Heather smiled and headed for the door. Already reaching for her phone as if the conversation were complete.
When she was gone, Mia stood alone in the quiet kitchen.
She didn’t want to read what Heather had left but couldn’t stop herself from unfolding it.
No Names. No Accusations. Just Questions.
With several events reportedly canceled in recent weeks, locals are beginning to wonder if timing, capacity or reliability issues are at play. For now, clients are encouraged to do their own due diligence.
It went on.
Mia’s stomach churned. This wasn’t a concern. It was poison dressed up as reason. Her business wasn’t ruined yet. But this was how it started. Rumors. Questions.
And that last line:Transparency builds confidence.
The words landed like a slap. Who could hate her enough to do this?
Well, this was just great. Rumors that were actually true. Rumors that weren’t. Her business felt like it was slipping sideways, and she didn’t know how to stop it.
She folded it up and tucked it into a drawer. One more thing she just couldn’t handle today.
Caleb got back earlySunday night and called. Asked if she could come over. They’d order takeout, relax, fool around, pretend the rest of the world could wait until morning.
Yes, she could.
She walked back to the farmhouse. Her father waved over the newspaper, then she headed upstairs to take a shower. After drying off, she changed into jeans and a sweater, pulled her hair into a ponytail, put on her sneakers and added a touch of perfume. She was ready.
She didn’t need an overnight bag. Caleb had insisted she leave a few things there. Earlier she’d pulled out something her dad could reheat for dinner, so he was all set.
It didn’t take long to get to Caleb’s cabin. She pulled onto the gravel drive, killed the engine and took a deep breath.
Tonight was not about problems. It was about connection.
She looked over, and there he was. Steady. Grounding. His eyes were warm and soft, like he was already home just seeing her. He reached her door and opened it to help her out.
“You look good,” he said, then sniffed her hair. “You smell good too.”
Mia chuckled.
They walked hand in hand into the cabin. “Wine?” he asked.
“Bottle,” she replied.
“Bad day?”
“Not the best, but I don’t want to rehash it.”
“Fair enough.”
He handed her a glass of red and set the bottle down on the table. “Just in case,” he said with a grin. “What would you like to eat?”
“Oh, surprise me,” she replied. “I don’t feel like making any decisions tonight.”
“Got it.”
He pulled out his phone and ordered Thai from a place in town. Pad Thai for him, green curry for her and an order of crispy spring rolls to share. Comfort food. Reliable.
“Twenty minutes,” he told her.
