Page 9 of Hope After Loss

“Apparently, it’s your lucky day,” Brandee says.

I raise an eyebrow in question when Corbin Tuttle appears from the side of the house.

“Hey, Anna. Sorry about the early wake-up call, but we wanted to get started as soon as the sun came up,” he says.

“Started on what?” I ask.

“On the addition.”

Confused, I glance back at the men and realize they are all firefighters from Valley Fire and Rescue.

“I’m not following,” I mumble.

“The sunroom and wraparound porch addition Mike had planned for you. He and Graham already came up with the plans, so we’re here to do the work.”

“Oh, Corbin, I appreciate that, but I really can’t afford to do any renovations right now,” I start.

He throws up his hand. “Mike already paid for most of the materials, and we’re free labor,” he explains.

“I can’t ask you guys to do that. It’s your day off. You shouldn’t be here, working for free. You should be with your families.”

“We are. You and Kaela are our family,” Jay says. He’s one of Mike’s coworkers who sustained severe injuries in the fire that took Mike’s life.

My eyes turn to him. The scars from the numerous skin grafts he had to have peek out from the cuffs and neckline of his long-sleeved shirt. His face is unrecognizable.

“Jay,” I choke out.

He steps forward. “Let us do this for our brother,” he pleads.

I’m unable to speak through the lump in my throat, so I just nod.

“How long will it take?” Brandee asks Corbin.

“We should be finished sometime tomorrow evening.”

She clasps my shoulder. “Come on. I’ll help you get Kaela dressed, and the three of us will go have a girls’ day. Then, we’ll grab dinner and have a slumber party at my house tonight.”

“Okay,” I agree.

The two of us hurry inside and rouse Kaela. Brandee changes her diaper and dresses her in warm clothing while I dress and load an overnight bag for me and the baby.

We drop the stuff off at Brandee’s, and then we hop into my car and head into town.

Our first stop is the Well-Bred Café and Bookstore, owned by our friend Ansley Humphries.

It’s a bright, cheery coffee shop and bookstore by day and a low-lit, romantic craft beer, wine, and dessert bar by night that offers live music Wednesday through Saturday.

Ansley is engaged to be married to Garrett Tuttle, Weston’s brother. Garrett left Balsam Ridge for the bright lights of Nashville right out of high school and chased his dreams of becoming a country music star. The two of them were high school sweethearts, and they reconnected when he came home on a sabbatical forced by his record label.

The bell above the door chimes as we enter the café, and Ansley greets us from behind the cash register.

“What are you guys doing out so early on a freezing Saturday morning?” she asks.

“We were awakened by a bunch of hunky firemen, insisting on building the girls here a porch and sunroom,” Brandee says.

“That sounds terrible,” Ansley teases.

“It was a hardship, but we rallied, and now, we’re here to sip hot coffee until the sun decides to come out and grace us with a little bit of warmth.”