Aaron reacted with a sharply indrawn breath. “You…”
“Yes. I knew.” She began to cough again and waved away the glass of water Aaron offered. Once she caught her breath, she went on. “Your friend—Claudia, is that it?—doesn’t know what we’re talking about. It’s all right, my dear. I’ll explain. It all happened years ago, when Aaron was just a boy. His parents, my son and daughter-in-law, didn’t have much of a hand in raising him. They were jet-setters, you see, much more interested in travel and adventure than in their own son. So they left his upbringing to staff and ultimately, to me. I was more of a parent to him than his own mother and father.”
Aaron seemed to take no offense to her depiction of his parents. “That’s true,” he said. “You and Maribel.”
“I love my son, but he’s like many the son of a rich man. He’s never had to do anything to earn his living. That’s made him soft. And weak. Unlike my husband, who scrapped his way up from nothing. He’s tough and hard and tight-fisted. And because he had to fight so hard for what he has, he thinks that entitles him to whatever he wants.”
“I looked up to him, though,” Aaron said, his voice sounding far away, as though he were recounting a dream. “I wanted to be like my grandfather. Tough and smart. Not scared of anything.”
“That frightened me,” Miss Lucy admitted. “Because I knew the other side of him. How angry and vengeful he could be when crossed. But I never thought he’d be that way with you. He wanted you to be his successor. To be the man his son couldn’t be.”
“My grandfather would take me in to the office with him, show me around. Talk to me as though I were a grown-up,” Aaron told Claudia. “I remember him saying ‘Someday this will all be yours.’ I was his golden boy. Until the day I found him making out with his admin.”
Miss Lucy gave a short, raspy laugh. “I’m sure her qualifications were not the usual kind.”
“I felt so betrayed,” he said. “I couldn’t believe my grandfather, the person I admired most, was nothing but a dirty, cheating old goat. How old was I then? Thirteen, I guess. All full of righteous indignation. How dare he act that way? Betray my grandmother? When I confronted him, he told me to mind my business and shut my mouth if I knew what was good for me.”
Miss Lucy closed her eyes and let go a tired sigh. “How I wish you had. If only you’d pretended to see nothing.”
He shook his head as his mouth twisted in a bitter smile. “I still had ideals then. In spite of everything, I still believed that good people should be rewarded and bad people punished. As soon as I got home, I told Miss Lucy and my parents what happened. Of course, my grandfather denied it. Told them all I was a liar and a troublemaker. And they all took his side against me.”
“I’m so sorry,” his grandmother whispered, her eyes still closed. Was she too ashamed to look at him?
“The old man told me to just admit I was a liar and nothing bad would happen to me.” Aaron’s voice was hard. “But I was too stubborn for my own good even then. I dug my heels in and wouldn’t back down. That’s when the decision was made to send me away. Get the troublemaker out of sight.”
Claudia’s stomach lurched. Oh, no. Poor Aaron. No wonder he despised his family. They’d all turned their backs on him. The truth-teller was punished while the guilty party emerged scot-free. And he’d been acting out ever since, doing his best to punish them.
The horror she felt must have been evident on her face, because Aaron turned to her and said “It wasn’t a reformatory or some paramilitary camp. I got sent to a fancy prep school, Horace Hill Academy. Considering I was surrounded by a bunch of pampered rich kids like me, one could hardly call it punishment. But it sure felt like it to me.”
How it must have hurt, being labeled and sent away for simply daring to tell the truth. Aaron had learned a harsh lesson too young—that honesty didn’t always prevail.
A deep sense of shame flooded Claudia. She’d been quick to judge him, believing him to be no more than a spoiled, self-pitying rich boy. “I’m so sorry, Aaron.”
“It wasn’t all bad. I made some good friends there. And I learned an important lesson.”
And what lesson would that be? To trust no one?
“Anyway,” he added, “it’s in the past.”
