“What’s the hold up?”
“Nobody’s available, so they said they can come inspect tomorrow, but then that’s another day lost. I can’t continue losing business, or I might have to close the doors here forever. I have insurance, but that takes so long. I’m just…”
He places his hand on my shoulder. “I might know someone. Let me make a call.”
Fifteen minutes later, a hunched-over man with salt and pepper hair, a pen behind his ear, walks in, awkwardly standing by Holden, taking a look around but not uttering a word. Their body language speaks volumes, even if I can’t hear a word they’re saying.
“Hey, Natalie. This is Jerry.” Oh shit. “My dad.”
Jerry extends his hand, which I take in a gentle shake. “Nice to meet you, young lady. It seems you have yourself a problem here.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Let me take a good look around and get some readings. I’ll come right back to you.”
“No problem. It’s all yours.” Jerry walks around with a clipboard in hand and a little black machine that beeps as he places it on the walls. His eyebrows furrow at whatever he’s reading, but he continues with the next wall.
“Your dad?” I ask Holden, who’s eying him too.
“He, um, he used to be a contractor and reinstated his license recently. I don’t know if he can fix water damage by himself, but he knows people. He said he would be happy to help, and now, well, he’s here.” We watch him disappear behind a wall. “Small town and all.” Ah, my usual phrase used against me.
“You didn’t have to do that. I can’t imagine how hard that was.”
“What?” he asks, as if he truly has no clue what I’m referring to.
“Calling your dad for help.”
His eyes gleam as a genuine smile lights up his face. “Natalie, there’s very little I wouldn’t do for you.” The words are heavier than my worries—which says a lot—dangling in front of us with a balance tilting heavily on my side. Why can’t I stop pushing this man away, even if my heart is screaming at me to do the opposite?
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Jerry interrupts my spiraling thoughts. “But you were right in wanting someone to come in today. Water damage and remediation has an unseen clock that can end very differently with passing every hour. Are you going through insurance for this?”
I didn’t even think about that, but yes. I can’t pay for something like this out of pocket. “Yes.”
“I need the information, and I can call a guy to bring some dehumidifiers. How early can you be here tomorrow?”
Um.
“I can be here, if needed, before Natalie can,” Holden rushes to answer, and my brows raise.
“Anytime. Just tell me when.” I swipe through my phone until the insurance information fills up the screen, and I hand it to Jerry. He squints, scribbling the policy number onto a frayed notepad on his clipboard before turning on his heel. The door shuts behind him, leaving only his muffled voice as he paces with the phone pressed tight to his ear.
“What about your girls?” Holden asks.
“What about them?”
“If he needs you here earlier. They have school tomorrow, right? I can be here.”
“You’ve done enough.”
He’s trying to play it cool, but the subtle tension between us? It’s growing by the second. We didn’t leave things very well last night, and we need to talk, but when? There’s been no time.
He brushes a hand through his messy hair. “We still need to talk, Natalie, but why won’t you let me help?” His voice is soft, but the concern in his eyes is as obvious as the dark circles under mine. He looks better than he probably feels, dressed in a faded navy shirt and shorts, his sleeves rolled up to his arms the way I like so much, his hair perfect but tousled. He’s been haulingboxes, checking the leak, and now, he’s here offering to help more.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you though?” he asks, searching for true honesty.
“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I’m not great, but…I’m not drowning either.” I give him a weak smile, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “You’re a lifesaver, though. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
