Pieces of Us - Carrie Elks Page 0,91
the port side black from smoke. Autumn pressed her lips together, determined not to cry again. She’d shed enough tears for a lifetime.
A group of people were huddling around the boardwalk, talking as they faced the pier. She recognized Frank and Deenie, Lorne from the surf shop, and Ally’s husband Nate, along with the firefighters who worked at the ASFD under Lucas’s captainship.
As soon as they saw her, Autumn was swallowed up in a succession of hugs, each one of them telling her how sorry they were.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to get the pier up and running again,” Frank promised. “We’ve already started a fund for the repairs.”
“I’ll put a bucket next to the register,” Deenie told her. “Everybody will. It’ll be okay.”
“That’s so kind of you, but I have insurance.” Autumn attempted a smile. “Maybe we can raise money for the Delmonicos and Griff instead. They’re going to lose a lot of money until everything’s repaired.”
“We’re a generous community,” Frank said, patting her arm. “You’ll all be taken care of.”
She could see Lucas and a few of his firefighters at the end of the pier, so she said her goodbyes before she headed up there. It was only when she climbed the steps that she realized Griff was with them, too. He swallowed hard when he looked at her.
“So, what’s the damage?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light.
Lucas shook his head. “It’s not great news. The end of the pier is a write off. It’s going to have to be rebuilt from scratch.”
She breathed in sharply. “Okay. How about Griff’s boat?”
Griff shook his head. “I can get another.” Their eyes met and she felt her chest tighten.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Do we know what caused it?” she asked Lucas.
“It looks like it started in the kitchen. The investigators are in there now, but we won’t get their report for a while.”
“In Delmonico’s kitchen?”
Lucas nodded. “Yeah. Looks like a classic electrical fault, but we can’t say for sure until the investigation is complete.”
“Thank you for what you’ve done,” Autumn said softly. “All of you. For getting here so quickly and making sure nobody was hurt. That’s the important thing.”
“I called my insurance,” Griff told her. “And yours, too. They’ll be sending an adjuster out as soon as possible.” He ran his thumb along his jaw. “Now I just need to go tell Pietro the bad news that the fire started in his restaurant.”
“I should tell him. I’m his landlord,” Autumn said, dreading the conversation.
“We’ll go together,” Griff said firmly. “You don’t have to face it alone.”
She nodded and he took her hand, squeezing it tightly. It was strange how people who’d only known her for weeks were supporting her.
Strange and beautifully heart-warming. It was taking a lot of effort not to cry again.
By five that afternoon, she was dead on her feet. After meeting with the Delmonico family, she’d hurried back to the pier where her claims adjuster was waiting to inspect the damage. It was the first time she’d walked on the burnt and buckled construction since the fire, pulling on safety boots and a yellow hat as Lucas and his team instructed.
It had broken her heart to see her beautiful pier so damaged. Only yesterday it had been strung with bright lights and floral garland, and full of people who oohed and ahhed at the black and white posters she’d put up. As they carefully made their way toward the charred ruins of what was once Delmonico’s, a sob caught in her throat.
All that history obliterated in one night. And on her watch, too. It was the first time in over a hundred years that Angel Sands wouldn’t have a pier. And it was her fault.
The adjuster made notes and took photographs as they walked, Lucas standing on his other side as he pointed out where they believed the fire had begun. In the far corner of what used to be the restaurant she could see tiny pieces of paper dancing around in the breeze. On closer inspection they saw what were the remains of Delmonico’s menus.
“I think I have everything for now,” the adjuster told her after three hours of inspecting the ruins. “I’ll write my report this week.”
“But she’ll be covered, right?” Lucas asked.
“Unless anything unexpected is found, then yes.” He looked at Autumn. “You have the top level of insurance. That’s good. So many people don’t think things like this will happen to them.”
“I have my dad to thank