The Romance Report

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The Romance Report Page 16

by Amy E. Lilly


  "I just don't like pigeons. They are dirty birds. I could survive in the country if I had to. I just prefer the city. I haven't even had a day to look for a job. I'm sure I'll find something. If need be, I'll swing up to Cosner's Creek to make sure the farm is still standing then head back home," Claire said. She poured herself another cup of coffee and stirred the last bit of sugar she scraped from the sugar bowl. She would have to head to the store this morning to get groceries and some kitten food for Gingersnap.

  "If you say so. Don't do anything rash. You've had a crappy twenty-four hours. I know you, chica, and you are going to do something crazy that you'll regret later. As your friend, I am telling you now - don't do it," Isabella warned.

  "I'm not going to do anything crazy. Right now, I am going to head to the store. My kitten needs some food. Call me later," Claire said.

  "Will do. Come by later today and I'll feed you. I’m making chile rellenos and flan just for you. Comfort food is a must in these trying times. Talk to you later." Isabella hung up. She knew the way to Claire's heart was through her cooking especially since Claire didn't cook. She microwaved. She tossed salads and occasionally made pasta but that was the extent of her kitchen skills.

  Claire hopped in the shower. Once she toweled dry, she pulled on a sweatshirt she dug out of her messy dresser. She yanked a pair of yoga pants and socks out of her gym bag, sniffed them and deciding they could last at least another day, pulled them on. She put laundry on her to-do list for the day. Grabbing her keys, she walked down to the street and hopped into her Subaru. She turned the key and the engine roared to life. She put it into drive and as she pulled out, the car gave a horrible clunk, the check engine light came on, and it shuddered to a stop. Claire tried to start it again and nothing happened. Claire climbed out of the car and called the garage that did her oil changes and tune-ups. Twenty minutes later, a tow truck pulled up and Iggy hopped out. His dad owned the garage, but Iggy had taken over the day-to-day operations a year ago after his dad's heart attack.

  "What's up, Miss O'Connor? Car won't start?" Iggy chomped away at a piece of gum. His greasy black hair was styled into unbecoming spikes which gave him the look of a slightly crazed hedgehog. His face was pock-marked, and he had an unfortunately large beaked nose. His arms were covered with tattoos. If Claire hadn't known him for years, she would have crossed the street to avoid him, but he was actually a decent guy.

  "I started to pull out and it gave a loud kerplunk. Then it died and wouldn't start back up," Claire shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what's wrong with her.” She handed Iggy her keys. He slid into the driver's seat and tried to start the car. Nothing happened. He hopped out and opened the hood. He fiddled with some wires and gave an occasional grunt. "How bad is it?"

  "Well, it ain't good. I'm going to have to tow her to the shop. It looks like the timing belt and that is bad. It could be the death of this old girl." Iggy patted the hood of the car like it was an old horse.

  "I can't afford a new car!" Claire wailed. "Heck, I can't afford this car if it's an expensive repair!"

  "I'll see what I can do. I can't make you any promises. I'll call you later today and tell you the damage," Iggy said. "I won't charge you for the tow. It's just down the block anyway."

  "Thanks, Iggy. Just do your best." Claire's shoulders slumped as she realized that her bad luck wasn't over. She headed down the street to walk to the market. It was only five blocks and the walk would clear her head. Obviously, someone was trying to tell her something. She had no job, no man, no money and now, no car. Her grandma said bad luck came in threes, so she was due some good luck. Maybe she should buy a lottery ticket. She kicked at a soda can in the middle of the sidewalk.

  "Ma'am, there's no littering," A voice said from behind her. Startled, Claire turned and saw a policeman. He pulled out a book and a pen from his back pocket. "I'm going to have to write you a ticket."

  "But...but...I...oh, never mind." Claire gave a dejected sigh and gave him her name and address. She snatched the ticket from his hand the second he reached out to hand it to her.

