“Barely,” Autumn said. “You working or escaping?”
“Both,” Sabrina said lightly. Her eyes flicked to Mia. “Congrats on Ridgeway. We were all hoping to land that. It’s a good win.”
We.
“Thanks,” Mia said, surprised but pleased. “Word travels fast.”
Sabrina smiled. “It does around here.”
She lingered a moment longer, as if she wanted to add something else but didn’t. “Well.” She glanced toward the counter. “I should grab my coffee before the line forms. See you around.”
“See you,” Tessa said.
Sabrina gave a small wave and moved off.
As she did, Autumn leaned in slightly. “She’s been busy, but I heard she’s lost a couple of clients.”
Mia nodded. “Haven’t we all?”
The lightness returned but not quite as bright as before. Sabrina and Dana were her biggest competitors and, according to Dana and Heather, Sabrina was her loudest critic. Haywood Lake wasn’t as cutthroat as the city, but rumors and information circulated faster.
The bell over the door chimed again, and Mia glanced at her watch. Almost lunchtime. She’d promised to fix something for her dad today.
She checked her phone. Nothing from Caleb yet.
“I should get back,” she said, sliding out of her chair. “I’ve got some work to do this afternoon.”
“Did I see the van out there?” Tessa asked.
Mia nodded. “Yeah. My car is at Caleb’s. I need to pick it up.”
Lainey tilted her head. “You want one of us to…”
“It’s okay,” Mia said quickly, already reaching for her purse. “Roy’s around. I’ll ask him to take me over later.”
By late afternoon, Mia had eaten lunch with her father, worked on her social media mentioning the Ridgeway Foundation fundraiser, sketched out a tentative menu, and walked through the event barn again, just to make sure nothing had been disturbed. Caleb promised to send his guys over when he got back to start repairs.
Roy was puttering around the property when she found him.
“I’ve got a couple more things to do, and then I’m making dinner for Dad. You’re welcome to join us,” she said, then added, “Also, would you mind driving me to Caleb’s on your way home? My car’s there, and I’d rather drive it than the van.”
“Sure,” he said. “What’s for dinner?” He looked hopeful.
Mia smiled. That was the Roy she knew. “Meatloaf?”
He made a fist once, triumphant. “I’m in.”
Dinner was a success. Dad was happy Roy was there. Roy acted as if he was thrilled to have a home-cooked meal. After he helped her pick up the dishes, she asked, “Are you ready?”
He nodded. They walked to his truck. “I’ve been thinking about the fire,” he started. “And the cameras.”
Her shoulders tensed slightly. “Okay.”
“Caleb covered the property,” he continued. “Which is smart. But it got me wondering about the stuff you keep off-site. The good flatware, the silver serving platters.”
Mia frowned. “Why?”
“Because if someone was poking around the barn,” he said, “they might be targeting the off-site unit. We haven’t been there in a while.”
