“Seriously?” said Temple, looking both surprised and hopeful.
“Yes. But you have to own the mistakes of your past, Rhett. Only you don’t have to let those mistakes dictate your future. It’s really up to you. But I wish you only the best. I mean that. I know we never saw eye to eye on a lot and with what happened with Judith.” He paused and gathered himself. “I think you have it in you to redeem yourself. But only you can make that decision. I would just suggest that you choose to be the Rhett Temple who loves his sister Angie and wants to do right by her, more than the guy who wants to strut around with his billions. And you have a daughter, who deserves to have a father who loves her.”
The men rose and shook hands. Then Temple wrapped his arms around Nash and held him tightly even as he wept, his body shuddering against Nash’s.
When Temple stepped back and rubbed his face dry, Nash said, “Take care, Rhett. And do some good with all that you have.”
Then Nash walked out.
CHAPTER
88
THE PRISON WAS IN THEmiddle of nowhere, not a scrap of cover to hide any inmate trying to escape. The walls were brick, tall, and weathered. Guards carrying rifles manned the four stations at each corner of the parapet. It was a grim, foreboding place that seemed to have sucked away any hope, any happiness for a hundred miles in all directions.
A car pulled up and stopped in front and a man got out.
Walter Nash leaned against the fender and waited. And reflected.
Temple was right. Steers really had fought the battle of wits of her life leading up to the events at that warehouse. He had respected the woman greatly before that had happened. Afterward, that respect had reached a whole new level.
And now here he was. Waiting. For her.
Twenty minutes later the front gates of the prison opened and out walked a woman with a buzz cut and a long, lean frame.
Walter Nash pushed off the fender and walked toward Victoria Steers, who stood there with a small bag containing the few items she had brought with her to prison.
She looked surprised to see him, a fact that Nash noted.
“You thought I wouldn’t be here?” he said.
“I didn’t think they would tell you.”
“I have a friend who kept me in the loop.”
He took her small bag and escorted her to the car. Before he drove them off Nash turned to look at her. She was thinner, her face drawn, but the hair really caught him.
“Your idea?” he said, pointing to the ultra-short cut.
“Inside there you do not have ideas. You just do what they tell you to.”
“You want to get some food? You look like you could use a good meal.”
“Thank you, yes.”
“Anything in particular?”
“It doesn’t matter, so long as it’s not in there,” she said, glancing apprehensively at the prison.
After their meal he drove her to a small residential apartment building two hours from the prison and in a small town with rugged mountains in the distance. He walked up the stairs with her and unlocked the door to the apartment.
They stepped inside and Steers looked around. “Who furnished it?”
“I did, but the government footed the bill. I hope it’s comfortable.”
“It is very nice, Walter, thank you.”
“And there are new clothes in the bedroom closet, things for the kitchen and bathroom. I tried to be thorough.”
