“Was anything able to be saved?” Lynda asked, though she dreaded the answer.
“It was a total loss. The roof collapsed about ten minutes after the fire department arrived. If Matt hadn’t gotten there when he did...” Carol’s voice trailed off. “By the time I got the call from the police, it was already too late to save the building. But somehow, Matt managed to get every single animal out. Seventeen lives were saved because he couldn’t sleep and decided to check on the puppies.”
Lynda closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what could have been lost. “Where are the animals now?”
“Scattered across town. Some are at Matt’s clinic, and some are at the emergency vet in Polson. A few of the healthier ones are with foster families who answered the emergency calls. But Lynda...” Carol leaned forward, her expression grave. “Thewolfdog puppies can’t be housed with regular domestic animals. They need specialized facilities, and trained handlers. And with Matt injured and the shelter gone, I don’t know how we’re going to manage their care.”
The reality of their situation began to sink in. The insurance money might cover rebuilding the shelter, but that would take months, maybe years. The wildlife rehabilitation center they’d dreamed of creating seemed like an impossible fantasy now. And the wolfdog puppies, the animals that had brought her and Matt together, were traumatized.
“What about the grants we applied for?” Lynda asked weakly. “Do you think the funders will allow us to access that money?”
Carol’s expression answered before she spoke. “The Wildcare Foundation isn’t going to fund a rehabilitation center that doesn’t exist. And even if we could rebuild the shelter, it would take a long time. By then, the puppies will be adults, and the community support might have moved on to other causes.”
Lynda felt the weight of defeat settling on her shoulders. Everything they’d worked for, everything they’d dreamed of building together, had gone up in smoke. The partnership with the shelter had given her a new purpose in life. She’d dreamed of a better future, but it all seemed impossibly fragile now.
Amy returned with three takeout cups of coffee. Taking one look at her mom’s face, she sat down without speaking. Placing a gentle hand on Lynda’s shoulder, she offered her silent support in the face of what felt like insurmountable obstacles.
In the distance, Lynda heard the faint sounds of people talking and machines humming. Someone yelled, and the drum of pounding feet echoed along a corridor. It was a reminder of how close they’d come to losing everything, including the man who meant the world to her.
CHAPTER 28
By nine o’clock, Lynda’s phone began buzzing with voicemail messages and texts while she sat in the hospital chair beside Matt’s bed. Despite his pain medication, Matt was tossing and turning and groaning in his sleep.
With a tired smile for Stephanie, she left the room and headed into the corridor. News of the fire must have spread through Sapphire Bay like ripples across the lake.
Amy was in the family room, so Lynda joined her daughter and answered the next call. It was from Brenda at the clinic.
“I heard about the fire,” Brenda said. “How’s Matt? What can I do to help?”
Before Lynda could fully answer, another call came in from Mayor Wilson, then one from Brooke at Sweet Treats, and then Mabel at the general store. Everyone offered their help, asked about Matt, and wanted to know what the community could do.
“Mom,” Amy said softly, looking up from her phone. “My social media is blowing up. Someone posted about the fire on the community’s Facebook page. There are already forty-three comments offering help.”
Lynda felt overwhelmed by the outpouring of support but also deeply touched.
Stephanie walked into the family room and spoke to Lynda. “Dad wants to see you.”
Lynda hurried into his room. The oxygen mask that Matt had been wearing was gone, and he looked exhausted.
“Is that your phone that was buzzing?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
“Half the town is calling,” Lynda said, smoothing his blanket unnecessarily. “Word travels fast here.”
“Too fast,” Matt said with a weak smile. “By noon, the story will probably have me fighting off bears while rescuing endangered eagles.”
A soft knock interrupted them. Carol appeared in the doorway, followed by Kathleen.
“We don’t want to disturb you,” Kathleen said apologetically, “but we had to check on Matt and see what we could do to help.”
Carol moved to the foot of the bed, her expression still shell-shocked from the night’s events. “Matt, thank goodness you’re okay. The whole town is talking about what you did.”
“How are the animals this morning?” Matt asked, attempting to sit up straighter.
“That’s partly why we’re here,” Kathleen said. “The community response has been incredible. We’ve set up a temporary housing network. Mabel’s daughters are looking after four of the smaller dogs. The emergency vet in Polson took the injured hawk and the rabbit. Mrs. Chen came to get Whiskers an hour ago. She cried when she heard you’d saved her cat.”
Carol pulled out her phone and showed them a photo. “Look at this—the principal of the local high school arrived at the clinic this morning with food, blankets, and medical equipment they’d somehow acquired. And Ben Thompson from The ChristmasTree Farm started a GoFundMe page. It’s already raised over three thousand dollars.”
Lynda stared at the screen in amazement. “Three thousand dollars? Since when?”
