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“But call Mitch and Zeke first.”
“Okay…”
Oh, Jesus, she was crying.
“Mom,” Beau said firmly, but gently. “Where’s Crystal?”
“Here. She’s right here.” His mom’s best friend ran the B and B with her and lived in one of the rooms on the main floor.
“Let me talk to her.”
He felt the mattress shift and then Becca’s hand on his back. “Beau?” she whispered.
He reached back and put a hand on the closest thing he could touch—her thigh, it turned out. He just squeezed.
“Beau?” Crystal asked a moment later.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah.” She paused. “No. I guess. I mean, we’re physically okay.”
“Yeah.” He swallowed. Fuck. He hated not being there. It had just been him and his mom for so long. They had tons of family and friends. It never had beenjustthem. But he was the one Heather always turned to first and he’d always taken that seriously.
He felt Becca shift behind him and he felt his chest tighten.
He wanted to be there for her too. He wanted her to turn to him first too. He wanted…her. Everything about and with her.
But his life, his responsibilities, the really big ones, were in Autre.
“Okay I’m going to go ahead and call Zeke and Mitch,” he told Crystal. “And Hannah. She can come over and help with getting the guests resettled.”
His aunt Hannah, his mom’s sister, would help calm her down and would be great with the disgruntled guests.
“Thank you, Beau. We’ll be okay,” Crystal said.
“I’m on my way back.” He felt Becca’s thigh tense under his hand.
“Oh. You don’t have…” Crystal sighed. “Your mom would really like to have you here.”
He knew that and he’d feel strangenotgoing back. This was a big deal. This wasn’t a clogged drain or a burned-out light bulb someone else could fix in his absence. Even that would bug him. Those things were his responsibility. But this was abigdeal and Heather needed more than just someone who could deal with the water. She needed his emotional support and his help with the business side of things. They’d need to contact the insurance company, deal with the upset guests and refunds, figure out how long they’d be down three rooms, and more.
Heather had started the B and B, with his encouragement, when he’d been in high school and when he’d decided to stay in Autre and not go to college, she’d expanded the business because he’d promised to be there and help.
Heather and Crystal were the best when it came to creating a comfortable, gorgeous, welcoming environment with amazing food and décor and friendly, charming faces. They did well with inventory and some of the social media and marketing tasks, but they hated accounting and happily turned over anything involving the accountant and the attorney to Beau.
“I’m leaving as soon as I can but…” He blew out a breath. “It will take me some time to get there. I’ll get people over to help.”
“Of course. I’m sorry to interrupt your weekend.”
His fingers curled into Becca’s thigh. Yeah, he was sorry too. “See you soon.”
They disconnected and he pulled in a deep breath.
“What happened?” Becca asked softly.
“Major water leak at the bed and breakfast,” he said.
“Oh crap,”
