Page 18 of Frostbite & Mistletoe
“If we can get the parts quickly, we might still finish this job before Christmas,” Tyler said when she called him in a panic after receiving the quote.
She hadn’t said anything to him about the money. Instead, she focused on what impact adding a new sprinkler system would have on his project schedule.
The bear shifter contractor who’d married into the pack had been nothing but kind to her throughout this entire ordeal, even offering her a significant discount on labor costs.
Kymberlie seized on the glimmer of hope.“The Christmas Eve wedding reception is my priority,” she said.“If I can salvage that booking, I might survive this.”
Tyler nodded, but his expression remained guarded.“I’ll do my best, but there’s a major snowstorm happening in the Midwest right now. It’s gonna delay shipments.”
As if on cue, her phone buzzed with a weather alert. Winter storm warning. Eight to twelve inches expected.
Kymberlie thanked Tyler and let her forehead thump down on the desk in her makeshift office in a corner of her bedroom.
Every day The Hair of the Dog remained closed was another day without income. Her accounts were dwindling rapidly, and this latest blow threatened to send her deep into debt, since she now knew her insurance policy wouldn’t cover either the parts or the work.
Her phone rang. Caller ID showed it was the bride calling to confirm details for the Christmas Eve reception. Kymberlie swallowed hard before answering.
“Kymberlie, is it true that your place burned down?” Melissa Hartmann demanded.
“Hi, Melissa. My place is still standing. It was, um, a minor fire in the storeroom. Don’t worry, we’re on track to reopen before your reception,” she said, forcing brightness into her voice.
“Oh, good.” The relief in Melissa’s voice made Kymberlie feel nauseous.
What if Tyler was wrong, and she couldn’t reopen before Christmas? What if her stubbornness ruined Melissa’s wedding?
After ending the call, Kymberlie dropped her head into her hands. Her wolf paced and whined within her, sensing her distress, wanting to run, to escape the walls closing in around them.
I could ask the pack for a loan.
But doing that meant that Kymberlie would have to admit that Dad and the senior pack members had been right when they cautioned her against buying“that dump on the side of the highway” five years ago.
Tyler promised we could reopen my club before Christmas. I just need to hold him to that promise. Everything will be fine as long as Gabriel finds nothing else I need to fix.
∞∞∞
Earlier today, Gabriel had watched Kymberlie’s façade crumble as she stared at the quote for the new sprinkler system.
And something twisted painfully in his chest. He’d delivered bad news to business owners countless times throughout his career as a fire marshal, but this felt different.Personal.
His sabertooth cat, usually so controlled, stirred uneasily beneath his skin.Protect her, it snarled.Fix this. Show her you can provide for her.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled out his phone and called her.
“Hello… Gabriel?” She sounded wary, and he didn’t blame her.“Did something else go wrong at the club?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” he assured her.“Just, uh, checking in with you. I was thinking about the whole sprinkler replacement issue and wondering how you were doing.”
There was a long silence on her end of the line. Gabriel wondered if he’d made a mistake contacting her outside of business hours.
“Not good. I can’t really afford this,” Kymberlie finally answered, her voice barely above a whisper.“And every day we’re closed, I’m hemorrhaging money.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His cat wanted him to go to her and take her in his arms. Comfort her.
“If I lose my Christmas Eve wedding reception booking, I’ll lose the business.”
Gabriel closed his eyes in sympathy. He’d done the right thing in shutting down The Hair of the Dog, but it was difficult to hear what it was costing Kymberlie.
She sighed and continued:“Dad and all the senior pack members told me I was crazy to buy the club. That it was a money pit. I’ve spent the past five years trying to prove them wrong, and guess what? Turns out Dad was right.”