Miss Lucy had been quiet for so long, Claudia thought she’d drifted into sleep. She gave a start when the woman suddenly opened her eyes and spoke. “It’s not in the past. If it were, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to embarrass us at every opportunity. You wouldn’t be taking such foolish risks with your life. Ever since you were sent away, you’ve been punishing us. I don’t blame you for that. But it needs to stop. Because you’re hurting yourself, too. And you deserve better.
“I didn’t ask you here to forgive me,” she went on. “That’s not important right now. I wanted to see you so I could finally be honest with you. I always knew your grandfather wasn’t faithful. As I said, he felt entitled to whatever he wanted. Maybe because he’d been deprived of so much growing up poor. When you told me about him and that other woman, I knew you were telling the truth. I knew it all along.”
“Yet you let him call me a liar and said nothing. You never defended me. I wasn’t surprised when my parents didn’t believe me. They always fell in line behind the old man. Too afraid he’d cut off their funds. But you were more of a mom to me than my own mother. I was trying to protect you and you let him send me away.”
“I was afraid. I knew how ruthless he could be if he thought someone ‘betrayed’ him. I wanted to help you, but I knew how he would react. It might have even gone worse for you.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “No, I can’t do that. Claim I was trying to protect you. I was only protecting myself.”
“Grandmother, why? Even if you’d stood up to him, you wouldn’t have been destitute.”
“You don’t understand. I didn’t know how to be alone. I was raised to be a rich man’s wife. That’s all I’ve ever known. All I’ve ever been. I might not have been destitute the way you mean, but your grandfather wouldn’t have let me go gracefully. He’d have done everything in his power to crush me. He’d have made my life hell. And so…I put myself first. Out of fear.”
Aaron said nothing. What could he be thinking, feeling right now? At a loss for words, but wanting to comfort him, Claudia lay her hand on his arm. He gave a small start, as though he’d forgotten she was there. Then he placed his hand over hers.
“I’ve lived with regret every day of my life,” Miss Lucy said. “And I’ve only stopped being afraid because I know I’m dying. Your grandfather can’t hurt me. Can’t punish me for what I’m about to do. Because I’ll be gone. I want to make things up to you as much as I can. You are my sole inheritor. I have my own money, and I’m leaving it all to you. Once I’m gone, it will be yours. You won’t be as wealthy as your grandfather, but if you use it wisely, you can turn it into more. Do something good with it, Aaron. Stop this nonsensical thrill seeking. Give up the flashy women. Make something of your life.”
“Grandmother—”
“I won’t try to extract a promise from you. I don’t have that right. Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself.” She closed her eyes again, letting go a long sigh. “I’m very tired. Please send Gwen back in when you leave.”
Claudia glanced at Aaron, who looked back at her in confusion. Were they being dismissed? Following his lead, she stood.
Aaron hesitated, then kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “I love you, Miss Lucy.”
Though she didn’t answer, a tear slipped from beneath Miss Lucy’s lashes. “I love you, too. I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of showing it.”
Claudia clung to his arm as they left the room. He was pale and silent, so different from his usual self. “Are you all right?” she asked.
He looked dazed. “I don’t know.”
They descended the stairs and said goodbye to Maribel, who gave Aaron a tearful hug. Once outside, he turned his face toward the sun and shook his
head as though trying to shake off the cobwebs of the past.
“I don’t know what to make of it all,” he said at last. “All this time, she knew I was telling the truth.”
She took his arm. “They were wrong to turn their backs on you. But she’s trying to make it up to you. In the best way she knows how.”
“By putting me in her will.” His mouth twisted into a bitter smile that held no humor. “That’s how the Sinclairs handle everything. Throw money at it. They think everyone can be bought.”
“Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as a new beginning. That’s what she wants for you. You’re not being bought—you’re getting a fresh start. It will be your money. Not your family’s. You’ll be your own man.”
