“Gee, thanks for reminding me,” she teased as she took a sip of her coffee.
“How would you like to go out of town for a long weekend?” Steve looked at her expectantly.
“Claire thought for a moment. “You know, it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth to get the kids together and get all packed and have to listen to them tell me how bored they are all weekend. I’d rather just stay here and not deal with it all. You don’t mind, do you?”
Steve said nothing while she explained her unwillingness to deal with it all. Then he smiled.
Claire looked up at him. “Why are you smiling at me like that?” she asked, with a sharp tone to her voice.
He knew that she was the one that had to do everything to get ready and go, not to mention the sight seeing plans, whenever they took any trips. If Claire didn’t take charge, their trips ended up being baseball games and golf, not even close to Claire’s idea of fun.
“No, I don’t think you understand. I mean you and I go. Just us, no kids. Will that work for you?” Steve tilted his head as he spoke.
“What are you talking about? What are we going to do with the kids?” she asked, tearing herself away from her omelet and looking up at him. The whole idea seemed ludicrous to her. They had never left the kids before.
“I thought we would just tie them to a tree with bowls of food and water. They’ll be fine.” Steve waved his hand in the air as if it were no big deal at all.
“Oh, you’re funny,” she countered with a smirk.
“Okay, yeah, I’m kidding. I already talked to Sissy. She said she’ll come over Thursday and stay with the kids all weekend.” Steve leaned back in his chair with a cocky smile on his face.
He loved that she had no clue that he had been working on trip plans for weeks. He wanted to plan a nice weekend so she could get away from everything. He knew he had taken advantage, and kind of just let her do everything for the kids and the house, and he hadn’t been much help at all. Okay, he hadn’t been any help.
“My sister is going to watch the kids all weekend? That doesn’t sound like her at all. Did you break her arm while twisting it?” Claire asked, only half joking.
Steve couldn’t help but laugh at her comment. “Good one. But you are right. I did have to beg. She did agree though and now we can go. So what do you think?” Steve was hopeful, his eyes wide.
“Where do you want to go?” Claire was a little suspicious of the whole thing. She remembered the kinds of trips he liked to plan.
“I already made reservations for three nights at that old hotel you’re always talking about, up the coast. We leave tomorrow and will be back on Sunday night. We don’t even have to leave the island.”
“Which one? The Miranda Inn?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve wanted to go there for years. Why now?” Claire asked, her face lighting up in delight.
“I just thought it was time.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Claire could hardly contain her excitement. She dropped her fork and wrapped her arms around Steve. Maybe turning 30 wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“But, I have a million things to do before Thursday. Wait…that’s tomorrow,” Claire said, not sure if it was going to work out on such short notice.
“There’s nothing for you to do. I’ve already lined up the babysitter, made reservations, and rented us a car. I told Sissy I would leave our car here for her to use to take the kids to school and to the park or something. All you have to do is pack. You can do that tomorrow morning before we leave. I took today off of work and will do all the laundry for us and for the kids for the weekend.”
“What in the world has gotten into you?” Claire had a look of suspicion on her face as she narrowed her eyes his way.
“Nothing. Can’t I just do something nice for you, for a change?” He actually was a little hurt by her comment, but he understood.
Chapter 6
Steve and Claire were all ready to leave late Thursday afternoon, by the time the kids returned from school. They wanted to say goodbye before they left, though they almost wished they hadn’t. The kids started crying and clinging to Claire. You would think she was never out of their sight. Well, she really never was. Steve and Claire always took the kids with them when they went anywhere, which was just a few short weekends here and there. Usually just trips to visit relatives or to the zoo. Nothing elaborate. It had to be fun for the kids, otherwise it was hell for the parents. Boredom started in about the time they backed out of the driveway and the kids complained the entire way. This weekend was going to be different.
“Come on guys, we need to get going,” Steve told Dustin and Hope as they clung to their parents. He actually found himself prying little fingers, one by one, from around their waists, and laughed at the absurdity of it all.
“Here, let me take a photo of the four of you,” Sissy said to the kids. “That way you have something to look at while your mom and dad are gone this weekend. Okay?” She raised her eyebrows at the kids.
“That’s a great idea,” Claire smiled at her sister.
It worked. The kids were instantly focused on taking a photo. Their attention spans were never focused on anything very long.
All four of them lined up in front of the fireplace and smiled. Sissy had an old Polaroid camera. She took two photos and handed one to each child. They were temporarily distracted with their tasks of waving the photos in the air, waiting for the images to appear. Steve and Claire took that as a sign to get out the door and to the car before the children noticed. Claire felt a bit guilty about that.
The car ride up the coast was uneventful. The two of them chatted about nothing really, and listened to music. They both loved to listen to the 70’s stuff, and sang along to the old familiar songs. Stopping for dinner at a nice cozy Italian Restaurant, the two of them promised themselves, and each other, that they wouldn’t spend the entire weekend talking about the kids. So, they sat there, talking about their future and where they wanted to be in 20 or 30 years.