  Claire walked the remaining few blocks to the market, picked up some kitten food and a few other essentials and headed home. When she opened her apartment door, Gingersnap ran up to greet her. "You know what, Ginger? I think the universe has been beating me over the head the past two days and telling me it is time to make a change. How about you and I take a little trip to the country?" Ginger meowed her agreement.

  Claire turned her car turned down the lane marked with a large wooden sign that read "Lilly Belle Farm.” She had used the last of her savings to repair her car. Isabella had helped her pack her apartment and Claire's dad had hauled all of her furniture and dishes to a storage unit. Claire had brought her laptop, her clothes and a cat carrier with Ginger inside to Aunt Lily's farm. She wasn't planning on staying for more than two or three months, so she figured she wouldn't need too many things. She was doing what her mom suggested. Reevaluating her life and deciding what direction to go with her defunct career. She hadn't really liked writing ads. Her true passion was American history. Claire thought about returning to grad school and finishing her thesis. She could teach history at a local community college or get a job at a museum. Her mind was wandering and she wasn't paying attention to the road in front of her. It wasn't until she heard a loud honk did she startle out of her reverie and realize that she had stopped her car. An old truck was behind her waiting for her to move. Pressing on the gas, Claire continued up the lane until she spotted Aunt Lily's farmhouse. It was much larger than she remembered. Pulling up to the house, she parked and stepped out to stretch her legs after the long drive. The driver of the old truck followed her into the driveway and pulled to a stop behind her car. A tall man stepped out and walked towards her.

  "Can I help you?" The man asked as he squinted at Claire from under the brim of his battered cowboy hat. He wore a dusty pair of jeans with beat-up cowboy boots and his blue t-shirt stretched across his broad chest. Claire couldn't really see his face since it was hidden by the hat, but she didn't like the proprietary tone he took with her. This was her family's home and she had no clue who he was.

  "I don't know. Can you?" Claire responded saucily. "This is my Great Aunt Lily's house. Well, it was her house. It's my mom's now. I'm Claire O'Connor. So the question is, who are you and how can I help you?"

  "Whoa. A little prickly, aren't you. I'm Wade Daniels. I've been taking care of your aunt's place since she passed away. I live right down the road at Hidden Acres Farm. I saw a strange car pulling up here and figured I'd better check it out. We don't get much crime in Cosner's Corner, but you never be too careful.” Wade took off the cowboy hat and Claire could see he had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. In fact, he was absolutely gorgeous. Curly black hair with tanned skin and a hint of an afternoon shadow on his chin. The chin even had a small cleft in the middle. He could have stepped out of GQ magazine. Claire gulped. Country life was already making her feel better.

  "Sorry. I just drove four hours, got lost twice and haven't eaten since dawn. I'm a little on edge," Claire patted at her ponytail tucking the stray pieces behind her ear. She probably looked like a second-hand store reject after driving in the car with the windows rolled down. "It's nice to meet you. I appreciate you taking care of the farm until one of us could come up here."

  "Not a problem. Did you already pick up keys to the place? The attorney said someone was coming up this week, so I put some milk in the fridge and there's a loaf of homemade bread in the breadbox. I cleaned out the refrigerator when Rose died, but the pantry is fully stocked with canned goods from last summer. You might need to light the stove though. It's kind of touchy, so if you'd like I can show you how to do it," Wade offered.

  "That would be great. I'm not much of a cook, so I'll probably just microwave something. Let me get my kitten out of the car." Claire reached in the car and grabbed Gingersnap's carrier out.

  "You won’t be microwaving anything. This
house hasn't been updated very much since the 1920's. It still has the old knob and tube wiring in place. There is no way a microwave would work in this old house. Haven't you ever been here before?" Wade grabbed the carrier from Claire as she fumbled with the set of keys the attorney had given her.