“A fresh start,” he murmured. “My own man. I’m not sure I even know what that means. I’ve spent so much time…”
He didn’t need to finish the thought for Claudia to understand. He’d devoted so much time to lashing out at his family, trying to punish them, that he’d never stopped to think about what he wanted to do with his life.
“This will be your chance to find out,” she said.
Taking her hand, he turned to her. “I know one thing. I want to be a better man. You make me want to be better, Claudia. I love you.”
I love you. Aaron had said the words first, but it took Claudia no time at all to say them back. And his grandmother kept her promise—the private funds she left him enabled Aaron to start his own business. He made his own mark in the world, completely separate from that of his parents.
It was a good thing he did, not only for his own sense of integrity, but because soon nothing was left of the original Sinclair fortune. After Aaron’s grandfather died—peacefully in his sleep—it was discovered that he’d vastly overextended his resources and that the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Though Aaron’s father took over as CEO, he’d had more experience at spending money than running a business. It didn’t take long for his incompetence to sink the company entirely. What little could be salvaged was purchased and absorbed by another corporation, and Sinclair, Ltd. ceased to exist.
By that time, Aaron had amassed his own fortune as an angel investor. The money he’d inherited from Miss Lucy had enabled him to step out and declare his independence. He and Claudia married and created their own family. Later, he even supported his bankrupt parents. In spite of his contempt for them, his conscience wouldn’t allow them to live in poverty.
He gave his parents a monthly allowance which allowed them to live in comfort, if not opulence. In exchange, they stayed far away from him and his family. The arrangement suited everyone just fine—until this moment.
Their showing up now could only mean trouble.
Chapter 9
Later that day, when the nurses needed to tend to Andy privately, Claudia accompanied Aaron down to the lobby. Marcus went home to have dinner with Trent. The matter of Aaron’s parents remained unresolved.
“What are you going to do about them?” Claudia asked.
“Well, I don’t want them anywhere near Andy. I told them to stay at the hotel until I contact them.”
“Do you think there’s any chance Marcus is right? That they want to mend fences?”
He gave a short bitter laugh. “I very much doubt it.” Then, shaking his head, “I don’t want to waste breath on them now. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat. Shall we go to the cafeteria?”
Taking her hand, he said “I’m tired of hospital food and the antiseptic atmosphere. Let’s step out and get some fresh air.”
She dragged her feet as he tugged her toward the main entrance. “I don’t think we should. A restaurant meal would take too long, and I don’t want to be far from Andy—”
“The nurse told us they’d be busy with him for at least half an hour. We won’t be gone long. Come on, it’ll do us good to stretch our legs.”
She allowed him to lead her out of the hospital and once they were outside, she was glad. The May sunshine was a welcome change from the hospital’s air-conditioned chill. As she turned her face skyward, she felt like a plant that had been robbed of light finally being placed in a sunny window. She could almost feel herself unfurling and opening to the sun’s persuasion.
Aaron tugged her hand again. “Come on. This way.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
He wore a little grin that said I know something you don’t know. “You’ll find out.”
She rolled her eyes and followed, reminded of the times long ago when he led her into one adventure or another. Though his secretiveness exasperated her, she had to admit it was fun, trying to guess what he was up to. It had been a long time since she’d had fun.
But then, being with Aaron was always an adventure. The fun, carefree days before they married and settled down had always been full of surprises. Aaron had introduced her to experiences she might never have tried on her own. Besides hot air ballooning, he’d introduced her to zip-lining and white-water rafting. And she couldn’t lie—they’d been a thrill in spite of her reservations. On their honeymoon, they’d gone snorkeling in Hawaii.
The trouble was, fun was too important to him. He couldn’t see why marriage and fatherhood should slow him down. He thought she was a downer and a killjoy when all she wanted was for him to be a responsible parent.
Well, they weren’t married anymore. Why not just go with the flow, live in the moment and see what he had up his sleeve?
A few blocks later, they arrived at a large blue food truck. The smell of cooking oil and spices tickled Claudia’s nostrils. Above the open windows of the truck, in white lettering, were the words “Costas Family’s Heavenly Gyros ~ From Mount Olympus to You.”
