Page 71 of Bear Creek Valentine
Heather strangled a scream as orange traffic cones flew up over the hood like a flock of birds. Breaching the temporary barrier allowed Rafe to speed past the slower-moving traffic to his left, and hopefully, leave the wailing cop car in the dust. What he did not realize was that the road crew had parked someof their heavy equipment squarely in his path before leaving for the day. Heather shouted a warning, but traveling at over a hundred miles an hour meant he couldn’t stop in time to avoid them. The chase ended with the sound of shrieking brakes and a smoking heap of metal and glass.
Chapter 26
Black Friday, D2
Organized chaos.
The old restaurant building hadn’t seen this many people since before it closed. While Leo and his crew continued production as usual in the kitchen, everyone else worked in the former dining area. Some were busy moving the metal storage racks; repositioning them to maximize floor space. Others assisted a hastily assembled remodel crew, headed by Knox McCoy, to create a storefront out of the area just inside the front doors.
Except for the restrooms, everything was being torn out to clear the area for a new entryway, counter, display cases, and employee workspace. The carpet was being pulled up to be replaced with an easy-to-clean linoleum floor, while electricians ran conduit and outlets needed to power the new lights, register, and computer. Last to go in would be a temporary wall as a backdrop to hide the unseemly storage racks and extra freezer, which now filled most of the former seating area. When finished, customers would see exactly what they expected—a clean, bright shop, filled withDelicioustreats.
D2 wasn’t located on the main drag through town, and the lack of visibility would negatively impact sales. Everyone knew it was less than ideal, but at least they wouldn’t be restricted to online orders and local delivery. With hundreds of shoppers in town for Bear Creek’s busiest shopping season, they couldn’t afford to ignore all the foot traffic and potential new customers. Fortunately, Serena was busy implementing a plan to bring in business, even before they opened. Now ensconced in Leo’s office, her first task was to place an announcement on theDeliciouswebsite.
TO OUR WONDERFUL CUSTOMERS:
We are saddened to report that a Thanksgiving day fire has forced us to close the shop. While we create a temporary location, Delicious continues to offer online orders from our nearby production facility. To show our appreciation, please take advantage of the coupon code below forfree shippingon your next order! Check back here for information regarding the re-opening location, date, and time. Thank you for your continued patronage.
Next, Serena created a colorful brochure that included a walking map to the new location, a complete menu ofDeliciouschocolates, a discount coupon, the website address, and ordering instructions for home delivery. Once she obtained Aiden’s okay, Serena drove to the nearest open print shop for an initial rush order of brochures. While there, she had them create large posters with theDeliciouslogo and an offer for FREE CHOCOLATE.
The plan was to hang them on the outside of the closed shop and have one or more of their employees hand out freebies and brochures to the throng of Black Friday shoppers who had already descended on Bear Creek. Serena even got permission to use Just The Thing, a trendy gift shop directly across the street, as a warm up station. She and the other downtown shopkeepers were troubled by the disaster that befell Aiden, eager to help if they could.
When Serena returned from the printer, she drafted one of their new temps, Howard, to share the first sidewalk shift with her. They arrived at the forlorn, boarded-up shop while the first public Christmas concert was taking place in the new amphitheater. Even so, people were everywhere, looking for bargains or a place to eat lunch. It was a good thing she’d found a parking space nearby and had stashed extra brochures andfreebies in the back seat, for they were handing them out left and right.
About an hour after the concert let out, DeeDee Tillman stopped by to commiserate.
“Hello, Serena. Howard. I’m surprised to see anyone out here today. I can’t tell you how upset we all are by the fire. It’s such a shame, and at the very worst time of the year, too. I went to see Aiden earlier this morning. He explained the temporary shop, and that you were working on a plan to drum up business. Tell me what you’re doing here.”
Serena handed her a brochure and a sample with a brief explanation. DeeDee seemed impressed.
“Wonderful idea! No sense in letting all these potential customers walk by, thinking they can’t get their chocolates this year. I’ll have Carmen put a notice on the town website about the shop reopening soon, along with a link toDelicious. If my office can help in any way, please let me know.”
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Meanwhile, at D2
While Aiden was present most of the day, he spent much of it on the phone searching for shop fixtures and supplies, notifying his insurance provider, and trying to reach Glen Wahl with news of the fire. In between, he consulted with Knox and his team on the hasty remodel, encouraged his employees, and pitched in wherever he could be of help. By early afternoon, he and Dash were needed at the scene to view the damage firsthand with the Fire Chief and his insurance adjuster. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
While the fire was out, he burned with sharp jabs of emotion at every turn. It wasn’t just the lost stock and supplies, the charred and soggy uniforms, or the destroyed equipment. It waswhat those things represented—the money, sweat, and creative effort that went into making his dream a viable business. All ruined by the vindictive behavior of a deeply troubled woman who wanted to hurt him. She’d certainly succeeded.
Dash held his hand while they carefully picked their way through the shop, refusing to leave Aiden’s side. When he’d suggested that Dash really didn’t need to stay with him all day, the protective shifter pulled him into a tight hug.
“I know what it’s like to deal with a crisis all alone. Ryder can tell you what shape I was in when we met, but I won’t do that to you.I can’t. You always come first, understand?”
Aiden didn’t; not really. Oh, he understood the words and the sentiment behind them, but he’d lived his entire life relying only on himself because there wasn’t anybody else. Learning how and when to lean on his mate would take some getting used to, though honestly, it made the fire and its aftermath much less traumatic than it should have been. Yet even with Dash’s full support and physical presence, it hurt to see the remains ofDeliciousand breathe in the rank odor of incinerated hopes.
After viewing the shop, they went next door to see how the fire affected the new addition and then regrouped in the alley to hear the Fire Chief’s summary of findings.
“The good news is that both buildings are structurally sound, except for the roof. The new addition will only need a few minor repairs before the crew can resume their work. The shop is basically a total loss inside. It will be cheaper and faster to gut the space and rebuild it rather than attempt remedial repairs. Doing it that way will also enable you to find any unseen damages in a building as old as this one. Your insurance adjustor here will receive a copy of my report.”
Aiden asked for more clarification on how the fire started.
“The skylight was pried open, and then the shelves of paper supplies directly below were doused with an accelerant—mostlikely lighter fluid. We traced footprints all the way back to the end of the block. It appears the arsonist climbed onto the roof and walked here out of sight, broke in, started the fire, and left the same way. It was well-planned and executed, and with no external cameras, we don’t have a visual record. I regret to say it will be almost impossible to find the suspect.”
The Chief allowed the adjustor to take another look and some photos while Aiden and Dash removed the safe, a file cabinet of records, and a few salvageable belongings before relocking the rear door. Unfortunately, as the adjustor explained, the insurance would not pay for the extensive repairs or contents.
“I’m very sorry for your loss, Mister Romero, but arson is not covered under most standard policies, including yours. However, since you have a separate business interruption policy, many of your expenses are covered until the shop has been reopened. I’ll have your agent send you the details so you can begin the claims process.”
The adjustor handed Aiden his business card and wished him luck with rebuilding before leaving the scene. Dash had warned Aiden this would happen since very few insurance companies cover damages due to arson. Still, it was disappointing to have paid all those premiums for nothing, and the enormous cost of rebuilding on his own nickel was daunting. It wasn’t difficult for Dash to figure out what his mate was thinking.
