‘You got here fast,’ Sadie said, taking in his clipboard and air of quiet efficiency. ‘Did they beam you over?’
He laughed. ‘No, I live locally.’
She shook his outstretched hand. ‘Well, I’m pleased to meet you. Sort of.’
George Whittaker didn’t seem in the least bit offended. ‘Don’t worry, I get that a lot. Most people only see us once there’s been some kind of emergency but I’m hoping to make this as painless as possible for all concerned.’
‘That would be great,’ Sadie said. She waved a hand at the forlorn-looking shop beside them and tried not to notice the bloated, broken bunnies lying face down in the window. ‘I’m sorry to drag you out on a Sunday. As you can see, it’s all a bit of a mess.’
‘Floods don’t care what day of the week it is and they cause all kinds of havoc,’ George said, sounding sympathetic. ‘Even after the water has receded. Is the gas and electricity off? I’m afraid we can’t enter the premises unless it’s safe to go in.’
Sadie nodded. ‘We shut them off as soon as the water started to come in.’
George examined the sturdy wooden panels over the door. ‘I’ve arranged for the joiner to meet us to remove these. He should be here any minute.’
As Sadie glanced around the Court, she saw Jaren watching them from inside Let’s Go Dutch. He mimed drinking something.
‘Would you like a cup of coffee while we wait?’ Sadie asked, grateful for something to do.
The insurance assessor looked appreciative. ‘I wouldn’t mind one. White, no sugar, please.’
By the time Sadie had answered Jaren’s questions and gathered a drink for George and herself, the joiner had arrived. Quickly and methodically, he set about removing the wood that had kept Smart Cookies secure overnight. Once he’d finished, he propped open the still swollen door of the shop and cast a doubtful look at Sadie’s Converse. ‘I hope you’ve got wellington boots. It looks wet in there.’
Sadie patted the bag over her shoulder. ‘I have.’ She glanced at George. ‘We can get changed in the pancake house if you like. I’m sure Jaren won’t mind.’
The joiner shrugged. ‘Right you are. I’ll start measuring up for a new door.’
Five minutes later, Sadie and George were standing just inside the doorway of Smart Cookies. The insurance assessor was taking notes, his eyes sweeping across everything, from the peeling paint of the rain-soaked floorboards to the water-spattered computer behind the counter. Sadie stared at the destruction and tried her hardest not to cry; everywhere she looked, she saw more of her and Cat’s hard work ruined. The display tables were bare, apart from the bright cotton bunting that had somehow tumbled from its hooks on the wall to trail across their bloated surfaces; the fish tank that had housed an Alice in Wonderland biscuit display was now lying sideways on the floor, its contents smashed beyond any recognition. The musty scent of damp filled the air; the smell was already overwhelming.
‘I don’t want to go too far in,’ George said. ‘I’m not sure I trust those floorboards, to be honest. Did you say the ceiling had come down in the basement?’
‘Yes,’ Sadie replied. ‘It landed on my business partner.’
If the insurance assessor was surprised, he didn’t show it. ‘I do hope she wasn’t badly hurt,’ he said, with a quick glance at his clipboard. ‘Would that be Miss Garcia?’
Sadie nodded. ‘That’s right. And she seems to be okay, thankfully. Jaren from the pancake house rescued her.’
George looked impressed in spite of his professional demeanour. ‘Sounds dramatic. I’ll need to take a quick look at the condition of the basement – no need for you to come.’
Carefully, he picked his way towards the stairs. They creaked as he made his way down them, causing Sadie to fervently hope another rescue mission wouldn’t be needed. But a few minutes later, George returned to her.
‘There’s still a significant amount of flooding down there,’ he said, jotting some notes. ‘I’ll arrange for a specialist company to come and pump it out. They’ll be able to provide dehumidifiers too, to help get things dried out. Once that’s done, we should be able to get a better handle on what needs to be done to get you up and running again.’
Sadie bit her lip. Pumps and dehumidifiers sounded time-consuming. ‘How long do you think it’s going to take?’
George shook his head. ‘Hard to say at this stage. Probably around a week for everything to dry out, and maybe another two to make good the damage. You’re probably looking at a month all told.’
