Page 43 of Five Days to Be Mine

Mara blushes. “I did notice my sister-in-law was packing up some dinnerware when she was here the night before last, but I thought my mom asked her to do something. I swear, it didn’t look like this when I came down this morning.”

Mara opens a hallway closet and passes me a fluffy red towel.

“Thanks.”

“Help you?” A man with a scruffy beard stopped us.

“Just here to get a bag and then I'm out of your hair.”

“Good.” he nods.

I take note of the construction company’s name, keeping them in mind.

These guys are efficient and who knows when I might need a reno team.

Mara rushes past me to the staircase.

“I’ll be five minutes.”

“Take your time.” I sit on the stairs, taking out my phone.

It rings in my palm. “Hey Theo. What’s happening?”

“You know I'm trying to buy this business?”

“Yeah.”

Theo, my quiet younger brother, found a restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

I suspect he’s fallen for the woman who works there.

Noel, our oldest brother, has been looking into buying it at Theo’s request.

“The town doesn’t care if this building sits empty after having the restaurant in it for years. They’re afraid of being overrun by cupcake shops and cafes so they are only approving unique businesses.”

I can’t help but grin.

Four guys carrying lumber walk in, another two with plastic sheeting.

This is going to be one hell of an involved renovation.

“The Brennon Consortium owns one kinky resort in the middle of nowhere and a fetish restaurant. Why not another fetish café or a B&B?”

“Noel said the same thing,” Theo says. “But you know…I don't like being out with my tastes.”

“Think about it,” I tell him. “Are you in the city?”

“I’m finishing a job in Victoria. It’s taking longer than I thought,” Theo grumbles.

I smile, suspecting that he just wants to be back in the middle of nowhere.

“It often does,” I hear Mara on the stairs and I stand. “Talk to you later, little bro.”

“Later.”

I slip my phone in my pocket and take the rolling suitcase from Mara.

“I can take it,” she protests.

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