Page 79 of Claimed By my Frenemy

“You’re right. You can either try zooming in a bit so that none of the surroundings are in the picture or you can wait for another day.”

“No, I really want to get the pictures uploaded today. I’m eager to get a booking, and I think this back patio is a good amenity.”

I wrap an arm around Mia’s shoulders and plant a kiss on her cheek. “This place is amazing. People are going to love staying here.”

She leans into me, her smile radiant. “I hope so. I’ve put so much into this place. I just want it to be perfect.”

“It already is,” I assure her. “You’ve done an incredible job.”

“Well, I’m almost done with the ones you’ve sent. I’ll go back inside but keep them coming.” An especially eager gust of wind blows Mia’s hair into my mouth, and I pull it back out. “And if you meant that when you said you would feed me, please keep the food.”

Mia giggles as she tries to keep her hand steady for another few shots. I head inside, and Mia joins me a few minutes later. The computer dings loudly as she sends picture after picture of the patio area.

I upload them and look through the rest of the description. “Look, you should highlight that you have different rooms on the same property,” I advise.

Mia looks up from her phone. Then, she comes and peers over my shoulder to the section of description I’m highlighting. “Some people may want only one room, but there may be families who would like two; one for the teens and one for them. Highlighting and linking them to the rooms that are beside each other will be a good way to reach a wider aud?—”

I almost finish what I’m saying when a loud sound interrupts the peaceful morning. It’s a crashing noise, like something breaking. We both freeze, exchanging startled glances.

“What was that?” Mia asks, her voice tinged with worry.

“I don’t know,” I reply, already out of my seat. “Let’s check it out.”

We rush through the house, our footsteps echoing on the wooden floors. The sound had come from the direction of the back of the house, and my mind races with possibilities. Did something fall? Did someone break in?

As we reach the hallway leading to the back of the house, my heart pounds in my chest. I glance at Mia, who looks justas anxious. The last thing I want is for something to go wrong. I wonder if one of my contractors wasn’t careful enough and damaged yet something else on her property.

“Stay behind me. I’ll handle this.” Just in case it’s an intruder, I grab the broom as we pass through the kitchen.

Mia nods, her eyes wide with concern. I push open the door to the back porch, bracing myself for whatever might be waiting on the other side.

39

MIA

Theo pushesthrough the door first, and I wait, peering through the screen door. I don’t see anything unusual, except… Is that glass on the back porch? I was just here fifteen minutes ago, and the place was pristine.

“Mia, you can come out, but don’t come any further than the mat.”

I don’t know what that means, but I push the screen door open.

The sound of shattering glass still echoes in my ears as I stand on the back patio. The wind must have blown out the glass on the fire-pit, leaving shards scattered everywhere. I kneel and begin picking up the pieces.

The fire-pit looks smaller without the glass shield around the edge of it.

Is this an omen? I wonder, my mind racing with anxiety. What if this is a sign of what's to come? What if everything I've worked so hard for falls apart before it even begins?

Theo begins putting the broom he grabbed to use, sweeping the glass into a pile, even sweeping areas that look completely clean.

His voice is reassuring as he says, "It's just glass, Mia. We can clean this up and get a new cover for the fire-pit. It's not the end of the world."

I nod, grateful for his calm demeanor, but my heart still feels heavy. "I know. It's just... It feels like a bad sign, you know? Like maybe this is a preview of what's going to happen with the bed and breakfast. I mean, what if someone had been sitting out here when it happened? A guest, I mean. I could be sued. Any number of things could go wrong.”

He looks at me, his blue eyes filled with understanding. "I get it. But think about everything you've accomplished. You've put so much love and effort into this place. A little wind and some broken glass can't take that away. I hate to tell you this but the hard thing about owning a place is that you’re always fixing something."

His words start to sink in, and I feel a flicker of hope. "You're right. I can't let a bit of bad luck overshadow everything. This is still going to be a great place. People are going to love it.”

We work together in silence, picking up the shards and placing them in a bucket. Then, Theo sweeps again before going over the porch with a wet rag. The task is slow and meticulous, but having Theo by my side makes it bearable.

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