Truth (67 page)

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 and 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 saw his knuckles blanch upon the
steering wheel. She waited. Instinctively she knew she’d baited him
enough. He’d been honest. 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 head; 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 silver Batmobile 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 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 am trying to
give you space. But I’m on the edge.”

She leaned back and undid her seatbelt. “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 am very glad you are
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
as 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 offered, “I need to go into the office tomorrow
morning. I hope to be done and home by noon. The dessert
celebration isn’t until eight. 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 would. Very much,
I would like that.”

He kissed the hand he’d secured. “Please
allow me to escort you to your suite. I will 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 twice, 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 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:
I VISITED WITH TONY’S CLOSE FRIENDS. ALL WENT
WELL. NOW SAFELY ALONE AND GOING TO SLEEP. WILL TEXT
TOMORROW.

On the table, Claire found a note:

Mr. Rawlings turned off the cameras in your
suite.
Please call the number below when you wake. Your breakfast
will be brought to you. Sleep well - good night, Catherine

Claire thought about the
changes she’d seen in Tony. Was her opinion swayed because of their
child? Did she see positives where she should be seeing warnings?
Claire recalled Brent’s advice:
Remember
who you’re dealing with
.

Wasn’t that a two edged sword? She had many
memories of Tony, and a lot were good. Of course, there was a flip
side. Perhaps, she should think about them. However, she didn’t
want her baby overwrought with negativity.

Inhaling the cool night air, the country
noises and moon lit vista enveloped Claire as she stepped onto the
balcony. Despite the change in decor, the familiarity of the suite,
balcony, and nocturnal murmurings comforted her. She felt her body
relax and exhaustion prevail. Moments later she snuggled into the
soft sheets as sounds of crickets and cicadas through the open
French doors serenaded her to sleep.

The next morning Claire woke after ten. She
blamed the time difference. Nonetheless, she lay motionless for
moments, assessing her physical state. When she’d determined she
was not going to be ill, she made her way to the bathroom. Next,
she called the number from Catherine’s note. Claire didn’t leave
her breakfast to chance. When Cindy answered, Claire was very
specific, “Hello, Cindy, I’m finally awake. Could someone please
bring me...?”

Cindy brought dry scrambled eggs, toast, and
fruit and served it on the balcony. Claire ate her breakfast and
drank tea and orange juice while a soft breeze blew her unbound
hair around her face. Taking in the beautiful, green, peaceful
scene, it was difficult not to enjoy her surroundings. Everything
was perfect.

When Claire finally descended the grand
stairs, it was almost twelve. She’d wanted to speak with Catherine.
And although Tony was due home any minute, Catherine was waiting
for her near the sun porch.

“
Do you think we have time
for a walk?” Claire asked.

“
Yes, not too long.
However, I believe it would be good for you to
walk
.”

The two women strode in step out of the sun
porch and down into the backyard. Even though the midday sun heated
the June day, a warm breeze kept the air moving and comfortable.
Together they made their way to the gardens. Flowers of all colors
adorned the paths. Following the flagstone stepping stones they
made their way to a stone bench at the edge of Tony’s yard.

“
This is visible, not
audible.” Catherine said. Claire nodded. “Ms. Claire...”

“
Just Claire, please?”
Claire asked with a smile.

Catherine smiled, “Claire, thank you for
what you said yesterday. You will never know how much it means to
me. Mr. Rawlings asked me about a box of information sent to you in
prison. Why do you believe it was sent?”

Claire’s insides fluttered. She didn’t know
if it was their baby finally waking or anxiety produced by the
possibility of answers to her many questions. “I think it depends
on who sent it. At first I thought it was sent by Tony. If that
were the case, I thought it was done maliciously – bragging about
the things he’s done.” She paused. When Catherine didn’t respond,
Claire continued. “Now I’m not sure. And I don’t understand all of
the contents.”

“
What don’t you
understand?”

“
How long have you known
Tony?”

