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A hand touched her back. “You don’t have to do this.”
She turned to Simon. “Yes, I do.”
Concern flooded his eyes. “I’m here for you.”
“I know. Thank you.”
She squared her shoulders. She was stronger than this. She’d buried her mother. She’d buried her grandmother. In the grand scheme of things, this was a setback, not the end of the world. So then why did it feel like it?
She forced herself to take one step and then another.
She lifted the caution tape and then stepped beneath it. With shaky hands, she opened the door. Taking a deep, calming breath, she stepped into the darkened room. Even in the shadows, she could make out enough to know that everything she’d worked for—everything she’d loved—was charred and ruined.
She switched on the flashlight app on her phone. The stream of light highlighted one slice of the room at a time. Everything was layered with dark soot. The glass display cases were covered in debris and the fronts were cracked or broken.
This is bad. So very bad.
The light landed on the shelves behind the counter. There was Bugles McBeagle. Her heart ached. She rushed forward, tripping over the debris on the floor.
Simon’s hand reached out, catching her arm. He held on until she’d regained her balance. “Be careful. There’s a lot of mess on the floor.”
She nodded because she didn’t trust her voice. Emotions had clogged her throat. She continued moving toward the stuffed animal that she’d owned most of her life. It had so many memories attached to it, from her mother giving it to her to holding it when she’d packed her bags and moved in with her grandmother. It had seen her through all the tumultuous times in her life—including this one.
She knew it was silly to be so attached to an inanimate object, but she couldn’t help it. Losing Bugles was like losing an important piece of herself. She reached up to the shelf and wrapped her fingers around the stuffed dog, surprised to find it was still in one piece. She pulled it down. It had soot on it, but other than that there didn’t seem to be any other damage. How was that possible when it looked like a war had been waged within these walls?
“Pepper?” Simon’s voice drew her out of her thoughts.
For a moment, she’d forgotten he was here with her. He was being so quiet and letting her walk through the bakery at her own pace.
Holding Bugles close, she said, “I... I’m okay.”
What else was she supposed to say? That she was utterly devastated? That she felt as though her life had been ripped out from under her? That she didn’t know where she would find the strength to start her life over once more?
They moved toward the kitchen. This was where the real devastation had taken place. Things in here were charred. Her beautiful stainless-steel appliances were black now. Her utensils were melted unrecognizable blobs. Her heart cracked a little more.
Simon stepped in front of her. He reached out and gently swiped a tear from her cheek. She didn’t even know she’d been crying.
“Pepper, look at me.” His soft voice coaxed her.
She didn’t want to. Taking her gaze off the devastation took effort. When she did stare into his eyes, she saw sympathy in his eyes.
His hands gripped her shoulders. “You’ll get your bakery back. It’ll be better than ever. And I promise to do whatever I can to help.”
She shook her head. “It’s my problem. Not yours.”
“But I want to help. Please let me.”
She didn’t say a word. Right now, the fight had gone out of her. She just needed a moment to wrap her mind around the fact that the bakery of her dreams was gone. Sure, she could build a new one, maybe even a better one, but it would never be the same.
* * *
He felt terrible.
Simon had some inkling of an idea what Pepper was feeling. And it wasn’t good.
They’d both created their own happiness. His happiness had been in creating toys—toys he’d wanted so much as a kid but couldn’t have because his father lost one job after another. Her happiness had been found in the kitchen creating the most amazing treats—treats that he surmised reminded her of the family she’d lost. In that they had a special bond.
But if his company were to be ripped out from beneath him, he couldn’t even imagine the devastation he would feel. He glanced over at Pepper, who was doing her best to maintain her composure. He admired her strength. He wasn’t sure he would be able to stand tall in similar circumstances.
