Beyond the Consequences (Book 5 of the Consequences Series)(11)

“I guess if you’re all right with it.” Emily leaned closer. “Did you even have a choice? Did you get any input in the matter? Or was it all decided for you?”

Claire turned indignantly. “Yes, Em, I had input. It was Tony’s idea, and at first, I wasn’t on board. But then I kept thinking about Nichol. I’ll take a little less privacy to assure her safety any day of the week.”

“But… like now… why are they here? We’re on your property…” Emily looked around at the frozen lake, snow-covered ground, and bare trees. “…in the middle of nowhere.”

Claire and Tony had agreed with law enforcement to keep all the information about the threatening mailings private. No one outside of their security and staff knew anything about them. The FBI explained that the fewer people in the know, the better chance they had of finding the culprit or culprits. Though they hadn’t received any Rawls-Nichols mailings since Nichol’s birthday, there had been some letters addressed to Claire Rawlings. After analysis, these new mailings were found to have male DNA. The writing was inconsistent, but the message was the same on each of these mailings: ‘I will save you.’ Neither Claire nor Tony knew what that meant.

“Part of it is for Nichol,” Claire explained. “The more she’s used to them being around, the more comfortable she’ll be if she ever needs their help or protection.”

Emily shuffled her boot-clad feet. “Claire, I didn’t know that she needed that kind of protection.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry. We did our best to keep her safe.”

Claire reached for her sister’s arm. “Stop that! You did great. You kept her out of the public eye. Look at her. She’s perfect and she is safe. Things are just different now that Tony and I are with her. Tony’s businesses and position puts him more into the limelight. You know we don’t like that. We never have. And, well, with Meredith’s book, there are still people who think they know us. Eric, Phil, and Taylor are our first line of defense. The more we include them in our activities, the more natural it is for Nichol.”

“I get it,” Emily admitted as the shrill expressions of glee came from the ice.

“Look, Momma!” Nichol yelled, as she and Michael performed their ice-skating wonders accompanied by their nannies and their fathers.

“I see, sweetie. You’re doing great!” Claire replied.

“Claire, you should go back out there with them. I don’t mind. I just don’t think in my condition I should be on thin blades of metal.”

“Of course you shouldn’t.” Claire looked down at her own skate-encased feet. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Emily leaned closer. “Sure. What?”

“I was so excited about this, about skating, but now that we’ve done it a few times, I’m totally over it. I want to spend my time here swimming, not skating.”

Emily snickered. “Well, I think it’s too late. I mean, look at our husbands! I can’t believe you got them both out there on skates.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Nichol and Michael were pretty persuasive. The thing is… Tony’s doing better at this than I am. I mean, seriously, I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do. It makes me sick.”

“That’s because you’re sitting here with me. Go on out there. Show them how it’s really done.”

When Claire looked back to the ice, she saw Tony’s eyes looking directly at her. Turning back to Emily, she said, “If you’re sure you’re all right?”

Giving her sister a playful push, Emily replied, “I’m fine. Go!”

With each clumsy step on the snow with ice skates, Claire lost any pretense at grace. Honestly, walking in five-inch Jimmy Choo heels was easier than skates. However, once she reached the cleared ice, Claire easily glided toward her family.

“There’s my beautiful wife,” Tony declared as he reached for her hand. “I thought perhaps this was some grand scheme: get me out here on skates and then slip away.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Claire quipped. “I feel bad for Emily, not being able to participate.”

“Don’t,” John said. “She’s enjoying watching Michael—and seeing me make a fool out of myself.”

Claire nodded.

“Aunt Care, wook at us,” Michael shouted as he and Nichol held hands and tried to skate in a circle. Within seconds they were a giggling pile of snowsuit-covered arms and legs.

“I think we need to work on that,” Shannon said as she helped the two children stand.

“The winter Olympics is probably not in their future,” Tony whispered with a grin.

By the time they all made it back to the house, it was almost dark. After only a short distance, both children convinced their fathers they couldn’t walk another step and needed to be carried. Claire was pretty sure that Nichol had even napped a little during the hike.

“Would you like to come in for something to eat?” Claire asked John and Emily.

“No, thanks. We need to get this little guy home,” John replied. Then glancing toward his wife, he added, “I think we should’ve made Michael walk. He’ll have more energy than either one of us.”

After they’d all laughed and said their goodbyes, the Rawlingses made their way into the house. Shannon took Nichol to a warm bath as Taylor and Phil disappeared. In mere seconds, Tony and Claire were standing in the middle of the foyer all alone.