A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,66

could help, but all of our rental units are full. It’s the same story all over town. This couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

You’re telling me, she thought. It wasn’t his fault though. She pasted a smile on her face. “You know, I’m sure I’ll be able to find something. Maybe one of my friends can put me up for a while.” Whether she could impose on any acquaintances in this town, she didn’t know, but she hoped to ease his distress.

He brightened. “Oh, good. I’m glad you have someone in the area. And I’ll make sure to let you know as soon as I find out a timeline from the insurance company.”

A white van with the words “Paulsen Plumbing” emblazoned across the side pulled up to the curb, and a middle-aged man with a slight paunch exited the vehicle. “Hi. Did one of you call for a plumber?”

Donald nodded and motioned for the man to follow him. “Come with me.”

Both men entered her apartment, and Tia took that as her cue to leave. She got into her car and turned on the air conditioning, then slumped in her seat. She’d been calm and in charge of the situation while she was busy calling the landlord and getting her belongings out of the apartment. Now that there was nothing left for her to do, her sense of control slipped. Next to her, condensation beaded on top of the half gallon of ice cream. If she didn’t get that into a freezer soon, it would also be ruined.

What she really wanted was reassurance that things would be okay, so she called her mom. She wasn’t convinced it was the best choice, but she needed to hear a familiar voice.

“Mom?” Tia asked, turning on the speakerphone and placing it on the dashboard when Marta Ortiz answered.

“Honey?” her mother asked. “Are you alright?”

“Kind of.” She sniffled as her face crumpled and the tears began to flow.

“Something’s wrong. What happened? Did you get robbed? I always said you shouldn’t be alone out there.” Her mother’s voice rose with concern, even as she admonished Tia.

“No, Mom. I didn’t get robbed.”

Calling her mom had been a bad idea. The apartment flood was just one more nail in the coffin of her independence. The car’s air conditioner kicked in full blast and she shivered. Turning the fan down, she leaned closer to the window to feel the sun’s warmth. Her head throbbed, either from the sudden change in temperature or from her reluctance to admit to her mother that she was now homeless. She sat upright and the pulsing in her head ceased.

“Well, what is it?” Her mother asked impatiently. “You never call me unless something’s wrong.”

Tia clenched her jaw and breathed in the icy cool air flowing out of the vent in front of her. “A pipe burst in the apartment above mine and flooded my apartment. I’ve lost almost everything.”

“Okay, that’s it,” her mother said, as if everything was settled. “It’s time you admit that you can’t make it on your own. You need to come back home. If you’d like, I’m sure Dad would be happy to fly out there and drive back with you.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll be staying in Willa Bay.” Tia didn’t have a clue where she’d live, but she’d figure it out. She for sure wouldn’t be moving back to Texas.

“That’s ridiculous.” Her mother’s voice rang with indignation. “You don’t have a support system out there. You should be here with the rest of the family.”

“I have friends,” Tia said stubbornly. “I can make it on my own.”

“We’ll see about that,” her mother said.

“Yep.” Tia gripped the steering wheel tightly. “We will.”

“Tia, you know we love you, right?” Marta said. “We just want what’s best for you.”

“I know.” Even with the air conditioning running, the car was starting to smell like melted mint ice cream. “Mom, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you and let you know when I find a new place to stay.”

“Thank you,” Marta said stiffly before hanging up.

Tia knew very few people in Willa Bay, so she called Zoe, who always seemed to have the answers.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Zoe asked. “Are you having fun on your day off?”

“Not exactly.” Tia told her about the damage to her apartment.

“Oh no!” Zoe said. “That’s way worse than what happened at the Inn’s grand opening.”

“Yeah.” Tia looked at the backseat through the rearview mirror. All of her worldly possessions were in her car, just like when