Authors: MJ Summers
The next week flew by. Claire and Alicia worked on the new menu together in between preparing meals. Claire had plans for some healthy smoothies to add to the breakfast menu, as well as some vegan options for each meal. She tested out a sandwich one day for lunch with baked brie, grilled chicken, fig jelly, and roasted apples on ciabatta buns. As a side she prepared a spinach and strawberry salad with caramelized pecans. It was a big hit. One of the casual ranch hands called into the kitchen, "Claire, marry me and cook this for me everyday!"
Claire appeared in the kitchen doorway and called back, "Yeah Bill, but what's in it for me?"
She caught Cole smiling at her and shaking his head as she disappeared back into the kitchen. It was the only sincerely warm moment they shared that week. They both seemed to have a silent agreement to keep things very professional, having realized they were treading on dangerous ground. Their working relationship couldn't be sacrificed by their lust for each other. It caused an air of sexual tension that frustrated them both.
Cole was also busy that week getting ready for the next week's cattle drive and the arrival of the guests. He needed to make sure the horses and cattle were all healthy enough to make the trip, in addition to overseeing the packing, and having the guest rooms ready. It made things a bit easier, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her. He felt stupid about how forward he had been with someone that he hardly knew and someone he needed in order to turn his ranch into a sustainable business. He was glad his dad hadn't been there to see him make such a fool of himself. His dad would say to his boys, "You never get your bed where you get your bread", meaning don't mess around at work. Cole wished he could take back the first two days of Claire's time at the ranch and start over.
On Saturday when the new guests arrived, things got worse. The guests included a group of seven guys on a stag party. The groom's fiancée decided she would rather have them out in the wilderness with some cowboys and horses for a week than in the wild streets of Vegas for three days. The men were rowdy and looking for a good time. Cole had to put on an air of fierceness in order to keep them under control for their stay. Claire was surprised to see this side of him. He became short with everyone when the guests were around, rarely smiling or talking. She felt really uncomfortable with both the guests and with the way Cole was acting.
When she and Alicia were cleaning up after supper, Cole turned to her as he passed through the kitchen and said, "You'd best stay away from the pool with that little bikini of yours while these morons are here."
Claire felt like she had been slapped in the face. He had such a harsh tone and seemed to be accusing her of acting inappropriately with the guests, even though she had been nothing more than professional and friendly, yet detached. She was so shocked that she said nothing as he stormed out the back door.
"What was that about?" Alicia asked looking stunned.
Claire's eyes filled with tears, "I don't know."
The next morning, things felt frenzied as the group was preparing to head out on the cattle drive. Cole came into the kitchen to find out where the food supplies were for the trip. Claire and Alicia were still finishing putting everything together, not expecting them to leave for an hour. Ben was in the kitchen helping himself to another coffee.
Cole was visibly irritated when he saw that they weren't finished, "When will you be ready? We need to get these guys on the trail!"
After two days of him being a prick, Claire snapped, "You know what? I've had just about enough of your crap. You said you were leaving at 10 a.m. so we'll be ready for 10 a.m. If you’ve changed your mind, then wash your hands and start helping. Otherwise, go bark at someone else."
"Oh really? You've had enough of my crap. Well..."
Ben stopped him before he could say anything else, "Say Cole, why don't you and I go saddle up the horses and leave Claire and Alicia to finish up here. Or you and Claire could go out back and have sex and just get it over with."
Claire and Cole both turned on Ben, pissed right off.
"Shut the hell up, Ben", Cole said, slamming the door behind him as he left.
Alicia and Claire glared at him.
"Sorry, it's what everyone was thinking. I just thought I'd say it," Ben replied in a sheepish voice. He walked out to help with the horses.
An hour later, Claire and Alicia had all the food and supplies packed on the back of a wagon that Bill was sitting on. A large horse was hooked to it, ready to go. Trey smiled at Claire and with mock affection called out, "Beautiful Claire, promise you'll wait for me."
