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Summer nods and bites her lip as tears fill her pretty blue eyes. “I know. I’m just glad that no one else lost their businesses. Thank you, Bridger, for everything.”
“Here’s my card,” the fire chief says, and passes a card to Summer. “Call me anytime. I’ll be happy to work with your insurance company, as well.”
“You’re the best,” Summer says with a smile. “I really appreciate it.”
“I think it’s time to go home and get some rest,” my dad says and pats Summer on the back. God, she looks tired. “There’s nothing more to do here, my dear. But there will be plenty that need your attention later. Go home.”
Summer nods and then smiles at everyone. “Thank you all for coming. You didn’t have to stay all night.”
“That’s what family does,” Brady says with a wink. Everyone takes turns hugging us both, and then they start to disperse, walking several blocks away to find their vehicles to head home.
“I’ll come by later,” Polly promises as she pulls Summer in for a hug. “I’ll bring liquor and food. Because I’m your person, and that’s what I do.”
“Thank you,” Summer says, holding on just a minute more. “I’ll take it. But go catch some sleep first, then we’ll wallow in food and liquor.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Polly says before walking away.
“Everyone came,” Summer murmurs as I take her hand in mine and lead her to where I abandoned my truck last night. “Even though it was the middle of the night, they just…came.”
“You’ve lived here long enough to know that this town bands together, especially when something like this happens. They want to help, in any way they can, even if it’s just to stand by and be moral support.”
She chews her lip and stares out the window as I drive her to my place.
“I want Lily,” she says and turns to me. “Can we go get her? Or have someone get her and bring her home?”
“I’ll go get her, baby. Let me get you home first.”
“Okay.” She sighs and relaxes into the seat, and just when I think she’s fallen asleep, she reaches for my hand and holds on tightly. “Thank you.”
I didn’t want to leave her. She was just out of the shower, finally washing away the smoke and soot from the fire, and I wanted to just curl into bed with her and hold her.
But she wants Lily home with us, and I’m not about to deny her anything right now.
“I’m sorry, I know you wanted to sleep,” I say to Paula as she opens the door of her cottage. “I think Lily will be a comfort to Summer today.”
“Of course, she will,” Paula says with a kind smile. “Lily should be home with you two.”
I squat down and pick up the dog, and when I stand, Paula’s still grinning at me.
“You’re going to marry her.”
It isn’t a question, and I grin back at her. “How do you know that? Are you a fortune teller?”
“I know true love when I see it. Go on now. Take care of our girl.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SUMMER
“It’s so nice of your family to include Aunt Paula today.” I grin over at Chase, who’s driving Lily and me out to the ranch for Thanksgiving dinner at Remington and Erin’s house. “That way, I didn’t have to try to choose between the two or spend half the day at one place and then race over to the other.”
“We all love Paula,” he says and reaches for my hand, lifting it to his lips. “Always have. And we all love you, so it makes sense that we would all spend the holiday together.”
“You’re sweet.” He brushes his thumb over the back of my fingers, pausing over my ring finger, and lets go so he can pull off of the highway and onto the ranch road. He keys us through the gate, but rather than turning toward the farmhouse, he takes a right at the fork in the road and drives us around the lake, on the fresh dirt road that was recently made, to where his house will be.
The shop is done now, thanks to the help of so many of Chase’s friends. They put in time on their days off to help him get it done before any snow fell for the season.
The past two months have gone by quickly. The insurance company finally paid me to rebuild the flower shop, and I’m in talks with an architect on the design. Hopefully, it’ll be finished before wedding season next year. My house sold, and Lily and I officially moved in with Chase less than a week after the fire.