Claudia blinked as realization hit her. “Heavenly Gyros…isn’t this—”
“Miss Claudia!” A tall man called from the window. “It’s so good to see you again. Do you remember me?”
It took a moment for recognition to dawn. “Oh my goodness. Is it Theo?”
Though Theo was now a full-fledged man, his blush reminded her of when he’d been a gangly teen. “Yes, it is. I’m glad you remember. You haven’t changed—you’re just as pretty as you’ve always been.”
It was her turn to blush. “Well, thank you. You’ve changed, though.” She indicated the truck. “And so has your vehicle. My gosh, you’ve really expanded. Where have you been? I was so sad back in the day when your cart suddenly disappeared. I stopped at your spot for days hoping to find you. What happened?”
Theo’s face grew redder. “Oh, my father ran into some troubles…for a while it looked like we might lose the business.” He glanced over at Aaron and smiled. “Then a friend helped us out. Pop got back on his feet and our business exploded. You can see from our sign it’s a family operation now. By the way, let me introduce my daughter Melina.”
Claudia greeted the pretty dark-eyed girl working with him. She looked about the same age as Theo had been when he was helping Spiro.
“What’s your father up to now?” Claudia asked. “Is he retired?”
“Pop?” Theo laughed. “No, he’ll never retire. He’s manning our truck on the other side of town. We’ve got a third truck now. My kid brother Alex mans that one.”
Melina spoke up. “And when I get old enough, I’m going to have one, too.”
Theo threw his arm around his daughter’s shoulders while Claudia gave her a thumbs up. “That’s what I like to hear. Girl power. Give your father my regards, Theo. And congratulations on all your success.”
“None of it would have happened without the help of—”
“Okay, folks,” Aaron broke in, his voice jovial and loud. “It’s great catching up, but we don’t have much time. Theo, can you fix us up with a couple of your delicious lamb gyros?” He glanced at Claudia. “Is that all right with you?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Fine. And give the lady whatever she’d like to drink.”
“Will that be an orange dri
nk, Miss Claudia?” Theo asked.
“You remembered. Yes. Thank you.”
Aaron took some cash from his wallet and offered it to Theo, who held up his hand in a “stop” gesture. “No, Mr. Sinclair. I can’t take your money.”
“Of course, you can.” Aaron placed the folded bills in his hand. “Now let’s hear no more about it.” Though his tone was pleasant, it was also firm. He wanted no more discussion of the topic. Theo conceded.
That had Claudia’s curiosity tingling. That and the way Theo had glanced at Aaron when he mentioned the friend who’d helped the Costas family out of their troubles.
Once she and Aaron received their order, they found a nearby bench where they could sit and enjoy their food.
“So,” he said, eyeing her, “are you surprised?”
“Very much so,” she answered, stuffing a napkin in her collar. Miss Manners might not approve, but Claudia wanted to savor her meal without worrying about wearing its remains on her blouse. “I’m happy to see they’re doing so well. And I’m glad to know I can finally taste another one of their gyros. I’ve missed them.”
She waited until he took a bite of his sandwich before adding “It’s a very inspiring story Theo shared. About that friend who stepped up to keep them from losing the business.”
Aaron paused momentarily, then continued chewing his mouthful. “Yes,” he replied once he swallowed. “That was a lucky thing, wasn’t it?”
“Mmm.” Claudia eyed him. “I wouldn’t happen to be sitting with that friend, would I?”
He took a sip of cola and didn’t answer.
Her heart melted. “Aaron. That was so good of you.”
“It was a good investment,” he replied as a red stain moved up his neck. “You heard Theo say how they’ve expanded.”
“That never would have happened without your help.” Apart from him, it was easy to dwell on his faults and all the differences between them. Differences leading to arguments that grew worse and worse until the final shocking blow was struck with the word divorce.
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