It was clear nearly from the beginning that Claire had feelings for the young man she found in the river, immediate attraction turned to something more by the end of his stay there. Maybe it was his helpless state that made her protective, or she was taken with his simple goodness, but whatever it was she fell fast. In the end, it wasn’t meant to be, and Cole returned to his former life, but no doubt Claire held her memories of him, and perhaps more than that, for a long time after.