‘A month?’ Sadie gasped, feeling as though she’d been kicked in the stomach. ‘We can’t be out of business for a month!’
‘A lot depends on the weather,’ George conceded. ‘A few sunny days will help with the drying out process. But it needs to be done properly, especially in premises used for food preparation. Mould and mildew are health and safety issues.’
He continued to talk but Sadie found it hard to focus on what he was saying. A whole month without a shop to bake and ice the biscuits in – it would ruin them. They’d built up a healthy trade among Chester’s traditional shoppers and that would dwindle away to nothing when the shop itself was closed. But worse than that was the hit their online orders would take; once word got out that they couldn’t provide the biscuits people wanted, savvy internet shoppers would go elsewhere. It was a disaster – a total, unmitigated disaster.
‘Mrs Smart?’ George said, peering at her quizzically. ‘Are you all right? You’ve gone very pale.’
Sadie forced her legs to work. ‘Will you excuse me for a moment?’ she said, her voice wooden. ‘I think I need to sit down.’
Chapter Four
‘A month?’ Jaren’s eyes widened in dismay when Sadie gave him the news. ‘That’s rough.’
‘It’s worse than that,’ Sadie said, staring gloomily into the cup of tea he’d placed on the table in front of her. ‘It could well mean the end of Smart Cookies.’
‘That’s not going to happen,’ he said firmly. ‘You and Cat have worked too hard for something like this to snatch everything away. Smart Cookies is your dream!’
A dream that was rapidly turning into a nightmare, Sadie wanted to point out, but she kept the thought to herself. ‘We can only sell biscuits that have been produced in properly approved and licensed premises,’ she replied. ‘Cat’s kitchen is approved, as is mine at the cottage. I’d even got Daniel’s kitchen approved in case I ever decided to move back in there. But I don’t know how we’ll manage with three potential satellite sites, especially when one of us will need to be on site at Smart Cookies to oversee the repairs.’
Jaren puffed his curly black hair out of his eyes. ‘I see your problem.’
‘I don’t even know how long Cat’s recovery will be,’ Sadie admitted. ‘Maybe we should put something on the website – warn our customers that there might be a delay.’
‘You could,’ Jaren said, sounding unconvinced. ‘But it might be worth stopping to take stock first. We rescued quite a lot of biscuits from the flood – they’re split between my stock room and the one at the Bus Stop diner.’ He held up a hand as she began to interrupt. ‘Just hear me out. Obviously, Cat’s recovery is an unknown quantity but you and I both know it’ll take something serious to keep her out of the kitchen. And in the meantime, you have Delilah to bake for you and Clare to ice the biscuits. Neither of them is as expert as you and Cat but they’ve been trained by the best.’
Sadie barely registered the compliments. ‘But they need a kitchen to work in,’ she objected. ‘They can’t work from home.’
‘They can’t work from their own homes,’ Jaren fired back. ‘But they could work from yours and Cat’s. They could even work from here, if they needed to.’
Sadie almost laughed. ‘I’ve seen how busy it gets in your kitchens – it would never work.’
‘Not during the day, maybe,’ Jaren said, rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. ‘But an early morning shift might be worth thinking about. Cat often arrives at t
he crack of dawn to get the day’s baking out of the way – she’d be more than welcome to use the kitchens here before my staff arrive.’
Sadie stared at him. It wasn’t an ideal solution but it was something to think about. ‘Clare and Delilah could work together out of my kitchen to start off with. Then, once Cat is better, they might be able to work from her flat.’ A slow smile started to pull at the corners of her mouth. ‘You could be onto something, Jaren.’
He grinned. ‘Happy to help. Hopefully, they’ll be able to keep on top of the online orders so you won’t have to disappoint those customers. I don’t know what you can do about the ones who prefer to shop in person, though.’
‘A month is a long time,’ Sadie agreed, feeling her optimism start to fade. ‘It would be almost like starting from scratch. Unless . . .’
She trailed off, her gaze settling on the barren paving stones at the centre of the Court. In the summer, they would be filled with tables and chairs so that diners could eat outside if they chose to. But right now, it was empty. ‘I wonder if we’d be allowed . . .’
Jaren caught her meaning in a flash. ‘A pop-up shop?’
