Rocker aimed the gun and fired. Ty walked out to count the cans. “You got a good man, Scarlett. He’s earned my respect for the way he treats you. The town has nothing but good things to say about him.”
Scarlett smiled. “He bought me a book in Braille. They’re expensive. He overheard us talking at dinner the first night. He planned to use it as an excuse to ask me out.”
“As I said, he’s got our seal of approval.Make sure you’re staying with him for all the right reasons,” Rocker said quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s obvious he cares about you. Don’t stay with him because you’re blind and scared. Do it because you genuinely like him, too,” Rocker said before Ty returned and took the gun.
Did she like Ty because he was convenient? No. They got along from the start. He made her laugh and found ways to make her happy. She didn’t feel like she offered him as much, but they enjoyed each other’s company and didn’t run out of things to talk about. Scarlett made up her mind. Ty pushed her out into the light, and she liked it there. Rocker was wrong. She loved the man and planned to let him know.
CHAPTER 34
Ty saton the couch beside Scarlett. “Kassie asked me to come over to her house. She wants to have a meeting with me and Bryanna. Due to the building’s age, the insurance does not cover the costs to rebuild from the ground up. It might put a huge dent in my savings, and Bryanna and Saint recently had a baby. I don’t think they have the extra funds.”
“Oh, no. Serenity needs all three of you to survive. I heard how all the moms congregated at the bakery after school drop-off, and even some seniors met for coffee and a donut. Your restaurant provided an assortment of meals besides the Pizza Palace and Jim’s Hot Dogs,” Scarlett said, rubbing his leg.
“Do you want to go with me? Rocker left for Seattle, and Taco volunteered to flank us,” Ty asked.
“Sure, let me get my sweater.” Scarlett signaled for Ice, and he watched her confidently go toward his room. Every day, she improved at getting around his home without her cane. He hung her clothes beside his in the closet, and it felt natural, like it was meant to be.
He glanced at her Braille book on the table, where thebookmark held her page. She took it from room to room with her, and he knew she enjoyed every minute of it.
His stomach churned after his discussion with the insurance representative. The fire destroyed wiring within the walls bordering his place and the community center. Even with the payout, he’d still have to dip into his savings. He already used it to pay his employees for the temporary leave, and now it seemed they might be off indefinitely. His hand scratched the scruff under his chin, lost in thought, when Scarlett returned in a blue sweater, matching the shade of her eyes. She seemed the only good thing to come out of this.
“I hung your backpack on one of the hooks where I keep my coats. We can place Ice’s harness there, too,” he offered as she put her shoes on. “I did some research. There’s a program called The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, run by the Library of Congress. You only need to enroll, and you can check out five books per month to keep indefinitely. There’s an option for audiobooks, too.”
“Really? I’ll have to check it out. Thanks,” Scarlett replied, heading for the door.
“Taco will be here any minute. Edie and Barb will arrive with Saint and Bryanna. Edie has stayed with Saint since the fire, and Kassie has Barb settled into the Bed and Breakfast. Bryanna took them into town to replace some of the clothing they lost and to pick up some essentials. Barb needed new glasses. It’s bad enough we lost Debbie, but these two seniors don’t have the extra income to cover these additional expenses. Kassie paid them at the community center, and Edie often baked pies with Bryanna. I hope the person who did this ends up paying restitution,” he grumbled.
Scarlett touched his arm. “We learned one big lesson from all this. Things can always be replaced, but people can’t. Those kids lost their grandmother, and Lizzy and Michael lost their connection with Caleb and Faith’s birth mom. It’ssad to think little Faith will grow up never remembering Debbie.”
They got into the truck as Taco pulled into the driveway and made a circle, allowing them to go first. Scarlett reached for his hand, and he held it, loving this new ritual every time they entered the vehicle.
Kassie and Chase greeted them at the door. The kids ran excitedly upstairs to play, except for the babies. Victoria and Ivan sat in chairs beside the fireplace, with each of the twins, while Tori played in her playpen. Gabe lay in his mother’s arms, and Bryanna’s expression conveyed her worry over their situation.
Kassie set a charcuterie board on the coffee table, and Chase brought a few more chairs into the living room and placed drinks on the island for everyone.
“I called us all together because we need to discuss the building,” Kassie said once everyone grabbed a beverage and a snack. “The construction crew we used for the hospital and cabins will fly in from Texas next week. The insurance adjusters have made their assessments. The building’s age seems to cause the most significant issue. We carried a big policy on the community center and we’ll still be paying out of pocket to replace all the items lost in the fire. How did you fare?”
“We estimated it’ll cost us between fifteen and twenty thousand after the payout to reopen again,” Bryanna said. “We got the same story from the insurance adjuster. Replacing the apartments and the building will cost a fortune,” she said sadly. Saint rubbed her back consolingly.
“The adjuster called me today. The fire caused significant issues with the wiring between the two walls. Despite the smoke damage, replacing the booths, I’ll be out a good portion, too.” Ty said, sighing. “As much as I hate to say this, I don’t know if rebuilding the restaurant willhappen any time soon. I planned to purchase another section of land for the ranch. The fire has made me realize my priorities. The restaurant brought variety to the town, but I’m there from sunup to sundown. I’ve spent more time at home the last couple of weeks than I have all year.”
“Do you not want to rebuild?” Chase asked.
“It’s not a point of whether I want to or not, but I can’t justify sinking my savings into a place where I work rather than where I live. The ranch brings in as much profit as the restaurant. With the extra land, I can make up the difference,” he reasoned.
“I hate to see you give up something you love,” Kassie said, taking Jon from Victoria.
“I don’t see a way around it,” Ty said, shrugging. “My employees can’t afford to stay out of work for months at a time for a rebuild, and I can’t afford to keep them on the payroll and pay the extra costs to get it up and running again.”
“I’m in the same boat and she don’t have half as many employees as Ty,” Bryanna said, glancing at her husband. “If I’m honest, the hospital’s kitchen feels crowded with all of us. Randy’s gracious to have us, but we’re stepping all over each other. It’s not a long-term solution,” Bryanna explained. “Saint and I have kept our payroll going. We don’t want to lose the valuable employees, but we can’t keep it up forever and rebuild.”
Scarlett held Ty’s hand and cleared her throat. “May I suggest something?”
“You’re more than welcome to jump in. We’re entertaining all ideas,” Kassie assured her.
