Fuck.
“And let me guess, you did the electrical in that house?”
“Six years ago,” he confirms, and it all starts to make sense.
“You don’t know that it was something that you did wrong.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know that it’snotsomething that I did wrong. We won’t know until there’s an investigation. They might have had too many things plugged into one outlet for all I know, but it’s a house that I wired, and it burned to the fucking ground because of an electrical issue, so, yeah, I feel obligated to do something. I’m not a rich man like Wolfe. I can’t give them money, or hell, offer to build them a new house, but I can do something.”
“They’ll have insurance, man. Did anyone get hurt?”
“No. No one was home.”
“Well, that’s something, then.”
We spend a good part of the drive in silence, watching what we can of the scenery as it gets darker and darker.
I shoot Sarah a text, letting her know what’s up, and before long, there are signs of more civilization as Newport comes into view.
Apollo leads the other trucks to a storage unit where a couple is waiting, and when Apollo gets out of the truck and walks over to them, they shake his hand and offer him smiles.
They’re not angry with him in the least.
I hop out and join the others who have pulled in behind us, and we wait for instructions.
“We’re just going to put everything in here,” Apollo says as he joins us, pointing to the large storage unit. “Tetris-style. They have some more donations coming in the next few days, so we’ll pack this stuff tight and try not to take up the whole storage space.”
Less than thirty minutes later, the trucks are unloaded, and everything is packed neatly in the unit, leaving plenty of room for more donations.
“Thank you,” the man says as he shakes all of our hands. “We really appreciate your kindness.”
I notice that June smiles at him, and without a glance back at Apollo, walks to her truck, and with Luna in the passenger seat, they drive away, headed toward home.
It’s late when I walk back into my own house. Sarah isn’t quite home from work yet. I offered to come pick her up, but she said a coworker would give her a ride.
So, I sit on the loveseat next to Petunia, and wait for her to come home.
I wakeup and immediately realize that it’s morning. The sky is lightening with the sunrise, and someone draped a blanket over me.
I must have fallen asleep before Sarah got home.
And I must have beenout, because I didn’t hear, or feel, a thing.
Coffee sounds like the best thing since sliced bread as I stretch my arms over my head and yawn, then sit up and scratch my scalp, but then I see movement through the window, down on the beach below, that catches my eye.
Sarah.
Walking down to the sand for a stroll along the water.
I grin and push the blanket aside.
I do believe I’ll join her.
ChapterNine
Sarah
I’m so freaking tired.