Sadie nodded. ‘A cute cart or a wagon of some kind.’
‘You wouldn’t be the first,’ Jaren said, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. ‘We have a coffee cart sometimes and ice-cream sellers in the summer – why not biscuits in the spring? I’m sure the management company would go for it, given the circumstances.’
‘A lot would depend on the weather,’ Sadie said. ‘I don’t fancy standing outside while April throws everything she has at us.’
‘You could take each day as it comes,’ he said, spreading his hands. ‘What have you got to lose?’
It was a question Sadie preferred not to answer. But she felt her spirits start to rise, in spite of her misgivings; maybe things weren’t as hopeless as she’d feared. ‘Thanks, Jaren. You’ve been brilliant.’
He tilted his head and smiled. ‘I’m just doing what any of the other shopkeepers would do. We look out for each other here, remember?’
Sadie couldn’t help returning his smile; it was a sentiment she’d heard him express more than once and never had it felt more true. ‘Even so, thank you anyway. From Cat and from me.’
‘Is there any news?’ he asked, his expression shifting to concern. ‘How was she overnight?’
Sadie pulled a face. ‘I don’t think she’s been given an official all-clear but I woke up to a message grumbling that the woman opposite snored like a water buffalo so I think she’s on the mend. I’m going to see her as soon as I’ve finished with the insurance assessor.’
‘Speaking of which, isn’t that him at the window?’ Jaren said, pointing to a figure hovering next to the door of the pancake house.
‘It is. I’d better go.’ Sadie drained the last of her tea and stood up. ‘Thanks again, Jaren.’
The Dutchman grinned. ‘Don’t mention it.’
*
Cat was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed when Sadie arrived just after midday. Her face was still pale and there was a dressing on her head but the air of badly suppressed impatience told Sadie her best friend was feeling much better.
‘I see Seb has been,’ she said, once Cat had explained that she was waiting to see a senior consultant before she could go home. ‘Did he pick up everything you needed?’
‘Surprisingly, yes,’ Cat replied. ‘Toothbrush, deodorant, underwear and even matching socks – which, as you know, is no mean feat with my sock collection.’
Sadie knew exactly what she meant; Cat had always maintained a relaxed attitude to matching socks, which meant her sock drawer was filled with a bewildering hotchpotch of different patterns and styles. It must have taken Seb a while to find a pair exactly the same. ‘I’m impressed – it must be love if he’s prepared to go to such lengths.’
‘Never mind that,’ Cat said, a hint of colour returning to her cheeks. ‘What’s the latest at the shop?’
‘It’s all under control,’ Sadie said, holding up her hands. ‘There’ll be plenty of time to talk about that once you’re fully recovered.’
Cat threw her a hard look. ‘The x-rays say I’m recovered enough. Come on, spill the beans. How bad is it?’
Sadie swallowed a sigh. The trouble was that Cat was very unlikely to rest whether she knew the truth or not. Clearing her throat, she filled her in.
The silence stretched for several long seconds once Sadie had finished. ‘A pop-up shop?’ Cat echoed eventually.
‘It’s just an idea,’ Sadie said hastily. ‘A lot depends on whether you think the kitchen-sharing arrangements with Jaren will work.’
Cat let out a soft snort. ‘They’ll have to work – we’ll never keep the business going while the repairs are underway otherwise. Have you sounded out Delilah and Clare yet?’
‘No,’ Sadie replied, with a quick shake of her head. ‘I wanted to speak to you first.’
‘And how have you left things at the shop?’
‘We’ve got a temporary door,’ Sadie said, ‘one that actually fits into the frame. A specialist company should be arriving sometime this afternoon to start pumping the water out and install the dehumidifiers, then it’s a case of waiting for everything to dry out before the repairs can start.’
Cat looked thoughtful. ‘The first thing we need to do is check the condition of the rescued stock – then I’ll have a better idea of how much baking we need to do to catch up—’
‘Woah,’ Sadie interrupted, holding her hands up. ‘The first thing you need to do is get some rest. The stock situation can wait.’
‘No, it can’t,’ Cat said, her tone insistent. ‘Our biscuits are dotted all over Castle Court – I need to know what we’ve got and what we have to replenish.’
