The Nanny and The Farmer

Chapter 9

After the kids were bathed and asleep, Clara headed back downstairs to clean the kitchen from dinner. Her and Ray had hardly spoken today. Clara hadn't felt like trying too hard. There'd been no mention of what had happened the night before. Clara dried each dish meticulously, taking her time. Her brain kept swirling around thoughts of Ray.
As the last dish was placed back into the cupboard, Clara heard the now-familiar sound of Ray's crutches clinking against the wood floors. "Come outside. Sit with me." Ray said as he headed to the front door. Clara's breath hitched in her throat, she became nervous. But, she followed.
Clara sat next to Ray on the wooden bench on the front porch. The summer air was crisp and warm. The sky was dark. With no houses around, nothing could be seen for miles. Clara watched Ray as he stared into the darkness, he seemed to be...formulating his thoughts. Clara waited for him to speak.
"So, do you like it out here?" Ray asked. "All...alone?"
Clara thought for a moment and replied honestly. "Yes, I do like it out here"she sighed.
"What about the seclusion?" Ray continued. "When I called the service, asking about a nanny, I assumed I'd get a Mary Poppins," Ray chuckled. "You know...middle aged...this has to be hard on you. You're young, beautiful. Your whole life ahead of you. What made you want to do this?"
Clara's heart skipped a beat. She immediately thought back to West Virginia, her family. Seemed like light years ago even though it had only been a couple of weeks. "I had to get away," Clara said. "I needed to do something different." Ray nodded his head. She felt like he wanted to know more, but he didn't pry. "The kids...What happened to their mother?" It was Clara's turn to ask a question now.

Suddenly Ray's expression changed. His face fell. "I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Clara apologized.

"No, you should know," Ray said, making eye contact with Clara. "We met in high school," he started. "I was a senior, Beth was a sophomore. Geometry class. Once we started talking, we didn't stop," he chuckled. "We fell in love fast and hard. We spent all of our time together. We balanced each other out, you know?" Ray paused and looked out into the dark night, trying to remember. "All of our friends thought we were crazy. From the minute I met her, I knew I wanted to marry Beth," he sighed. "She seemed perfect - fun,happy...always the life of the party. I was realistic, she was the dreamer, always talked about becoming a photographer, moving to California, starting a brand new life. After I graduated my father died, leaving me the farm. So, I quit college before I'd had the chance to start, and took over my dads job. Then Beth graduated, we got married and fell into our routine. Beth always tried to seem happy but I knew there was something missing for her, I could never do the right thing. One night, she just...just got up and left. I woke up the next morning with a note on the table. She was going to California..."
Ray gulped. He couldn't believe he had shared all of this with Clara. She surely didn't want to hear all of this, he thought. Suddenly, Clara put her arms around Ray, he was startled at first, but then put his arms around her, their awkward embrace, turning into a warm hug. "I'm sorry," Clara whispered. "I'm so sorry."