  "I came here once as a child. My mom would come by herself to visit Aunt Lily. She said it was her break from her children to come to the country.” Claire finally got the key to turn in the lock of the front door and it swung inward. "I'm not much of a country person. I've lived in the city my entire life. I had a chance to help my mom out by coming up here for a few months, so here I am.” She walked into the front entry of the house. Claire saw the floors were wide oak plank floors that were worn but had a warm glow from years of waxing. There was a large sitting room off to the left. Claire took the cat carrier from Wade and set it on the floor. When she opened the latch, a bright orange ball of fluff streaked out of the cage and darted under an armchair in the corner. Green eyes glared up at Claire. "Somebody's not happy riding in a car."

  "Cute kitten. Your aunt had a cat. I took her back to my house since it didn't seem right to leave her here alone. Her name is Cream. She takes off and heads back here every chance she can slip out of the door. If you don't mind, I'll bring her back here later today. Here, let me show you where everything is.” Wade walked out of the sitting room and back into the hallway. There was a stairway to the upstairs to the right of the front door, but Wade headed down the hallway. The hall opened up into a large dining room with a large oak table with four sturdy chairs around it. Heavy drapes hung over the windows shutting out the spring sun. Claire decided that she would have to let some light into the dark rooms. She had noticed that the sitting room had heavy drapes as well. Off of the dining room was a large country kitchen. The cupboards had glass fronts and Claire spotted an eclectic mix of dishes. The counters were made of marble and wood which surprised Claire.

  "The counters are beautiful! Is that really marble?" Claire trailed her fingers across the top of the cool surface.

  "Yes. It's called a breadboard. This house was built in the twenties and was pretty modern for the time from what Rose said. The cook that used to live here with your aunt when she was young used to make pies and breads on that marble top. You're lucky that your aunt at least modernized the stove from coal to gas within the past fifty years. The old stove is out on the summer porch and Rose still used it for canning in the summer."

  "I guess I'm going to have to learn to cook since I guess take-out isn't really an option around here," Claire joked. Her gaze took in the old refrigerator that looked like it had been here since the 1950's. A large sink with a hand pump caught her eye and she suddenly had a sinking thought. "Please tell me I have running water and an inside bathroom."

  Wade laughed. "You do. There is a small bathroom right behind that door over there and there is a full bathroom upstairs. The house has been updated some, but it still needs some work to bring it into the modern age."

  "Well, I guess using my laptop is out of the question," Claire gave Wade a wry smile. "I was going to try to update my resume and do some job hunting while I was up here, but that seems like it might be out of the question."

  "You'll have to go to the coffee shop in Cosner's Corner if you want internet or to the local library. No wi-fi here. The goats don't really need it." Wade opened up a door on the right side of the kitchen. "You've got a fully stocked pantry and this other door is the back stairway." He closed the pantry door and opened the door next to it. A set of stairs led upstairs.

  Claire headed up the narrow stairs conscious of Wade walking behind her. She was glad she had worn her Lucky jeans which gave her butt an extra boost. She came to the top of the stairs which opened to a large landing. Turning she walked down the hall and opened the first door to her left. Inside was a small, but neat bedroom with a single bed covered by a cheerful quilt. The next door opened up to a linen closet filled with sheets, towels and quilts. Claire opened the final door on the left and found what must have been her aunt's bedroom. A large bed was covered with a quilt made of varying shades of blue fabric. There was a large wooden wardrobe in the corner, a rocking chair and a bright rag rug on the wooden floor. Claire saw a faded pair of pink house slippers under the bed. It made her sad that she hadn't known her Great Aunt Lily. Claire and her sister Catherine preferred to visit the father's family who lived near the beach. Great Aunt Lily seemed eccentric living in her old farmhouse with her farm animals. Now Claire would never know what she was like and she realized a piece of her family's history had been lost with the death of her aunt.

  Claire opened a door at the end of the hallway. It revealed a small bathroom with a large claw foot tub, a pedestal sink and thank goodness, a toilet. She noticed that there was no shower. Claire thought she might like sitting in the deep tub filled with bubbles. It really could be like a spa retreat.

  "You'll like this next room," Wade said as he led Claire back into the hallway. He opened the door on the right side of the hallway. Claire stepped into a room with a large window with a deep window seat perfect for sitting and reading a book. The room was painted a pale blue. There was a double bed on a white metal frame. A beautiful quilt of navy blue with applique stars covered the bed and a large handmade rug made from denim covered most of the hardwood floor. A bookcase stood against one wall and was filled with old books. A small white dresser sat in the corner.

