The dog had needed IV fluids and a full day at the vet to nurse her back to health. She was also getting a cast on her broken leg—Luke had been correct. No one had called the veterinarian as of yet with a missing dog matching that description, so Callie and Luke promised to return for her, and Luke had stepped forward to take care of the bill. He also left his cell phone number, which the veterinary assistant had stared at as if she’d gotten a famous autograph or something.
As they headed back to Paula’s, Callie asked, “What will happen to the dog?”
“I suppose she’ll get a name.”
“Think we should keep her?”
His eyes stayed on the road. “We?”
It had been an unconscious word choice and she hadn’t meant to imply anything. “Well, I was thinking if no one claims her, I’d like to keep the dog at The Beachcomber—I’ve already fallen in love with her. But I suppose we can share custody if you’d like to have her.” She remembered how he’d said he’d like a dog when they’d first met. She wished for those times again but tried not to think about it.
“You can keep her. But then it should be you who gives her a name. What are you going to call her?” He pulled down a side street and stopped at the intersection, checking to see if it was clear to cross.
Callie thought for a while. She’d never expected to have a dog—another being to depend on her. Was she ready? Could she give it the attention it needed? But as she remembered the dog’s sweet little face, she just knew that it was meant to be. “I’d like to name her…” She rolled a few names around in her head, thinking about how she had sort of popped up out of nowhere. “Poppy.”
“Poppy,” he said, pursing his lips in thought. “Poppy the puppy. I like it.”
For the rest of the ride, Poppy brought new questions to Callie’s mind: Was The Beachcomber a place for a family dog? Family… Would it ever be somewhere to raise lots of children? Wyatt would certainly be fine—he acted so much older than his age. But what about more? What if she could’ve had children with Luke and she’d messed it up? The idea of being happy and investing herself in someone hadn’t seemed so far off, until she’d told Luke about Frederick.
They pulled up at Paula’s, behind Juliette’s SUV. They’d all gotten out and were helping with what they could while the kids tossed a ball in the yard. Frederick had piled the last of the wreckage by the street.
“Forgive me,” Paula said after she approached Luke and Callie, “but I’ve been dying to ask... Are you the Luke Sullivan? The one from the magazines?”
Luke smiled politely. “Yes.”
“Wow,” she said, astounded.
“You know, he’s more saving-puppies-and-fixing-houses than he is all those things they write in the magazines,” Callie said with a smile and a cautious look over at Luke.
He finally met her eyes but only briefly, and then he looked back at Paula, offering a small smile. “I’ll stay,” he said. “You still have a lot to take care of here. Julie, why don’t you take Callie and Olivia home?”
Juliette nodded, rounding everyone up.
“I’ll stay too, Luke,” Frederick said. Luke walked over and lifted another board, leading the way.
Twenty-Four
They pulled up outside The Beachcomber and got out of the car. The wind was still strong, whipping against them as they all walked.
Juliette and Lillian stayed with the kids while Olivia, Aiden, and Callie went to see if The Beachcomber had sustained any damage. They got up to the house and went around to the back to check it out. They were on land the whole way, which was a good thing—the waters had receded. The new walkway was damaged, she could already see. Of course the plants were gone too, and the whole yard was a soaking mess, full of debris.
“It can all be repaired,” Aiden said encouragingly.
When Callie turned to see the back of the cottage, her confidence faltered. The new porches had been ripped apart, the wood either washed away or dangling precariously from the stilts, and the shingles were missing on part of the house. She blinked, trying desperately not to tear up. The grand opening was only a week away. There was no possible way she could get it all rebuilt and ready in time. It had been risky to open during hurricane season, but they’d hoped for the best, knowing it was their only shot at recovering the some of the funds they’d spent on the remodel. She swallowed, trying to alleviate the lump in her throat.
Olivia came over and took her hand, squeezing it tightly, which only made the tears come faster as they spilled down her cheek.
“Let’s walk back around front and go inside so we can see if there is any water damage to the interior,” Aiden said softly.
They climbed the front steps and Callie pulled her keys out of her pocket, slipping them into the door. She took off her shoes on the porch and Olivia and Aiden did the same. The front of the house was fine, all the new painting and the furniture still in great shape. The air inside was hot, the air conditioning turned off before they’d left, but it all looked okay. With every step she felt relief.
Until they got to the kitchen.
There was water damage to the ceiling at the outside wall, her new paint having buckled under the pressure of the leak. The entire wall would have to be replaced, and the ceiling patched. Callie bit her trembling lip. First impressions meant everything. People were counting on her for a wonderful vacation. Reviews would make or break a business at this stage. They had to have it perfect for the opening if she wanted to make a success of this. Another tear laced with worry slid down her cheek.
“We can fix this,” Aiden said.
She shook her head, clearing her throat and trying to push away her tears. “That’s very sweet of you,” she said, looking over at Olivia. “I’m just worried about the time…”
“I know it’ll be a rush, but it’s not as bad as you think,” he said. “We’ll just need everyone to pitch in.” Aiden took Olivia’s hand. “I promise. You’ll open on time,” he said.
Even though Luke had sent a text telling his cousin he was fine, Aiden had insisted they all go to Luke’s to make sure that he didn’t need any help. Although it pained her to leave The Beachcomber, she knew there wasn’t much she could do on her own until Aiden’s crew arrived.
Luke’s house had some damage: The garage had flooded, so they used large brooms to push the water out; there was some destruction on the deck which Aiden helped to assess, and a bit of the landscaping would have to be redone. Lillian had been able to save a few of the smaller plants but the stretch to the beach was so large, their acreage so big, that there’d been room for the tide to come up.