Paranoia might take a lifetime to master, but she was working on it. Relying on Cain had become part of her subconscious. They still might just be friends when this was all said and done, but she’d learned to trust her gut where he was concerned. Now, at this moment, she missed his support and confidence and protection.
Not that she felt afraid; the back door would squeak when someone entered. People were always trying to get her to WD-40 the hinges. But she never had, never would. Non-important doors worked smooth as silk. The one outside her office door in the main building, that one also had a sound that she thought of as her own built-in security alert.
Her phone rang with Marcy’s ringtone.
“Hey sister of mine, are you having a good time in New York?” Betsy said as she answered the FaceTime call, making sure to keep it tightly focused on her face. Seeing the destruction of the repair shop in the background would only upset them. Of course, seeing her sister’s face felt comforting.
“We’re just getting ready to head out on the tour bus,” Sadie said as she leaned into the frame. “I wanted to check on you before we go. Truman is staying in touch with JB and Cain, but I wanted to see you for myself. How are you holding up?”
Betsy smiled. Her mama was always a rock to the outside world and a strong shoulder to her girls. Yet, she almost had a sixth sense when it came to feeling others’ need.
“I’m okay. Right now, I’m at the dealership waiting for the Mr. Crestfall,” Betsy said.
“I thought you used Roosevelt Insurance Agency.”
“Yes, that’s who insures my home. But Papa Carrington had always used Crestfall’s Insurance, and it’s still through that agency. There’s a discount for being a long-time customer.”
The back door squeaked, and she spun around.
Cain stepped inside and a weight lifted from her. Since when had just the sight of him made her feel as if everything would be okay?
Quickly, she motioned him over with the hand holding the phone. Without thinking, she’d given Marcy and Sadie a view of the entire shop. Might have been a fast swoop, but she immediately heard her mama suck in a loud breath and yell for Truman.
“What all actually happened in there?” Straight and to the point, Marcy grabbed the phone and walked. “Show me, Betsy. Pan the room right now and show me how bad this is.”
“No. I can’t.”
“Yes, you can, sister of mine. And I mean right now!”
Cain walked up and put his arm across Betsy’s shoulder, and she leaned for a moment before straightening once again. This was going to be another long day.
Marcy cleared her throat. “Who else is there?”
“Hi, Marcy.” He leaned into the view. “It’s me
“It’s Cain Connery. I’m staying at his house since mine is trashed.” Betsy sighed. “But I’m sure JB already told you that part because you and Joanie sent me a tote bag. And before I forget, thank you. Thank you both very much. Even for the extra goodies you included.”
“No problem. We had fun putting it together. Now it’s all up to you,” Marcy replied in a teasing manner.
Cain’s glimmer of a smile along with a slightly raised eyebrow caught Betsy’s attention. Sooner or later he’d probably see all those goodies in one way or another. Even she felt the corners of her own mouth turn up a bit, and for a moment she felt a lot warmer than she had a second ago.
“Now show me the damage to the repair shop,” Marcy said, lowering her voice.
She knew Marcy wouldn’t give up on this, so she might as well give her a glimpse at least. “Fine! But don’t let Mama see.”
Marcy nodded as she seemed to walk across the room on her end of the conversation. Slowly, Betsy panned the room with her phone. She tried to avoid the crime scene tape and the chalk outline of where Papa Carrington had been found before the EMTs took him to the hospital. “There. You satisfied?”
“I’m going to give that husband of mine a piece of my mind the next time I talk to him,” Marcy huffed in agitation. “JB said there wasn’t much to see. Not much he could say.”
The door squeaked once again, and Cain moved in front of her as his hand eased in the direction of his shoulder holster concealed by his leather jacket.
“Hey, Mr. Crestfall just arrived. I’ll talk to you later, sister of mine.” Betsy ended the call, then turned to Cain. “Do you mind staying for this?”
“Whatever you want. I’m here to help anyway I can.” He glanced in the direction of Mr. Crestfall and a couple of other people walking beside him. “You’ve got this, Betsy. You’ve got this.”
Mr. Crestfall had arrived right on time. The man and woman with him quickly introduced themselves as adjusters. Of course, the insurance agency was well known in Crayton, but the two adjusters had probably been dispatched by the policy company’s main office.
“It’s good to see you,” Betsy said. “As you can see, this is a mess. You tell me, where do we start with filing the claim?”
