Chapter 43: Flooding Fears

For the second time in two days, Roxanne tried her best to rush to the car, her extra weight making it difficult. Tom helped her in, being extra attentive, and they drove back to the city to save The Hole in the Wall.When they arrived, water was gushing into the storeroom at the back, as rain poured down on the concrete outside. With the storm drains clogged from debris and falling leaves, the water piled up and forced its way into the back of the bar.Their new manager and some other employees were busy bailing water as fast as they could, however; with each bucket they managed to toss, more water seeped in. Tom ran outside to see if he could clear some of the drains. The rain kept falling, and Roxanne felt helpless.“Go back and serve the guests,” Roxanne told some of the employees as she picked up a pot and started to wade in the water herself. Knee-deep in some places, she started throwing water out the back door. A few minutes later, the rain subsided.Roxanne looked around at the mess – pots and pans floating, sludge accumulating around their storage cabinets and several feet of knee-deep water to contend with. She thought about her dad, glad he was safe at home, resting. Had he been there, he would have rolled up his sleeves and joined the crew, which wasn’t the best idea at his age.As she dipped the pot into a large pool of water on the floor, she heard a familiar voice ring out, “Y’all better give me a bucket,” Roxanne was surprised to find Ruby in the stockroom.“Roxanne,” she said in a long drawl, “You best be stopping what you’re doing. That baby doesn’t need to be wading through this muck.” Wearing a pair of sandals and light capri pants, Ruby splashed her way to Roxanne, not caring about ruining her outfit.“What are you doing here?” Roxanne asked, watching as Danny also waded his way in the water.“After your successful opening the other night, I met Danny.” She nodded toward him and smiled. “He brought me back here for drinks.”Roxanne smirked as she handed Ruby her pot. “You don’t have to do this. We can get someone to help.”“Nonsense,” said Ruby as she and Danny dug in the water and threw it out the opening in the back. “I don’t mind getting a little dirty.” She winked at Danny who blushed. “We heard the staff talking about some trouble back here, so we came to check it out.”When Tom returned, he took Ruby’s pot and relieved her. They were making progress as the water was only ankle-deep by then. Ruby sat down next to Roxanne at the far end of the room.“You’ve got a good one there, you know?” Ruby nodded at Tom.“I know,” Roxanne said. “And he’s working like mad, trying to make the development project a success.”“I know,” Ruby said.“And Danny, he’s a little rough around the edges,” Roxanne thought about how to characterize him “but he means well, and he knows more than he lets on.”Ruby grinned. “He’s nothing I can’t handle,” she said.Roxanne grabbed a beer and a soda from a supply shelf, twisted off the top, and handed the beer to Ruby. “I know it’s not your chardonnay, but…”“It’s okay. This feels more like a beer occasion anyway,” Ruby said. She turned out to be much different than Roxanne expected. The first time they met, Roxanne saw Ruby as a vapid debutante who was only concerned with old high school gossip, but it turned out that Ruby was a sensible woman with charm and grace who didn’t mind getting her hands dirty for a friend.Roxanne thought about how hard it must have been for Owen to take care of problems at the bar alone. He always seemed like nothing ever ruffled him; yet, she knew that couldn’t be true. No wonder he wanted to start his own brewery. He’d be less reliant on his suppliers, able to sell his own product. Thinking about his dream being burnt to the ground, made Roxanne want revenge.She considered how Owen might have handled the flood and decided he probably would have offered a free round or two of drinks to anyone willing to bail out some water. Her father and a few other guys probably would have taken him up on the offer. Roxanne, however, was glad to find she had friends and a caring boyfriend to help.The men took a break and sat with the ladies on the dirty floor, their hands and bodies muddied by the murky water, while Roxanne retrieved two more beers. She looked at the four of them, unlikely pals, sitting on the floor of an old familiar bar she never expected to own.“To friends,” said Roxanne and held up her bottle of soda. They all clinked them together.It took a few hours, but they were able to get rid of most of the standing water in the storeroom. Numerous places around the city had been affected by the storm. Luckily, Tom was able to secure some fans and equipment to further dry the place and hired a flood restoration company to repair the damage.After their restful retreat was cut short and they were finished dealing with their emergency, Tom and Roxanne journeyed home, exhausted. They both showered and crawled into bed.“Oohh, the baby’s moving,” she said and brought Tom’s hand to her stomach. The baby turned and pushed against Roxanne’s skin. Tom felt the pressure against his fingers, and his eyes widened.“Careful in there,” he said to the baby. “Don’t hurt the woman I love.”Roxanne looked over at Tom, her brows furrowed. “Did you just say you love me?”Tom turned his face to hers. “I was going to tell you on our trip to the spa.”“Well, it’s about time,” Roxanne said. He kissed her and stared straight in her eyes. His intensity reminded Roxanne of the night they first met when she had trouble reading his stoic face.“Roxanne, I love you.” His face stayed still and serious.“Tom,” she said, “I love you, too.” His face thawed into a radiant smile that beamed warm rays into Roxanne’s heart. Slowly, their faces came closer until their lips gently rested together, the sensuous nature of the kiss creating a flurry of movement from the baby. Roxanne could feel Tom’s love for both of them inside her.When their faces parted a bit, Roxanne smiled and Tom smiled back, looking happy and relaxed, his earlier nerves having dissipated. Roxanne nestled in his arms, feeling loved and cherished.With the flooding disaster behind them, they could focus on their life ahead – their baby, the bar, their development deal. She felt like she should be able relax and enjoy her blissful moments with Tom; however, she couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that she needed to make Baxter pay for his crimes.