Sadie took a deep breath and fixed her friend with a patient look. ‘May I remind you that less than twenty-four hours ago, you’d been knocked unconscious by a large chunk of ceiling? The last thing you need is to start racing around a kitchen trying to bake up a biscuit storm.’
‘But—’
‘No buts, Cat,’ Sadie said firmly. ‘Delilah and I can check the stock, and we’re more than capable of working out what we need to replace – we’ll ask Andrew or Earl for help if we need it. You are going home – didn’t Seb offer to look after you at his place?’
Cat’s expression grew evasive. ‘He might have done. And I might have turned him down.’
‘Cat!’ Sadie said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. ‘I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be on your own, at least for the first day or so. I’ll send him a message to say you’ve changed your mind.’
‘I don’t need a nurse,’ Cat grumbled.
‘You do,’ Sadie replied, tapping at her phone. ‘But if you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for me, okay? I have enough to worry about without adding you to the list.’
Cat let out a faintly mutinous sigh. ‘I suppose so.’ She checked the time and peered tetchily towards the ward door. ‘That’s if they ever let me out of here.’
Sadie got to her feet. ‘You’re not their only patient,’ she pointed out wryly. ‘But why don’t I see what I can find out?’
*
Two hours later, Cat walked through the alleyway that led to Castle Court. Seb was waiting in front of Smart Cookies, along with Elin, Jaren, Andrew and Earl. Several of the other shopkeepers Cat had become friends with since opening the business were there too; they cheered at the sight of her.
‘Welcome back,’ Seb said with a lopsided smile, stepping forward to sweep her into a gentle cuddle.
The words were echoed by the small crowd. Every face Cat saw wore a smile, although many were tinged with concern. ‘Thank you,’ she said, letting go of Seb. ‘I didn’t expect a welcoming committee.’
Andrew rolled his eyes in mock surprise. ‘Didn’t you? Wow – maybe you hit your head harder than we thought!’
Cat gave an embarrassed grimace. ‘Yeah, I should have known. Sorry.’<
br />
‘Damn right you should have,’ Earl rumbled but he was smiling. ‘But it’s good to have you back in one piece.’
Cat’s gaze finally came to rest on Smart Cookies. The flood had taken its toll on the paintwork; the elegant blue gloss was bubbled and peeling. The empty window looked unnaturally gloomy and unloved – a far cry from its usually golden charm. Even the awning had taken a battering – a large split ran from one side to the other, matching the rip she could see in Cherie’s awning at the patisserie. None of the other shops seemed to have suffered anything like as much damage; tears sprang into Cat’s eyes and she looked away, blinking hard and determined not to cry in front of everyone.
‘It’s okay,’ Sadie said softly. ‘I almost cried too.’
Jaren stepped forward. ‘I must say you look a lot healthier than you did last time I saw you, Cat.’
Cat felt a rush of warmth mingled with gratitude as her gaze met his. ‘I heard you were quite the hero. Thank you for rescuing me from my own stupidity.’
‘It was an accident, not stupidity,’ Jaren corrected before giving a modest shrug. ‘And I only did what any of us would have done.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Andrew said, grinning. He lifted up an immaculate Converse-clad foot. ‘I wouldn’t risk getting these babies wet for anyone. Not even Earl!’
Earl seemed unperturbed. ‘He loves me really.’
Jaren threw them both a wry look. ‘Then it’s a good job I was around when it mattered.’ He smiled at Cat. ‘I’m just glad you’re all right.’
Clearing his throat, Seb wrapped a protective arm around Cat’s shoulders. ‘We should get you inside,’ he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. ‘I’m under strict orders from Sadie to put you to bed and feed you chicken soup, whether you want it or not.’
Sadie blushed, which made Cat laugh; she’d be willing to bet those were her exact orders. Now that she was back in Castle Court, the memories were returning thick and fast; she could almost feel how cold the water had been and remember the exact moment the ceiling had come down. She recalled hearing Jaren’s voice too, and the fear in his eyes when he’d found her. An icy shiver ran all the way down to the soles of her feet at the thought. Maybe chicken soup and bed wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Stormy Weather at Castle Court Page 4