Chapter 36
“You did what?” Melody screamed the last word, tears starting to fill her eyes.
“She bought the rail house, effectively paying off the debt your asshole dad left your family with, and is going to be a boss-ass business babe with us!” Olivia didn’t use the exact words I had to tell them the news, but she got the point.
“Calvin hates it, doesn’t he?” She knew her brother so well.
I nodded sadly. “Yeah, he does. But Garrett warned me, so at least I saw it coming.”
“He’ll come around. When I called him from Vancouver, absolutely terrified out of my mind, I had never seen him so angry.
And for a while, I thought he was angry at me for even leaving home in the first place.
But really, he was torturing himself for not being able to protect me.
He hasn’t realized yet that it isn’t his job to protect everyone.
He doesn’t need to be a martyr to the people who already love him to his core. ”
Melody had shared a little with me about her experience in Vancouver and a stalker making her feel so uncomfortable that she dropped out of acting school, but I could tell it was still a hard topic for her to be vulnerable about.
“But until he comes around, screw what my brother thinks. You’re doing an amazing thing for Love, and an immeasurable thing for my family. Thank you. I am beyond excited for you.”
“Me too!” Olivia chimed in.
I was so grateful that my girls were happy for me. After I left the rail house, still fuming from my interaction with Calvin, I met up with Olivia and Melody to tell them the news. I didn’t know what I would have done had I needed to face their disappointment like I faced Calvin’s.
A man’s love was something I already knew I could live without, but these women were my lifeline.
The girls pulled me into a hug and we spent the next few hours in Olivia’s bookstore, drinking Melody’s coffee, talking about the plans for my rail house. Life felt almost perfect.
By the time I made my way back to the rail house the next day, I had spoken to almost everyone in town that I needed to.
Gloria was already fussing about what kind of flowers would be suitable for weddings of all the different seasons.
I had set up an account with Simon at The Tool Box for all my hardware needs and planned for a time that Jerry could scope the place out for plumbing after we had done all the demos.
Cami was more than happy to display some of her items as décor, which would also double as another location her pieces from the thrift store could sell.
Teddy was so enthralled with my plans that he burst into tears, and I wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he told me he already had his marriage officiant license.
The only person I still wanted to talk to, but hadn’t the guts to yet, was Valerie. Her boutique showcased such beautiful and unique wedding dresses that I knew could be the perfect addition to this whole endeavour.
As I walked up the steps of the rail house, bear spray in hand, I noticed a paper nailed to the doorframe.
Strange. I didn’t think the town would have been out doing any zoning permits on it yet, things had hardly been processed.
As I got closer, I realized it wasn’t any type of notice from the town, but just a blank piece of paper with something printed at the top.
Give up now.
Fucking Calvin. It didn’t seem like him to leave me a note like this, but I also didn’t recognize the man who came barreling in here yesterday, so who was I to say what he was capable of anymore.
I ripped the paper off the doorframe and tossed it into a nearby pile of rotten wood. I was hereby declaring it the garbage pile.
I got to work taking measurements so I could start drafting some plans and figure out what kind of supplies I would need. Patrick and Garrett were meeting me at the bed and breakfast for lunch with plans to help me get started on demolition, but I was itching to get a head start on everything else.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this, Stella.
” Patrick looked at me with an expression of pure gratitude on his face.
He and I understood each other in a way no one else did because of what the Harts had done for us.
They weren’t blood for either of us, but they became family, and that meant even more.
To intentionally choose someone—that you had no real obligation to—over and over again was a special kind of love.
“Well, I won’t be doing it without your help, so I appreciate you guys being here.” I smiled at both him and Garrett as we ate a quick lunch at Trixie’s before we got started on demolition that afternoon.
“Feel free to put us to work anytime.”
Garrett had better be willing to make good on that offer because there was a lot to be done. However, there was a part of me that was sure he was only offering because he knew how tumultuous things had still been between me and Calvin.
I hadn’t seen him at all in the couple days since our fight, more by default than by choice.
I was still upset about the note he had left, but there was so much that would need to be done before the rail house could host weddings, and I was determined to make it happen by the summer.
Which was only giving me a little over four months to get this done. I didn’t have any time to waste.
Suddenly, Garrett’s expression changed from his playful grin to a look of grave concern. “What the fuck?” he said as he shot up from his chair.
Patrick and I followed his line of sight out the window into the snowy field, to the plume of smoke that rose above the trees.
Oh no, no, no. Although the rail house was too far to see, it was in that direction.
Garrett went tearing out of the house without even grabbing a jacket, Patrick close behind. I yelled to Trixie to call for help and then rushed to follow the guys.
I refused to watch my future burst into flames.
Usually, I just walked over to the rail house, but Garrett must have determined there was no time to waste as he barrelled into his truck and we raced toward the smoke.
The drive might have taken seconds or hours, I wasn’t sure, but I prayed to every god that may be listening, and they all failed me as my worst fears were confirmed. The rail house had been engulfed in flames.
Garrett barked orders to Patrick and me, tossing fire extinguishers at us that he pulled from his truck. I knew he was telling me what I had to do, but I couldn’t hear him, I couldn’t breathe.
It was so much more than just a rail house.
It was the dream for this community that was now disappearing.
It was the control I had when I was with Nick—my money being the only thing I was able to keep for myself—dissolving in the blink of an eye.
It was every little bit of fight I had left in me being thrown back in my face, telling me my efforts were destined to always fail.
“Stella, focus.” Green eyes. Not the green eyes I had fallen in love with, but ones that cared about me and this life I was building just the same.
I couldn’t let him down, and I also refused to let myself down.
Not after I had come so far. The whiplash of emotions I was feeling in the moment was near debilitating, but I forced myself to take in a deep breath.
“Spray the base of the fire. The source. That will maintain it.”
I heard Garrett’s instructions and dove into action.
Understanding dawned on me now why Garrett didn’t worry about grabbing a jacket when he left.
It was the dead of winter, but it was so hot while we tried to salvage my dreams. It seemed the tears that ran down my face just evaporated into steam before they could drip.
It felt like a lost cause, the pain of blisters forming on my hands was undeniable.
But when I looked at Garrett, he was even closer to the flames and he didn’t stop, and Patrick right beside him didn’t stop either.
So, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I had to keep going.
I refused to let another dream be beaten—or burned—out of me.
After what felt like a lifetime had passed, I heard sirens in the distance.
My vision blurred again, but this time it was from the powerful stream of water as the firefighters doused the flames with their hoses. Garrett’s secure hands gently pried the empty extinguisher from my fingers. I hadn’t even realized I was still holding it like a vise.
The rail house was still standing, but there was no telling what type of damage had been done to it.
I sat on the back of Garrett’s truck as I watched everything pass by in a blur of uniforms and flashing lights. Paramedics came and wrapped my hands, checking on Garrett and Patrick as well.
I heard Patrick talk about them running a full investigation into what caused the fire. I heard another firefighter mention something about gas being the only way it would burn so fast. But all I processed was setback after setback.
“Stella!” I turned to the strained voices of my friends. Melody and Olivia were running my way, fury and concern fueling them both.
“We came as soon as Garrett called. What do you need?” Melody asked me.
Them. I just needed them. I also would have liked my lumberjack, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. I just needed my friends and to know I wasn’t alone.
I eyed the still smoldering building in front of me while crews paced around. There was no more work that would be getting done today.
“Can we just get out of here?”
Liv pulled me up into a hug while Mel wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. I hadn’t even realized I’d been shivering after the dump of adrenaline.
“Come on, Garrett is going to take us back to my place,” Liv said. “We’ve got you now.”