So, not a boyfriend. And definitely not a husband.
Mia clearly wasn’t thrilled about Roy being anywhere near the job, but she loved and respected her father enough not to fight him on it.
Caleb slid behind the wheel and let out a long breath. This sucked. He hated having people around a construction site whodidn’t know what they were doing. It was dangerous for them and everyone else.
He could understand why Mr. Whitmore needed help around the farm. But who was Roy to them, exactly?
What bothered him most was the simple truth he couldn’t shake. Roy Spencer didn’t like Mia. Why? And if he didn’t, why would he want to be involved with the barn?
There were too many questions. Too many warning bells.
One thing was certain: He was going to keep an eye on Roy Spencer.
CHAPTER 13
The patio lightsof the Lakeshore Inn flicked on as the sky shifted from pale salmon to indigo and the sun slid toward the lake, the waves shimmering in gold. The weather was cool enough for people to wander around outside. Small white lights twinkled along the railing, their glow catching on the water like drifting stars.
Inside, the event hummed with clinking glasses, the scrape of chairs and the low murmur of voices. The white stucco walls, dark wood beams and large windows overlooking the water gave the room a warm, old Florida charm. Light jazz played softly from the overhead speakers, barely audible under the chatter.
Mia wiped her palms on her apron and surveyed the buffet table. Her shoulders eased a notch. Maybe tonight wouldn’t implode. So far, everything was going according to plan. No hiccups. No missing food. No delays. A rare miracle.
The long wooden table held trays of roasted shrimp crostini, mini crab cakes with lemon aioli, mini brisket sliders on rosemary buns, two large charcuterie boards stacked with cheddar, goat cheese, salami, fruit, nuts and fig jam, and tomato tartlets. The scent of roasted garlic and lemon from the crostini drifted upward, mixing with the brisket’s smoky sweetness. Herstomach rumbled—ridiculous, considering she’d been cooking all day. The shrimp and crab were crowd-pleasers and needed to be replenished.
Thankfully, she managed to get two new people to help.
Caleb had come through asking Norah if she could help. The woman in question was crossing the room with a tray of empty flutes balanced as if she’d been doing this for years. Quiet. Efficient. A good hire.
She stopped close, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, lowering her voice. “Uh, Mia? I should have asked before, but can I get paid in cash tonight? Or at least part of it?” Her eyes dipped for a moment. “It would really help.”
“No problem. We’ll sort it out after the last table is cleared.”
Norah’s shoulders relaxed just a fraction. “Thank you. And if you need someone next week, I can help again.” She said it lightly, but there was a hopeful edge to her voice.
“I’ll keep you on the list,” Mia said. “You’re really good at this.”
Mia gave Norah a reassuring pat and headed toward Sarah. Paying cash to servers didn’t bother her. A lot of them lived paycheck to paycheck. Picking up extra work for cash was a way to supplement their income. It was Norah’s quiet desperation that bothered her. But she didn’t need to get into another person’s problems right now. She had her own.
Sarah approached with a tray of bacon-wrapped dates and mini puff-pastry tarts with goat cheese and caramelized onions. The sweet-savory scent reached Mia a second before she did.
“The tarts are a big hit,” Sarah said. She stepped closer to Mia and leaned in. “You’re not going to believe this,” she murmured.
Oh, please. Not tonight. Not when everything was finally running smoothly.
“Don’t look now, but the women by the terrace doors are bitching about Sabrina. One of them said Sabrina lowballed aclient so they wouldn’t go with you. And when the event fell apart, she quietly let everyone know it was your fault.”
Mia stared at her, anger prickling under her skin. “What?”
“I know.” Sarah nodded. “Then another woman said Dana’s been complaining she’s losing business to you.”
Mia could only shake her head. Gossip like this wasn’t much different from some of the caterers in New York. The difference was in the client pool. Huge in New York. Not so much in Haywood Lake. Rumors and gossip could ruin her business.
For a moment she felt nauseous. If people were talking about her stealing business, it could hit her bottom line. Not only her bottom line but her father’s care. Her entire future.
She blew out her breath. “Nothing to do about it except give the best food and service we can.”
“True,” Sarah replied. “On a positive note, Norah seems to know her way around an event. Good hire.”
“I agree.” Mia scanned the room. “Well, I’m going to get the desserts ready and mingle a bit. Hopefully get some more business.”
