The Coulson Boys (Adam)

by Karen Lamb

  “Is this what they call a cat fight”? The tension between us was now broken and we began to fall about laughing. Curiously this bizarre outburst was exactly what I had needed and after a few seconds when we regained some composure we began hugging each other.

  “Thanks, I needed that, it was a reminder for me to stop being a stupid stubborn woman, it is time to grab life by the balls and enjoy every minute.”

  “Blimey, I must remember to slap you more often, come on lets go to bed, I’m sorry it’s just with me and not Adam!”

  The rest of the week was a frustrating series of obstacles; it was like the Universe was colluding against us. Strangely enough I was content just knowing that Adam had expressed a more than passing interest in me. There would be plenty of opportunity when we got back, at least this was what a resolute Adam had told me, in fact if I recall he said, ‘this is just the beginning Claire, I have all kinds of delicious things I have planned to do with you and your body!’ This comment that certainly got my attention, setting off my imagination and my hormones big time!

  CHAPTER 13

  On the flight home I decided to delicately broach the subject of Laura and her marriage, now you might think this was none of my business, but Laura and I went way back and if she did want to talk about it, now was as good a time as any!

  “Laura can I ask you something and stop me if I am out of line”?

  “Fire away amigo”.

  “You have been an absolute rock to me over the last few months and I know I wouldn’t be in as good a place as I am now if it wasn’t for you”.

  ”That’s what friends are for,” as she gently squeezed my arm, “I will always be there for you” she finished.

  “Thank you”, I said “and that is why I want to ask if there is anything I can do for you in return”?

  “Me! Goodness no I am great”.

  “Are you, really? Because I see one very sad and lonely lady who is boldly putting on a show trying to deflect everyone and herself from the real issue, am I wrong”? For a second Laura thought about denying it.

  “Claire I wish Frank and I had the dream marriage that you and Will had, but the reality is we don’t, but what I will say is that we do have a good arrangement, we are well suited to each other, he is the provider and I am the pretty bauble he dangles on his arm, it works. I am not expecting anything more for us, we are good for each other, but that doesn’t include the bedroom. I never told you this before, Frank isn’t impotent it was my body that screwed up, I just don’t produce eggs, and so no babies”! I heard the catch in her voice, it was now my turn to squeeze her hand.

  “So why did Frank say it was his fault”?

  “When we first found out I was in shock, and I felt I had failed him, as soon as he saw me crumbling, he jumped in and told everyone he fired blanks and diverted all the focus onto him”, Laura’s head dropped, “he took the hit for me and that was when he buried himself in the business and decided we would have as luxurious a life as he could create. That was also when our marriage changed, he became a workaholic and to make things ok at home he buys me gorgeous things that I pretend to love. And that my friend is the end of this sad and pathetic story”.

  “One more question and then I’m buying us another bottle of Prosecco, do you still love Frank”?

  “This may shock you, but I love him with all my heart, there is no one else who has come close, but I am so lonely, and you know how I distract myself, by playing silly games with other men, hoping it might bring me some happiness. How screwed up is that! Ok sad stories need alcohol and you promised me another bottle”,

  “Deal,” as I pressed the overhead button.

  ADAM

  I was sat between two of my favourite more mature yoga ladies, they were piling on the praise for the wonderful retreat I had organized. I was quick to explain it took everyone to make it a success, and it was I who was truly grateful for they’re participation. They continued nattering away, keen to know when I would be organizing the next one! My mind however, was completely focused on only one thing, that was Claire and our lost opportunities to be together over the last week. I was starting to see that she was quickly becoming a significant part of my life and I was eager to show her how I felt about her, I was determined once we got back that I was taking this relationship to a whole new level!

  On a different note, yesterday my mother had called, she was extremely concerned about dad, she felt he was over doing it, and with three other strapping sons helping on the family farm, “He should be stepping back, and thinking about retiring”. “Good luck with that mum, the farm is his life” I had told her, but she quickly reminded me “Yes and I am his wife and I want us to have more time to enjoy life, maybe even travel”!

  I instantly knew the right thing to do was to make time and visit them. The farm was in Sussex so I could take the train from the airport and stay for a few days then travel back up north, it meant cancelling next week’s classes but I felt my ladies would understand. The trouble was how did I tell Claire?

  CHAPTER 14

  I opened the door to the cottage, my feet and back ached from the long day’s travel. The week’s post lay scattered across the mat, as I bent down to gather it up, I noticed a large official looking envelope, it was stamped from Will’s legal department, my stomach flipped as I realised it must be the insurance and legal documents related to the accident. I had completely forgotten about the long-awaited report and the insurance settlement, which had been dragging on forever. Throwing the post on the coffee table, my happy mood had suddenly disappeared.

  I dumped my suitcase on the bedroom floor, and flopped onto the bed. I decided after a long day of travelling I really needed a shower, but not before I quickly unpacked. A few minutes later the washing machine was doing it magic and cleaning the first load, I walked into the bathroom, my dressing gown dropped to the floor as I stepped into the shower. Memories flooded in as I played out the erotic dream with Adam over in my head, I wished he were here right now.

