Page 83 of Happily Ever After

“We’ll be in touch soon with an offer,” Leanne said. “And again, Blaise, thank you. It was a pleasure talking to you.”

“The pleasure was mine,” Blaise said.

Thomas gave a wave and the screen went dark.

Blaise sat there for a moment. “What do you think, Beau? That went pretty well, huh?”

Beau lifted his head at the sound of his name and tried to lick her face. She laughed and put him down on the floor, then reached for her phone. She called Brick.

He answered on the second ring. “How did it go?”

“Really well,” she said. “I like these people. More than I have the others. She said they’d be sending an offer soon.”

He let out a low whistle. “You’re going to get famous again.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“You still going to want to hang out with me?”

She grinned. “I am always going to want to hang out with you. Now, are you ready to go canvassing with me?”

He sighed, the sound familiar to her now. “You know I’m not a people person.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Blaise said. “But we talked about this already on our walk. You’re just there for moral support. And to help get the veteran signatures. And besides that, this is important to me.”

“I’m aware,” he said. “It’s just really not my thing.”

“I know that, too,” she said gently. “And I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t matter.”

Another pause. She pictured him standing in his kitchen, probably barefoot, coffee in hand, staring out toward the water while weighing whether this was worth the effort.

“You’re sure you need me?” he asked.

“It’s not need, so much as want,” Blaise said without hesitation.

That did it. His soft chuckle came through loud and clear. “All right,” he said. “I’m not promising to enjoy it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of that happening,” she said, just barely managing not to laugh.

He exhaled. “Come on over.”

She hung up and exhaled. They had a lot of work ahead of them. Brick might not like canvassing. He might grumble the whole time. But when it came down to it, he always showed up. Especially for the people he cared about.

Blaise grabbed her keys, the signature form and the clipboard Cece had brought over last night, double-checked she had her map of what section she was supposed to cover, and headed out the door.

If they were going to ask the Colony to stand up for something, she was glad she wouldn’t be doing it alone.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cece adjusted her sunglasses as Joe turned the golf cart onto another quiet street, the low hum of the engine accompanying them like the world’s most boring soundtrack.

A pair of clipboards rested between them with the petition sheets ready to go, pens tucked through the clip. They had a box of backup pens in the cart, too, as well as an extra in each of their pockets. Cece had insisted on that part. There was nothing worse than getting someone to agree to sign, only to discover the pen didn’t work.

They’d already been out for nearly two hours and had already filled two sheets, which seemed impressive, but each sheet only held twenty-two names, as they had to include each address, too.

But in that time, Cece had begun to notice patterns that had nothing to do with Darcy.

Some doors opened quickly, the residents curious and willing to listen. Others stayed closed, conversations held through screens or barely open doors. A few people waved apologetically from inside, clearly in the middle of something and not willing to be interrupted.