Claire was so excited to be going to the Miranda Inn. She knew that it was opened in 1830 and was a gorgeous building high up on the rocks, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. She remembered seeing brochures and photos that her parents brought back from their trips. Once she became an adult, she drove past it many times, but never up to the actual Inn. It was on Wildflower Island, really not that far from where they lived. But it was up a steep, winding road, that only went to the Inn. It wasn’t something that you could see casually from the main road.
The Miranda Inn used to be a mansion for an extremely wealthy elderly man, who lived by himself, with servants of course. His name was long forgotten by Claire. She did remember though that there was a lot of mystery surrounding the man and the mansion, before and after his death in the early 1800s. Some strange things, such as ghost sightings, and things being moved around without anyone’s knowledge, had gone on there. Claire had a feeling that a lot of the lore was strategically placed there by the people responsible for promoting the Inn. She didn’t care. The mansion had stood empty and falling apart for 27 years before it was purchased. The new owner put a lot of money into the renovation and as a result it was gorgeous, and expensive. Of course, it had gone through quite a few owners since 1830, but they always kept it in the same pristine condition that the original owner did.
Claire’s parents used to go there once or twice a year while she was growing up and she always wanted to stay there. Claire and her sister never got to go, though. It was her parents’ special weekend together. Now it was her turn and she could hardly wait. Not wanting to get there too late, Steve and Claire didn’t linger too long over dinner. They still had some driving left.
When they were not far from the Inn, the clouds began rolling in and it starting raining. Claire was disappointed that they wouldn’t get to do much sight seeing if the weather was bad. Steve wasn’t disappointed that they might have to stay in their room together all weekend. I
n fact, he was secretly hoping that it stayed rainy and ugly until Sunday. He rarely got to have Claire all to himself without the constant threat of kids interrupting their time together. So, he was looking forward to it. The rain started as a drizzle and stayed that way until they arrived.
When they pulled into the parking area for the Inn, Claire was awestruck. It was even more beautiful than she imagined. It was three stories high with the most beautiful architecture, and from what they could see, the grounds were impeccably manicured. The valet, a young man no more than 19 or 20, came running outside to greet them.
“Hello. My name is Tim. I’ll take your bags inside, then park your car for you. I’ll bring your bags up to your room shortly.” The young man handed Steve his valet ticket and stuck out his palm.
Just as Steve handed him the keys, the rain hit. It was no longer a nice little drizzle, but suddenly a drenching downpour. Tim was already unloading their luggage from the trunk of the car, so with Claire holding her purse over her head for at a least a little bit of protection from soggy head, they made a mad dash for the lobby. They were laughing by the time they stepped inside. It was going to be a wonderful weekend, storm or not.
Neither one of them noticed the oddly dressed man standing outside, under an awning, watching them.
The lobby was decorated in beautiful shades of burgundy and gold. It could easily have been done in a gaudy, cheap sort of way, but it was done beautifully. It was grand from the size, but cozy from the colors, all at the same time. The floor to ceiling natural stone fireplace was a work of art in its own right. They loved the old fashioned look and feel to it.
Once checked in, they headed for their room. Steve had reserved a room on the third floor with a beautiful view of the ocean. He knew it would thrill her, and it did. It cost him a fortune, but Claire was worth it. He had adored her since he was 15 years old and really wanted to do something just for her. Something that he had never done before, and would be very special to her. Special to both of them.
The room had a fireplace all its own. It was already burning and the room was toasty. He even had them put chilled champagne in the room, and a single blue carnation, her favorite, on her pillow. She noticed the flower immediately, which surprised Steve.
“Oh, Steve, a blue carnation!” Claire ran over and picked it up, pressing it under her nose. “It’s beautiful. What a nice thing to do. Did you plan this or is it something they do for everyone?”
Steve just smiled. He never got the chance to answer because she then noticed the fireplace. Claire went right to it and stood with her backside to the fire to dry out and warm up. She was wet and cold just from the short distance of the car to the lobby. Almost as soon as she started to feel the heat, she noticed the large window and had to see what lay beyond. When she reached the window, she gasped. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. There was a full moon and she could see what seemed like a hundred miles out into the ocean. Her entire view was the water shimmering in the moonlight. It was magical. There were large rocks and waves lapping and spraying over them. She watched the seagulls walking and flying over the rocks, hunting for their next meal.
Claire stood there for a long time just watching the waves and the seagulls. She looked lost in a memory too tender to share. Somehow, she completely forgot that she was still wet.
"Honey, you're going to catch pneumonia standing there all night like that,” Steve told her.
"What?" Claire suddenly snapped out of her daydream. "Oh, sorry, I guess I was just spacing out,” Claire responded.
They both turned toward the knock at the door. Steve walked over and opened it.
“Oh hi. Tim, right?” Steve said to the young man standing there holding their luggage.
“Yes. Tim Carmichael. Where would you like me to put these?”
“Over there by the dresser please.” Steve opened the door wider and stepped back to allow the valet to enter the room.
