With a slow nod, Levi focused on the generator closest to him. The UN refugee camp had been teeming with families trying to get away from the fighting in Afghanistan. There was no running water, no electricity, and disease was rampant.
He was there to provide security for the trucks coming into the camp. He wasn’t expecting anything different from the other times he’d done the same thing. But, after six months of living in the sub-human conditions, it was the theft of essential supplies and the cold-blooded killing of the refugees that broke him.
William’s eyes narrowed. “Coming home must have been a big change.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He’d felt alienated and alone. It didn’t matter what the psychologists or counselors said; he’d locked himself inside the trauma of what he’d seen and never recovered. But for Brooke, and his brother’s tragic death, he doubted he would be here today.
Chapter 3
Brooke’s life was on a downward spiral. For the second time in four days she was on the brink of tears. Levi’s unexpected arrival was bad enough but, now, her whole world was literally collapsing around her ears.
Holding the rails of the attic ladder, she poked her head through the hatch and onto the roof of her building. “What do you think, Frank? Will it last another winter?”
Frank was the only general contractor and roofing specialist in the area. When he shook his head, her heart sank.
“No amount of patching will make it better. It needs a complete overhaul.”
Brooke bit her bottom lip. Even though she was making a healthy profit from her business, she couldn’t afford to waterproof the roof.
Before she’d bought the building, Frank had done a thorough inspection and told her what she’d need to fix. Even without his expert advice, it was easy to see that the roof was an issue. Anyone looking at the brown water stains on the ceiling of her apartment could tell something was happening. But she’d been cautiously optimistic, telling herself the roof would last another year or two before needing to be fixed.
Frank looked at the orange circles he’d painted on the roof. They were the bad spots—the areas that needed immediate attention. “I know it’s not the news you wanted to hear, but you need to waterproof everything.”
Brooke took a deep breath. “Is there anything I can do to reduce the cost?”
“I wouldn’t suggest doing anything yourself other than paying the bill. Applying a waterproof system is a specialist job. If it isn’t done right, the building will keep leaking.” He stuck his hands on his hips and studied the roof. “We could break the job into two parts. If money is tight, you could waterproof the roof and only do the bare essentials in the attic.”
It was a good suggestion, but it didn’t make his quote more affordable. “I’ll need to talk to the loans officer at the bank.”
“Don’t leave it too long. The roof needs to be fixed by mid-September. Otherwise, it will be too wet to do any work.”
At times like this, Brooke missed the dry heat of Arizona. She could have muddled through for another year or two and worried about other things that needed to be fixed.
“I’ll make an appointment with the bank in the next day or two. Once I have the money, I’ll book you in to fix the roof.”
“Look on the bright side. When it’s done, you won’t have to worry about tripping over the rain buckets in your apartment.”
She knew Frank was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t working. Her monthly mortgage payment was already high. The cost of fixing the roof would send it into orbit.
With a heavy heart, she climbed down the ladder and waited while Frank handed her his tools.
Everyone she’d spoken to had warned her about the first two years in business. Unexpected expenses and high running costs could spell the end to any organization. And a candy store was more at risk than most.
Frank followed her downstairs and out of the building. After she’d said goodbye, Brooke’s gaze drifted down the street. She was lying to herself if she thought the roof was an unexpected expense. She’d known it needed to be fixed, but she hadn’t accepted the reality of maintaining an old building.
The loud thump of an engine made her frown. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping like crazy the motorcycle didn’t belong to Levi.
Wrong again.
He parked on the side of the road and removed his helmet. “Do you spend a lot of time staring at the traffic?”
Some things never changed. Levi had always stated the obvious and, for some inexplicable reason, it made her feel better. “I was thinking about something a roofing contractor told me. What brings you into town?”
After glancing at her building, he stepped onto the sidewalk. “I need to buy a bucket of stain for the deck. What’s wrong with the roof?”
Brooke shoved her hands inside her pockets. “It’s full of holes. I don’t think anyone has even painted it in the last thirty years.” She should have known Levi would be wearing a black leather jacket and the tightest pair of jeans she’d ever seen. If it weren’t for his military haircut, he’d look like the other bad boys who drove through Sapphire Bay.
“How much will it cost to fix?”
“Too much. But that’s only half the problem. If I don’t get the roof watertight before winter, I might not have a business to open.”
“Is there anyone in Polson who can help?”
Brooke shook her head. “There aren’t many contractors who waterproof buildings. The companies I did contact were booked solid until October. As long as the bank lends me more money, I should be okay.”
“And if they don’t?”
Brooke didn’t want to consider that outcome. “I’ll have to be more creative.”
“What about your parents?” Levi asked. “They always seemed interested in what you were doing. Will they help?”
“I’m not asking them for money.” Her parents had been bitterly disappointed when she’d left her nursing career. In their eyes, opening a candy store in the middle of nowhere was as bad as going to Las Vegas and getting married. The Johnson family didn’t do hare-brained, spontaneous gestures. They had plans, career paths that led to better and greater things.