“
A long time,” Catherine’s
expression revealed someone reminiscing. “I met him the day he
graduated high school.”

Claire gasped, she had no idea they went
back that far. “So you knew him when he was Anton?” Catherine
nodded. Claire asked, “Did you know his family: his parents and his
grandparents?”

“
Yes, I did.”

There were so many questions going through
Claire’s mind. She didn’t know which ones to vocalize. “He never
talks about his family. Well, he’s mentioned his grandfather a few
times. Please tell me about them.”

Catherine focused on Claire, “Someday,
perhaps. Today is about Anton. He needs you more than he is willing
to admit, even now. I hope you can see the strides he has
accomplished and the concessions he’s made.”

Claire fought the emotions within her. She
steadied her shoulders, “I do. I also have memories. Not just the
ones of here. You mentioned sometimes being with him was difficult.
You and I both know that’s an understatement.” Claire inhaled
deeply and continued, “I also have memories of prison. Tell me why
he did that to me.”

“
Mr. Rawlings is a man of
his word. The problem was, he made two different promises and he
felt honored to keep them both. He hoped that by fulfilling one, in
a different than expected way, he may have the chance to rectify
the other.” Catherine squeezed Claire’s hand. “That’s up to you.
Please give him the chance.”

“
Why are you so loyal to
him?”

“
He is like my family. I
have seen what life has done to him and how he has triumphed on so
many levels. He has been loyal to me, also.”

“
But, if I’m to interpret
the box correctly, he’s done some terrible things.”

“
Ms. – I mean, Claire, we
have all done some terrible things. That doesn’t mean we aren’t
capable of good. You’ve shown me that, too.”

As Claire was about to respond, they both
heard the approaching footsteps. Coming from the house, Tony
advanced carrying a large satchel. His concerned expression
mellowed when his dark eyes met Claire’s. Abruptly, Catherine
stood.

“
Catherine.” His one word
greeting could easily be interpreted as a reprimand.

“
Tony,” Claire reached for
him. “What do you have?”

Slowly, his piercing gaze left Catherine and
turned toward Claire. She watched the light overtake the dark and a
smile emerge. “I see you’re wearing the hiking boots.”

“
Well, yes, you promised a
walk,” Claire responded.

“
I have our lunch. Shall
we picnic at your lake?”

Catherine said, “I will leave you two to
your afternoon.” Her eyes pleaded at Claire before she nodded and
turned away.

“
I hope I remember the
way.” Claire said as they began walking toward the
trees.

“
Did I interrupt
something?” he asked.

“
Girl talk. I’ve missed
Catherine terribly.” With a tightening in her stomach brought on by
concern for the woman she held dear, Claire hoped Tony’s lack of
response meant this conversation was done.

She did remember the way. With each step the
directions came back to her. When the trees opened to her meadow,
Claire sighed with relief. Everything was just as she’d remembered.
The shadowed fringes contained remnants of morning glories the
color of the Iowa sky. Daisies and mustard plants added yellow and
golden highlights to the otherwise green clearing. Although Tony
and Claire talked during their hike, they also enjoyed the quiet
serenity of nature.

The buzz of the occasional insect and the
rustle of the leaves above, brought on by the gentle wind, filled
their ears. As they neared the lake, Claire noticed the fresh aroma
of the water penetrating her lungs with each breath.

The new boots she’d found in the
well-stocked closet stood upon the pebbles of the lake’s edge while
the waves lapped the shore. Out over the water, the sun shone in
sparkling prisms like colored flashes above the rippled lake. Tony
squeezed her hand and whispered, “It’s as beautiful as I
remember.”

“
Have you been here --
recently?”

“
No, I’d be lost without
you.” Claire wondered if he meant he’d be lost in the woods or if
the statement held deeper meaning.

They laid the blanket upon the shore and
unpacked the lunch. She made no attempt to hide her ravenous
hunger. Claire blamed her appetite on the exercise.