Claire's Story: Chapter 5

A few minutes later Sean turned off the highway onto a narrow blacktop heading south, and the pitch black seemed to engulf them like a dark, tumultuous sea. The rain had begun to let up, and soft white flakes were taking its place. Twenty minutes later they reached a gated cattle guard that opened at the press of a button, and they continued to drive for more than a mile on a slippery caliche road. Almost out of nowhere the headlights illuminated a sprawling, two-story ranch home with a wrap-around porch, somewhat hidden behind giant oaks.

“I’m gonna go unhitch the trailer and check on the horses real quick. Sit tight.” Sean stated as they continued to drive past. A hundred yards later he pulled up to a similarly large barn, unhitched, and walked to the side of the stables where Claire could make out six horses gathered to greet him. Sean returned a few minutes later announcing that everything looked fine.

They returned to the side of the house and entered the three-car garage. Claire peeled herself from the seat of the truck, suddenly uncomfortable in her soggy attire. She followed Sean inside the open door to the house, where they were joyfully greeted by a pair of overly excited grey and white Australian shepherds.

“Hey Betts, hey Barn!” Sean exclaimed, bending down to rub and pet his faithful cowdogs. “Claire, meet Betty and Barney, my roommates.” The dogs were just as friendly with Claire, happy for any attention.

“Wait… Betty and Barney? As in Rubble?” Claire questioned with a sarcastic smile.

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead and make fun. So I still love the Flintstones. It’s just like the best cartoon ever,” Sean said with a smile, obviously ready to endure some expected taunting.

“Love it, they’re great names,” countered Claire, with laughter in her eyes.

“Come on, you can make fun of me later.”

And as if reading her mind, he led her directly to the laundry room. They removed their coats and and hung them on hooks to dry, Sean shaking out his thick hair like a wet dog as he removed his hat. He emptied a clean load from the dryer, and searched until he found her a large white tee and a pair of blue and gray flannel pajama pants.

“These are dry and clean at least, better than nothing.”

“Thanks, this’ll be great.”

She and the dogs followed Sean through the rest of the sprawling house, through the kitchen and into warm den. He stopped here and there to turn on a few lamps, and Claire was awed at its vast openness. Floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the room reached up to the exposed, roughened cedar beams, from which twin antler laden chandeliers hung. A large stone fireplace on the other end of the room completed the atmosphere of a hunting lodge. Sean threw a lit match into the gas fireplace, and red hot flames immediately leapt and licked at the stones. The heat was immediate and intense, and it beckoned enticingly to Claire’s chilled core.

“Here, I’ll show you your room, and you can change,” Sean’s voice broke Claire’s fire and heat induced trance. They walked up the flight of wood stairs and crossed the landing overlooking the kitchen and den.

“This is it,” Sean motioned to the first door on the right, “and the bathroom is at the end of the hall.” He opened the door to a large guest room, complete with a four-post king-sized bed, oversized dresser and armoire, and a beautiful antique rocking chair. “My sister Shelby stayed here this summer, so she may have left some things here. Feel free to use whatever you need.”

“Thanks, it’s perfect.” A million times better than some hotel room, she thought.

“If you need anything, I’m on the opposite end of the landing. I’m gonna go feed these rascals, and make some tea or hot chocolate or something. Which do you prefer?” Sean asked.

“Uhh, hot chocolate sounds great, thanks.”

“Ok, take your time. There should be plenty of towels and stuff in the bathroom, then just bring your clothes down and we’ll throw ‘em in the wash.” Sean turned and left Claire alone. She smiled, and looked around the room, impressed with the house as a whole. She headed down the hall to the bathroom, turned on the shower to let the water get warm, and stole a glance at herself in the mirror.

“Oh! What a mess I am!” she thought, surprising herself. Her hair was wet and limp, and her sodden, light blue button up shirt was almost transparent, revealing her navy camisole beneath. How embarrassing. Claire stripped off a layer at a time, each piece of clothing equally damp. She stepped into the scorching shower and felt immediate relief as the hot spray began to massage and warm her frigid body.

