the fire out—the water from the hoses, the smoke damage, and that dang soot gets into everything. You’ll need to call a restoration crew. They’ll come in and clean all this up, get rid of the ruined stuff, and then they’ll have to repaint all the walls. And you’re definitely going to need new carpet. In here, you’re gonna need new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Basically a whole new kitchen. You’ve got good coverage, so we’ll take care of most of this, but you need to plan to be out of the house for a good month at least.”
Bryn was a gracious host and had assured Elle she could stay at the farm as long as she needed, but a month? Six weeks? That was pushing it for any friendship. She’d make some calls tomorrow to see about finding a hotel or a short-term rental. Unfortunately, in a town as small as Creedence, her choices were limited. The Lamplighter Motel was the only option in town, and she imagined the list of VRBOs would be slim as well.
Her shoulders, and her spirits, sagged as she listened to Stan detail the staggering amount of damage from the one small fire. The fact that she’d done this to herself just made it worse. She raked her fingers through her hair. The soot in the air was burning her eyes; panic and anxiety pressed in.
She needed to get out of here.
She took a step back, and her shoulders collided with a broad masculine chest. She knew it was Brody even before she turned around. She recognized the sound of his boots and the scent of his aftershave and the feel of his arms as they wrapped around her.
“Hey.” His deep voice rumbled in her ear. “I thought maybe you could use a friend.”
Closing her eyes, she leaned back into him, just for a moment, allowing herself to draw strength from his solid embrace. She could use a friend right now, but how did he know? How did this man keep showing up exactly when she needed him?
She opened her eyes and turned around, still in the circle of his arms as she laid a hand on his right pec. “You thought right. This is disheartening, to say the least.”
“I know. But I’ve seen a lot worse.”
“True.” She took a step back, breaking their contact, and peered around his shoulder. “Did you bring Mandy with you?”
“Nah. I dropped her off at Bryn’s, then thought I’d come over to see if you needed any help or if the adjuster had any questions about the fire that I could answer.” He held out his hand to the insurance guy. “How you doin’, Stan?”
“Not bad. Good to see you, Doc. Although not in the best of circumstances.”
“No. This kind of thing never is.”
“Say, I took your advice and sprinkled some pepper in my cat’s litter box, and my dog hasn’t eaten her poop since.”
Elle covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing.
Brody offered her a shrug as if saying What are you gonna do? then nodded at Stan. “Glad to hear it.” He gestured to the stove. “Anything I can answer about the fire? I was here the night it happened. I mean, not here when it caught fire, but I showed up right after to check on Elle.”
“Ayup. It was a dandy, all right. But it seems pretty cut and dried. I’m just finishing up. I’ve already taken pictures and jotted down the notes I need. I’ll write up a report and get in touch with you soon, Ms. Brooks. In the meantime, there’s some good information in here on what steps to take now.” He handed Elle a folder of paperwork.
Elle stared down at the folder in dismay.
“I’ll walk you out, then,” Brody said. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right back, and help you get anything else you might need out of the house.”
Stan followed Brody to the door, and Elle half heard the continued conversation of the insurance adjuster’s issues with his cat-poop-eating canine. She set the folder on the counter and peered around the kitchen, shaking her head at the destruction.
She heard Brody come back in but didn’t turn around as she felt him slip her hand into his and entwine their fingers.
“Did you know the three wise men were actually firemen?”
She turned her head and cocked an eyebrow at him.
He lowered his voice to an exaggerated drawl. “Right in the Bible, it says they came from