Levi crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Sounds like you need a plan B before you visit the bank.”
“I don’t need another plan. What I need is more money.” She’d fallen in love with the red-brick building because it had character. But that character was costing her more than she’d ever imagined. “The building is leaking like a sieve. I keep pouring money in one side and it drips out the other. A friend has offered to become my business partner but, eventually, she wants her own store. It wouldn’t be fair to lumber her with the cost of fixing this building.”
“I admire your determination to do this on your own, but do you want the success of your business to depend on your stubborn pride?”
“I’m not stubborn,” Brooke spluttered. “And even if I was, I’m not the only one.” The slow, sexy smile on Levi’s face made her heart beat faster. And just like that, it was as if the last two years had never happened.
Levi’s smile disappeared. “I’d better go. The general store doesn’t have a lot of decking stain left.”
Brooke stomped on her crazy, cartwheeling heart. Levi wasn’t the only person who had things to do. “I need to call the bank. Good luck with the deck.” She lifted her hand to wave, then yanked it to her side. She only did that when she was nervous or unsure—or still in love with the man who’d changed her life forever.
Brooke rolled out of bed and frowned. Something didn’t make sense. Why were her feet wet?
She looked at the wooden floor, then up at the ceiling. Giant drops of water fell from the plaster, landing two inches from the edge of her feet. With a tired groan, she ignored the puddle and ran into the bathroom.
Her emergency supply of buckets was stacked in the corner, waiting for the next downpour to hit Sapphire Bay. Armed with the trusty buckets and a pile of towels, she r
ushed around her apartment, doing what she could to stop the floors from being damaged.
Why did this have to happen today? She had a long list of orders to make as well as restocking the Easter eggs, fudge, and marshmallow bars in the store. And then there were the everyday chores she needed to finish before Sweet Treats opened.
If this had been the first time water had seeped into her apartment, she would have called Frank and he would have fixed it. But there was no point calling Frank or anyone else. The bank wouldn’t lend her the full amount she’d requested. The additional loan would waterproof the roof. The cost of repairing the attic and her apartment would have to come from somewhere else.
She only hoped the water hadn’t seeped through to the store. If it had short-circuited her power supply, she was in serious trouble.
As she made her way downstairs, she checked the usual problem areas. None of them seemed to be leaking, but that could change in an instant.
Normally, she heard the rain as it hit her bedroom window, but not last night. She’d fallen into a deep sleep, too exhausted to do more than turn off the lights before disappearing under the blankets.
At the bottom of the stairs, she picked up another stack of containers and walked into the commercial kitchen at the back of the building.
Thankfully, the ceiling didn’t look any different than it had yesterday. Flicking on the light switches, she blinked against the glare from the fluorescent lights. She moved around the stainless steel counter, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t see any water on its surface. There was a small leak on the far side of the room but, as far as Brooke could tell, she’d caught the worst of the water before it soaked through the timber floor.
The last place she needed to check was the front of the store. With Easter fast approaching, she’d kept the shelves full, needing the extra income more than ever. Even losing a few batches of candy would make a big difference to her workload and profit margins.
The kitchen doors swung shut behind her. She peered at the ceiling, slowly moving around the retail space until she was happy that there was no damage.
When someone knocked on the front door, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Levi? What on earth was he doing here at—she glanced at her watch—five-thirty in the morning?
She unlocked the door and stared at her visitor. “The store doesn’t open for another three-and-a-half hours.”
“I came into town early to go fishing. Your lights were on so I thought I’d see if your building survived last night’s rain. Nice PJs.”
Brooke looked down at her red and white striped pajamas. In her hurry to come downstairs, she hadn’t thought to grab a sweatshirt.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I wasn’t expecting to see anyone at this time of the morning.”
“I can tell.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed.
Levi held his hands in the air. “Sorry. Next time I’ll filter what I say.”
“It won’t help,” Brooke muttered. “You have a habit of saying exactly what you mean regardless of your intentions.”
Instead of looking insulted, Levi smiled. “I guess I do. You still haven’t told me if the rain did any damage.”
“There are only a few puddles upstairs. You didn’t have to make sure I was okay.”
He lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug. “After what you said the other day, I was expecting to see water running out the front door. Did the bank lend you the money to fix the roof?”
Brooke leaned against the doorframe. “They’re happy to lend me some money. It’s enough to waterproof the roof, but fixing the attic will have to wait.”
“That’s not good.”
Brooke sighed. “No, it’s not. I should have listened to your advice about having a backup plan.”
“You don’t have one yet?”
“I’m working on it.” That had to be the understatement of the year. She hadn’t thought of anything else since she’d met with the bank.
“You’ll find the money.”
“I hope so. Are you going fishing with someone else? The lake might look calm, but it can change really fast.”
