“No, it’s high enough off the floor.”
“Good. Make sure it stays that way. Then call ServPro. The insurance information should be in the office. Ruby, call my mother and let her know what’s going on. She can bring towels, sheets, whatever she can find to soak things up.”
Liam put in a call to Mitch.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“Flood at the pharmacy. I need every shop vac and box fan you can get your hands on.”
“On it.”
Within half an hour, the pharmacy was full of people springing to action to try and minimize the damage. By the time the water slowed to a drip, the floor was inches deep and water was flowing out the front door. The entire over-the-counter painkiller and allergy/sinus section was a lost cause. So was a huge chunk of the first aid supplies. Product boxes swollen with water floated by.
Riley wasn’t crying, but she was obviously close. Her face was dead white, and she was shaking. Somewhere along the way she’d gotten rid of the sweater. Liam hoped it hadn’t been damaged.
He took her by the shoulders. “Look at me.” When she didn’t move, he tipped her face toward his himself. “I’m going to fix this.”
“I don’t—”
“Riley, don’t argue with me. This is my fault. The damn thing was ancient and has been on the list of things to replace. I didn’t get to it fast enough. I’ll fix it. I swear.” He could offer her that, at least.
It was a mark of her level of upset that she didn’t argue, merely gave a reluctant nod. She took a hiccuping breath and pressed her forehead to his chest. But before he could wrap his arms around her, pull her in, she straightened and turned away, mechanically going through the motions of trying to salvage what she could of her business.
Cursing himself and the situation, Liam wondered if he had any more likelihood of salvaging his chances with her.
Chapter 8
Riley’s shoes were sopping. They’d rubbed blisters on her heels and the instep of one foot. The hems of her pants had mostly dried, but in the heavy, humid air inside pharmacy, everything felt damp and sticky. Exhausted, heartsick, she methodically counted the boxes of ruined over-the-counter allergy meds and marked the tally down on the inventory sheet before she added them to a bag for proper disposal.
It seemed like half the town had sprung into action at Liam’s call for help. But it wasn’t enough. Everything was falling apart.
Above her, the ceiling gaped open, the occasional drip of water hitting her shoulders and head like spittle from some kind of hellmouth. The variable-width wood floors, original to the century-old building, were warped and buckled. Though water no longer stood in puddles, it had wicked up the drywall, which was more like wetwall now, the top layer bubbling and peeling in places. Chunks had been removed to allow the air to circulate, so that the fans and dehumidifiers could do their job, which would take days. The insulation that dangled reminded Riley of nothing so much as the guts of her business, spilling out of a mortal wound.
It was an apt comparison. How much revenue had been lost today? How much would be lost tomorrow, while they were closed so that more clean up could proceed and the remaining displays rearranged for some kind of functional layout? How much stock had she lost that insurance wouldn’t cover because of the deductible?
Thinking about the numbers had a migraine pricking behind her eyes, which didn’t at all help the tears she’d been fighting all day. At least she’d be alone soon if they spilled over.
“The claims adjuster on the building insurance will be here tomorrow,” Molly announced, coming out of the office. “We should have a check to cover the damages pretty quickly.”
Liam emerged from the storeroom, his clothes a patchwork of wet and drywall dust from where he’d been ripping open walls. “That’s something, though I can’t get started on repairs until things dry out.”
“You can get started figuring out how much you’ll need of materials and make arrangements to get them here. That way you’ll have a plan and be ready to hit the ground running as soon as they clear out all these fans.” Molly wrapped an arm around Riley’s shoulders. “We’re going to get this taken care of.”
“I know.” God she missed having Molly take an active hand in the business. Sliding an arm around her waist, Riley leaned in for a hug. “My priority tomorrow is to get things arranged into whatever temporary state we’re going to have to live in so that the business can still open. Revenues aside, people need their medications. I already started a box of products from the front to donate to the women’s shelter. There’s a fair bit of stuff that had damaged packaging, but the contents are still usable. It might as well go to somewhere it can still be used instead of in the trash. I’d like to take that over tomorrow, too.”
“That’s a good idea. Meanwhile, I’m pulling mom rank on both of you. Jessie and Ruby actually listened when I sent them home an hour ago. Let’s all get out of here and go home. Get some sleep. We’re all exhausted, and there’s nothing more we can do here tonight.”
Riley had absolutely no desire to go home. With her mom in residence, it was no longer her sanctuary. She just couldn’t handle Sharilyn’s well-meaning concern on top of her own worries. But Molly was right. She couldn’t stay here.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Liam said.
Was this another attempt to talk to her alone? If it was, Riley wasn’t interested. She couldn’t take anything else tonight.
“That’s really not necessary.”
“It’s late, Riley.”
“And last time I checked, the only person skulking around and scaring me to death lately was you.”