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“I’m so sorry. A pipe must have burst. There was water everywhere. I had Rick go in and turn off the water to the whole house. But it’s a mess. I moved everything I could off the floor, and we put towels down, but there’s still standing water.”
“I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.” I racked my brain, trying to think of what I could do from here. “Surely there are companies that deal with this kind of thing. I’ll call around and see what I can find.”
“Insurance should handle it. But you know how long they can take to take care of anything.” Izzy’s tone was sympathetic.
I didn’t know because I’d never needed to make a claim. As soon as I was able, I bought newer vehicles and a house, renovating whenever necessary. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for handling this for me. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
That made me hesitate because I didn’t think of Izzy as a friend. She was my neighbor, and for the most part, we kept to ourselves. We grabbed each other’s packages when we were out of town, but that was it. “Of course.”
I lowered my phone, thinking of the things I needed to do. Booking a flight was the priority, then I needed to pack.
“Is everything okay?” Aiden asked.
“That was my neighbor, Izzy. I asked her to check on the house for me. Apparently, a pipe burst, and it’s a mess. I have to take care of it.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“It would be better if you stayed at the inn and make sure the final renovations are completed. Call me if Alan needs anything or Mom shows up.”
“I can do that. But I’m happy to go to California with you.”
I shook my head. “You have one week off. Enjoy it.”
Aiden pulled me into his arms, and I let him comfort me. This was the hug I missed last night when he showed up at the bonfire. “You know I’ve got your back.”
“That doesn’t include protecting me from Heath,” I said as I eased back.
“I’m still going to talk to him.”
“You need to clear the air, but remember, we don’t choose who we fall in love with.”
Aiden considered me. “You’re in love with him?”
I nodded. “I am.”
“How are you going to handle this West Coast-East Coast thing?”
I laughed. “I have no idea. I’m not even sure he’ll want to continue our relationship now that you’re back. Last time, he broke things off, and I’m worried the same thing will happen again.” It’s one thing to keep something under wraps when my brother was deployed. But if he was coming to live at the inn? That changed everything.
“It’ll work out how it’s supposed to.”
“I hope so. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together.”
“Soon, I’ll be home for good.” That should have hit better, but instead, all I could think about while I drove back to the inn and packed was that there was no chance Heath would want to continue our relationship with Aiden making the inn his home.
I drove to the airport, focused on getting back to my house to ensure everything was taken care of. I didn’t like relying on my neighbors. I was sure they had things they wanted to do that didn’t include cleaning up my water-logged house.
At the airport, I researched clean-up companies and called around until I found one that would come out today. Then I sent Izzy the information.
I’d been neglecting my business since the farm opened, so I logged into my accounts and answered clients’ questions.
I’d need to get caught up on content when I was home. When I finally arrived home, I was exhausted. The company had already been here and set up. Izzy had let them in and kept me appraised of their progress.
When I went inside, I was met with the noise of fans. They were everywhere, blowing on the hardwood floors. The ceiling had been patched but would need a permanent repair once everything dried out.
The pipe had burst in the upstairs bathroom, causing more damage than if it had happened in the basement. I wasn’t worried about the cost. I just wasn’t sure what was happening in my life.
