Chapter 29

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

The rain issteady and relentless. Yet, there she stands, Claire, beneath the awning of the Seashell Inn, as if the storm is a mere inconvenience, not a day-ruiner. My heart does a little leap, an involuntary reaction that"s becoming all too familiar around her.

Pulling up in the jeep, I can"t help the smile that finds its way onto my face, wide and genuine. She"s here, waiting, despite the downpour and the bleak forecast. It"s a testament to...what, exactly? Resilience? Or maybe it"s that same unspoken thread that seems to tie us together, drawing tighter with each passing moment.

I hop out, hurrying to her side, the rain no match for the urgency I feel. "C"mon, get in!" I call out, opening the passenger door with a flourish that"s more about making her laugh than any real gallantry.

Claire darts for the jeep, her hoodie drawn tight around her, a shield against the rain"s insistent assault. She"s laughing, a sound that cuts through the dreariness of the morning, and I can"t help but join in.

Once she"s safely inside, shaking off the raindrops like a cat who"s had an unexpected bath, she turns to me with those eyes, bright and inquisitive. "Where are we going?" she asks, a playful curiosity in her voice.

I shrug, the plan forming in my mind as spontaneous as the weather change. "I don"t know. Are you up for an adventure?" The coast is a washout, but inland, where the storm hasn"t reached, promises a day free from the competition"s shadow, from Tomas"s lingering presence.

Her hesitation is brief, a flicker of indecision that quickly gives way to resolve. "Maaaaaybe," she drawls, then, with a sudden shift, her smile broadens. "Heck, who am I kidding? Yes, let"s go."

That smile, bright and unguarded, strikes a chord deep within me, a resonance I hadn"t known was waiting to be struck. It"s more than just attraction; it"s a connection, a sense of rightness that I"ve not felt in...well, ever.

"Let"s get going then," I say, the engine coming to life beneath us. As we pull away from the inn, the rain a constant companion, I can"t shake the feeling that today is about more than just escaping the weather. It"s about discovering what lies beyond the storm, both outside and within us.