Page 104 of Happily Ever After

She glanced toward her bedroom. Yep, she should do some laundry. But she stayed in her recliner, the ceiling fan whirring softly overhead.

A car drove by, flashing sunlight off the windshield and into her house. Pixel’s tank bubbled away, a sound that had always relaxed her. It would be pretty easy to nap. She was already in her recliner.

Her phone vibrated. She picked it up off the side table and smiled when she saw Ollie’s name. She answered it without hesitation. “Hey.”

“Hey,” he said. His voice sounded lighter than it had in weeks. “I know this is last-minute, but I wanted to see if you were free.”

Maude tucked one leg beneath her. “What’s up?”

“You know I worked a double yesterday,” he said. “Which means I actually have today off. Nolan’s home, and I thought maybe we could go to the beach for a couple hours. All of us. You, me, Nolan, and Milo. We’ll bring lunch. All you have to bring is yourself.”

The answer came easily. She’d been wanting to go to the beach. “I’d love that.”

There was a pause on the other end, like he’d been bracing himself for disappointment. “Really? I thought you’d be busy.”

“Who could turn down an offer like that? I’m free until book club tonight,” she said. “When?”

“How about half an hour?” Ollie asked. “Or is that too short notice?”

“Nope. I’ll be there,” Maude replied.

When she hung up, a big smile spread across her face. An afternoon at the beach with Ollie, Nolan, and Milo sounded like exactly what she needed. She felt content. And maybe a tiny bit giddy. Time with Ollie was always something special.

Getting ready didn’t take long. She threw on her tankini, foregoing a bikini, since Nolan was going to be there. Over that, she added a gauzy sundress that made a great coverup.

She got her beach tote out and added a hat, some sunscreen, and a thermos of ice water, just in case. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and caught her reflection in the mirror before turning away.

Cute, she thought. Without trying too hard. She headed for the beach.

She found Ollie and Nolan there. Ollie was setting up the umbrella. Nearby, Milo was digging a hole with the kind of excitement only a dog could muster for that sort of thing, sand flying everywhere. Nolan stood a few feet away, skim board tucked under one arm, watching Milo and grinning.

“Hey,” Maude said as she approached.

Ollie looked up and smiled, his expression full of genuine warmth. “Hey.”

Nolan waved. “S’up?”

Maude waved back as Milo caught sight of her. He barreled toward her, tail wagging so hard his whole body was wiggling. Maude laughed and crouched to greet him. “Hi, there, Milo, my boy. How are you, baby? Having fun?”

“He is now that you’re here,” Ollie said, his gaze lingering on her. “He loves you.”

She held Ollie’s look. “The feeling is mutual.”

Nolan didn’t linger. “I’m going in.” He kicked off his flipflops and jogged toward the water, board under his arm, focused on the waves.

“Have fun,” Ollie yelled after him.

Maude watched him as he sprinted into the water. “He looks like he knows what he’s doing.”

“He thinks he does,” Ollie said. “But then, show me a teenage boy who doesn’t think they’re good at everything.”

“True. You need help?”

He shoved the umbrella the rest of the way up and shook his head. “Nope. Just need to set up the chairs.”

She loved that he’d brought two. She dropped her bag and opened the second chair, placing it right next to his.

He sat with a sigh. “I’m glad you came. I needed this break and time with you just makes it that much better.”