She nodded. “Your daughter is so cute. How are things going with her now that you had Gabe over and allowed their date today?”
“Better.” At least, mostly better. He had a feeling things were not as perfect as they seemed, but maybe that was the pessimist in him.
She nodded and stepped back. “I owe you for this.”
“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a peace offering.” He winked.
She gave a half-smile and closed the door.
He stood there a moment longer. Had he said something wrong?
***
Hope’s heart pounded as she stood on the other side of her bedroom door listening for Derrick to walk away. She hadn’t expected him to have a sense of humor regarding what had happened between them.
She didn’t want to like the man, but he was hard not to like, and the more she got to know him the more she had to acknowledge that Piper’s matchmaking skills were on target. But did she want to see where things led with Derrick? They were clearly on their way to being friends, but she would be leaving the island soon and wasn’t willing to do the long distance thing. Not that an hour’s drive was that far, but it would be difficult for them to connect with the demands on both of their lives.
She sighed and moved to the table and chair beside the window that looked onto the Puget Sound, then pulled out the meal Derrick had delivered. She carefully pried the lid off the soup and breathed deeply of the comforting scent. Mmm.
Her cell phone rang the melody assigned to her dad’s phone. Though tempted to ignore it, she swiped the screen. “Hi, Dad. What’s up?”
“Thank God.”
“Excuse me?” Her dad never spoke like that unless he really meant it. “Why are we thanking God?”
“You’re alive.” His voice caught, and she could hear him sobbing in the distance as if he’d put the phone down.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Hope sat up straight. Her heart jolted. “Dad! What’s wrong?” She tried to get his attention several more times, practically shouting into the phone. She’d never heard him sob like this. Had never even seen him cry. Talk about feeling helpless. “Dad!” Tears pricked her eyes. At this rate another guest in the B&B would turn her into Jill for making too much noise.
He gradually quieted then blew his nose. “I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat. “We thought.” He cleared his throat again. “Your mom and I thought you were inside your house.”
My house? “What’s going on?”
He took a loud deep breath and let it out slowly. “Did you come home like you said you were going to?”
“No. I started feeling bad while in line for the ferry and decided to stay on the island. I’m sorry for not calling. Is that what this is about? Were you waiting at my house for me all this time?”
“No. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m so thankful you’re alive to tell it to.”
Her stomach knotted again. This did not sound good.
“We had some weather here today.”
“It rained?” That’s great news. Why would rain upset her dad? They’d been in the midst of a drought and everything was bone dry.
“Yes, it rained some, but mostly we had lightning. It struck the tree in your backyard.”
Her stomach sank. “The half-dead, eighty-foot Douglas fir?” She should have hired professionals to remove the dying tree this past fall, but she’d been busy and figured it would be fine until she had time to deal with it.
“Yes. Sweetie. It not only caught fire when the lightning hit, but it crashed on top of your house. Your neighbors were out, and no one saw the fire until it was too late. It’s a complete loss.” His voice caught again. “We were afraid you’d been trapped inside by the fallen tree and couldn’t escape. Your car and motorcycle were in the garage. I had not gone in there since you left, and assumed you were inside.”
“I’m sorry for scaring you.” A wave of dizziness overcame her. “I’m driving my company SUV.” What was she going to do? Other than her metal working tools that she’d loaned to a friend and what she had with her, all her worldly possessions were in that place.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Things can be replaced, but you can’t.”
Mom’s muffled voice asked for the phone. “Hope?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice. You don’t worry about a thing. Your dad will get the claim going with your insurance.”
“Shouldn’t I come home and sift through what’s left?”
“You could, but from what the firefighters said, there’s nothing here that’s salvageable. If you really want to come, and I don’t blame you if you do, come tomorrow.”
“I’ll do that.” She wanted to go today, but it made sense to wait until tomorrow. The hot spots would be out, and she’d be able to rummage through her house. Maybe she’d find something worth saving.
“I’m so thankful you weren’t home. Why’d you change your mind?”
She repeated the story to her mom. It was probably the longest they’d spoken since she’d destroyed her career as a sculptor. Talking with her like this felt natural and odd at the same time. “The weird thing is that once I decided to stay put, I started to feel better, but not well enough to drive for an hour in weekend traffic.”
Dad spoke into the extension. “The Lord was watching out for you today.”
Awareness settled over her, and tears streamed down her face. He was right. The Lord had protected her today.
***
Hope sat in the recliner that Chase had brought into Piper’s bedroom for visitors and told her friend about her house. After hearing the news, she felt antsy and needed to get out.
“You’re sure you’re not sick?” Piper eyed her skeptically with her hands resting on her growing midsection.
“Positive. Other than feeling out of sorts, and a little angry, I’m fine.”
“What are you angry about?”
“From what my parents said, my house was destroyed.”
“Not to sound callous, but you have insurance right?”
Hope nodded.
