CHAPTER 57
As promised, the only appearance the sun made on Saturday was when it peeked over the watery horizon at dawn. Dark clouds rolled in from the west, right along with lines of cars crossing over the bridges from the mainland for the long holiday weekend.
Remy looked out the kitchen window, trying to decide whether or not she had enough time to get in her walk before it started raining, and then she turned on the TV to watch the forecast. There was an ominous line of thunderstorms marching across Connecticut, but it looked like it wouldn’t reach the Cape for a couple more hours, so she should have time. She might even have time to go to the market.
She tied her sneakers, stopped at the bathroom, and then walked over to turn the TV off, but just as she reached for the remote, the TV started beeping and an emergency warning scrolled across the bottom of the screen, warning residents that the impending storm could bring hurricane-force winds, driving rain, and golf ball–size hail! She turned off the TV and made a mental note to put her new car in the garage. The last thing she needed was golf ball–size hail hitting it!
She opened the back door and Edison scooted in. “Is it that bad out?” she asked, but he’d already disappeared up the stairs. The weatherman had promised that the storm would usher in cooler air and she hoped he was right. The last several days had been oppressively hot and humid . . . much too hot for June . . . but as she closed the door, she suddenly realized it was July. What had happened to June?!
The last week had been a whirlwind of activity. From helping Birdie get David home and settled, to walking Bailey so Birdie could stay by his side. And from going out to dinner with John two of the last four nights, to going out for breakfast yesterday, she couldn’t remember when she’d been so busy. Not since all her kids were home, she decided, and that reminded her—Payton and her family were all due to arrive that night, in the middle of the storm! She wondered if she should tell her to wait and come in the morning when Eliza and Sam and their families were coming. She’d been looking forward to having a chance to visit with her oldest daughter alone for a few hours but there was no sense in taking chances. She picked up her pace, her mind racing with all the things she still needed to do, and she almost tripped on a root. “There’s definitely no time for that,” she murmured.
When she finally got home, the first fat raindrops were splashing on her bare arms. She hurried into the house, used the bathroom again, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed to the market. She was happy to find a spot right in front and hurried inside with her jacket over her head to grab the two things she needed: a pint of whipping cream and a half gallon of black raspberry ice cream. But when she passed by the coffee and tea display, she decided to treat herself to a warm chocolate croissant and a cup of Earl Grey tea—it was that kind of day!
She drove home, pulled into the garage, gathered her things, and just as she pushed open the mudroom door, the skies opened up. “That was close!” she said, putting the ice cream in the freezer and looking out at the sheets of rain racing across the white-capped bay. She listened to the wind howl around the house and then heard a loud clattering and knew the porch furniture was blowing over. The kitchen lights flickered and she looked up anxiously. “Please don’t let the power go out,” she said, reaching for her tea. “I still have a cake to bake!”