiding his face in Tim’s shoulder.
“Thank you.” Tears teetered on Claire’s lids as she reached out, tussling Sean’s soft curly hair. “I think you might have some difficulty getting him back to sleep.”
Everyone scoffed jokingly and said goodbye.
Tony and Claire followed the Simmons out to the cars. Stepping away from the brightly lit home, Claire noticed the black velvet sky sprinkled with millions of stars, exactly as she’d remembered. Pulling her attentions away from the beautiful sky, Claire braced herself as Tony began to speak, addressing all three of them.
“I’m doing my best to be honest with Claire, and I expect the same from her.” Swallowing, she attempted an innocent expression as he looked down at her and continued, “That’s why I thought we should get this out in the open.”
Chapter Forty-Four
There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth… not going all the way, and not starting.
—Buddha
“Tony, I think the Simmons need to—”
Tony interrupted Claire’s attempt to avoid this discussion, “This won’t take long.” He turned to Brent. “I’ve trusted Brent with many things through the years.” Claire watched Brent’s stance stiffen. Were they all about to be reprimanded? Tony went on, “That’s why I wanted him to be the one to tell you about his progress regarding your brother-in-law.”
Brent visibly relaxed. Apparently, Claire hadn’t been the only one holding her breath. “Yes,” Brent said, looking at Claire as relief shone from his tired eyes. “Well, it seems some new information has come to the attention of the New York State Bar Association. This hasn’t been released to anyone, not even John. If my informant is correct, then this new information will cause his case to come up for review soon. We’re hoping the review will result in the reinstatement of his license to practice law.”
Claire sprung skyward and clasped her hands with the news. “Oh, thank you!” The tears teetering in the house now spilled onto her cheeks. “Thank you, Brent. Thank you, Tony. I won’t say a word. When will you know if it will be up for review?”
Brent answered, “It’ll take a few months, and I should be kept apprised of updates.”
Tony offered his hand to Brent. “Thank you.” He shook Brent’s hand. “I apologize for delaying your departure, but I wanted Claire to hear it from you.”
Courtney’s relief made her giddy. “That’s all right; however, now we really need to go. I’m so glad this was good news.” Reaching out for Claire’s hand, she continued, “Now you need some rest. Tony’s right, you’ve had too many things thrown at you. Look how emotional you are.”
Claire nodded and managed, “We’ll see you tomorrow night, and before then, I’ll call you.” The words spoken out loud felt liberating.
Tony grasped Claire’s hand, and they walked back to the silver Batmobile. As he opened her door, he bent down and whispered, “A man of my word.”
She smiled all the way to her emerald eyes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, I really mean that.”
The country roads wound like a ribbon before them. Claire closed her eyes and tried to comprehend the evening. There were so many things to think about, yet the only vision which managed to find its way to her consciousness was Sean, the way his pudgy little arms encircled Sue’s neck, his giggle as Tim propelled him in the air, and his security at landing on Tim’s strong stable shoulder. Would their child ever have that? Would Claire’s baby have a father willing to embrace him unconditionally?
Tony’s squeeze of Claire’s knee brought her back to the present. She focused on his words, part of a statement already in progress. “…it takes longer than you would expect, but Brent thinks it can be resolved before the end of the year.”
Claire turned. “That’s a long time away. How long did it take to set him up?”
Tony turned. His expression suddenly darkened. “I’d rather not talk about that.”
With her preoccupation of Sean, she’d forgotten to weigh her words. “Why? I know you did it. You told Brent and Courtney you wanted to be honest. So, be honest.”
Tony’s neck stiffened as he peered forward through the windshield. Finally, he spoke, “From the time he turned down my job offer.”
Claire sat straighter and looked out the side window. She tried to keep her mind on the passing scenes. Subtle interruptions in the nocturnal darkness were visible with the occasional house or opening in the trees. The light from the quarter moon illuminated each field or a yard they passed. Although the familiar terrain gave Claire comfort, she wrestled with Tony’s confession.
“You asked. Now, you won’t comment?” Tony asked.
“I don’t know what to say. Do you want my bold and cheeky response or the reticent and genteel one?”
Claire watched his knuckles blanch upon the steering wheel. She waited. Instinctively, she knew she’d baited him enough. He’d been honest, and she should give him credit for that.
“This is why I haven’t answered all of your questions. You may think you’re ready for answers, but you’re not. Bits and pieces may help you understand, but the blatant truth is too much.”
Claire watched the passing scenes without comment. It wasn’t that words didn’t form in her thoughts. They did. She chose to keep them to herself. In the past her silence may have been the result of fear regarding Tony’s reaction. Exhaustion was her current motivator. Without a doubt, Claire was tired of confrontation.
When Tony pulled the car onto the brick circular drive in front of his house, Claire turned to him. Sincerely and serenely, she placed her hand on top of his and spoke softly with confidence, “Thank you.” He turned, showering her with the intensity of his dark glare. Every fiber of his expression displayed his unspoken resentment regarding at her recent silence. Undeterred, she continued, “Thank you for supporting me tonight with your friends. I was very nervous. It turned out much better than I could have possibly hoped, and thank you for helping John. I know you don’t like him, and that you created his problems, but helping him now—it means a lot to me.” She leaned in and lightly kissed his lips.
The touch ignited feelings deep within her. The change in Tony’s breathing revealed a similar response. She searched his eyes in the dark stillness of the car.
“Claire, I’m trying to give you space, but I’m on the edge.”
She leaned back and undid her seat belt. “I know you’re trying, and I appreciate it.” She opened her door and started toward the house. She heard his door slam as he made his way to her; grasping her arm, he stopped her progress. They stood in the night upon the brick drive. His chest pressed against her hypersensitive breasts.
“I’m very glad you’re here.”
Claire smiled and looked up at the mansion before her. “I’m surprised at how much I like being here. I was afraid the bad memories would overpower the good.”
Tension escaped his lips in an audible sigh a
s a grin emerged. “Does that mean… the good overpower the bad?”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t know. I wish I could say yes. You said you want honesty, and honestly, I don’t know. They’re both there. It’s just that the familiarity of here is heartwarming.”
He kissed the top of her head, and with lightened eyes, he offered, “I need to go into the office tomorrow morning. I hope to be done and be home by noon. The dessert celebration isn’t until 8:00 PM. Would you like to go for a walk tomorrow?”
“A walk?”
His encouraging smile peeked her curiosity. “Yes, Claire, to your lake?”
She smiled and nodded. “I-I’d like that very much.”
He kissed the hand he’d secured. “Please allow me to escort you to your suite. I’ll give you Courtney’s number, and you may use the lock you requested. Actually…” His eyes narrowed. “…I suggest you do.”
Claire pressed against his chest. “You know, we never did this.”
“This—what?”
“We never dated. I guess we did on two occasions, in Atlanta.” Her smile didn’t falter at the reference. “I like it.”
He gently squeezed her hand, and they ascended the front steps. “We better get you behind a locked door, so I don’t do anything to ruin this date,” he emphasized the word.
Claire smiled slyly. “Actually, according to a definition I recently heard, we need to be in public for this to be a date.”
Tony’s only response was another small squeeze of her hand; however, as they entered the well-lit foyer, her emerald eyes sparkled at his upturned lips.
Once behind her secured door, Claire hit call on the contact Tony had just added to her phone. After three rings, she heard Courtney’s voice. “Hi Courtney, I was just checking the number Tony gave me…” They didn’t talk long. Courtney asked if Claire was okay. Claire assured her that she was alone, behind a locked door, and fine. When she hung up, she sent a text message to Emily, Amber, and Harry. It said the same thing:
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