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Chapter 10
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Thursday afternoon, Lindsay left a meeting she’d just had with a new oil supplier, a relieved smile on her face. She’d seen quite a number of suppliers over the last two days but this one ticked all the boxes. They had their own organic farmlands and they set the standard for farming and distilling essential oils. The oils they produced were pure, derived naturally through a specific program. She also liked their business ideas—from sustainably sourcing rare botanicals to uplifting local communities, to going above and beyond in complying with local environmental rules.
It was so enriching to be talking about the wonders of essential oils with people who were as excited as she was about the product. And the added bonus? It took her mind away from constantly worrying about what Mark was planning next.
And of course, it kept her from checking her phone for messages from Blake at all hours of the day or night. Since Sunday evening, she hadn’t heard from him again. Not that she’d wanted to...
Okay, so not true. She should at least be honest with herself. She’d wanted to hear from him, wanted to know how he’d slept in her bed. Had he been thinking about her? Did he still miss her? And she wanted to tell him how special she thought the French version of “I miss you” was. She’d picked up her phone so many times to tell him, but every time she’d put it away again. If he’d wanted to talk to her, he’d have texted or phoned.
And she also knew flirting with Blake would only lead to heartache. The last thing she should do at this point in her life was fall for someone who so obviously wasn’t interested in anything permanent.
Checking her watch, she hastened towards the exit of the building. Charlie should be waiting for her outside. Logan was treating them all to another scrumptious lunch—he’d promised this morning. Over the past few days, her sister hadn’t let her out of her sight.
As she stepped out of the building, she saw Logan’s car. Charlie was standing beside the vehicle and the moment she saw her, she waved. But something was wrong. She could see it on her sister’s face.
“What happened?” she asked as she neared the car.
Charlie gave her a quick hug. “Hi, Linds. Come on, get in the car. We’ll talk on the way.”
She’d expected to see Eleanor, Brooke, and Connor in the car, but there was no sign of them.
“What happened?” she asked again, her voice not quite steady. Whatever it was, Mark had something to do with it, she just knew it.
Charlie pulled out of the parking space into the traffic. “Everything is okay, nobody was hurt but...Blake has just phoned me. There was a fire in your shop and...”
Lindsay heard the words, but they didn’t make sense. Fire. In the shop.
“Blake will be waiting for you at the airport in Bozeman. The rest of us will be back tomorrow. I feel so bad to let you go back by yourself, but Eleanor and Brooke took Connor to the zoo, and Logan is in the middle of—”
Lindsay quickly touched Charlie’s arm. She’d disrupted everyone enough over the past few days. “I’ll be fine.” She shut out everything else and cleared her head.Think. First things first.She had to fly back to Bozeman today. “I have to book a plane ticket...”
“Check your phone—Blake said he’d get it and send you the details.”
Lindsay opened her emails and there it was—she was checked in already with an electronic boarding pass. The surge of adrenaline left her, leaving her feeling drained. Of course, she would already have her ticket. This was what Blake was good at. He fixed things. “The fire—when did it happen?”
“Apparently late morning. Lilly had been on lunch, and when she returned, she smelled smoke. The fire started in your studio, and fortunately, because Lilly immediately phoned Alisson’s Fire and Rescue squad and Blake was close by, it didn’t spread. But...I’m sorry, Linds, but it sounds as if your studio is ruined.”
“And just when I’ve finally discovered the right suppliers,” Lindsay said, dumbfounded.
“Let’s be positive.” Charlie briefly touched Lindsay’s hand. “You’ve been talking about expanding your studio for such a long time. Remember we have insurance—for the building and the contents. I’ll contact them and get the ball rolling. You may finally be able to get your dream studio. I know it’s not easy, but try and see this as a blessing in disguise.”
“The fire...it’s Mark,” Lindsay said. “I’m sure of it.”
“It may be. But it could also be faulty electrical wiring. Remember, it’s an old building. Let’s first find out what the Fire and Rescue people have to say.”
