(Edited by
"larryinseattle")
Adam sat at his desk looking out of the window. Rain pelted down so hard he could just barely make out the barn and corral. The sound of the thunder rattled the windows as it bounced off the canyon walls. "A 'Boomer'," he whispered recalling the name his father had used for such storms. Storms in the mountain country of the North-west were no big deal but one's like this had a special meaning to him.
Slowly, the scene before him faded as images of the past formed in his mind. The first storm like this that he remembered was on the day his mother had died. She had been sick for months and though she had some 'good days' they grew fewer and fewer until she was gone. He was just 10 years old.
The second storm was much the same. The day had started out sunny and calm but just before noon the clouds had drifted down from 'the high country'. The rain poured like 'cats and dogs' as the saying goes. What made this storm different was not just how bad it was but what happened during it.
His dad had been out checking the livestock since before sunrise. He always got an early start on days when the weather was supposed to get bad. Usually he was home before the storm hit but that day he was late and Adam was getting worried until he heard the sound of footsteps on the porch. When his dad entered, his slicker was not only rain-soaked but also mud-splattered yet Adam barely noticed it. Instead his eyes were drawn to the woman entering behind him.
Her blonde hair was plastered to the top of her head and rain water dripped from the ends, splattering on the small rug by the door. Her mascara had run down her cheeks leaving long black streaks and whatever make-up she may have been wearing had been washed away. Her eyes were a brilliant blue and her cheeks were slightly reddened from the wind. In other words, she was the most beautiful, stunning woman he'd ever seen.
"Adam, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is my son, Adam. Her car skidded into the ditch down at the fork," dad said as a way to introduce the two of them.
"Hello, Adam."
"Hey, Jessica."
"Tell you what. Why don't you just call me Jessie? Everyone else does."
"Ok, Jessie."
"Adam, can you grab some towels? I tried to get Jessica's car out of the mud and well ...," he indicated his clothes. "I really don't want to spread all this mud and water all over the house."
"Ya, sure," he replied, finally breaking eye contact with Jessica.
He was less than half-way down the hall when the lights went out.
"Nothing new,"
he thought but the sound of a surprised yelp from the living room caused a smile to form. Grabbing some towels from the closet, he detoured into his dad's bedroom and grabbed two bathrobes before heading back.
There he found his dad standing with his arms wrapped around Jessica. "It's ok. It's just the power. It happens a lot up here when we have storms," he murmured, softly.
Jessica's response was a mumble that he couldn't hear.
Coughing, so they wouldn't be surprised by his presence, he watched as they separated, almost looking as if they were embarrassed being seen like that. Handing each a couple of large towels and a robe, Adam headed for the fireplace that dominated one of the walls. "I'll get a fire started," he said without looking at either of them.
"Thanks, buddy," his dad replied.
"Where can I ...?" Jessica started to ask.
"Just give it a few minutes for Adam to get a fire started and then ..."
A quizzical looked filled her face as she waited.
As expected from years of practice, Adam had a fire going almost immediately and the warmth began to drift outward to fill the room.
"Ok, this is how we'll do it," his father started to explain. "Adam, grab one of Jessica's towels and put it around behind your back like this ...," he demonstrated, "and stretch your arms out while you lift the towel so it's above your head," he continued. "Then come over here and stand with your back towards the fireplace. Not too close. Ok, Jessica. Now you come over here and stand by the fire while you dry off and change out of your wet clothes." Looking down at Adam, he joked, "Remember 'Chivalry isn't dead just a bit tarnished,' so no peeking."
Jessica, stepped behind the make-shift barrier and the sound of her wet clothes dropping to the floor quickly filled the room. To Adam, it seemed as loud as the thunder that persisted outside.
After she was done, his dad stepped behind the barrier, now consisting of only the towel he was holding, and changed. Jessica sat on a chair, pulling her legs up under herself and the robe, while she used a towel to dry her hair.
Adam was so mesmerized by the sight that he didn't even realize his father was done changing until he said, "Thanks again, buddy," while jokingly ruffling the hair on his head.
"Ya, sure," he'd replied, still barely able to look away from where Jessica sat.
After hanging Jessica's wet clothes on a chair near the fire, they spent the rest of the evening talking about the storm, the ranch, Jessica, and what she was doing out on a day like this, with only a short break when Adam and his dad cooked a meal over the fire.
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice how often he'd glanced over at the assortment of drying clothes. A light-tan 'business-cut' jacket with a matching skirt, a white blouse that almost seemed transparent when it was wet, black high-heels, tan stockings, and off to the side as if they were being hidden, a black and red, lace bra and panties. It was also fortunate that no one seemed to noticed the growing bulge in the front of his pants.
Outside, the storm seemed never-ending as the lightening and thunder crashed and flashed. Inside, things became more and more quiet as they became comfortable with each other until the clock on the mantel chimed ten times.
"Time for sleep," his dad started before coming to an abrupt stop. Looking at Jessica, he stammered, "I ... ummmm ... I'll sleep out here on the couch. You can have my bed."
