Robin Alexander - Murky Waters

Claire look confused. “Same routine?”

Tristan grinned. “This is the third time he’s pulled this stunt. I thought I had managed to get all the stakes, but he still finds one every now and then.”

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Claire’s face turned red, and she looked at Tristan sheepishly.

“So, I take it you’re not buying the story I told you in the parking lot?”

Tristan smiled back. “Like I said, you’re a poor liar.”

“Miss Delacroix,” the vet interrupted, “I have another emergency case. I’ll call you at home and let you know when you can pick him up.” He turned abruptly and went to tend his patient.

Tristan looked at Claire. “I suppose if he is going to call me at home, I should be there to take the call.” She watched as relief flooded Claire’s face. Cam and Lucy exchanged happy glances.

Tristan was relatively quiet on the ride home, which in turn made Claire very nervous. She chattered away about how well the repairs to their home went. Claire anxiously played with her necklace, which she had repaired and hanging around her neck.

Tristan glanced over at her, and her eyes dropped to the lobster pendant.

Claire noticed Tristan staring at the necklace. “Tristan, I ...” She choked on her words as she tried to speak. “You must have thought I had given up on you that night when I tore this off. I never have, Tristan, nor will I ever give up on you. I will not make the mistake of taking it off again, my love.”

Tristan’s jaw trembled as tears flowed freely down her face. “I’m so sorry, Claire.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Tristan walked into her house as though she was seeing it for the first time. She seemed almost timid as if she were a guest and waiting to be asked to sit down. “Have you eaten?” Claire asked, sensing the awkwardness.

“No, but I’m not that hungry,” Tristan replied as she settled into one of the chairs.

“I’m going to brew some coffee. Would you like some?” Claire asked, starting to feel uneasy, as well.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Tristan said as she looked through the windows at her garden.

Claire set the coffee to brew and joined Tristan at the table. “You don’t seem very at ease; do you want to talk about it?”

“I guess I’m just getting used to being back home. The last time I was here ... well ... things didn’t go so well, and being here now 198

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is making me relive it all over again,” Tristan said, avoiding Claire’s eyes.

“In the past, when Ralph got his paws on one of those sticks, what was the outcome?” Claire asked as she got up to pour the coffee.

“The vet usually keeps him overnight, then sends him home. He never chews them long enough to get anything significant,”

Tristan answered, bewildered by the sudden change of topic.

Claire returned to the table with two hot cups of coffee. “I know the weather is cold right now, but I was thinking we could go back to Gulf Shores. It would be just you and me with no interruptions, and we could kind of get to know each other again.”

“I’m sure Cam and Lucy will be thrilled to have their house back to themselves, so I imagine they’ll let me have the keys to the condo,” Tristan said with a slight grin.

“Let’s take Ralph with us if he’s okay. I’m sure you’ve been missing him. I do have some bad news to tell you, though.”

Tristan raised a curious brow. “And what might that be?”

“Well, you know that midnight blue bra that you’re so fond of? It died a grisly death and is buried in his new cat bed,” Claire said with a sheepish grin.

Lucy answered her phone on the first ring, knowing in her gut it was Tristan. “Hi, baby, are you glad to be home?” she asked when she heard the familiar voice on the line.

“I’m getting acquainted with it again. Ralph has been doing some redecorating with my undergarments, but other than that, everything seems to be in order.”

“That’s not what I meant, sweetie. How are you and Claire?”

Lucy asked as Cam perked his ears, hoping to hear good news.

“That’s why I’m calling. Claire and I would like to go back to Gulf Shores for a few days, and I was wondering if we could use the condo. Also, I wanted to know how soon Cam expects me back in the office.”

“Well, why don’t I let you ask him? Hold on a minute, love,”

Lucy said with a satisfied grin.

Cam took the phone with a questioning look at Lucy, who grinned from ear to ear. “Hi, darling, I miss you already.”

Tristan smiled at the endearment. “Can I have the keys to the condo, dad?” Tristan said, sounding more like her old self.

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“Of course, and I’m assuming you’re taking Claire with you,” he said in the same playful tone.

“Yes, and that brings me to some new questions. Can she have a few days off, and how soon are you expecting me back?”

“Tell Claire she can take as much time as she likes. I’m sure Ellen won’t mind subbing for her. As for you, love, you come back when you’re ready, but I’ll be honest, your presence has been sorely missed, and they’ll be happy to have you back.”

“Thank you, Cam ... I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve already done for me. I love you both, and I’m so sorry that I put y’all through this,” Tristan said as her voice cracked.

Cam cleared his throat before he could continue. “We love you, too, baby.”

The next morning, Ralph was checked out of the clinic with a clean bill of health and was on his way to Gulf Shores. Missing his beloved pet, he rode contentedly on her lap in the passenger seat, sniffing at the cast that still covered Tristan’s forearm. Claire watched them both with an amused smile as they blinked repeatedly, fighting the sleepiness that was quickly overcoming them.

Claire sighed happily, reminiscing about the night before and how it felt to sleep in a real bed again curled up next to her lover.

She had missed the smell of Tristan’s skin and hair and spent a long time luxuriating in the scent. She awoke feeling refreshed and feeling like she was starting over with Tristan.

Each time she looked at her dark-eyed companion, Claire felt the same butterflies in her stomach that she did when they first met.

She wondered what it would be like to make love with Tristan as though they had never been intimate. She even experienced feelings of anxiety at just the thought of it and wondered if Tristan felt the same.

Pretending to be asleep, Tristan closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. There was so much she wanted to say to Claire, but she didn’t know how to begin. Playing opossum, she could avoid having to say anything until she could get her thoughts together. Claire had been patient with her the night before, allowing her time to get used to being back home before getting 200

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into any serious conversation. She appreciated the kind gesture since she could see that Claire was dying to get everything out in the open.

Tristan did not realize that she had fallen asleep until she heard the sound of the chime when Claire opened her door. She opened her eyes to the gray overcast day and noticed that they were already parked in front of the condo. Claire was scratching Ralph behind the ears as he looked out at the foreign terrain.

“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” Claire said softly. “Can you manage Ralph while I get our things?”

“Just let me get him inside, and I’ll come back and help you,”

Tristan responded sleepily.

After the car was emptied and everything was put away, they went for a walk on the beach while Ralph explored his new surroundings in the condo. They walked in silence along the water’s edge where the sand was packed the tightest.