Claiming The Prize (24 page)

Carson collected himself for
a minute, then added the harsh truth.

“
I'm here, Anto, because
I've got nowhere else to turn.
My parents have all but written me
off.
The only thing Savannah cares about is the next party she's
going to.
I've burned through most of my savings, and I've got a
little girl to raise.
I don't know what to do...”

Guy had taken it all in
without uttering a sound.
It had been all he could do to sit
through Carson's admission of what he had done to Grace.
But Guy
Antolini was a good man.
Wisely recognizing that he was in a
position to offer Carson Khaler a new beginning, and that in doing
so he would be helping the man to take care of his daughter, Guy
made his decision.
The rest would be up to Carson.

“
If you're serious about
staying clean and giving your daughter the kind of life that she
deserves then come back Monday.
But you need to know that this is a
one-time offer.
I'm not going to tolerate any bullshit in my gym.
You've got a job if you want it.
We'll see how things
go.”

Carson broke down and
sobbed, unable to say more than, “Thank you.”

He had come in a broken man.
He had left with hope.

Carson shook off the memory.
It was time to offer a long overdue apology.

Drago's hard, black gaze
bore down upon the man before him a moment before he turned to take
Grace and leave.

“
Please wait,” Carson
began.
“There are a few things I need to say.”

Grace's hesitation under Drago's hand
stopped him from ignoring the request.
She faced Carson slowly,
meeting his pleading stare.

“
I want to apologize,
Grace.
For everything.
Having Kady made me take a hard look at my
life, and I didn't like what I saw.
Without her, I probably
wouldn't have changed at all.
That's the sad truth.
It's not nearly
enough, I know.
But I am sorry.”

His honest statement hung in the air.
Grace saw him so drastically changed from the fighter he had been
in her father's gym that she could not withhold the words he needed
to hear her speak.

“
Carson,” she replied
softly, “I forgave you a long time ago.
Forgive yourself and be the
sort of man that your little girl needs.”

“
I'm trying to, Grace.
Thank you.”

Grace trusted in her father's
judgment.
When he had explained Carson's situation to her, she had
been unnerved at the thought of seeing him again.
But her father
had seen fit to give him a second chance, and she was willing to do
the same.
Grace knew that Carson had been away from First Strike,
finally introducing his daughter to his parents.
What she hadn't
known was that her husband had been blindsided by Carson's
return.

Silently, Drago led Grace back toward
the group in the gym, knowing their faith had compelled her simple
act of forgiveness.
His own heart warred within him.

* * *

A peculiar sensation passed through
Grace, sitting at the desk that was once her domain.
She watched a
plume of vapor float up from an idling vehicle parked in front of
First Strike's expansive glass front.

A typical February day, she
mused.

Occasionally, a bundled body would
scurry past, seeking refuge from the bitter cold whether from the
shop they sought or their vehicle.
Aiden Wexler, a sport's medicine
major on hiatus, normally manned the reception desk but had
requested the day off, and Grace had volunteered to take the young
man's place.
Weekdays rarely brought anyone but First Strike
trainees in.
Expecting dull hours, she thought to sneak in a
workout and hoped to spend the mid-day break with Drago.
The
demands of his training stole him away before dawn, returning him
only after the curtain of darkness had long hidden daylight.
Mornings were cherished moments with him, a sweet hour's span
before life intervened, and she counted the days until Sunday would
once again allow them a reprieve.

Icy air swirled in as
Carson, laden with the tiny snow suited girl, diaper bag, and bulky
play yard, struggled to get inside.
Thoroughly amused at the
spectacle, Grace ran to offer help.
Plump cheeks, pink from the
cold, rested against the white fur of the snug hood, and round,
blue eyes regarded her cautiously as Grace took her.

“
You're a life saver,”
Carson breathed out, dropping his load to the floor.

“
Tell me what to do.
Should I start on the play yard?”

“
It's a testy
contraption,” he warned with a grin.
“You mind wrestling a baby out
of a monkey suit?”

“
Certainly not,” she
laughed.
“How hard can it be?”

“
Famous last words!”
he
countered.

Setting to work on the snowsuit left
Carson to tackle his baby gear.
Wary of the new face, Kadence lay
perfectly still, allowing Grace quick success with the bulky item.
Happily free from her confines, the baby lifted her arms to be
held, and Grace scooped her up.

“
You're a pro!
It takes
St.
Clair and me ten minutes to get her out of that thing,” Carson
quipped.

“
I'm sure Savannah's the
pro,” she contradicted.
“That was beginner's luck for
me.”

The darkened expression on Carson's
face made Grace wish she could take back her words.

“
Grace, Savannah left me.
She left Kady, too.”

He sighed and returned to his
task.