“I met a friend of Zac’s a few days ago. William invited me on the fishing trip.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “Are you talking about William Parker?”
“You know him?”
“He’s Megan’s fiancée. Megan is the friend who shares the kitchen in my store. You’ll have a great time.”
“I hope so.” Levi smiled and everything in her world came to a sudden stop.
Brooke forgot about the leaky roof and the money she didn’t have to fix it. All she remembered was the way Levi used to make her feel, the dreams they’d shared, and the future they could have had together. Until she’d left.
“I should go upstairs and clean up the mess,” she said quickly. “I hope you catch some big fish.”
“So do I,” Levi murmured. “Good luck with finding the extra money.”
“Thanks. Bye.” She turned and started to close the door.
“I got your card,” Levi said. “It meant a lot.”
Brooke froze. As soon as she’d heard about his brother’s death, she’d sent Levi a sympathy card. It didn’t seem nearly enough but, at the time, it was the best she could do. “I’m sorry I didn’t know about Peter’s death earlier. He was a great guy.”
She’d met Levi’s older brother a couple of times. He was funny, kind, and smart. The sort of person who could light a room up with their smile, then leave you in tears as they told a sad story.
His death had shocked everyone, including Brooke. “How did you cope?”
“Not very well, but I’m still here.”
Brooke studied his face. She’d worked with a lot of people who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She knew Levi and his brother were extremely close, but if he was considering—
“You’re looking at me as if I’m your patient. I’m okay now.”
“If you need someone to talk to you can come and see me.”
Levi frowned. “You gave up nursing a long time ago. I’m fine.”
“That’s what you always told me.”
And they both knew it was a lie.
A fifteen-pound brown trout wasn’t everyone’s idea of a conversation starter but it worked for Levi. While he was fishing on Flathead Lake, he’d thought about Brooke’s building problem.
Over the next three or four days, he should finish all the jobs on Zac’s maintenance list. After that, with a little luck and some good project management, he would be able to help Brooke.
All he had to do was run his idea past her then make a few phone calls. Whether she wanted his help was anyone’s guess, but at least he’d leave Sapphire Bay knowing he’d tried.
William handed him a cooler. “I’ve added ice to keep the trout cold. You won’t have to buy any fish while you’re here.”
“Thanks for taking me with you. I really enjoyed myself.”
“You’re welcome. Are you still planning on leaving in a few days?”
Levi lifted the cooler onto the back of his Harley and strapped it into place. “I’m not sure. Brooke needs some work done on her attic. I’m going to offer to do it.”
William rested his hands on his hips. “If you need someone to give you a hand, you can count me in.”
“I’ll let you know what Brooke says.”
“Sounds great. I’ll look forward to the call.” William said goodbye, then walked back to the pier.
The boat they’d taken onto the lake belonged to another friend of William’s. Once a fortnight, they’d spend the day fishing, taking home whatever came their way. Only, this week, Gabe had other plans.
An unfamiliar feeling of longing filled Levi’s chest. Sapphire Bay was a close-knit community, the kind of place he could imagine calling home. But with Brooke living here, it made relocating almost impossible.
For whatever reason, she’d decided he wouldn’t b
e part of her future. But that was two years ago. They had both changed. Whether it was for the better or not was anyone’s guess.
All he knew was that, after tonight, he’d know why she’d left Phoenix. And why, out of everything she could have done, she’d traveled halfway across the country to open a candy store.
“What am I supposed to do with a fish that’s bigger than all of my pans?”
Levi studied Brooke’s confused scowl. He’d come straight from the pier to her apartment, hoping she wouldn’t be able to turn down the fresh fish.
“You don’t need to bake the whole trout at once. After it’s filleted, all you need to do is sprinkle salt and pepper over each piece, then add lemon juice and parsley. If you wrap the fillets in aluminum foil, they should only take ten to fifteen minutes to bake.”
“But there’s so much of it. Would you mind if I gave some of it to my friends?”
“It’s okay with me, but I don’t think Megan will want any. The five trout William caught were bigger than this one.”
Brooke took another look in the cooler. “If you want to fillet the fish, I could cook some of it for dinner.”
The tension in Levi’s shoulders disappeared. At least he’d have a chance to talk about what had happened. “Thanks. I haven’t had a meal cooked by someone else in months.”
A mischievous smile lit Brooke’s face. “Who said anything about you not cooking? I seem to recall someone winning a certain medical center’s MasterChef competition.”
Levi’s face burned. “That was a few years ago. Besides, a coconut layer cake isn’t exactly cordon bleu material.”
“It depends on who makes it. From what I can remember, the judges were incredibly impressed.”
“You’re not hinting that you’d like cake for dessert, are you?”
Brooke laughed. “Who me? Anyone would think I have a sweet tooth.”
Levi knew how sweet she could be, especially to a man who hadn’t known who he had become. “I know you have a sweet tooth. Is that why you opened a candy store?”
Before Today Page 3