“Then thank the Lord you weren’t there and move on. You can rebuild. You’ve been saying since you moved into that house that the bathrooms and kitchen needed updating.”
“True. But it sounds like I lost everything! I truly believe the Lord stopped me from going home today to protect me, and I’m grateful, but if He can protect me, why didn’t He save my house? He could’ve stopped the lightning from striking the tree.”
Piper sighed. “I don’t know why God does or doesn’t do things. Why can’t you just accept what happened and move on?”
“Because that’s not how I’m wired,” Hope snapped. Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be taking out my frustrations on you.” Piper hadn’t had an easy road either. “How do you keep your faith in the Lord when bad things happen?”
“Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite verse. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. God is not out to harm his children. He loves us and wants what is best for us.”
“So, you’re saying losing virtually everything I own is in my best interest?” Hope couldn’t see how that was possible.
“Maybe. Look, I’m not going to pretend I know how God operates. You asked a question, and I gave you the first answer that popped into my head. I could be wrong. Maybe you should ask Him instead of me. What do I know?”
“Good point.” She made a silly face at her friend. “I’m sorry for snapping.”
“All is forgiven. Did I ever tell you about the tree that nearly killed me?”
Hope’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward. “No. What happened?”
“Chase and I were sitting at a park in his truck here on the island. A major thunderstorm passed overhead. A tree was struck by lightning and crashed down on the cab of the truck. We barely escaped before it hit.”
“Were you hurt?”
“A piece of glass hit me, and I needed stitches, but other than being shaken up, we were fine. Chase’s truck was another matter. Completely totaled. But he had great insurance and was able to get a truck he liked even better.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“It’s not a memory I like to re-live. The point is—yes, it was scary, and yes, it was a pain, but in the end I was fine. Things can be replaced, and your memories are here.” She pointed to her head.
“I suppose you’re right, but this is going to be a huge time drain. I don’t know how I’m going to rebuild and finish the job here. I may need to turn things here over to my foreman.”
“No.”
Hope’s gaze shot to Piper. “Excuse me?”
“Let me help you. I have a ton of contacts and can do everything from the comfort of, or lack thereof,” she made a face, “my bed.”
“I don’t know. This is my problem. I need to deal with it. Besides, you’re on bed rest. I don’t want you to do anything that will cause stress and harm you or your baby.”
Piper scowled. “Don’t you think I know my limits? I was in the land development business for years. What you need done is child’s play for someone like me. Please let me help. I need you, not your foreman. Plus, I’m bored. I can do everything from my laptop and phone. And if there’s something that I can’t handle I’ll let you know.”
“Okay. But I’m going to hire Duncan to draw up the design. I want to go with the same general floor plan, but after living in that house for a couple of years, I have some ideas on how to improve the flow.”
“Great idea! Duncan is an exceptional architect, and knowing him, he’ll be a local set of eyes to help us out when neither of us can be there.”
“True.” They’d been friends with Duncan for years, and she knew he’d do an exceptional job easing the burden from both of them once she explained their situation.
“I heard Duncan is single and available again.” Piper waggled her brows. “The two of you would make a cute couple.”
Been there done that—sort of. “I thought you were rooting for Derrick. And what’s this sudden obsession with fixing me up?”
Piper shrugged. “I want to see you happy and settled. It’s been a while since you’ve been either.”
Her friend was right, but she wouldn’t admit it out loud. Instead she stood and hugged Piper. “You are a troublemaker. Take care. I’ll stop in again soon.” She left the house and pondered her friend’s words. Hope had been the one to break things off with Duncan even though he said he agreed they shouldn’t date. Derrick was growing on her and she wasn’t the slightest bit interested in Duncan.
***
Monday morning, Derrick stopped by the cabins to check on the progress of the electrical work. Tradesmen moved in and out of various cabins. He didn’t see anyone he recognized, so he went into the first cabin he came to that had no activity around it, anxious to check this off his to-do list. He flipped the light switch—nothing. Odd, he’d been told this cabin was finished.
He pulled out his cell phone and pressed the flashlight app. “Oh, no.” His stomach sank. Wires were pulled from the walls and hung haphazardly. Had Hope’s unhappy former employee done more than threaten her?
A gasp sounded behind him. He whirled around and shined the light on the person. “Hope.” Fear and disbelief covered her face.
“What happened?”
He walked toward the doorway where she still stood. “I’m calling the police. Let’s wait outside.” He placed the call, then turned to Hope. “I need to check the other cabin you were working on.”
Her troubled eyes cleared. “You don’t think . . .” She raced ahead of him and stood motionless in the doorway.
He looked over her shoulder and blew out a slow breath. “How many days will this set us back?”
“I don’t know. I’m short a man. There’s so much to do. I simply don’t know.” She turned and brushed past him.