Claire returned downstairs dressed in Sean’s oversized clothes. The t-shirt fit like a large sleep shirt, and she’d had to roll the waistband of his pants three times so that she could walk without tripping. The aroma of hot food greeted Claire as she made her way into the kitchen, and her stomach responded with a loud growl. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, except for a quick cRyan bar between games. That had been at least seven hours ago Claire figured. Sean had made grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and two mugs of hot cocoa sat steaming on the counter. She could hardly wait it looked so delicious.

As she headed towards the laundry room with her soggy clothes, Claire turned the corner to catch a glimpse of Sean’s broad, bare shoulders bending over the washing machine. She stopped abruptly and surveyed him, his beautiful, strong back ending in two dimples just above a pair of low-hanging maroon basketball shorts, his sole piece of clothing. His skin was an olive tint, giving him what appeared an eternal tan, even in the dead of the Texas winter. The muscles in his arms flexed and tensed as he reached for the laundry detergent and poured it into the machine. His hand was still bandaged with the scrap of her scarf, and it likely needed to be changed.

Claire inhaled sharply and took a step back until he was out of view, calling his name to alert him of her presence. She again walked towards the room and he turned to meet her, smoothly pulling a t-shirt over his head at the same time. His damp head slipped through the neck, and he sort of laughed and mumbled as he reached for her wet clothing, somewhat shy at being caught doing the laundry half-naked.

“Here’s the rest of my dirty clothes,” she said, handing him her wet belongings.

“And let me see your hand again.” Claire reached for his hand, carefully untying the torn scrap to reveal a clotted, dirty mess of a cut. Without releasing her grasp, she pulled his hand under a water faucet, tenderly rinsing away the dried dirt and blood. She rubbed a bar of soap across the wound, and rubbed it softly, and the foamy lather dripped from their hands into the sink. As she washed his hand, Sean stared at her in awe. “Who is this woman? A woman who cares enough to rip her scarf into pieces and isn’t be squeamish around blood? Amazing,” he thought, thoroughly impressed.

Claire had finished cleaning his injury, and with a paper towel she dried it so she could see the cut more clearly. It wasn’t too deep, and it didn’t look as though it would need stitches. “A large Band-Aid should do the trick. Bet it hurts though, it’s in kind of a sensitive spot,” she said, her fingertips lightly tracing the edges of the cut on his large, callused palm.

“Ehh, it’ll be alright. But thanks for taking care of it,” Sean said gratefully, his eyes focused on her concerned face. “I have some Band-Aids upstairs, I’ll get one after a while.”

They returned to the kitchen together, and took their food into the den where they sat in roughed leather armchairs near the fire, Betty and Barney at Sean’s feet.

***

“Claire, you have to get up. Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Sean said in his deep, smooth voice, as he shook her gently.

“Wha, what? Oh gosh, must’ve dozed off, sorry,” Claire mumbled with a start.

“You’re fine, come on, let’s just get you upstairs. You’ll be a lot more comfortable up there,” he said as he clasped Claire’s hands and pulled her to her feet. She stood drowsily and Sean wrapped a strong arm around her exhausted, sagging shoulders. They made their way up the stairs and Sean held back the thick comforter as Claire crawled into bed.

“Mmmm, thanks,” Claire mustered, still half asleep.

As Sean gently tucked the blankets snug around her chin, a satisfied sigh escaped from her lips. He was suddenly overcome by her beauty and innocence of sleep, and he was struck by an immediate urge to kiss her. Before he even knew what he was doing, Sean pressed his lips softly to her forehead, and smoothed her silken hair with his hand. He stood up and stared at her again, her deep, rhythmic breathing the only movement in the room. Sean turned and left her silently, afraid he may have been caught in his sudden lapse of emotion and affection. There was a soft click as he pulled the door shut, but Claire didn’t stir at all; she was already fast asleep.