  Showered and dressed in my favourite joggers and sweatshirt I wandered back through to the kitchen, poured myself a gin and tonic my eyes staring at the brown manila envelope, I knew it would be a tough read but there was no point in putting it off. Tearing the envelope open, my hand shaking, I closed my eyes and pulled out the document. The report went into detail about the helicopter crash; it had ditched into the North Sea after being hit by lightning in a violent storm, killing everyone on board, 12 in total, but sadly only 10 bodies were recovered, Will’s being one of them. My heart went out to the families of the two missing, I could not imagine being unable to say goodbye to a loved one. The report concluded it was an unfortunate accident and no blame could be laid on the pilot or the helicopter company. The insurance company had agreed to a reasonable settlement of monies to be shared out between the 12 families, dependant on each individual’s age and dependants. Attached was a cheque for 650 thousand pounds. No amount of money would never bring him back, on the practical side I would be financially secure, but right at that moment it wasn’t any consolation to me. I took a long drink from the crystal tumbler, so that was it, the final piece of paper I would ever need to deal with regarding my husband’s life and death. I couldn’t shed another tear, I was exhausted with the months of grieving. I finally felt here was no more weeping necessary, I knew I would be alright I just needed a little time to consider my options. I was stronger now and the pain was bearable.

  My thoughts turned to Adam who had so quickly and unexpectedly become a meaningful part of my life. I confess I was a little disappointed that he had to change his travel plans. He explained it was a last-minute decision, he felt he needed to visit his family, his mother was really worried about his father and it made perfect sense to visit them. I agreed family should always come first and he would be able to offer some support to his mother who obviously was more than a little concerned about her husband’s health.

  He hadn’t mentioned his family before, but
there again neither had I. We both wanted to take it slow and not overwhelm ourselves with personal history, that would all hopefully follow on later if we wanted to be in a serious relationship.

  Being the intuitive caring guy that he was, he had caught the look of disappointment on my face, and promised he would call me each day; he expected to be away no more than a week. Part of me thought it would feel like a lifetime.

  ADAM

  The prospect of spending a week on the farm was an opportunity to catch up with my family. We were close, I never felt like the outsider even though I had chosen to live and work away in London, if anything, I was the one who could be the cool-headed negotiator in the event of family disputes, which were fortunately few and far between, but when they kicked off I could deal with the men in our family and knock a few heads together! My mum was amazing, she was the glue, which kept them together, but sometimes she needed me to come and lend her some support, and this was one such time.

  It had been six months since I last visited. Everyone was interested to see how I was coping after a year of traveling. They were understandably concerned with my wellbeing, and my father especially had been shocked with my decision to “throw my life away” as he put it. However, it didn’t take them long to see the difference in me, the stress in my life had gone and they could clearly see that I was relaxed and happy, so even dad reluctantly decided I had made the right decision.

  I loved the farm, I had even contemplated going into the family business when I was younger, but circumstances overtook me as I unexpectedly showed a talent for figures and finance, the logical option had been to move into the world of banking, and I had few regrets.

  My brothers had all taken to farming, Daniel was the youngest at 27 and was particularly good at breeding rare cattle, he could spot a winning prize bull who always seemed turned to be virile steers each one capable of producing valuable off spring. His talent had made the farm a well-known centre for exceptional breeding stock, people came from far and wide to buy his bulls and their off spring.

  Harry was 31, his talent was his knowledge of sheep, there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about them, his skills were as valuable as Daniel’s when it came to breeding and rearing them. Sean who was 2 years younger than me, was the brains in the family, he had a flair for running the administration of the farm and his accountancy skills were as important at making sure the farm ran smoothly and profitably. All in all dad was really lucky that the ‘boys’ had their individual talents, which collectively made for an extremely profitable business, a rare thing in farming these days.

  The only problem was dad! He just couldn’t let go; he felt he needed to oversee the day-to-day organising of the farm. The difficulty was the sheer size of the business, it was so big that it had become too complex and his dated ways of running the farm was making things challenging for my brothers, they had well and truly moved into the 21st century leaving dad out of touch.

  I saw the tired look on his face, he had lost too much weight, but his stubbornness prevented him from stepping back and letting the boys get on with it. Mum was right to worry, but how to get him to retire, that was the question?

  I made my way to my favourite spot and sat under a giant oak, it was 6am. I loved taking this opportunity to be alone, it gave me time to sit and contemplate, before the rest of the world started their working day. Today I had hoped that my meditation practice would give me some much-needed insight as to how to help deal with the family situation. I had been taught by a Grand Master in India on techniques that helped to observe my thoughts, watching them pass in and out of my mind, when done properly it brought me great clarity and peace, something which had been missing in my past life. Gradually I noticed how most of my thoughts were less about my family and more about Claire, I smiled silently and allowed a sigh to pass out into the fresh morning air, I was beginning to believe that there was a possibility of being in a serious relationship with a woman for the first time in my life!

