Grind (Powertools The Original Crew Returns #3)- Jayne Rylon Page 0,11

belongings. So you’ll need to work with them to document all of your possessions and calculate their current replacement value. Then you’ll submit that inventory to them and go through their process in tandem with ours. I think you’ll find our company to be rather speedy compared to the government.”

“Fuck me.” Kayla let her forehead clunk onto the table as she tried not to hyperventilate. “Are you telling me that I need to know the make and model of my refrigerator and rugs and all my underwear and shit?”

If I wore underwear, that is.

“Sorry. But yes.”

Kayla wasn’t the sort to cry easily. She really wasn’t. So she pretended the warm trail of liquid making its way down her cheek and onto her neck was rain or a leak in Devon’s roof or whatever else it might be other than tears that refused to stay put inside her damn face. Twice in two days was entirely too often for her to be bawling.

“Ma’am? Are you still there?”

“Yeah.” She sniffled.

“I can email you the forms you’ll need for both processes so you can get started as soon as possible. Again, I’m very sorry this happened to you. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

He didn’t say it, but she heard it anyway… because if not there are a thousand other people like you I need to break shitty news to today.

“That’s it…unless you have a time machine or a magic wand.”

“We’re fresh out.” At least she’d made him laugh again, if only a small chuckle. “Really, I wish there was more I could do.”

“Not your fault. Unless you were up here smoking on my mountain, in which case you can go fuck yourself.”

The insurance rep actually cracked fully and snorted at that. “I hope you get this sorted out as painlessly as possible. I’m going to email you the documents we discussed. Feel free to shoot me any questions or concerns you have as you’re working through this.”

“Thanks.” Kayla disconnected and sat there, her arms limp at her sides.

They were too heavy to lift and her friends weren’t there to do it for her right then.

So she sat there, staring into space, trying to think of workarounds for her new roadblocks until Dave and the rest of the crew returned some time later.

5

Dave tried not to grit his teeth as Kayla tapped her foot on the floor more furiously than a dog scratching an itch. Instead, he laid his hand on her thigh, awed as always by how her powerful frame still didn’t take up much of his grip.

“Oh. Sorry. Am I bugging you?” She froze, the tension still winding up her body making him afraid she would snap like a stressed-out spring.

“No. Not exactly. I just don’t know how to help and it’s making me feel useless.” Dave leaned in and kissed her cheek, trying to soften his admission.

“Useless. Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel.” Kayla dropped her head on his shoulder and collapsed against him, thankfully sure that he would catch her, which—of course—he did.

From the other side of the counter where he was pouring himself a cup of coffee, James asked, “How much longer did they say it would be before an appraiser could make it out here?”

“Not anytime soon.” She groaned. “They’re going to let me know when this region is next on the list.”

“That means like, what, a day’s notice or something? More than just five minutes, right?” James asked, and Dave immediately knew what he was getting at because he had the same idea.

“Look, if we’re not getting anything done here….” Devon glanced from her guys to Kayla and Dave. “And you’ll have enough warning that we can come back in time for any appointments…why don’t we go to Middletown so we can help Joe and Mike out?”

Devon didn’t say it, but the work Mike and Joe were doing was funding this half of the crew’s time off to come to her aide. While that was incredibly generous, it would be better to contribute while they could now and use those reserves when Kayla needed them to be actively working on the rebuild.

Dave looked at Kayla and shrugged. “It’ll help pass the time, and swinging a hammer is good for venting frustration. You can come on site with us if you want, or hang out with Kate and Morgan. Help them with…whatever it is they’re doing or work on the inventory bullshit you need to do for the government or maybe spend some quality