Page 7 of Strike
“You were?” I perked up, wondering if he’d seen my mystery rescuer or had caught his name.
“Justin,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Oh, I…” I took his proffered hand and shook. “Callie.”
“It’s good to see you up and about.” His gaze raked over me, his smile never fading. “Was it your shop?”
“Yeah, it was. I was, uh…doing the painting myself to save some money, and I didn’t realize the fire…” I trailed off, feeling like a total moron.
“It happens,” Justin said kindly, setting his clipboard down. “Fire is a tricky beast. It gets into all kinds of places unseen. You would be surprised. Do you know the official cause yet?”
“No. I’m going to meet someone from my insurance company in a little bit. I guess they’ve been there looking.”
“Well, in my experience, it looked like an electrical fault. It’s really common. They’ll probably send one of ours down with your insurance guy to check it out if they haven’t already.”
I was dreading dealing with the insurance company, not to mention the police—who’d rocked up last night and taken a statement while Macy had been trying to shoo them away and get me home. Money had already been tight, and if I had to pay out anything, I would sink like a rock into bankruptcy. Everything I had went into that little store, not just my heart and soul but my entire life savings. And here I was looking for a man who might not even want to be found.
Still, I couldn’t let it go, so I asked the question I’d so determinedly wanted to ask.
“The man who pulled me out of there,” I began, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Did he… Did he give you a name?”
He frowned and scuffed his toe against the wheel of the truck. “I’m sorry, but he didn’t.”
“He didn’t say anything?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just told me you’d inhaled a lot of smoke. When I looked around, he was gone.”
“Oh…” I glanced away, my heart sinking. “I just wanted to thank him, is all. I suppose he doesn’t need it…” I laughed nervously. “But thank you, to you and the other guys, too.”Lame.
“All in a day’s work.” He flashed a dashing smile and threw in a wink for good measure.
“So they say.”
“Are you going down to your shop now?” he asked, changing the subject. “I can give you a ride. It’s no trouble.”
“No. It’s okay. It’s not far…” I trailed off, disappointment still flaring. Maybe my mysterious stranger really did want to remain anonymous.What an anticlimax.
Justin shrugged and picked up his clipboard. “Well, okay. If you ever need anything, we’re always happy to help.”
I backed away, trying to keep a good-humored smile on my face. “Thanks,” I said, offering him a little wave. “For everything.”
I could feel his gaze locked on me as I walked away—I mean, his flirting hadn’t escaped unnoticed—but all I could think about were chestnut-colored eyes.
“The official causeis faulty wiring.”
I glanced at the representative from the insurance company—a middle-aged balding man in a suit, whose name I’d already forgotten—and heaved a sigh of relief. “So I’m covered?”
The stench of smoke was lingering, and when the wind flared up, it filled my nostrils making me want to puke. Turning, I stared at the charcoaled remains of my shop. All that money and time wasted. I would have to start all over again.
In the cold, hard light of day, seeing the remains of my dream blackened, smashed to pieces, and wrapped in bright yellow caution tape was upsetting. I wanted nothing more than to fall to the ground and cry, but I stood in silence, waiting for the verdict from my insurance company. Bankruptcy or billionaire? Well, maybe not the second option, but compensation would be nice since the premiums were a mint and a half.
“Totally,” he replied, putting my bank account at ease.
“So what now?” I brushed a rogue strand of hair behind my ear.
“We’ll have to wait for the official report to be filed with the fire department and the police. Then we need to liaise with the building owner for repairs to the electrical. When that comes through, and we can certify the work with our contractors, we can begin the rebuilding process.”
I groaned. “How long is that going to take?”
