The list of items left to complete was short.
Good.
That left one thing.
She flipped to a fresh page and wrote at the top:
Foundry—Early Winter Wedding Tasting.
The bride’s mother had been clear. Formal. Sit-down. Elegant. The mayor’s daughter—no pressure at all. At least they booked The Foundry, and Mia knew that kitchen inside and out. That helped.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, already building the menu in her head.
Early winter in Florida could be cool. So the food needed warmth without heaviness. Comfort yet sophisticated. Dishes that felt celebratory without fuss.
She started sketching ideas. Soup or salad. Filet or chicken. Something vegetarian.
The overhead lights flickered.
Her phone buzzed on the table before she could glance up.
Caleb!Mia smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” he said. “I wanted to start the day hearing your voice. I had a wonderful time last night. Been thinking of you every hour since.”
Oh my, be still my beating heart. “Me too. It was fun, and I really enjoyed dancing with you.”
Silence. “It was the highlight of my evening, especially when we kissed good night.”
“You sweet talker, you,” she teased. “What are you up to today?”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” he replied. “I have a short assignment for the Brotherhood.”
Her fingers tightened on the phone. “How short?”
“Just a few days. I’m headed out tonight. Called the guys. They will continue work on the barn until I get back.”
Disappointment flickered for a moment. She swallowed it down. This was part of his life. “Be safe.”
“I will.” He paused. “And Mia? I’ll call when I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
The call ended. She set the phone down and took a sip of her coffee, now slightly cool.
He’d be gone for a few days. But he’d told her. That mattered.
She glanced up.
The lights had steadied again, the soft hum filling the barn like nothing had happened.
“Probably the wiring,” she murmured, taking a sip of coffee. Old buildings did that. She’d learned not to panic at every creak or flicker.
Still, she made a note in the margin of her pad.
Check lights.
There wasn’t much she could do about it now. It was the weekend, and she’d never get an electrician out on short notice.
