Page 27 of Rumors in Bayberry (The Bayberry, Vermont #3)

Chapter Twenty

W hy did he want to go to there?

Sadie already knew what they’d find. She could still recall the tears in her mother’s voice when she’d informed her that the building was a complete loss.

Just the thought made the breath catch in the back of Sadie’s throat.

It was hard to fathom that something that had been an important part of her entire life was just gone.

She’d tried to call her father that morning, but he was already on the phone. Her mother informed her that her father was feeling somewhat better and he was in contact with the insurance company.

Her phone had lit up most of the night with messages from the community.

Her friends sent their condolences, and everyone wanted to know about Reed.

She thought they were asking if he was okay, but somehow the rumor going around town was that Reed started the fire.

Sadie was horrified. She told them he was the hero.

He saved Binx. She asked everyone to spread the word that he was a hero.

If they were going to gossip, they at least had to have the correct information.

She really didn’t know if she was up to seeing an important piece of her past and her present in smoldering ash. But Reed was so insistent. Was it some sort of reaction to his trauma?

She had absolutely no idea what he and Binx had gone through in her burning apartment. He’d gone into the fire because he thought she was in trouble. The thought touched a spot in her heart. Nobody had ever done something like that for her.

She would be forever indebted to him. So, if he wanted to go to the site of the fire that’s where she’d take him. There was a part of her that wouldn’t believe it was all gone until she saw the smoldering debris with her own eyes.

The closer she got to the Gazette , the tighter the knot in her stomach became. She hadn’t been able to eat a bite that morning. She couldn’t even stomach the thought of coffee. Somehow having Reed next to her gave her strength.

She focused fully on the road as she turned onto Locust Drive.

She knew if she let her gaze stray—if she saw the building—that she would forget what she was doing, and she’d have an accident.

That couldn’t happen for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that they’d end up spending another night in the hospital.

Neither one of them wanted a repeat visit.

There wasn’t any parking in front of the building. That area had orange cones all along the side of the road. So, she kept going until she found the first available spot.

She parked and turned off the engine. When she turned to Reed, the color had drained from his face. She knew instantly that he’d looked—he’d seen the newspaper or rather what was left of it.

“Are you okay?” She knew seeing the building would bring back memories for him—memories of being in a burning building.

He visibly swallowed. “Yes. Are you ready?”

“No.” It was the truth. She wasn’t ready to see something that had been in her family for generations totally destroyed. Still, she had to do this. “But let’s get this over with.”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come here. I’m sorry.”

“I’m doing this.” She opened the car door and got out.

Reed met her on the sidewalk on the other side of the road from the newspaper. Her gaze was already wandering down the street and trying to see what, if anything, was left of the Gazette . But there were too many trees lining the street to get a good view.

He took her hand in his. She wasn’t sure if he made the gesture as support for her…or himself. His fingers laced with hers, and it felt good to have his hand against hers.

“Okay. Let's do this.” He turned, and together they started to walk toward the newspaper office.

With each step, her heart beat faster. Her stomach churned. And her head started to pound. It was like she was living a nightmare.

She told herself she’d feel better once she saw the building.

Once she knew how much repair work was going to be required to make it the way it used to be, she would be able to make a plan.

They could get the insurance payout, and then they could get quotes for the work. It would be hard, but they could do it.

The farther they went, the slower she walked. Her feet felt heavy, and her legs were stiff. She stared down at the sidewalk, hoping the damage wasn’t as bad as she was imagining.

Reed stopped. She glanced over at him. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re here.”

“Oh.” She hesitated.

And then she turned her head. She gasped, which came out as more like a cry. She blinked, but the nightmare wouldn’t go away.

The damage that she’d imagined they’d find—it…well, it didn’t even come close to reality. There was no building to repair. There wasn’t a second story. There wasn’t even a first floor.

Everything was charred. There were a few beams sticking up out of the ashes. Her home… It was gone. Her bed. Her books. Her pictures. It was all…gone.