  "I love it. I'll move my things in here," Claire said decisively. She whirled around taking in the bright spring sunlight as it reached across the room. For the first time in a month, Claire felt a little glimmer of hope that her luck had changed. Maybe this country retreat would do her some good.

  Wade and Claire headed back downstairs using the front stairway. Gingersnap had ventured out from her hiding spot and was sniffing the doors and furniture. "Let me go ahead and light the stove for you," Wade offered as he headed back towards the kitchen. As he worked on the stove, Claire opened the door off the back of the kitchen. She stepped out onto a large enclosed porch with a hammock and two rocking chairs. On the other end of the porch was the old coal stove with stacks of canning jars next to it. There were several pairs of boots lined up by the door. Claire gazed out into the backyard and spotted the large white barn surrounded by grassy fields.

  "I've got the stove lit for you. It's time to feed the animals. You should come with me so you can see what to do.” Wade opened the screen door and headed towards the barn.

  Reluctantly, Claire followed behind him. She had forgotten there were animals involved. She steeled her resolve. She could do this. How hard could it be? Throw some food in a bowl and give them water. Piece of cake. "I've got this," Claire told herself. She stepped into the barn behind Wade and the smell threatened to overwhelm her. "Oh! What is that horrible smell?" Claire gagged.

  Wade laughed. "It's just Banjo. He's the male buck visiting Rose's does for the month. Rose had arranged for Joe Boxley to bring Banjo whenever Morning Dawn went into heat. I figured you would want to keep the same breeding schedule that Rose had, so I went ahead and brought Banjo over."

  "Buck? Doe? Heat? What the heck are you talking about?" Claire started to realize that she might be in over her head. "I thought Aunt Lily had a couple of cows and chickens and now you're talking about deer?"

  "Deer?" Wade let out a loud bark of laughter. "No, not deer. Come here and look.” Wade motioned for Claire to come look in the large pen at one side of the barn. She peered through the darkness to see a large white goat with long horns and a beard staring balefully at her. He stuck his nose into a hay feeder on the wall and pulled out a piece of hay and slowly chewed it. The musky odor was stronger near his pen.

  "He needs a bath. He really stinks!" Claire shook her head.

  "That's because male goats pee on their face to attract the females," Wade told Claire with a smile. He leaned through the fence and patted the goat on his side.

  "Now you are just yanking my chai
n. Really?" Claire gave him a look of disbelief. "If any guy I was interested in did that, I would run screaming in the other direction."

  "I'm not kidding. We'll need to let him out into the pen with Morning Dawn tomorrow, but for now he can stay put. Come and meet the girls. We need to give them fresh hay and water. You give them grain in the morning, but not too much. They'll get fat." Wade led her out of the back of the barn and into the fenced field behind it. As they came back into the sunlight, a herd of white goats looked up from where they were nibbling on brush, then started trotting towards them. Claire let out a small scream of fright and hid behind Wade. "These are the does. They won't hurt you. The only thing they might do is nibble on your clothes.”

  Claire stepped out from behind Wade and timidly held out her hand to the goat closest to her. It leaned forward and nibbled on her fingers. Claire felt a little braver and she patted the goat on its head. "Nice goat. Pretty goat. Goat that doesn't want to eat me.” Claire said in an effort to make friends. No sooner had she petted the one goat when others were butting their heads against her leg and vying for attention. "Whoa! One at a time!"

  "They're hungry. Come here and I'll show you what to do.” Wade led her to a small door on one side of the door. Inside were bags with goat and chicken feed and buckets. Wade showed her how much to feed them and how to fill the hay feeders. He showed her how much chicken feed to toss around the yard in the morning and afternoon and how to water all of them. Afterwards, Claire thought that it was definitely something she could handle.

  "This isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be," Claire said cheerfully to Wade.

 

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