Page 45 of Happily Ever After

Cece thought a moment. “One of my mentors, a longtime newspaper guy, once told me that truth doesn’t need to be shouted.”

Paige smiled. “I like that. And he was right.”

The doors at the front of the fitness center opened.

Cece saw the shift in Paige’s expression before she saw anything else. Just a subtle tightening along her jawline.

Cece followed her gaze.

Darcy Lane walked in, gym bag slung neatly over one shoulder. Her outfit was coordinated aqua and black spandex. Her expression held its usual haughtiness. She checked in at the front desk then headed for the locker room.

Cece kept her eyes forward. “Well,” she said quietly, not looking at Paige. “Speak of the devil.”

Paige didn’t slow her stride. “Indeed.”

Darcy disappeared into the locker room, but when she came out, she spotted them immediately. Her gaze landed on Paige, then drifted to Cece. A flicker of something passed over her face before it smoothed out again.

Paige kept on walking like she hadn’t noticed.

Cece did, too, but she couldn’t help but watch Darcy. Maybe she hadn’t heard the podcast yet, but Cece didn’t buy that. It felt like something had entered the room.

Then Darcy made it plain she absolutely knew what was going on. She crossed the room with purpose, oddly in time with the music, which almost made Cece laugh.

She looked at Paige to gauge her reaction, but Paige continued to act like nothing was going on. Her shoulders were perfectly relaxed, her stride just as smooth. Then Cece realized Paige’s jaw was slightly clenched. Just enough to be noticeable if you were looking for it.

Darcy stopped in front of their treadmills, her hands twisting one of the white fitness center towels that everyone carried around. Her smile was sharp and joyless, much like the woman herself. Her gaze flicked from Paige to Cece and back again, glinting with something that maybe wasn’t quite anger yet, but was well on its way.

“You might think you’ve gotten the upper hand,” Darcy said, her voice low, controlled. “But you haven’t.”

Neither woman answered right away. Their feet kept moving. The treadmills hummed on, indifferent.

“You have no idea what’s coming,” Darcy continued. “None.”

Paige finally looked down to meet Darcy’s gaze without breaking stride. “Is that so?”

Darcy’s smile tightened. “Enjoy this moment while you can.”

Cece watched her carefully, noting the restraint, the effort it was clearly taking for Darcy not to say more. But the threat had come through loud and clear. She hoped to upset them, obviously.

Cece almost snorted. If Darcy thought her silly little threat was supposed to bother them, she had no idea who she was dealing with. A woman who’d already survived cancer once wasn’t about to be bothered by her petty nonsense. And Paige was visibly over Darcy’s nonsense.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Cece said calmly. “We’re in the middle of a workout.”

Darcy’s eyes flashed with anger, but she straightened, smoothing her expression back into something almost pleasant. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

She stepped back, lingering just long enough to be uncomfortable, then turned and walked away, her posture immaculate, her shoulders rigid.

Paige exhaled slowly through her nose. “Well. I guess we know what she thought of the podcast.”

Cece laughed. “I won’t count on her to subscribe.”

“No,” Paige said. “But you don’t want a listener like her anyway. Although I’m sure she will be.”

They walked on, the treadmills humming away beneath their feet. Darcy disappeared into one of the exercise class rooms.

Cece adjusted her pace slightly, then looked at Paige. “I don’t know what she hoped to accomplish with that little display, but one thing’s for sure—she’s rattled.”

Paige nodded. “I think so, too. Good.”