Once Tim deposited the luggage on the floor, he asked Steve if they needed anything else. He told him that he helps out all over the hotel and can bring them food or anything else they needed. Steve handed him a few dollars and sent Tim on his way. He was a nice kid, but Steve wanted to be alone with his wife.
“Why don't you come over here in front of the fire with me and take off those wet clothes,” Steve said with a silly grin on his face.
Claire smiled back and walked over to the fireplace. “Okay. I am starting to feel a little cold now." She started shivering almost immediately, as if her body realized she was cold just because Steve mentioned it.
As Claire started to undress while remaining in front of the fireplace, Steve watched her. God, she's beautiful, he thought. To him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Oh, he knew there were many more women out there with more perfect faces and more perfect bodies, and maybe in a contest that the world judged, Claire wouldn't even be close. But, he didn't care, she was perfect to him. She was lovely inside and out and gave him two beautiful children. He would always cherish her for that. He looked forward to starting his old age with her one day.
Chapter 7
The next morning, Steve stood in front of the bathroom sink, shaving. He could see Claire in the reflection of the mirror. She was beautiful lying there on the bed in her nightgown, her blonde hair all mussed. She was reading a book while waiting on Steve to relinquish the bathroom.
“Hey,” he called into the bedroom, “after breakfast, how about we go for a walk on the beach? I know it’s a bit breezy out there, but we can bundle up. It will be nice.”
Without taking her eyes off of the page she was reading, Claire replied to his question. “Yeah, that would be great, I’ll wear my...” Claire was interrupted by the sharp sound of glass breaking.
“Ouch, damn!” Steve yelled.
“You okay?” Claire dropped the book and jumped up off the bed.
“I knocked the glass cup into the sink, then I cut my hand on it, like an idiot,” Steve told her. He grabbed the nearest towel and walked back into the bedroom as he was talking.
“That’s a lot of blood. Do you think you need stitches? Here, let me take a look at that.” Claire could see how fast the white towel was turning a bright shade of crimson, and reached over to take a look at his hand.
“No, it should be fine in a few minutes. So stupid of me.”
Steve sat down on the edge of the bed, holding his hand up high, waiting for it to clot. Claire pulled up the desk chair and sat down in front of him. She wanted to have a better view of his injury.
“Seriously, Steve, let me look at it.”
Steve reluctantly held out his hand toward her. Claire unwrapped the towel carefully. Though it was a bleeder, the cut was not too bad.
“You probably don’t need stitches. Just keep this wrapped while I get ready. Then we’ll go get something to fix you right up. I think they have a little store downstairs.”
Claire bent over and kissed him as she re-wrapped his hand. Steve felt a tingle throughout his body when her warm, soft lips made contact with his.
While she went to take a shower, Steve slowly got himself dressed. It was not an easy task with only one viable hand. But he made it work. Claire buttoned his shirt for him when she emerged from the bathroom, as beautiful as ever.
A few minutes later they headed to the lobby. Steve’s hand had stopped bleeding by then, but they wanted to put something over the cut to protect it from the elements. Claire ran into the little gift shop and bought some bandages. They sat down on a couch in the lobby while Claire tended to his wound. Shortly, they were on their way.
Steve and Claire went to the hotel café for breakfast. Normally Claire was her usual chatty self, however, this morning she kept noticing a man staring at her. He seemed so young to her, almost like he was a teenager, and every time she looked up he was watching her.
"Steve,” Claire leaned forward and whispered. “Don't turn around right this second,” she said as she glanced behind St
eve, “but there's a guy over there that keeps looking at me…or us. I’m not sure which."
Steve turned around immediately.
"I told you not to turn around,” Claire whispered, clearly annoyed and embarrassed that he turned around so quickly, making it obvious that they were talking about the man that had been watching them.
The second he saw Steve and Claire look at him, the man quickly looked down at his food.
"He's probably just staring at you because you're so beautiful,” Steve told her, turning back to Claire and smiling.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's it,” Claire said while rolling her eyes. “Besides, he’s really young, maybe even a teenager. I can’t figure out why he keeps looking over here.”
“Excuse me,” Claire said to the waitress as she was passing by. The waitress stopped and looked at her. “Do you know that guy over there in the red shirt?”
The waitress turned to look at him. “Yes, that’s Heath. Why do you ask?”
“He keeps staring at us,” Claire told her with a straight face, glancing over at the man once more.
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” the waitress said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. “He’s always people watching. He’s harmless.” With that, she walked away.
Claire didn't notice the man looking at them again after that.
When breakfast was over, the two of them went for a nice walk along the beach, holding hands, something they hadn't done in years, even though they lived on an island. They didn’t speak much, wanting to just be with each other. That was enough for them.
“Ooh, look how dark the clouds are. Looks like another storm is coming,” Claire pointed out, as her blonde hair danced in the breeze.
“I hope...,” Steve started to say as the heavens opened up and they were drenched immediately.
They ran as fast as they could back to the Miranda Inn, laughing the entire way. Nothing was going to spoil their weekend.
Storm on Wildflower Island Page 3