“The bad news?” It’s said like a question, because honestly, I don’t think I want any bad news at all.
“You have alotof water here. Both the upstairs and downstairs have sustained significant water damage.”
“It couldn’t have even been running for a full hour.”
“A lot of water can run in that amount of time, especially at the rate it was flowing out of that pipe. I’m sorry, Jules. I really am. You will need to call a water restoration company tomorrow. They’ll come in and remove the rest of the water, then set up fans to dry it as much as possible. Then you can assess what’s salvageable.”
“Are you telling me that I can’t open for business in the morning?”
Bridger scowls and takes my shoulders in his hands. “Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you. It’s a mess in there. I’m so sorry.”
I want to lean my forehead on him for support, but of course I don’t.
You have got to be kidding me.
“What’s the good news?” I ask him.
“I found your shoes.” He gestures to the ground next to him. “They’re a little damp, but they’re fine.”
I let out a huff of a laugh and slide my feet inside, sick of standing on the asphalt of this alley in my bare feet. I scrunch my nose up when I slosh around.
“Do you have somewhere to go tonight?”
No.
“Sure. Can I go in there to grab some things first?”
“The electricity is off and won’t be turned back on until all the water is gone. It’s safe, but it’s a mess. And slick in some places, so you’ll need to be careful.”
“But it won’t kill me.”
“No.”
“Thanks.” The others have gotten in the trucks. One has already pulled away, and the other is waiting for the chief. “You can go. I’ve got this.”
“You sure you have somewhere to go? You can crash at my place for the rest of the night if you want and come back here in the daylight.”
I shake my head. “Nah, I’m okay. Thanks, though. Tell Dani hi for me.”
He turns to walk away but then looks back at me. “We missed you, Jules.”
Oh God, don’t make me cry.
“I missed you, too.”
Chapter Ten
BROOKS
“We took her to Vegas for the weekend,” Gabe says as he crosses to his tool chest to grab a drill. “She’d never been before.”
Gabe is my cousin on my dad’s side, and he’s been working for me for a while now. We’ve always gotten along well, and he does excellent work. He’s in a relationship with Dani’s sister, Alex, and a man named Adam who I’ve met a few times.
The three of them are making it work, and I’m happy for him.
“I don’t think Alex has traveled much,” I reply as I close the hood on Juliet’s car.
It’s finally finished. I can’t procrastinate giving it back to her any longer. I could have had it done a few days ago, but this is my only tie to the woman I can’t stop thinking about. The one I want more than I’m willing to admit or am happy about.
