Page 65 of Happily Ever After

Paige picked the pace back up, the steady thud of her footsteps a reassuring sound. Her mind shifted gears, already sorting through what this meant.

Darcy would keep pushing. Why wouldn’t she? The bylaws gave her just enough footing to be dangerous. Besides that, she’d done this before. She knew the odds were in her favor.

Paige reached the end of her treadmill time and slowed to a walk, her thoughts finally settling into something solid.

This changed things.

She wasn’t alone in this, which was good. Maude had done the work. Cece had the podcast platform. Joe was looking at the bylaws, according to Cece. Essie, Blaise, and Althea could be brought up to speed.

Darcy might have experience. But Paige had something Darcy didn’t.

A group of friends who weren’t about to back down.

Paige stopped the treadmill and stepped down, her legs a little shaky, not from exertion, but from adrenaline. She wiped her face with her towel and glanced around the fitness center.

Still mostly empty.

She allowed herself a small, private smile.

Good.

She wasn’t ready to see Darcy again. Not because she was afraid, but because she wanted time. Time to think. Time to plan.

Time to bring the rest of the Bees in so they could choose their next move carefully.

Paige headed for the weights, more than ready to work hard. Outside, the early morning light was just beginning to filter through the windows.

Paige grabbed a pair of dumbbells.

Darcy thought she was going to repeat history.

Paige laughed. Boy, was she wrong.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The plane leveled off with a gentle shift that Blaise felt more in her ears than her stomach.

A minute later, they reached altitude and the seatbelt sign clicked off. Around her, people moved like they’d been waiting for permission, which she supposed they had. They got into their bags, fired up laptops, opened their phones, and fiddled with earbuds.

Blaise was happy just to sit. She looked out the window at the bright sheet of clouds below, sunlight giving everything a kind of angelic shine. Somewhere down there was home or soon would be.

The Colony. Beau. Brick. The regular, dependable shape of her life.

She’d had fun in Miami. Actually, she’d surprised herself in Miami.

Not by being able to model again. She hadn’t really doubted that. It had been her life for too many years for her to forget, even if sometimes that former life felt like it belonged to someone else.

What had surprised her was how much she’d enjoyed it without feeling swallowed by it, like she had once upon a time. The day had been long, yes. The lights hot, the schedule relentless, the outfit changes endless. But she’d felt capable. And, wow, was that a feeling worth hanging on to.

She knew Jay would have been proud of her for the work she’d done.

And for the money she’d earned.

Blaise’s gaze drifted down to her purse, where she’d tucked the check Marco had given her and the itinerary for her return flight. She wasn’t a fool. She knew how important financial breathing room was. But she also knew how quickly it could disappear if she pretended it would last forever. Still, the relief was real.

It meant she didn’t have to preplan every grocery run to see what was on sale and what coupons could be had. It meant she could say yes to the occasional lunch without mentally tallying the cost. It meant she could buy one or two of the little luxuries she missed. Or maybe shop for clothing somewhere that wasn’t a second-hand store.

It meant she could exhale. Relax. Have peace.