Jason set two plates and glasses in front of the bar stools at the island along with orange juice. Claire poured them both a glass of juice and walked over to the window to look out at the dark ocean. “You must love being able to see this view from almost every room in the house; it’s so relaxing.”
With a smile, Jason said, “I’ve always loved the ocean. It’s one of the reasons I’ve never moved Danvers even though there have been many offers and opportunities. We’d probably grow at a faster pace located elsewhere, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave this area; it's home. I think Charleston is a great place, and I enjoyed growing up there, but Myrtle Beach is where my heart is.”
Jason slid a delicious looking omelet onto her plate. Drinking her juice, Claire waited for him to finish his omelet so that they could eat together. A few moments later, he was settled in next to her, and she dug in as if she were starving. Claire was embarrassed to find that she’d completely cleaned her plate, and Jason was watching her with an amused expression in those beautiful blue eyes. “Guess I was hungrier than I realized.”
“You have barely had anything to eat today. Would you like me to make you another one?”
“Oh no, I’m full now; you’re a great cook.” Jason finished his own and took their plates to the dishwasher. Looking at the wall clock, Claire was surprised to see that it was almost midnight. As if on cue, a big yawn escaped her mouth as fatigue firmly settled in. Jason took her hand and used his other to switch off the lights as they walked back to the bedroom.
Jason stripped off his shirt and left his lounge pants on. Claire went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and left her robe on the hook next to his. Jason took his turn in the bathroom, and she climbed into the bed on the side he indicated. With another yawn, she closed her eyes to rest for a few minutes until he returned.
Suddenly, she felt an arm going around her, and she was being pulled against a hard chest, her head resting in the crook of Jason’s shoulder. She allowed herself to melt against him, and soon settled into a dreamless sleep, secure in the strong arms that held her through the night.
~~~
Sometime later, as the sun was just starting to rise over the ocean, Jason turned her in his arms and made slow, mind-blowing love to her. Every time they were together seemed to burn hotter than the last. Jason brought her to heights that she’d never dreamed existed. After collapsing against him in complete satisfaction, she felt Jason’s warm mouth against her forehead. His hands stroking her back and hair with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes.
“Honey I hate to but I have to go into the office for awhile this morning. I’m going to call a car to pick me up so that you may use mine today. Do you think you know the way to the hospital from here?”
“I… I’m not sure; can you leave me some directions?”
“Of course, I’ll write them down and leave them in the kitchen. Make yourself at home; anything I have is yours as well. I’ll come to the hospital when I can get free, but if you need me at all just call, okay?”
After another kiss, he quickly showered and dressed. As soon as he was gone, Claire called the hospital and was told that her mother’s doctor would be making his rounds at nine. She quickly dressed and found the directions in the kitchen along with a beautiful flower that Claire suspected Jason had pulled from the front flowerbed. Claire put it to her nose to inhale the sweet fragrance and then grabbed her purse along with the directions that Jason had left. She locked the door behind her and settled into Jason’s Mercedes.
The difference between his car and her poor Toyota was like night and day. Even though Daisy was dependable, she’d lost her beauty long ago and luxury was never part of the package. The seats in Jason’s car were buttery soft, and all the gadgets made her wish she had time to explore each of them. She easily followed his directions, and the hospital was indeed not far from his home at all. Claire hoped and prayed that the doctor would have encouraging news for her today.
Chapter Twenty Three
When Claire entered the ICU wing of the hospital, she spotted her mother’s nurse Glenda at the nurse’s station. Glenda looked up as she approached and gave her a warm smile. “Good morning Ms. Walters, how are you today?”
“Good morning Glenda, I’m good. How are you?”