“
I'm sorry.
My father
hadn't mentioned that,” Grace stated, newly aware that Carson was
left to raise Kadence on his own.

“
Don't be sorry.
It was
for the best.
I still worry about her, but she wasn't ready to be a
mother - or a wife.”

“
I see,” Grace
said.

But she didn't see at all.
How could
anyone leave this precious little girl?

Carson spent every free
moment playing with and cuddling Kady, calling her his Kady-did.
St.
Clair was never far behind.
But a bond began to form between
Grace and the motherless little girl, strengthening as each day
passed.

Uneasiness tugged at Drago's mind as
he watched his wife's doting on Kadence Khaler, but he kept his own
counsel, uncertain if he feared his wife's attachment out of
concern for her heart, or out of jealousy toward Carson.
Climbing
the suspension staircase in search of her brought her soft voice to
his ears.
Following the melody of a lullaby to the conference room,
he paused, unobserved in the doorway.
Her back faced him, and he
saw the golden tufted head resting limply against Grace's shoulder
as she rocked soothingly from side to side, her song lulling the
little girl deeper into sleep.
The song continued after the words
of the verses, Grace making up her own as she went, and Drago found
himself reluctant to disturb the thing of beauty he
witnessed.

Carson joined him in the doorway,
waiting to get by.
He nodded his thanks as Drago conceded his spot,
silently moving to check on Kady.
Beside Grace, Carson leaned in to
skim his lips across the head of his peacefully sleeping daughter,
and Grace smiled up at him, relinquishing the little body to his
arms.

The scene flooded Drago with jealousy,
tightening his gut with realization.
He wanted to see his wife
smiling up at him.
Her arms holding his child.
His heart railed.
Carson would gain no further tender smiles from his wife.
They were
for him alone.

Grace hurried to him, and safely out
of range of the napping child she greeted him warmly.

“
Are you ready for
something to eat, love?”

Grasping her arm, he marched down the
hall, stopping outside Guy's office.

“
Wait here,” he commanded
in an abrasive tone and disappeared inside.

Not understanding her
husband’s behavior and hurt by his harsh tone, Grace's cheeks
flamed, and she hoped no one had witnessed the exchange.

“
Is everything okay,
sunshine?”
came Carson's careful question from behind
her.

Burying her humiliation, she tried to
sound calm.

“
Yes.
Everything is fine,
Carson.”

His hesitation left her hoping he
would accept her reply without further question.

“
Not that what I say
carries much clout, but know that if you need anything...anything,
Grace,” he trailed off his sentence, seeing Drago emerge from the
office, Guy in tow.

Taking Grace around the waist
possessively, Drago leveled his cold stare on Carson and warned,
“My wife is not your concern.”
He turned back to Guy, adding,
“Until Monday, then.”

With a nod aimed at Guy Antolini,
Drago guided his wife toward the door.

In stunned silence, Carson stood,
watching the hasty departure.
Guy shook his head and
chuckled.

“
Is Grace going to be all
right?”
Carson worried aloud.

Slapping him on the back, Guy
answered, “She'll be just fine.
The man needs some time with his
wife, that's all.”

Seeing Carson's real worry, Guy
elaborated.

“
A man can get rattled if
he thinks someone might want what is his, especially a man in
love.”

“
I never meant to...,”
Carson protested.
But Guy broke in before he could
finish.

“
I know that, son.
But
Drago doesn't yet.
And my Gracie is his wife.
There are a few
things you don't know.
Things between a husband and wife, and well,
a father, too.
Take my advice, Carson.
Keep a respectful distance
between yourself and Grace.
Drago's a good man.
He'll come
around.”

Concern still knit Carson's brow,
prompting Guy to add, “She's my daughter, Khaler.
I'd never
tolerate a man I didn't trust with her.”

It was the truth, Carson
knew.

* * *

Spindly branches, bare against the
wooded backdrop, stretched their gnarled fingers outward, unable to
escape the forest's edge.
To Grace they appeared weary, seeking yet
unable to find the light that would free them from winter's imposed
nakedness.
Still preoccupied with Drago's odd behavior, Grace
stared out the window, waiting for him to explain himself.
She was
aware that something gnawed at him but remained unwilling to force
a discussion.
The winding drive within Antolini property led them
along the scenic view toward the snug house that was their home,
and in spite of her husband's confusing outburst, she relished the
idea of an afternoon alone with him.
His hand had sought her skin,
tracing the length of her fingers absently as he navigated the dirt
and gravel road.

“
Go inside, moja
ž
ena, and pack for the
weekend – a simple, private weekend,” Drago informed her.
“I know
my training has consumed my time and attention,” his voice softened
with his words, “and I need to have you all to myself for the next
few days.”

“
That would be nice,”
Grace agreed.