Page 120 of Night Hawk
“I’ll only be a minute, and it’s a good thing. I promise.”
“Wait here.” She left him at the door and found Lisa looking out the sliding glass doors to the ocean. “It’s Clay. He wants to talk to you if you’re up to it.”
“Clay? I don’t…” Her eyes clouded for a moment then cleared. “Yes. Sure. I owe him so much, and I haven’t thanked him properly.”
Toni went back to the door. “For only a minute, okay?”
He nodded, and Toni stepped back, feeling like her sister’s guard. A prisoner for so long, Lisa needed to learn what it meant to be free. Toni would soon have to let her sister fend for herself or she might never fly as she should.
Lisa had moved to the sofa, and she smiled up at Clay as he approached, her hands tightly clasped on her lap. “Please. Have a seat.”
He sat in a plump chair on the other side of a large coffee table. “I won’t take up much of your time, but I wanted to make you an offer.”
“Offer?”
“You know about the agency my brothers and I run, but you might not know we live in condos on the same property as our offices.”
“Toni told me about it.”
“I got to thinking that Toni’s apartment would be too small for all of you, and you and the kids will need a place to live. We thought you might want to be in the city where you’d be close to therapists and…” His voice wavered, and he shrugged. “So I wanted to offer my condo to you for as long as you would like. I figured you’d feel safe there with all of our security, and you’d be close to doctors.”
Lisa tilted her head. “But where would you live?”
“I’ll bunk with one of my brothers.”
“I couldn’t put you out like that.”
“No biggie. I mostly get along with them.” He grinned, the cute one that sent Toni’s heart into a tailspin.
Lisa firmed her shoulders. “I’ll tell you what I told Toni and my grandparents. I’m not ready to live in a city yet. I have to first get used to being able to make my own decisions and not be afraid all the time. To do that, I can’t depend on anyone else. But I also believe a smaller town will make this transition easier.”
She looked at Toni and smiled. “Toni has graciously given me her inheritance from Dad, so I have money and time to decide what to do. Right now, I think I’ll rent a beach house. Not here. The memories are too strong. But somewhere peaceful. And once I gain my confidence, I’ll start branching out and exposing myself and the kids to new things. Then the counseling.”
“Sounds like you have a solid plan,” Clay said. “If you decide you might want to move to the Portland area, my offer will still stand.” He stood.
Lisa did, too, and held out her hand. “Thank you, Clay. Without you, we might not be alive or together. I will forever be in your debt.”
He shook her hand, and Lisa didn’t cringe, giving Toni hope her sister could have a normal life someday.
“No thanks needed. I’m glad we could help.” He released Lisa’s hand and looked at Toni. “Thanks for letting me in.”
“Sure, I…”
An awkward moment passed between them, and he turned to leave. Toni stood there, not knowing what to do as this wonderful man walked out of her life. The door closed behind him.
“For such a smart woman, you’re acting kind of dumb,” Lisa said. “He’s an amazing man who’s clearly in love with you. Go after him.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Toni didn’t think this through like her father would’ve wanted her to do. Instead, she let her emotions rule and rushed to the door. In the hallway, Clay was about to step on the elevator.
“Clay, wait,” she called out.
He let out a huge breath and strode back to her. When he stood in front of her, that smile, the intimate one he reserved just for her, spread across his face. “I didn’t think you would come after me.”
“Playing hard to get?” She grinned at him.
His smile widened. “Iamquite the catch. Women are breaking doors down to get to me.”
“I’m not surprised.” She smiled. “You are a real charmer.”
