Page 77 of Happily Ever After

But the one that stood out was a text from Cece to the Queen Bees thread. It had only just come in.

Maude’s brows drew together as she opened it.

Emergency meeting. Today. I’ll explain when we’re together. Please tell me you can all come. My place at noon, if that works.

Maude checked the time. Yikes. Noon was fast approaching. Still, she didn’t hesitate. I’m in, she typed back. Noon is fine.

She hit Send, then stared out at the water again, her day at the beach already postponed. Maybe she could go after the meeting, but if there was a plan in the works for saving the book club, that came first.

Her phone buzzed again as more responses began to roll in—Paige, then Blaise, then Essie and Althea. All in. No questions asked.

That, Maude thought, was how the Bees rolled.

Darcy tried to fracture groups by sowing doubt and procedural chaos. The Queen Bees closed ranks before trouble could even begin. That’s why Darcy would never be invited. Then a new thought came to Maude.

Should they include Gigi? She’d already been invited to Thursday’s meeting. But no—this was about saving the book club. They weren’t entirely sure where Gigi’s loyalty lay yet. She might get wind of what they were working on and run straight back to Darcy in hopes of attaining favored status with her.

Maude picked up her coffee again and drained it, then stood.

The beach day would have to wait. Not a big deal. This was Florida. Almost every day had the potential to be a beach day.

She went back inside and grabbed her laptop, opening it only long enough to skim the document she’d compiled the night before. Everything was just as she remembered. By now, Paige and Cece had had time to digest the information, which was obviously why Cece was calling the emergency meeting.

But everyone else would need a copy. She sent the document to the printer and set it up to run five sets.

Once that was done, Maude closed the laptop and slid it into her bag anyway. She’d want it with her, just in case. Some things were easier to talk about when they were right in front of you. She could email it to any of the Bees who wanted a digital copy, too. She added the copies to her bag as well.

She set the bag by the door, then turned back to the kitchen to make some breakfast. There wasn’t a lot of time for anything elaborate, but she needed to eat. She was starving.

She toasted two slices of bread, spread peanut butter over them, which she then drizzled with honey. On top of that, she added slices of banana. She poured herself another cup of coffee and sat at the counter to eat her sandwich. It might not have been the most sophisticated thing, but it tasted great and it would last her a while. Of course, if there was food at Cece’s, she’d still eat.

She didn’t want to be impolite.

Once she finished, she rinsed the mug and plate and headed to the bathroom. The shower came on hot, steam fogging the mirror almost immediately. Maude stripped off the clothes she’d just put on, stepped under the spray and let it run over her.

The hot water woke her up even more. She shampooed and conditioned quickly, then got out and dried off.

Maybe the night before had been long, but she didn’t feel tired now. Not after the coffee and the shower. If anything, she felt sharpened. Ready for battle, because something had to be done.

Discovery was one thing. Response was another.

She dressed fast, aiming for comfortable but presentable. Loose knit capris, a tank top, a pair of sparkly flipflops. She dried her hair most of the way, added some mascara and lip gloss, then checked her reflection. She was good to go. This wasn’t about appearances anyway.

Back in the living room, she picked up her bag and slid her phone inside, pausing as her mind shifted fully into strategy.

This meeting had to be about saving the book club, but how were they going to do that? She wasn’t sure. Unless they were willing to stand their ground and force Darcy to…what? Take this to court? Could that happen?

Maybe Cece knew already. Maybe she’d talked to Joe. Maude would know soon enough.

She headed for the door, but paused there and glanced back toward the porch, toward the water she’d been eyeing earlier. It would still be there tomorrow. Or the next day.

Darcy, on the other hand, wasn’t going to wait.

Maude locked the door behind her and headed for her golf cart, the day brighter than expected. She put on her sunglasses and got behind the wheel.

An emergency Queen Bees meeting. She started the engine and allowed herself a small, steady smile.

Good.