Stifling her laughter, Claire’s eyes met Tony’s. Truthfully, she’d never noticed. Well, maybe when they first began to sleep together, but Claire always considered it rhythmic breathing more than snoring. Then after they had been separated, once they were reunited, she welcomed the sound of her husband sleeping beside her. “I think it sounds nice. That’s how I know your daddy’s there.”
“Good answer,” Tony declared. “You may have been sharing a bed with Nichol, in her room.”
Claire’s emerald eyes sparkled. “I don’t think I need to be too concerned.”
Tony stood, leaned down and gave Claire a kiss and Nichol a peck on her hair. “That’s it. I’m leaving before you start discussing any more of my bad habits.”
“We can save that for another time,” Claire offered. Peering toward Madeline and Francis, she joked, “I’m sure you don’t want to spend all morning sitting here. The list is rather lengthy.”
Tony shook his head with a grin as he whispered near Claire’s ear, “There’s that smart mouth I love.”
When he turned to leave, Claire asked, “Nichol, are you ready for some breakfast?”
As she spoke, the cook came from the kitchen with a tray, and Nichol climbed onto the chair beside her mother. “I do fhink it sounds funny,” she whispered as she watched her breakfast being served.
THE TIRES OF the rental car bounced as Phil turned onto the private lane. Was the loose gravel the cause of his trembling hands or was it something else? As the silence within the car loomed, Phil’s grip upon the helpless steering wheel tightened, blanching his knuckles and straining his wrists. Outside the windows large trees lined the lane while manicured lawns filled the landscape. The large, strategically placed trees created a canopy over the lane, allowing minimal illumination from the evening sun. The resulting strobe of the sunshine reminded Phil of the lane on the Rawlings estate, except these trees weren’t oak. These trees were cypress and draped with beautiful Spanish moss that veiled the full beauty of the resort. As the trees parted, the main lodge came into view. Above the plantation-style mansion, the sky filled with a kaleidoscope of color. Reds swirled with pinks as shadows took on a purple hue.
“This is beautiful.” Taylor’s statement shattered the silence, relieving a fraction of the tension from Phil’s grip.
He turned to his right. “It is. Have you ever stayed here before?”
“No,” Taylor answered. “Not here. I mean, I grew up about fifty miles away, near Sebring. I’d heard of this place, but…” She shrugged. “…I guess I thought I was done with this area of the country.”
Phil slowed the car as he eased in front of the main building. Putting the gear in park, he reached for Taylor’s hand. “We don’t have to do this, you know. We can drive back to the airport right now. The Rawlings Industries plane is there and the pilot is on standby. You say the word and we can fly back to Iowa.”
Inhaling deeply, Taylor shook her head and turned her gaze toward the side window. “No, Phil, I have to do this. If I don’t, I’ll always wonder if…”