the breeze air it out. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. But what a way to start the week, huh?”
“Tell me about it.”
“Did you know there was a fire in the old mercantile building two doors down?”
“No, but I thought I smelled smoke earlier. And I heard sirens. But then I also thought I had all the water mopped up. How’d it catch on fire anyway? Lightning strike last night?”
“Don’t know. But I saw Lando and Tully Beacham head into the building a few minutes ago. So, I would assume the fire had nothing to do with lightning.”
“Lando was so busy answering calls he hasn’t been to bed all night.”
“I’d say the same could be said about you,” Lianne decided, staring at the dark circles under Gemma’s eyes. “How long have you been on your feet anyway?”
“Mopping up? I’d say practically all night. I was here at midnight to put sandbags out around the doors.” She stretched her back. “What time is it anyway?”
“Almost seven-thirty. How did this side of the business get the worst of it? That’s my question.”
“We might be right next door to each other, but the chocolate shop is probably a foot lower and on a tilt. Be grateful Collette’s is almost completely dry in there. You should be able to open on schedule.”
“We,” Lianne corrected. “Thanks to you, we were able to finally nail down an idea that works for the entire town, especially all the local artists, crafters, and writers. I’m excited to finally get this place up and running. It’ll be an awesome shop to sell and showcase all kinds of arts and crafts created by a wide range of artisans from Crescent City to the Oregon border.”
Amused at the enthusiasm in Lianne’s voice, Gemma stoked the anticipation. “And featuring books from local writers who will stop in and do book signings now and then should boost our book club membership. It’s all finally coming together, Lianne. A lot of hard work and tough decisions went into it. And I have to say Billy Gafford did a fantastic job.”
“Well, he still has to finish painting the storeroom and put together the shelves for display. But yeah, I’m no longer worried about him completing the job on time. Told you so.”
“Yes, you did. I had my doubts, but the guy came through like a workhorse.”
When Gemma swayed on her feet, Lianne took notice. “Here, let me do that.” She took out a white, starched apron from a drawer and tied it around her waist. “Sit down, get off your feet. You’ve got most of it already. One more swipe around the dining room, and the floor should be fine, especially with the fans. After we open both doors, front and back, the place will air dry, and in a few hours will be good as new. You’ll see, we’ll be ready when customers make their way downtown.”
For the third time in as many hours, Gemma attempted to pull back her messy hair into a tight ponytail. “I’m not sure we’ll get too many customers today. But just so they know we’re here, I’ll make us some coffee. I’ll make it strong so that the aroma will waft out into the street. Let’s hope it hides the musty smell.”
“I wouldn’t say no to an espresso. You look like you could use one, too. I’ve never seen so much rainfall in a twenty-four-hour period. Luke said it doesn’t happen around here that often.”
“The weatherman called it a one in a million freakish storm. Last time I heard, his forecast was for fifteen inches to fall within a few hours.” She handed off her phone to Lianne. “Look at these pictures I took at two-thirty this morning. You can see how fast the water rose, moving up through the square from the ocean. Within twenty minutes, it became a deluge with high tide right outside the doorway. You couldn’t even see the sidewalks. There was so much water I thought I might need a boat to get out of here. But then the rain stopped around five. I’m not afraid to admit, until then, I got plenty scared.”
When she’d finished looking at all the photos, Lianne handed the phone back. “You should’ve called me. I would’ve come to help.”
“And get you out of the house during a typhoon? Luke would’ve put his foot down.” Gemma laughed at her own joke. “We should have named our typhoon. You know, like they do hurricanes. Last night with the wind,