Claire noticed Cole staring out of the corner of her eye, "Oh Trey, I promise!" she said in a dramatic voice. She could see his body stiffen as he watched the pair flirt and a part of her was pleased to see him upset after how he had been acting.
Cole got up on his horse and gave Claire a long, serious look. She couldn't read his expression but she knew he wasn't happy. She lifted her chin and stared back, daring him to say something with the look in her eyes. He said nothing as he turned his horse away.
Ben opened the gate to the stall, freeing the herd of cattle it held. The stag-party guests let out big whoops as they got started. One of them almost fell off his horse. Ben, Alicia and Claire watched silently as the group rode off. Things felt a bit awkward after what Ben had said in the kitchen. Claire felt foolish for her part in it all.
Alicia knew just what to say to ease the tension. "Claire, honey, we've earned a swim. You go grab that bikini of yours and let's hit the pool! Ben, I'm sure there's some sporting event on TV," she kissed him on the cheek, "go relax for a while."
The next five days were a complete roller coaster for Claire. When she and Alicia were working on the new menu together and cooking she felt relaxed and happy. As soon as she was alone, she felt angry and confused and anxious all at the same time. She had been too familiar with her boss, a huge mistake that might cost her both her job and her new home. He had no right to talk to her that way, but she certainly could have handled the whole thing with more tact. She also couldn't deny her feelings of longing for him. He was the sexiest man she had ever met, and she had never felt more feminine than when he was looking at her. Those brief moments of him touching her made her ache to think about.
Each morning she would start out with a long run to try to ease some of her tension. It would work for a while, but by evening, she was a mess again. On the fourth day, the old fridge in the restaurant kitchen called it quits. Ben had a look at it and said they probably shouldn't bother to spend the money to fix this one again. They would have to make due until Cole got back so he could take a look at it. Ben and Alicia decided to put the food in their fridge as well as in Cole's.
The three started over to Cole's cabin, Ben taking most of the food that Alicia was carrying, "I don't want you trying to lift such heavy things anymore."
Claire's eyebrows went up, but she decided not to ask.
Alicia turned to Claire, seeing the expression on her face, "Well, Ben, I think you let the cat out of the bag."
Ben gave a wide, proud smile, "Yup, Claire, we're going to have a baby!"
Claire smiled back, "Really? Oh wow! I'm so happy for you! You two will make wonderful parents! And what a perfect place to grow up! Oh my goodness, when is the baby due?"
Alicia gave an excited smile, "It's early still, I'm only eight weeks along, so the baby should be here in mid-January if everything goes well."
Claire grinned, "That is just terrific! I would hug you if we weren't carrying all this food."
When they got to Cole's cabin, Alicia put down the bag she was carrying and unlocked the door. Claire had yet to step foot in Cole's cabin and was curious to see what it was like. It was much larger than hers with two stories and a wrap-around porch. She walked in to find a cozy, homey place with a lot of framed family photos as well as a lot of books lining the shelves. She was surprised to find that he had a wall of CD's and vinyl records, everything ranging from classical to rock to blues and only a little bit of country. She tried not to gawk as she and Ben brought in two big boxes of food.
"He's quite the music fan," Claire called to Alicia.
"Yeah, he sure is. He loves to read too."
I really don't even know this man at all,
she thought,
how can I even begin to think I'm falling for him?
Cole, meanwhile was in a private battle all his own. He was doing his best to forget any closeness that he had felt for Claire as he prepared himself for her inevitable departure from his life. He had messed up and knew it was only a matter of time before she would be gone too. The thought of it left him in a bad mood and the rowdy stag-party guests were getting on his last nerve. He was getting sick of hearing them talk about all the women they wanted to bang and was wishing they had gone to Vegas.
He was both relieved and tense when he caught first sight of the ranch on Friday afternoon. He would be glad to see their guests leave the next day, but was half expecting Claire to be gone by the time he got back. And if she was there, he wasn't entirely sure how to handle what he knew would be an awkward situation.
