But she was safe. For now.
Austin promised to follow up once they knew more, but for now, the barn was off-limits.
Caleb, Mia and her dad went back to the farmhouse once most of the trucks pulled out. The house was dark and still.
Mia turned on the lights, kicked off her shoes by the door and stood there, arms folded tight across her chest. For a second, she looked smaller. Worn down. Like if she let go, she might come apart.
Caleb waited. He knew that look. Shock settling in.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said quietly. “It’s a new barn.”
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s what’s sticking with me too.”
Mia put on a pot of coffee and convinced her father he should go back to bed. She went into caretaker mode automatically. Something she could control. There was nothing he or any of them could do until morning. After yawning a couple of times, he agreed.
When the coffee was finished, Mia poured them cups and sat across from Caleb at the table.
She stared at the wall, then let out a shaky breath. “I keep telling myself it’s just bad luck. One thing after another. But now… I think someone is trying to put me out of business.” She told him about the cancellations. The rumors. The blog post.
Caleb kept his face neutral, but his stomach clenched. He hated that she hadn’t leaned on him. Hated himself a little for not noticing sooner. Damn. She was going through this alone. Didn’t think he would care.
That part stung.
Dawn was just beginning to lighten the windows when she stood.
“I need to see it,” she said.
He didn’t argue. He already knew she would. He followed her outside. The walk across the property felt longer than usual. The early morning air was cold and damp, carrying the faint, bitter smell of smoke. It stuck to the back of his throat. Daylight didn’t make it better. It made it clearer.
Inside the event barn, one section was cordoned off with tape. The damage contained. Smoke had stained the boards adull gray. Water pooled in shallow puddles across the floor. The air still smelled scorched.
Mia stood just inside the doorway, arms folded tight. Caleb stayed half a step behind her, letting her lead.
The fire marshal crouched near the taped-off section. “In daylight, it’s clearer,” he said. “This wasn’t an electrical issue.”
Mia’s jaw tightened.
“The point of origin’s wrong for an accident,” he continued. “No wiring. No outlet. Nothing that would’ve failed on its own.”
Caleb’s chest tightened as his gaze tracked the burn marks climbing the wall. Too deliberate. Too patient. Someone had stood there and waited. The thought made his jaw lock. He shifted closer to Mia without realizing he’d moved.
“And this,” the marshal said, gesturing toward the floor.
Caleb stepped closer.
A footprint sat in the soot near the wall. Partial but unmistakable. Narrow, shorter than his.
Mia swallowed. “Is that…?”
“A smaller boot with a narrow tread,” the marshal said. “Based on size and pattern, it’s likely a woman’s. We documented it.”
Mia stiffened beside Caleb.
This wasn’t random or an accident. This took planning. And patience.
Footsteps sounded behind them.
Roy.
