Clawen ♡ Second Time's the Charm

Chapter 16: Finally Found

"Why is it so hot?"

Claire and Owen had been religiously following the tire tracks along the dusty road that led back to the resort. It had been almost half an hour, and besides the tracks, there hadn't been any other sign of the two boys.

Claire wiped the sweat off her brow and moaned in dismay. Owen rolled his eyes. He worked with raptors everyday with the sun baking him from above, so he was already accustomed to the heat. She, however, spent most of her time typing on her computer in a private air-conditioned office.

"Can it get any hotter?" Claire complained loudly. I will never take air conditioning for granted again!

Owen regarded her with a smirk. "It can if you take off that shirt of yours and walk around in your tank top. That would really make things hotter."

Claire reddened and swallowed visibly. She thought of her low-cut lilac tank top, how it hugged her body tightly, accentuating her feminine curves. There was no way that she would remove her blouse to reveal her tank top. And especially with him.

"So, Claire, are you going to make it hotter or not? Hurry up with your decision, weatherman," Owen asked with a wink. Claire shot him an exasperated look.

"I'd rather not. Any hotter and I'm sure you'd melt," she replied crisply.

"Yeah. I would melt," Owen agreed. He grinned at her impishly. Claire narrowed her eyes, understanding exactly what he meant. But a little thought crept into her mind before she could shoo it away. Maybe she should heat things up. What the hell, Claire? You are not taking your blouse off, not unless you want him staring at your chest for the rest of the day. And you don't want that... right?

"Whatever," Claire huffed. "Bottom line is that it's not getting any hotter here because I can't afford to have you melt and leave me in this disgusting jungle with a carnivorous dinosaur on the loose." She avoided his gaze as she sucked in a deep breath to clear the blush on her cheeks.

"And also because I'm supposed to melt you first, right?" Owen guessed mischievously. He nudged Claire with his elbow and raised his eyebrows at her suggestively. She shoved him away and opened her mouth, prepared to shoot something smart back at him. Then, she saw something far off in the distance ahead of them. Could it be...?

"Oh, my God," she gasped. It was a Jeep. Claire rushed toward it, heedless of the twisted roots and uneven ground beneath her. As she drew closer, she was able to hear voices. Achingly familiar. Oblivious to her approaching. Loud and insistent.

"Zach!" Claire screamed. "Gray!"

Two heads popped up from behind the Jeep.

"Aunt Claire? Aunt Claire!"

The younger of the two brothers dashed toward Claire and fell into her open arms. He had mud smeared all over his face and his clothes. His hair was a wild mess. He had a few scratches here and there. But he was alive, and that was all that mattered to Claire. She didn't think once about the mud on his clothes staining hers nor about the fact that he smelled just as bad as she did. My Gray, my Gray is alright.

"Gray! Oh, my God. Are you okay? Where were you? What happened? Why didn't you come back?" Claire ran her fingers through his sweaty hair and smoothed his shirt down.

Gray was too shocked to answer. He was shocked that his aunt had come all this way in her office clothes to find him and his brother, and even more shocked to notice the tears gathering in her eyes as she hugged him close. What happened to that aunt who would rather speak with Verizon Wireless investors than spend time with her nephews?