Claire and Alicia had spent the afternoon in the kitchen, preparing for a big steak dinner for the returning group. They had beer in big tubs filled with ice on the patio of the restaurant as well as a table of appetizers waiting. Ben poked his head in the door around four in the afternoon to say that he could see them on the other side of the lake already.
When the men returned, the guests made their way up to the restaurant first, while Cole, Ben and the other ranch hands got the horses fed, watered and settled in for the night. The beer was flowing quickly and by the time Cole and the others arrived, the guests were well into their third round.
The groom, Peter, had tried hitting on Claire each time she came out with more food. She smiled politely and said little things like, "Oh you!" or "What would your fiancée say?" or even "That's flattering, but no thank you. My heart belongs elsewhere." She was trying not to offend him but at the same time make sure he knew this wasn't going anywhere.
When Cole arrived, he could see Peter trying to grab Claire around the waist as she cleared empty bottles off the table. She slipped away with great agility and a tense smile on her face. Cole's body coursed with rage as he watched. He decided to sit at Peter's table and keep an eye on him. Each time Claire came out, he would stare at Peter with a territorial look that was impossible to miss. Peter, already drunk, seemed to take it as a challenge.
Cole got up and went into the kitchen, "Why don't you stay in the kitchen, Claire, and let Ben and I finish serving dessert. I don't like the way that Peter is carrying on right now."
Claire, still angry with Cole, did not want him marking her as his territory, "Thanks but I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl and I have lots of experience dealing with drunken idiots. Pretty soon he'll go sleep it off and tomorrow he'll have a nice hangover on the plane home." Her words came out with more venom than she intended.
"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug as he walked out of the kitchen.
"Ben, keep an eye on our esteemed guests, will you? I need to go have a shower," Cole walked out to his cabin.
Cole returned a while later and decided to go get their bill ready in his office. Ben seemed to have everything under control. The party went on for another two hours. It was after dark when Claire finished up the dishes and started heading back to her cabin. Alicia had left a little while earlier to bring some food back to her fridge and head to bed.
As Claire walked along the path to her cabin, she picked up her pace, sensing someone was behind her. She hoped it was her imagination. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and had them ready in her hand. Suddenly Peter grabbed her from behind and pulled her off the path and up against the outside wall of a guest cabin. He pressed one hand over her mouth and with the other he held both of her wrists, forcing her hands over her head.
"Shhhh," he slurred as he spoke. The reek of beer mixed with sweat was overwhelming for Claire's senses. She stood rigid and terrified.
"I am looking to have one last night of fun before I strap on the old ball and chain and you're the lucky lady who gets to have me last," he said as he pressed his lips into her neck.
Claire struggled but he overpowered her with his heavy body pressed up against hers. She tried to bite his fingers.
"Oh, you like it rough, eh? Me too," he hissed in her face. He slammed her head back into the wall with the hand that was holding her mouth. Pain seared through her head and Claire saw stars. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Suddenly out of the darkness, she saw a figure approach. In one swift movement, Peter's feet were kicked out from under him, knocking him on his back. Before Claire even realized that it was Cole, he had jumped on Peter delivering three quick punches to his face. Peter was out cold on the ground but Cole continued to punch him with brutal force. Terrified that he might kill him, Claire yelled, "Stop Cole! Stop! He's out."
Cole's arm pulled back and then he stopped himself. Otis was with him growling and barking in Peter's face.
Ben came running up from the direction of the lodge, followed by two of Peter’s friends.
Cole glared at the guests, "Get him to his room and make sure he stays there. Tomorrow morning, I'm putting you all in a cab before breakfast. You are not welcome here anymore," He spoke with such levelled rage, that the two men had no choice but to pick up their friend and drag him away. Ben followed them to make sure they got back to their rooms.
Claire stood against the wall breathing heavily and sobbing, her knees started to give out as the reality of what had just happened sunk in. Cole caught her as she slid down the wall.
