Page 58 of Reckoning

Tate felt the first pang of separation at the same time he felt her joy. “Fantastic, darlin’! This is the start of us. Are you going to accept it, or wait to see what else comes?”

“Oh, I’m going to accept it. There can’t be a better offer, and I know I don’t want to live up north in snow nine months out of the year.”

Her delight was catching. “So, now I know where to locate myself. We’ll be in the same city, which is more than I hoped for. Have you told your dad yet?”

“No, but I will now that I’ve told you.”

“I’m proud of you, Briar. So proud of you,” Tate said. “I know you’re busy at your house, but is it okay if I come by tomorrow and bring your birthday present?”

“Absolutely, okay! Can’t wait to see you,” she said.

“See you then, darlin’. Love you.” Then he got up and went back into the house, got his laptop, and headed for his room. After the caustic interchange with Bev Harwell, and the TV interview with the well-known reporter from St. Louis calling him an actual psychic and praising him for a warning that saved her life, he had an idea.

Chapter 11

Roger received a call from a couple in the area who’d just come home from vacation to discover the tornado damage to their home. They lived up in the mountains, nearly twenty miles from Star Ridge. They weren’t his clients, but they needed an adjuster to come to the property before they could file a claim and begin restoration, and he was also a certified adjuster.

“I can get there today, but it’s about an hour and a half drive. I need to take pictures and assess the damage before you attempt to file a claim. I have your address and GPS. I’ll find you,” he said, then hung up. “Rita, I’ll be out of the office for the rest of the day. You’ll need to lock up the office tonight. I’ll call Briar on the way out of town.”

“Yes, sir. No problem,” Rita said.

Roger went into the storage room, grabbed the camera and his overshoes, and took his briefcase with him as he went out the back door. He was loading up the car when he got a call from Briar. He groaned, hoping it wasn’t some emergency that was going to delay his trip.

“Hey,” he said. “I was just about to call you. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I thought you might like to know that I just received a letter from Tulane offering me that four-year, full-ride scholarship I wanted. It begins at the January semester.”

A wide smile spread across his face. “Congratulations! You did it! Good for you, honey! Fantastic news!”

“Thanks,” she said. “So, what were you going to call me about?”

“Oh. Right! I just got a call from some people needing an insurance adjuster. They live up in the mountains about twenty miles from here. It’s going to be after dark before I get home. I just wanted you to know ahead of time, so you can lock everything up after the workers are gone.”

“Oh…sure thing,” Briar said. “I’ll be fine. Safe travels. Don’t drive too fast on those mountain roads, especially after dark.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Roger said. “Take care. I’m really proud of you.”

The call ended. Briar opened her laptop, followed the instructions on the letter as to how to respond, and fifteen minutes later, she’d officially accepted her scholarship to Tulane.

She was still smiling when she headed upstairs to put her letter with all of the other college stuff she’d been accumulating. As soon as she’d filed it, she threw herself backward on her bed in a moment of elation. And then it hit her.

Her dad was going to be gone. Could this finally be the day she and Tate move from sweethearts to lovers? She leaped off the bed and ran down to see where the work crews were on their schedules.

The roofers hadn’t even come in to work today. They were on hold until the shingle delivery tomorrow. The painters had primed all of the rooms that were to be repainted and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. The plumber finally had their utility room put back together and was working now in the primary bathroom. The landscape crew was still in the backyard.

She grabbed her clipboard, headed down to her dad’s bathroom, and poked her head in the door.

“How’s it going?” she asked.

“Another fifteen minutes and then I’m done until the new commode arrives. What’s your delivery date on that?” he asked.

She checked her clipboard. “It’s coming from St. Louis. Two days out,” she said. “I’ll text you if it gets here any earlier.”

“That’ll work,” he said. “As soon as I gather up my stuff, I’ll be out of your hair,” he said.

“Noted,” Briar said, adding fresh notes, and then went outside and circled the house to get to the backyard.

To her delight, the crew was already loading up their riding lawn mower and tools.