Chapter 32 Zandra
THIRTY-TWO
Zandra
“Hey, Zandra. What happened back there?”
I was in the back of the restaurant, supposedly inventorying our stock of condiments, as if our supply of tubs of mayo was life or death.
Really, I was hiding.
Winnie had followed me back here, concern written all over her face. Pretty much everyone in the back of the house had heard Callum shout my name after we came out of the office.
“Did you two have a fight?” she asked gently. “It seemed like something personal.”
Which just upset me even more. I clutched the clipboard tighter. “I can’t talk about it.”
I knew I was doing the same thing I’d done so many times in the past. Shutting down when I was upset instead of talking about it. It was either that, or I would get angry. Which was what Ian had always said, right?
You have anger issues, Zandra. You should see someone about that.
Callum had next to nothing in common with Ian. But it seemed like they could agree on that point. And it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
Callum didn’t trust me. How were we supposed to have an actual relationship when he felt like he had to tiptoe around me? When he assumed I’d blow everything up if I didn’t get my way?
The heartsick feeling inside me said this was Ian all over again. Callum had gone behind my back. He expected the worst from me.
Logically, I knew that wasn’t the full picture.
Callum had given up something he’d wanted because he cared about me.
But all those same old fears were bubbling to the surface, poisoning everything.
What if Callum regretted this? If he decided I wasn’t worth the trouble?
Or simply realized I wasn’t enough for him.
When I’d come back to Silver Ridge, I’d thought I was at my lowest. But now I realized what it would truly mean to lose everything. Not just my best friend, not just my reputation and respect among my coworkers.
To lose the man I loved more than anything.
If things went bad with Callum, then I truly could lose it all.
I sleepwalked through the rest of dinner service, ignoring the curious and concerned glances of staff members. And especially Callum, who seemed to be following me everywhere with his eyes, on the verge of saying something though he didn’t open his mouth.
If I’d wanted to hurt him, maybe I would’ve said he had no idea what real relationships were like. But the last thing I wanted to do was hurt Callum, and it wasn’t even a fair thing to say.
Because what did I know about healthy relationships either? I was a mess.
I was just…scared. So scared of everything that mattered to me being taken away.
Later that evening, I was sitting in the office again, staring at spreadsheets until the numbers blurred. There was a knock, and I knew exactly who it was.
“Come in,” I said.
Callum opened the door, shutting it quickly behind him. “It’s after closing.”
I rubbed my face. “I lost track of time. Sorry. I should’ve been helping.”
“Don’t worry about that. Let’s just go home.”
I hesitated, my body a mess of feelings that seemed to be bleeding out everywhere. An invisible crime scene. “I need to stay here for a while.”
A pained look crossed his handsome face. “Just come home with me, Z. We can figure this out tomorrow.”
“I need some space to think before the meeting with Manny in the morning.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but finally nodded reluctantly. “Promise me you’ll call when you’re ready to head home. I’ll come pick you up.”
“I promise.”
Before he left, Callum stopped at the door. “I’m sorry I upset you, but I’m not sorry for taking myself out of the running for general manager. What’s done is done. I’m not letting this be the end of us. I won’t.”
I won’t either, I wanted to say.
But the words wouldn’t come, and I wasn’t even sure I believed them.
Because when in my life had I ever been able to hold on to the things I loved most?
I fell asleep at the desk, my head resting on my arms.
A noise startled me awake. My chair squeaked, my head blurry with confusion as I glanced around. What time was it?
The clock on the wall said 12:30. Everyone else at Hearthstone Brewing would be gone.
So, why had that sounded like a door slamming?
It had to be Callum. Relief spread through me at first. I’d been here stewing for long enough. What I really wanted now was to go home. Just get into bed with him and sleep in his arms.
Maybe his confidence and optimism would somehow seep into me during the night so I could figure out what the heck I was going to say to him tomorrow.
Such as, I love you.
I got up and opened the door to the office.
And nearly smacked into Ian.
“What are you doing here?” I stammered, my heart immediately racing. “How did you get in?”
Ian’s expression was hard. Determined in a way I’d never seen before. “I need you to open the safe.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me.” He pushed me back into the office, shutting the door behind us. “The safe, Zandra. Open it.”
It had been days since I’d seen Ian at my parents’ house. I never would have conceived of him staying in Hart County. Or doing something like this.
“You’re robbing us? Are you fucking kidding me? Have you lost your mind?”
“It’s a loan.” Ian picked up my phone from the desk and pocketed it. Not that he would’ve let me stand here and dial 9-1-1 anyway. But what did he really think was going to happen here?
He didn’t have a gun, thank goodness. But this was just wild.
I crossed my arms. “No,” I spit out.
His fists clenched. “Your boyfriend already threatened me. You stood there while he twisted my arm like he was going to break it. What makes you think I won’t do that to you?”
“So you showed up when Callum wasn’t here. To push me around and steal from my family.”
Sweat beaded at his temples. “The people I owe money to aren’t going to be sympathetic if I return to Chicago unable to pay them.”
The man had a trust fund, but had still sold his soul for more money, apparently.
“I already asked your parents for a loan,” he went on, “but after what happened the other day with you and your Neanderthal boyfriend, your parents want nothing to do with me. I’m going to pay this money back, Zan. I swear. I just need to buy some more time.”
I threw my hands up. “The safe has a time lock. It only opens at specified intervals, and otherwise we can just put money in. That’s how restaurant safes work. You think we just leave thousands of dollars lying around where anyone can get to it?”
Ian’s face twisted with frustration. “You have to know a code. Or you have a key.” He glanced around the office.
Moving fast, I tried to dart around him toward the door, reaching for the knob. But he grabbed my arm. Twisted. Ian’s fingers dug in hard enough to bruise, and I screamed.
“Let go of me!”
“Not until you help me.” He pushed me back toward the desk. “I’m not playing around here. These people will kill me if I don’t pay them back.”
Fear shot through me, cold and sharp. This wasn’t the Ian I’d known. This person was desperate. Dangerous.
I kicked him hard in the shin and managed to break free, yanking the door open. “Help!” I screamed as I ran toward the back door, though I knew no one else was here.
That’s when I smelled it. Smoke.
The smoke detector alarm started blaring, its shrill warning echoing through the empty restaurant. Panic seized my chest as I realized what was happening.
The building was on fire.
I could see the orange glow coming from the direction of the back storage room. My lungs burned as I inhaled the acrid air, and I started coughing uncontrollably.
“Ian!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. “Ian, help me! The fire extinguisher!”
I turned to see him stop in his tracks, horror on his face.
Then he turned and ran. Saving himself.
Racing toward the kitchen, I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall mount, my hands shaking as I pulled the pin.
Near the back of the building, the smoke was getting thicker, making my eyes stream and my chest tighten with each breath.
But this wasn’t just any building burning.
This was Hearthstone. My grandfather’s pride and joy.
The place where he’d built his legacy. Where Callum and I had found our way to each other.
I couldn’t let it burn down. I wouldn’t.
I aimed the nozzle at the base of the flames. The chemical foam shot out, and for a moment I thought I was making progress. But the smoke was overwhelming now, black and choking.
Please, I thought, coughing as I crouched near the ground. Please don’t take this too.