Rainy Days and Mondays

By Shawn Lane

Noel Bright and Wes Rivers have hit a snag in their relationship. They aren’t communicating the way they should be, and as the trip to visit Wes’ family in Maine nears, Noel feels only dread.

The rainy weather in Haydon Cliff matches Noel’s current outlook, and he feels it’s up to Wes to right things between them, with a little pep talk from Noel’s sister, though, maybe he and Wes can work it out together and not fall victim to rainy days and Mondays.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Apr 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685501020

Shawn Lane

Shawn Lane is a multi-published author of gay romance. She lives and works in Southern California. She has been published by Loose Id, Amber Quill Press, Evernight Publishing, MLR Press, JMS Books, and Ellora’s Cave. For more information, visit smlgr8.blogspot.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Storm Watch flitted across the screen on the television situated across from the hospital bed in Room 112.

No kidding, Noel Bright muttered under his breath, his gaze flitting briefly to the one window in the room where he could make out the pouring rain through the slats of the blinds.

He returned his gaze to his patient, who was fretfully watching the news.

It’s all right, Mrs. Newton. It’s not as bad as all that.

Two days earlier, Clara Newton had spent her eightieth birthday in Haydon Cliff Medical Center’s ICU. She’d had what turned out to be a minor stroke. She was lucky it wasn’t worse, as she herself kept declaring, but while she was better, her doctor wasn’t quite ready to move her to a regular room.

It’s nearly seven AM, Noel. Aren’t you about to be off shift?

It touched him that Mrs. Newton was aware of his schedule. That’s right. But I had to check on my favorite patient first. He grinned at her, then looked over the machinery she was hooked up to.

You be careful driving in the storm.

I live pretty close.

Mmm. But it’s been raining for days, she pointed out. Roads are bad.

True. There had been plenty of accidents the last few days in Haydon Cliff and many of them had ended up with the victims being brought to the med center. It was an unusual weather pattern to be sure. This much rain in April? Well, really, this much rain in California at all, but April was especially unusual, the old saying about April showers notwithstanding.

How’s that man of yours? Mrs. Newton asked. She was anxious, Noah could tell. She got chatty when she got anxious.

This was not her first time in Haydon Cliff Medical Center. A year earlier, she’d had a heart attack. She’d survived that and would survive this, too. She was a fighter and a survivor, but she was also beginning her eightieth decade, and they both new her days left in this life would be far fewer.

Good.

Police chief, isn’t he?

Noel shook his head. "Nah. Captain of the Homicide Division.