Page 55 of Bear Creek Valentine
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Photos were taken of the damage, and then Aiden and Dash swept up most of the glass before Knox arrived about twenty minutes later. Levi came with him to lend a hand, looking rumpled, tired and concerned for his friends. One deputy remained to keep watch while they worked on covering the shattered windows with plywood. The temporary repairs weren’t airtight, but Knox assured them they were sturdy and not easily removed. He gave Aiden three names and numbers of reliable companies he’d worked with before.
“All of them are good and charge about the same. I’d call them all tonight and leave messages. Tell them it’s an emergency repair job for a business, and that you’re interested in safety glass for the door. It’s like a car windshield and harder to break. Mention my name—they might give you a discount.”
Aiden thanked them profusely, intending to pay Knox for his time whether he wanted it or not. Before the deputy left the scene, he promised they would keep a closer eye on the building until the permanent repairs were completed. Exhausted in mind and body, Aiden leaned heavily against Dash and shook his head.
“Everything in here has been contaminated, and I’ll have to throw it away. The cleaning we just did will have to be redone too. Somehow, we have to finish it all by Monday morning, assuming everyone can report for work today. I’m so damn tired of this! When is it going to end?”
Dash pulled him close, rubbing his back.
“I think it’s time to ask Judge Becker to send his investigator friend over. Maybe he can sort this out before something worse happens. Text your employees tonight before we go home and ask if they can come in at noon.”
Aiden pulled back, frowning at his mate.
“Noon? That won’t leave us nearly enough time to finish everything.”
Dash growled and kissed his mate’s forehead.
“So? Concentrate on the bestsellers and catch up on the rest later in the week. You need to get some sleep, love, or you’ll be dead on your feet. Now stop arguing with me and send the texts so we can go home.”
Aiden kissed his bossy, considerate mate and followed instructions. Twenty minutes later, he was sawing logs in his own bed.
Chapter 20
The last few days had been both a trial and a triumph as Aiden and his crew toiled to putDeliciousback in business. They were shocked and outraged by the extensive damages, but the incident forged an even stronger bond, and it showed in their determined expressions and hard work.
When they arrived on Sunday, Aiden explained the game plan and sent them all to D2 with a long production list. He remained at the shop to empty the display cases and record the damaged inventory for insurance purposes. His plan to reopen on Monday proved unrealistic, since the glass repair work required careful measurements, custom-made panes, and allowing in the summer heat, bugs, and dust during the process. That meant the cleaning and restocking had to wait until the new windows were in place, leaving the shop temporarily closed.
As for the damaged flooring, Knox McCoy sent a repairman over to replace the smashed tiles. He did good work, and while Aiden could see the difference, most of his customers wouldn’t even notice. When Aiden wasn’t dealing with repairmen, he kept busy answering the phone, tending to the website, and dealing with online customers. Each was given the same message:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, your order will be delayed. A discount has been applied, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patronage!”
Meanwhile, Leo gave Blanche, Serena, and Toby crash courses in D2 operations. Aiden kept in touch by phone and could hear laughter in the background when he spoke to Leo about their progress.
“It took a while for them to switch gears, but we’re really making headway now. I’ve also been able to sneak in some shortruns of items that weren’t on the list. By Thursday or Friday, we should have everything back in stock. Oh, Skip is heading your way to pick up what Toby needs for Bear Brownies, plus any racks and pans you can spare. We don’t have much room left over here!”
By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the glass installation was complete. Now the race was on to clean and restock the shop. Leo and Skip shuttled product from D2, Aiden and Toby unloaded, and Serena and Blanche filled the freshly cleaned display cases. By five-thirty, their work was done, and the shop would reopen in the morning. To celebrate, Aiden and Dash took the entire group out for supper at the Honey Bear as a thank you.
Wednesday, noon
Aiden felt guilty leaving the shop on their first day open, but this meeting was one he couldn’t reschedule. He arrived a few minutes early at Bears & Beer and was shown to a corner booth—settling in to wait with only his roiling thoughts for company.
He’d been hesitant to take advantage of Judge Becker’s offer to call in a private investigator, but mounting costs and the increased threat to their safety forced his hand. Local law enforcement certainly wasn’t having any luck with the case, so perhaps a trained investigator was exactly what Aiden needed to find his adversary and stop the madness.
Aiden glanced up to find a blocky man of average height heading his way, dark hair graying at the temples. He stood and extended his hand when the stranger reached the table.
“Aiden Romero. And you are?”
The man smiled as they shook hands.
“Glen Wahl, at your service. Pleased to meet you Aiden.”
As they sat down, Wahl’s eyes quickly scanned the pub and its occupants, finally resting on Aiden’s face.
“Before we get started, tell me what’s good to order here. I’ve never been to Bear Creek.”
Aiden relaxed and shared his menu favorites. Once the waitress did her thing, Wahl took a sip of water and began their discussion.
