Chapter nineteen. The rain that had started on Sunday afternoon lingered until Tuesday

The rain that had started on Sunday afternoon lingered until Tuesday. Pat paced back and forth in front of her windows, watching the waves churn angrily against the wet sand. A mist, even a light rain, Pat could handle. She could still get out and run, if nothing else. But this, this continuous downpour had her stuck inside for the second day.

" Fuck it." She had to get out.

She had put the top on the Jeep yesterday morning, but the seats were still damp. She put a dry towel down and turned the heater on high. Pat hated April. Some days, so warm you would swear summer was making an early appearance. Then, like today, cold and damp, making you wonder if the brief winter they enjoyed was still hanging on.

She drove through the downpour, her wipers barely keeping up with the rain. There was only one car at The Shrimp Shack. It was Angel's. She pulled the hood of her raincoat over her cap and ran inside, stopping to wipe her muddy boots on the mat.

" I figured I'd see you today, " Angel said.

" I hate this shit. I have cabin fever, " she stated.

" Beer? "

" Sure. I've got nothing else to do." Pat looked around the empty bar. " I guess I'm the only one that braved the weather? "

" Oh, we had a handful at lunch, that was it. You eating? "

" No. Had a delicious frozen dinner earlier." Pat took a swallow from her beer, then put it down on the coaster Angel had provided.

" Hey, Lannie has the weekend off. She said to invite you over for dinner Saturday night."

" Please tell me she's not trying to set me up again, " Pat said.

" No. She knows you're hopeless."

" So you're actually taking a Saturday off? "

" I'm taking the whole weekend off. We haven't spent an entire weekend together in months."

Pat's cell phone interrupted them and she searched her coat, finally finding it in one of the pockets. She checked the ID before answering.

" Aunt Rachel? What's up? " Pat asked.

" Where are you? "

" Are you checking up on me again? "

" I'm simply trying to find you. Dr. Cambridge called, looking for you. Apparently, you didn't leave her any phone numbers. She said she needed you."

Pat raised her eyebrows and grinned. " She needs me? "

" She found a nest. Egrets. She was very excited."

" It's been raining for two days. When did she get out to find a nest? "

" She didn't go into details. But she was very excited. I told her I would hunt you down."

Pat looked out the window at the steady rain. She didn't relish driving to Rockport and the ranch in this. She certainly didn't want to go outside in it, looking for a damn egret. But, the idea of seeing Carly, a possibly wet and soaked Carly, appealed to her. Oh well, she didn't have anything better to do.

" Okay. You can call her back and tell her I'm on the way to her rescue. I'm just going to finish my beer."

" Tell Angel hello for me."

" And what makes you think I'm here? "

" Where else would you be in this mess? "