The hint of anger faded into a sadness Claire couldn’t identify. She’d never heard so much pain in his voice. With all her heart, she wanted to make his world better; however, she couldn’t take away his sense of betrayal—initially from her and then from Catherine. He needed to say what he was thinking. While tears silently overflowed her eyes, Claire kept her gaze locked with his. Even with his visible pain, his dark eyes completed her world.
He continued, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to believe you, but to believe you meant admitting that Catherine deceived...” His head bowed to Claire’s lap.
When he didn’t speak, Claire ran her fingers through his hair and waited.
Swallowing his emotions, Tony looked back up to her eyes. Dark windows of remorse matched the anguish she heard in his tone.
“I put you in harm’s way,” Tony said. “Since Roach explained everything, that’s all I‘ve thought about. I took you away from California and put you in the worse place possible. Tell me—tell me—you know—I didn’t know. I never would’ve—never thought—she was capable—of hurting you or me or”—he touched Claire’s stomach and rubbed, causing Claire to smile—“our child.”
The baby kicked Tony’s hand, and Tony’s eyes opened wide. “Did I just feel that?”
Claire nodded.
“That was amazing!” For a moment, their excitement and joy overpowered the shadow brought on by Catherine’s name.
Despite her moist eyes and tear-covered cheeks, Claire giggled, “I’ve been praying for you to feel our little one move and kick. I think we have a soccer player on our hands.”
Tony sat straighter and tipped his head. When their noses touched, he said, “Mighty fine!” Tenderly wiping her cheeks with the back of his hand, Tony brushed his lips over hers. “We’ve both made mistakes, too many to count, but this little life inside of you isn’t a mistake. He or she isn’t a Rawls or a Nichols. It’s a Rawlings! I’ve had many accomplishments in my life, and in comparison to this little life, they all pale. Beyond a doubt, this child is my—no, our—greatest achievement.
I don’t deserve you or an innocent child in my life. Thank you for keeping both of you safe. Roach explained how scared you were. If only I’d been home—”
Claire interrupted, “No, Tony. Don’t you see? It was all planned to happen with you away. Neither one of us is to blame for what happened.”
The nodding of his head moved hers. His words were barely a whisper, “For this one—”
Claire’s fingers touched his lips. “Stop—please. I know we have a lot to talk about. We both have questions, and hopefully we both have answers, but right now and tonight, can we please just have us?”
Tony kissed the tips of her fingers, which only moments earlier stopped his words. “You’re right. Besides, Madeline and Francis are waiting.” Claire stood, yet Tony refused to relinquish her hand. Standing close, he looked down and said, “I need to know one thing.”
Tipping her eyes up, Claire saw need in the depth of his dark eyes and her heartbeat accelerated. “What? What do you need to know?”
“Has all of this changed our relationship? I mean—are we still engaged?”
Claire smirked. “We definitely have a lot to talk about; however, if this little one is to be a Rawlings and not a Nichols”—her eyes twinkled—“I believe we only have a few more months to move our status to married.” She paused. “If that’s what you still want?”
“So, me being an ass and hanging up on you didn’t change your mind?”
“Well, you see—I’m used to you being an ass. It’s the part where you recognize it—that’s new, and that’s the reason my mind hasn’t changed.”
Tony pulled Claire closer and encircled her with his arms. “Well, how about I work on not being such an ass, and you work on restraining that smart mouth of yours?”
Claire pushed up to her tip-toes and kissed his neck. The familiar growl rang like music in her ears. “I was under the impression you liked my mouth.”
His lips seized hers. Without hesitation, she met him with equal ferocity. When their force eased, their eyes met, and his sparkled as he replied, “Oh, I do. I love your mouth, your eyes, your neck, and every other part of your amazing body; however, some of the things you do with that amazing mouth I like better than others.”
“Really?” she bantered, as she purposely suckled his neck.
He continued, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to believe you, but to believe you meant admitting that Catherine deceived...” His head bowed to Claire’s lap.
When he didn’t speak, Claire ran her fingers through his hair and waited.
Swallowing his emotions, Tony looked back up to her eyes. Dark windows of remorse matched the anguish she heard in his tone.
“I put you in harm’s way,” Tony said. “Since Roach explained everything, that’s all I‘ve thought about. I took you away from California and put you in the worse place possible. Tell me—tell me—you know—I didn’t know. I never would’ve—never thought—she was capable—of hurting you or me or”—he touched Claire’s stomach and rubbed, causing Claire to smile—“our child.”
The baby kicked Tony’s hand, and Tony’s eyes opened wide. “Did I just feel that?”
Claire nodded.
“That was amazing!” For a moment, their excitement and joy overpowered the shadow brought on by Catherine’s name.
Despite her moist eyes and tear-covered cheeks, Claire giggled, “I’ve been praying for you to feel our little one move and kick. I think we have a soccer player on our hands.”
Tony sat straighter and tipped his head. When their noses touched, he said, “Mighty fine!” Tenderly wiping her cheeks with the back of his hand, Tony brushed his lips over hers. “We’ve both made mistakes, too many to count, but this little life inside of you isn’t a mistake. He or she isn’t a Rawls or a Nichols. It’s a Rawlings! I’ve had many accomplishments in my life, and in comparison to this little life, they all pale. Beyond a doubt, this child is my—no, our—greatest achievement.
I don’t deserve you or an innocent child in my life. Thank you for keeping both of you safe. Roach explained how scared you were. If only I’d been home—”
Claire interrupted, “No, Tony. Don’t you see? It was all planned to happen with you away. Neither one of us is to blame for what happened.”
The nodding of his head moved hers. His words were barely a whisper, “For this one—”
Claire’s fingers touched his lips. “Stop—please. I know we have a lot to talk about. We both have questions, and hopefully we both have answers, but right now and tonight, can we please just have us?”
Tony kissed the tips of her fingers, which only moments earlier stopped his words. “You’re right. Besides, Madeline and Francis are waiting.” Claire stood, yet Tony refused to relinquish her hand. Standing close, he looked down and said, “I need to know one thing.”
Tipping her eyes up, Claire saw need in the depth of his dark eyes and her heartbeat accelerated. “What? What do you need to know?”
“Has all of this changed our relationship? I mean—are we still engaged?”
Claire smirked. “We definitely have a lot to talk about; however, if this little one is to be a Rawlings and not a Nichols”—her eyes twinkled—“I believe we only have a few more months to move our status to married.” She paused. “If that’s what you still want?”
“So, me being an ass and hanging up on you didn’t change your mind?”
“Well, you see—I’m used to you being an ass. It’s the part where you recognize it—that’s new, and that’s the reason my mind hasn’t changed.”
Tony pulled Claire closer and encircled her with his arms. “Well, how about I work on not being such an ass, and you work on restraining that smart mouth of yours?”
Claire pushed up to her tip-toes and kissed his neck. The familiar growl rang like music in her ears. “I was under the impression you liked my mouth.”
His lips seized hers. Without hesitation, she met him with equal ferocity. When their force eased, their eyes met, and his sparkled as he replied, “Oh, I do. I love your mouth, your eyes, your neck, and every other part of your amazing body; however, some of the things you do with that amazing mouth I like better than others.”
“Really?” she bantered, as she purposely suckled his neck.