She pressed a hand to her chest, which felt tight. Her vision blurred. She blinked repeatedly as her mind tried to grasp the reality that the newspaper office where she’d spent time since she was a little girl—a place where she’d made so many memories—was gone in a puff of smoke.

Suddenly, she realized she was leaning into Reed’s side as tears streamed down her cheeks. His arm was wrapped around her back, holding her close. She didn’t know if she’d made the first move or if he had. In that moment, she didn’t think it mattered.

“I’m so sorry,” Reed said softly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She knew she was supposed to pull it together and act mature about this, but she couldn’t. This place had been a piece of her heritage. Now, it was nothing more than ash.

She didn’t know how long they stood there, staring at the total loss. Numerous friends came by and offered their sympathies. There were tears. There were hugs. It was a lot, and it was utterly draining.

After picking up Reed’s things at the B&B, they had lunch at Wrights’ Eatery. Neither one of them had much appetite. Nor did either of them say much. What was there to say? It felt as though everything was ending. And definitely not in a good way.

Her apartment was gone. Her family’s newspaper was gone. And soon Reed would be gone. She supposed that soon she should be gone too.

She needed something to do—something to distract her.

When her gaze strayed across the checkout counter with a flyer for the Pumpkin Festival, she realized she could go help with the maze.

It would give her something to keep herself busy.

But first, she needed get Reed situated at Kate’s house and she wanted to check on Binx.

Sadie drove a few blocks until they reached the corner of Valley Lane and Flatlander Way.

To her right sat a large Victorian-style home with berry-red paint and white trim.

It was just the kind of place where there should be a family.

Even though Kate and Wes had just married that summer, Kate had mentioned not wanting to wait for kids.

If everything went as planned, it wouldn’t be long until there were little ones running around the yard and rolling in the leaf pile beneath the large maple tree in the front yard.

“We’re here,” Sadie said.

“It’s a cute place.”

She nodded. “From what I understand, it was Wes’s childhood home.”

“Is everyone from Bayberry?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“Only the really cool people.”

“Hey.” He frowned at her. “Are you saying I’m not cool?”

She smiled and shrugged. The banter felt good after what they’d been through in the past not quite twenty-four hours. “Come on. I messaged Kate from the restaurant, and she said that she was working from home this afternoon.”

They made their way up the sidewalk that led to the wraparound porch and the sweeping front steps leading up to the double-door entrance. Before Sadie could knock, the door swung open.

Kate rushed out and gave Sadie a hug. When she pulled back, she said, “I’m so sorry about the fire.”

“Thanks. How’s Binx?”

“He hasn’t come out from under the bed in the guest room. Poor guy. He seems rattled.”

“Can I go see him?”

“Sure. He’s still your cat. And I think he really wants to see you.”

“Thanks.” Sadie stepped inside the house and then turned back.

“Don’t worry,” Kate said. “I’ll show Reed around.”

Sadie nodded and then headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She knew her way to the guest room because she’d helped Kate paint it a pale blue and then they'd hung new white curtains.

She rushed into the room and stopped next to the bed. “Binx. Binx, come here.”

“Mrrr…” Binx crawled out from under the bed.

“Binx.” Her tone rose with excitement.

After giving him a quick onceover and noticing not a single hair on his body had been injured, thanks to Reed, she scooped him up into her arms. Binx let out a loud purr as he rubbed his head against her chin.

“Thank goodness you’re safe, little guy.” She hugged him. “How am I supposed to leave you now?”

As she ran a hand over his silky soft fur, the events of the past twenty-four hours caught up with her.

There was nothing she could do about the newspaper burning down.

And she couldn’t do anything about her apartment, which was now nothing more than ash.

Reed didn’t need her to do anything for him. Thankfully, he was on the mend.

But there was something she could do about her job. It felt like it was all she had left. She could feel her position slipping out of her hands. Sadie couldn’t sit still and let that happen.

She sat Binx on the bed and then sat down next to him. He climbed onto her lap and laid down. Boy, he was getting to be a big boy.