  Suddenly I realized I was not alone, my brain in meditation mode made me acutely aware of my surroundings. I came out of my internal meditative state and opened my eyes. I spotted my youngest brother Daniel nearby,

  “Fancy a bit of mindfulness?” I asked,

  “Sorry bro, I didn’t mean to interrupt your mystic practice, but I couldn’t help seeing the look of real peace and happiness on your face, it’s to be envied!” holding his hands up in surrender, “It may seem a bit whacky to me but it sure is doing a lot for you. I cannot believe how much you have changed”!

  “Thanks, I have to admit the past few months have been life changing, but deep down I am still your crazy big brother”.

  “I can’t help feeling there is a bit more to all this new found happiness” said Daniel, his tall shadow standing over me, he had the build of a gymnast and the looks of a movie star, all of which kept him busy when it came to the ladies!

  “Well!” I grinned, “there may be a very good reason for that. I have recently meet a woman”.

  “Ah ha! now we get to the truth”.

  “She has made me question my future”.

  “Oh, I see, so you’re finally in love?”

  “Maybe! Not too sure yet, I am certainly in lust, love that’s another thing, but yes, maybe”.

  “Sounds like a whole lot of maybes,” Daniel laughed, “ever thought you are over thinking this and you just need to MAYBE’ go and have some fun, you never really seemed the settling down type”. I was surprised how much Daniel’s reply stung, there was some truth in what he said, the old me most definitely never wanted to be tied down, in fact, it was bizarre that none of us had settled down and got married, had Claire changed all that for me?

  Dinner was the usual noisy affair, how my mother put up with my father and brothers around her large kitchen table was a mystery to me, but she certainly ruled the roost, she only tolerated so much before she let rip and everyone took notice and behaved. She adored her life and her family, but I sensed she wanted change and perhaps a more peaceful life, one that involved just her and dad?

  CHAPTER 15

  I noticed that I had my hand by the phone as I glanced at the clock, it was coming up to 8pm and I was expecting Adam to call any minute. Right on time it rang.

  “That was quick!” I heard a smile in his voice,

  “Well I know to expect a call about 8.00 so I had my phone handy.”

  “That has to be a good sign, the fact you are waiting for me to call, kinda makes me feel good. Have you missed me?”

  “Maybe a little” I teased.

  “Well that’s a start, I was hoping for a bit more ‘pining’ in your voice.”

  “Oh, were you? I imagine you think I can’t stop thinking about you and can’t wait to see you?”

  “That would be nice, and talking about seeing me, fancy picking me up at the station on Friday about 6.pm?”

  “I think I could manage that, in fact I could even cook us a meal, you haven’t seen my cottage yet”.

  “Would it be a bit cheeky if I made a suggestion?” Adam asked cautiously.

  “Ask away”

  “I am missing my little place near the beach and I wondered if you fancied putting together a simple picnic, we could take a long walk along the sand, what do you think?”

  “I think it’s a great idea, as a matter of fact I love picnics, all that sand and grit, yummy!”

  “Ha ha! okay it’s a date.”

  “A date?”

  “Yes, our first date”,

  “Can’t wait.”

  “Claire, I’m sorry I won’t be able to call tomorrow, the guys from my old firm have organized a boys night out up in town”.

  “I guess I’ll see you on Friday then, It’ll be the longest two days of my life” she said with a chuckle, her words were truer than she cared to admit “See you Friday at 6pm”.

  CHAPTER 16

  There was no question that I was missing Adam, Laura had been doing her best to keep me distracted; we h
ad enjoyed a great girlie night at the cottage, we shared a delicious Indian take away with lots of icy cold Cobra beers. Laura had done her homework and printed off piles of information on luxury holiday breaks in Scotland, somewhere that I felt was important for me to visit. In the end it was an easy decision, Lynloch Castle Hotel sat on the edge of a huge expanse of water, it was situated on the Isle of Skye and the views were to die for, as Laura quickly pointed out it would be the perfect spot to do some painting. There was Salmon and trout fishing on the Loch, and they offered lessons for beginners. The icing on the cake for me was the private cookery lessons in the Castle, their Michelin star chef ran 5-day courses, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Laura insisted I call immediately for more details.

  It turned out that the shooting lodge, which sat nearby in the grounds was available in September. The lodge was beautiful, it offered privacy, had three bedrooms and a lounge with a huge fire, all meals were either eaten in the castle or delivered to the lodge, and the fact that they offered so many other things I wanted to do, it was a no brainer! I booked it immediately for the entire month.

  Laura at this point was jumping up and down with excitement.

  “Good girl, this is exactly what you need, I will of course pay you a visit and maybe even Frank would take some time off and join me. Oh, and of course Adam could go up from time to time, its perfect Claire.” Watching her happy face, I had to agree it seemed like a really good plan.

  Friday finally dawned and I was beyond excited, I had made a list of delicious snacks I wanted to buy for our picnic and an appointment with Liz my hairdresser having decided to have my hair trimmed and styled, I wanted to look my best. So, first things first a trip to the shops, I realised how much I missed entertaining and planning menus, cooking was once one of the most pleasurable things for me to do. Whilst this was just a picnic, I wanted it to be that little bit special, this was after all our first date!