"You OK, Claire?"
She nodded bravely, as her eyes filled with tears again, "I really think he would have..." she couldn't even bring herself to say the words.
He pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to the top of her head, his voice hoarse. “Don't let your mind go there.” His eyes were filled with tears as he stood holding her up. He never had felt so strongly about protecting anyone before.
"I'll call the police, you should press charges," Cole said.
"No, you stopped him and I think you might get charged with assault," Claire responded quietly.
"I don't care about that. He should be charged after what he did to you."
"Cole, I don't want to go down that road. I would just have to relive the whole thing in detail over and over. And think of the bad publicity for the ranch. Let's just leave it alone."
"I couldn't care less about the publicity but I'll handle this any way you want, Claire. The only thing that matters is keeping you safe," He looked down at her, "Are you hurt? Should I take you to the hospital?"
"I think I'm okay but he slammed my head into the wall. It really hurts," Claire said, her voice breaking.
"Come on, I'll take you back to your cabin and have a look."
Cole kept one arm around her while they walked further along the path. He tried to get a sense of how steady she was on her feet. Otis followed them along and then sat on the porch as Cole unlocked the door and the pair went inside.
Claire dropped down onto the couch with a despondent look on her face. Cole picked up her throw, wrapping it around her shoulders and back.
"Here, you rest for a minute. I'll make you some tea."
He quietly walked over to the kettle and turned it on. Claire watched him as washed the blood off his hands, then opened the cupboard and found a box of camomile tea and placed a bag in a mug. It was hard to imagine that this gentle person was only moments before pummelling a man so viciously. When the tea was ready, he walked over and handed her the mug, being careful not to spill.
He knelt down in front of her, "I'd like to take a look at your eyes and your head, just in case you have a concussion. I've seen my share of them around here, so I'm pretty sure of what to look for."
Cole checked her pupils to make sure that they were the same size and weren't dilated and then gently lifted her hair to see if her head was bleeding. He could feel a bump, but there were no cuts.
"I'll get you some ice for your head, okay?"
Claire nodded, too upset to talk. Something about his kindness made her feel even more weepy. He grabbed a small bag of frozen peas from the freezer and wrapped it in a tea towel. As he turned back toward her, the sight of her under that blanket, so shaken and fragile stirred something deep inside him. Even though they hadn't even so much as kissed, the thought of another man touching her made him feel physically sick.
Cole sat down next to her on the couch and gently pressed the bag to the back of her head. He reflected on the intense rage he felt when he saw what was happening – it was something he had never experienced before. He knew that in that moment, he would have killed Peter with his bare hands if that's what it took to get him away from Claire.
Claire sipped her tea and then after a long moment looked up at Cole, "Well, I guess we can't expect a good review from
those
guys on Trip Advisor."
She tried to laugh and then started to cry instead. Cole carefully took the tea out of her hands and placed it on the coffee table. He wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight to his chest. She could smell his aftershave and feel his warmth as he held her. She could hear his heart beating and she realized she had never felt this safe with any man, not even with Antonio when they were still happy. She knew without a doubt that he would do anything to protect her. The anger she had felt at Cole in the past few days completely dissolved as she began to understand why he had acted that way. He must have sensed what these men were capable of.
Cole held her for a long time and she fell asleep in his warm embrace, exhausted from the day's work and the evening's scare. As he watched her sleep, he admired her efforts at bravery in the face of such a horrifying situation, how she tried to stand up to the guy and then tried to make a joke about it. He held her for a long time as she slept, drinking in the smell of her hair and loving how her body felt against him. He had an undeniable feeling of yearning that he had never felt before. He gently slid her onto his lap and then stood up with her in his arms and carried her to her bed. He carefully took off her shoes and tucked her under the covers. Cole stood and watched her for a minute and then couldn't help but to reach out and touch her soft cheek with the back of his fingers. Her skin felt like silk, just as he imagined it would.