He understood the defeat in her voice, but she seemed even more downtrodden than he’d expect. He found her leaning against the hood of her SUV, her arms crossed and her face stricken. “Hey, it’s not that bad if we lose a week or so. Piper will understand.” At least he hoped it would only be a week. They were already taking reservations for these cabins and needed them to be completed as close to on time as possible.
“From the brief look I had, we’ll need to start from scratch, and it will take time to pull all that wire out.” She shook her head. “I can’t afford this. Between the deductible on my house and now this . . . I’m ruined.” She sighed. “To help keep costs down, I have a huge deductible with my business insurance, too. I don’t have enough cash flow right now. I should have walked out of here the first day when Piper tried to play matchmaker with us.” She raised her chin. “I actually quit, but she begged me to stay. This is what I get for being a softy.”
Piper playing matchmaker? Tingles zipped through him. “What are you talking about?” What had he missed
“Sorry, I figured you’d heard. My house caught fire on Saturday. I went to see it yesterday, and it’s a complete loss.”
“Oh, man. I’m really sorry to hear about your house, but the resort’s insurance will cover the damage here, so you don’t need to stress about that.” She sure didn’t need to deal with this vandalism on top of her house. “Whatever I can do to help, please let me know.”
She slid a glance his way. “Unless you’re a licensed electrician, I don’t know what you can do.”
“As it happens, I am.”
Her eyes widened. “Have you kept your electrical license up to date?”
He nodded.
“Then I could use some help getting back on schedule.”
“I’ll do anything I can.” He was already working fifty hours a week, but he’d do whatever it took to make sure this project was completed on time.
“Thanks.”
“Of course. Now what was that business about a matchmaker?”
“Don’t tell me you never figured it out?”
His mind raced to grasp what she was implying.
“Piper wanted you looking over my shoulder so we’d be forced to spend time together.” Though her voice was low, frustration shouted loud and clear.
He wasn’t in the habit of questioning his boss’s orders, but he had thought Piper was being extreme when it came to Hope’s work. He winced. Matchmaker. “You think she is trying to set us up?”
She nodded.
Was everyone plotting his future? First Alyssa and now Piper. He didn’t blame Hope one iota for being upset.
A police cruiser pulled up and parked. Derrick would have to think about all of this new information later.
CHAPTER NINE
The following weekend, after a long, hard week, sunshine beat down on Hope as she sat in the backyard of the Wildflower B&B with her gaze focused on the Sound. A sailboat soared in the distance. She’d love to sail away and leave her problems behind, but that wasn’t going to happen.
She’d never worked so many hours in a week. Derrick had even helped out each night. He knew what he was doing, needed zero guidance, and he was quick, which really surprised her considering he wasn’t a practicing electrician. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The insurance money for the vandalism had not come in yet, and she needed to buy replacement supplies. How would she cover the expense?
“Good afternoon, Hope.”
She opened an eye and spied Zoe standing in her sunlight.
“Hey there. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Zoe eased into the chair beside her. “I heard about the rough week you’ve had. I can’t believe someone would not only vandalize the cabins like that, but specifically target the electrical work.”
“I agree. At least they know who did it.”
Zoe swiveled to face her. “That’s news. Who did it?”
“A disgruntled former employee of mine. Thankfully he was ar
rested. I should have figured he’d pull something after he threatened me, but this is unfamiliar territory for me. I didn’t consider what he was capable of.”
“I’m glad you don’t deal with that kind of thing on a regular basis. I had to let someone go who was stealing from the restaurant about a year ago. Mercifully, she left the island and didn’t cause any problems. How are you doing with all that has happened?”
“I’m hanging in there. How about you?”
“I’m fine, but I’m concerned about you. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not unless you can loan me some money,” she said playfully.
“How much are we talking about?”
Her heart leapt. “Oh no, Zoe! I wasn’t serious. I would never take a loan from you. I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”
“Do you need a loan?”
“No.” In reality she could put everything on her credit card and settle up once Piper paid her.
“Then maybe you’d like to talk. I spend most of my waking hours around people, but I hardly ever get to visit with anyone.”
That sounded familiar. “What would you like to talk about?”
“You and this island.”
Hope chuckled. “Ok-a-yyy.” What could Zoe possibly have to say?
“I heard about your house, and I was thinking how nice it would be to have an electrician on the island fulltime.”
“I don’t know. That’s a big leap for me. On top of that, I’d have to commute every day, and that would be a hassle.”
“Not necessarily. There are people moving to the island all the time and most are buying fixer uppers with ancient wiring that needs updating. I can’t tell you how many electrical company vans from the mainland I’ve seen since moving here. Speaking of vehicles, why do you drive an SUV rather than the typical van?”
“I don’t like vans.” She’d driven a van at one time, but it was too big. She let her crew use that vehicle and purchased an SUV. Considering how much time she usually spent on the road the purchase was essential. “What’s going on, Zoe? I know you don’t have time for small talk, especially with the Easter preparations.”
Island Hope (Wildflower B&B Romance Book 4) Page 7
