down!"
Cole walked to the back door, "You're right, we should talk about this later," he said as he let the door slam shut behind him.
Claire reached into the oven for a pan, forgetting her oven mitt and burning her fingers. She dropped the pan, spilling the chicken on the floor with a loud crash.
"Fuck!" she yelled.
Alicia came back into the kitchen just then, "Oh Claire, you okay?" she said with concern. "Here, run your hand under some water, I'll get this cleaned up."
Claire's eyes filled with tears, "I knew I wasn't going to be graceful about this. Shit," she paused for a moment, "could everyone hear me out there?"
Alicia winced, "Well, maybe not everyone. I don't think Bill had his hearing aid on."
"Ugh, I have fucked this up fast, haven't I?" Claire said, now moving into the ugly cry.
"Well, it's not anything you can't come back from I'm sure. Cole will understand once he knows what happened with your last relationship. For now, let’s figure out what to feed these people."
Claire nodded with resolve and blew her nose into a tissue, "Okay, you're right. There's salmon in the fridge, I can spice it and throw it on the barbeque fast. In the meantime, maybe see if anyone would like a bowl of wild mushroom soup while they are waiting."
"I'm on it!" Alicia said, moving quickly.
* * *
After dinner service was over and the guests had left the restaurant, Claire turned to Alicia, "You go home and spend time with Ben. I'll clean up."
"You sure? I was thinking you might want to go talk to Cole."
"I will. I just need to figure out what I'm going to say first, so I could use some time to think," Claire replied.
"Okay. You hang in there. I'll see you in the morning."
"You bet. And Alicia?" Claire turned from the sink to look at her, "Thank you so much - for everything. I don't know what I would do without you here."
Chapter 18
After finishing the dishes, Claire turned out the lights and locked up for the night. She looked wearily in the direction of Cole's cabin. It was completely dark. She sighed heavily and headed in the direction of the barn instead, hoping to catch him getting ready for the trip the next day. When she got there, she found him brushing Dudley, his back turned to her. She watched him for a long moment. He seemed so calm. She would have done anything to erase what had happened at supper.
She finally got up enough courage to speak, "Hi," she said quietly.
Cole stood frozen for a minute and then continued to brush Dudley without turning around, "What's up?" he replied impassively.
"I'm sorry Cole. I was being completely unfair and irrational earlier," her voice broke, "I embarrassed both of us and I would give anything to take it all back."
Cole turned to her and tossed the brush down on a table nearby, then leaned against the gate on the nearest stall and folded his arms. The sight of his muscles flexing as he moved made her ache with desire.
Cole's eyes were cold as he looked at her, "Yeah, what the hell happened there?"
Claire leaned her body against the barn door, "I lost it. Those girls are my worst nightmare. Antonio, my ex, was cheating on me with a very young, tall, skinny girl from my restaurant. It had been going on for months before I found out. Turned out everyone else there knew."
She sighed, "That was why I left Seattle. He made a fool out of me and now I've let him do it again, by lashing out at you in front of everyone. It's no excuse though. I know I'm responsible for what comes out of my mouth. It's just an explanation, I guess," she said shaking her head. "I felt so threatened when I saw them get off the shuttle this afternoon. It’s just that you’re so hot, you could have any woman and I don't measure up to any of those girls. They all have legs that go on for miles and they are so athletic. They probably look so
Cole walked to the back door, "You're right, we should talk about this later," he said as he let the door slam shut behind him.
Claire reached into the oven for a pan, forgetting her oven mitt and burning her fingers. She dropped the pan, spilling the chicken on the floor with a loud crash.
"Fuck!" she yelled.
Alicia came back into the kitchen just then, "Oh Claire, you okay?" she said with concern. "Here, run your hand under some water, I'll get this cleaned up."
Claire's eyes filled with tears, "I knew I wasn't going to be graceful about this. Shit," she paused for a moment, "could everyone hear me out there?"
Alicia winced, "Well, maybe not everyone. I don't think Bill had his hearing aid on."
"Ugh, I have fucked this up fast, haven't I?" Claire said, now moving into the ugly cry.
"Well, it's not anything you can't come back from I'm sure. Cole will understand once he knows what happened with your last relationship. For now, let’s figure out what to feed these people."
Claire nodded with resolve and blew her nose into a tissue, "Okay, you're right. There's salmon in the fridge, I can spice it and throw it on the barbeque fast. In the meantime, maybe see if anyone would like a bowl of wild mushroom soup while they are waiting."
"I'm on it!" Alicia said, moving quickly.
* * *
After dinner service was over and the guests had left the restaurant, Claire turned to Alicia, "You go home and spend time with Ben. I'll clean up."
"You sure? I was thinking you might want to go talk to Cole."
"I will. I just need to figure out what I'm going to say first, so I could use some time to think," Claire replied.
"Okay. You hang in there. I'll see you in the morning."
"You bet. And Alicia?" Claire turned from the sink to look at her, "Thank you so much - for everything. I don't know what I would do without you here."
Chapter 18
After finishing the dishes, Claire turned out the lights and locked up for the night. She looked wearily in the direction of Cole's cabin. It was completely dark. She sighed heavily and headed in the direction of the barn instead, hoping to catch him getting ready for the trip the next day. When she got there, she found him brushing Dudley, his back turned to her. She watched him for a long moment. He seemed so calm. She would have done anything to erase what had happened at supper.
She finally got up enough courage to speak, "Hi," she said quietly.
Cole stood frozen for a minute and then continued to brush Dudley without turning around, "What's up?" he replied impassively.
"I'm sorry Cole. I was being completely unfair and irrational earlier," her voice broke, "I embarrassed both of us and I would give anything to take it all back."
Cole turned to her and tossed the brush down on a table nearby, then leaned against the gate on the nearest stall and folded his arms. The sight of his muscles flexing as he moved made her ache with desire.
Cole's eyes were cold as he looked at her, "Yeah, what the hell happened there?"
Claire leaned her body against the barn door, "I lost it. Those girls are my worst nightmare. Antonio, my ex, was cheating on me with a very young, tall, skinny girl from my restaurant. It had been going on for months before I found out. Turned out everyone else there knew."
She sighed, "That was why I left Seattle. He made a fool out of me and now I've let him do it again, by lashing out at you in front of everyone. It's no excuse though. I know I'm responsible for what comes out of my mouth. It's just an explanation, I guess," she said shaking her head. "I felt so threatened when I saw them get off the shuttle this afternoon. It’s just that you’re so hot, you could have any woman and I don't measure up to any of those girls. They all have legs that go on for miles and they are so athletic. They probably look so
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