CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

" Cut the goddamn trees? Are you out of your mind? "

Elsa walked between Carly and Martin and grabbed both of Carly's arms.

" Chica, the trees are fine. Pat was here. She threw some sort of fit and scared poor Martin. He decided to wait until you got back so you could decide. So, calm down."

Carly looked from Elsa to Martin.

" Pat was here? She threw a fit? Over trees? "

" Yes, Dr. Cambridge, " Martin said, still surprised by her anger. " She said they were beautiful, maybe a thousand years old. But you wanted the rooms extended. You said you wanted a patio."

" Not quite, " she murmured.

" What? "

" A thousand years old. Maybe five hundred."

" She said we should tell you to sit on the front porch instead, " Elsa said.

Carly laughed and both Elsa and Martin stared at her. God, the woman wasn't making it easy, was she? If Pat were here now, Carly might very well hug her.

" So, Martin, we're clear? The trees stay. If we can enlarge the rooms a little, that's fine. My thinking was, eventually with a full staff, we'll need a good-sized kitchen. And the utility room, well that was just for my own needs. We don't have to have a patio right off the house. We can build a small deck under the trees later. I just wanted a place where we could put a table and chairs and have someplace to sit outside. We can figure all that out later."

" Okay."

" And Martin? Don't call me Dr. Cambridge."

" Yes ma'am."

Carly glanced at Elsa. " Help him, will you? "

" Don't worry, chica. I'll have him as disrespectful as I am in no time."

Carly climbed the stairs to her apartment, her hand clutched around her cell phone. Pat's message had made little sense to her. But then, she wasn't really surprised. Why in the world would Pat be talking about the trees? And that she loved them? But she was very thankful Pat had been here. She didn't know what she would have done if she'd come back and they'd been gone.

She went to her desk and pulled out Pat's card. She tried her house first but got no answer. She hung up instead of leaving a message. Pat answered her cell on the second ring.

" It's Carly."

" Hey."

" I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you now have a reputation as a tree hugger."

" Oh, please. With my reputation, I doubt anyone would believe you."

" You scared Martin. Or so Elsa said."

" I had a brief thought of chaining myself to one of the trees, then I came to my senses, " Pat said.

Carly laughed. " And you call me an environmental wacko."

" But seriously, the trees are safe, right? "

" No. We had to cut them this afternoon. I mean, I wanted a patio. I wanted a utility room I could actually walk in."

She heard only silence on the phone. But only for a few seconds.

" You're fucking me, right? Because I'll never speak to you again if you cut the goddamn trees down."

" Yep. Definitely an environmental wacko."

" Carly? "

" Your trees are fine, Pat. I wouldn't dream of cutting them down."

" Okay. Good. I'll be able to sleep tonight then. Now, dinner? "

" Yes. But I should meet you there. I may not want to stay as long as you do."

" Okay. Just come to my place first. You can follow me over there."

" Deal." Carly sat down on her sofa, looking out over the bay. " What are you doing, anyway? I hear traffic."

" I'm just off the bridge over Copano Bay. There was a heron or egret or something over here."

" Pat, you really need to get your herons and egrets straight. They look nothing alike."

" They look exactly alike. They're just different colors."

" Well, there you go. That's a start. By the way, Mrs. Davenport says you trespassed onto her property the other week. She's very upset with you."

Pat laughed. " The woman hates me."

" I think she may have a crush on you."

Silence again.

" I'm hanging up now. You've obviously lost your mind."

It was Carly's turn to laugh. She wrapped her arms around herself as she cradled the phone to her ear, a smile firmly in place.

" Okay. Go back to your herons or egrets. I'll see you tomorrow."

Carly laid the phone down beside her, still smiling. God, she didn't know why, but the woman made her laugh. Made her happy. She wished with all her heart that she didn't still have issues because of Carol. If she could just let herself go, let herself forget that terrible time, let Pat into her life, it would be so much easier. She might be willing to give it a chance.

But she couldn't forget. She had nearly lost her life.