“Sounds like you’re leveling up.”
“Trying to,” Mia said quietly.
“Well, I’ve had your food, and it’s delicious and pretty. This should be easy.” Autumn smiled. “We should absolutely shoot in the new space. I can see it already. Natural light, a few styled plates, some action shots. You cooking, plating.”
Mia felt a small spark of excitement. “That sounds perfect.”
“Good, I can’t wait to get started,” Autumn said. “Your food deserves to be seen.”
Mia glanced down at the tart, its glossy berries catching the light, and wished just for a moment that she could shine the same way.
Back at the old barn,while Mia was in town, Roy stayed close, making himself useful while the electrician worked, asking a few practical questions about the panel and what it meant for the rest of the property.
A new panel. Clean. Labeled. Not like the old one.
He watched the man tighten the last screw, the metal door swinging shut with a solid click. A sound that felt final in a way he didn’t quite like.
CHAPTER 26
Caleb showedup late afternoon on Thursday. He stopped at the farmhouse while she and her dad were finishing coffee.
“The guys wrapped up the barn,” he said. “Want to see it?”
Mia blinked. She hadn’t been over there for a couple of days. “Oh my, yes,” she exclaimed, then turned to her father. “Dad?”
His eyes lit up instantly. “I’d love to see the finished work.”
They walked slowly toward the barn, the late-day sun peeking through the trees. The crew was packing up its tools. Laughter drifted from the lot as someone slammed a truck door. Roy was nearby, sweeping up around the barn.
Caleb pulled one of the big wooden doors open.
Mia stepped inside and stopped short.
Soaring timber trusses drew the eye upward, the honey-colored wood glowing beneath two massive wrought-iron chandeliers, each ringed with dozens of candle-style bulbs. The light was warm and even, settling the space and turning the barn from a worksite into something welcoming.
The wide plank floors were finished, smooth beneath her feet. Round tables and bamboo chairs were already arranged, spaced just right.
At the back, the doors stood open to the covered patio, framing the pond beyond. Sunlight shimmered across the water, and Mia could already envision guests drifting outside with drinks in hand during cocktail hour.
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She took a steadying breath. Her father clasped her hand and squeezed.
“It’s…” she trailed off. “It’s perfect.”
Beside her, her father nodded. “You’ve built something special here.”
Mia didn’t argue. She simply stood there, letting the space settle around her.
“Do you have a name?” Caleb asked gently.
She looked at her dad, then back at the barn. “I think The Event Barn at Whitmore Farm.”
Her father smiled. “Sounds just right.”
Caleb nodded once.The name fit.
He watched her for a moment and then stepped outside.
Some things didn’t need anything added to them.
