“I know that Brent thinks the world of John. If you’re ever looking for reasons or positive outcomes that resulted from all that you’ve been through, John coming to Rawlings could be one. According to Brent, he’s a wonderful asset to the company. They’re all glad he’s there.”

Claire smirked. “Not a good asset?”

“No, a fantastic asset.”

“Who’s the one who’s over the top—who’s keen on superlatives?” Claire asked as they stepped into the Iowa winter wonderland and cold air bit their cheeks.

Courtney laughed as she settled into the backseat of the waiting SUV next to Claire. “So, maybe I’ll be a hot, over-the-top grandma?”

“I have no doubt!” Claire replied.

“So are we still on for next Saturday night?” Courtney asked.

“Yes! I want Tony to have the best birthday celebration he’s had in years.”

“I don’t think that’ll be too difficult. And with our plan, I’m sure we’ll succeed. I heard from Eli and Marianne, and they’re flying in on Friday night.”

Claire watched the flakes of snow swirl in funnels near the street. Neither she nor Tony had had much to celebrate in the last few years. She thought about Tony being alone in prison on his last two birthdays. Though Tony didn’t talk about his prison experience much, Claire knew. She knew what it was like to be alone. She didn’t want that for either one of them, ever again.

“Oh! Tony will be so excited to see them.”

Courtney went on, “So that’ll be Eli and Marianne, John and Emily, Tim and Sue, Jerry and Meredith, Caleb and Julia, and the four of us. Can you think of anyone else I should invite?”

“No, that sounds good.”

“Good?”

Claire shrugged. It surprised her when memories would hit. For some reason, the thought of Derek Burke popped into her head. She’d only met him once and she’d never met Sophia, but nevertheless, Claire had a momentary flash of how nice it would be to have them among their circle of friends. Pretending the thought hadn’t occurred, Claire replied, “I just realized I’ll be seeing Julia and I can’t say anything about her pregnancy. That’ll be so hard.”

“Tell me about it! I’d have one of those giant yard signs announcing my grandchild to all of our guests if Caleb and Julia would let me. They just want to wait until she’s further along to tell people.”

“I understand, besides…” Claire leaned closer. “…they might be afraid you may be a little over the top?”

“Me? Not at all!” Courtney laughed.

Where there is love there is life.

—Mahatma Gandhi

TONY’S BIRTHDAY BASH was a huge success. Though he wasn’t surprised to have a party, having Eli and Marianne there made it extra special. The next morning, Tony, Claire, Nichol, and Eric, Phil, Taylor, and Shannon, traveled to Phoenix. Tony had business there for a few days and since his actual birthday would fall during his trip, he wanted his family near. Claire couldn’t have been happier. Not only was she thrilled to get a reprieve from the Iowa winter, she was happy to do her best to make his fifty-second birthday one he’d never forget.

It seemed that traveling with only the three of them was no longer a viable option. Having Eric, Phil, Taylor and Shannon with them was becoming a natural extension. Claire didn’t long for the days of solo travel, with just her and Tony on their plane. She’d willingly come to terms with their new normal. Though Rudolf was no longer a threat, he proved to both Tony and Claire that they could never take their safety or Nichol’s for granted.

Over the past few weeks, they’d also learned a little more about Rudolf. Everything they’d been told before proved to be true. He was indeed working alone—a quiet, strange man fixated on someone he perceived as being in need. It was a similar modus operandi to his previous arrests. According to the police reports, Rudolf truly believed it was his mission to save Claire Nichols Rawlings from the clutches of Anthony Rawlings. The psychological evaluations were still incomplete, but without a doubt, the man was a few cards short of a full deck. With the restraining order in place, the law stipulated that if released, Rudolf could never come within one hundred yards of Anthony, Claire, or Nichol Rawlings. According to Phil, he’d never come within ten times that close. Thankfully, Rudolf was currently residing in a state facility under lock and key. Being his third such arrest coupled with the additional charges, his chances at an early release were slim to none.

Now that the Rawlingses were back home in Iowa, they were once again facing another celebration. Truthfully, it wasn’t Claire or Tony who was excited about the impending holiday: it was Nichol. She was absolutely beside herself at the idea of celebrating Valentine’s Day with her parents, and of course, it didn’t take a lot of convincing to have Claire totally on board. Thinking back over Valentine’s Days spent together, Claire was certain this would be a Valentine’s Day unlike any her husband had celebrated. The curiosity of seeing his reaction propelled her through the painstaking task of cutting out paper hearts and frosting cupcakes.

Late on the afternoon of the fourteenth, Nichol paced the lavish kitchen, scanning the paper hearts and flowers dangling from the ceiling and littering the floor. Her dark eyes searched desperately, double- and triple-checking all of their hard work. “Momma, I want it peufect.” She peered up through her long lashes. “Do you think Daddy will like it?”