Page 92 of Happily Ever After

“Actually, he does,” she said.

The doorbell rang, breaking the moment. Milo jumped up as Maude stood. “It’s okay, Milo. It’s just the pizza guy.”

They made the coffee table their dining table, boxes and containers spread out between them, the TV playing some show that they only half-watched. Milo got a single slice of pepperoni, which he gulped down so fast Maude was sure he hadn’t tasted it.

Nolan relaxed visibly as he ate, joking around and commenting about the pizza being “fire.” He even thanked her for the invite.

Maude nodded along, amazed that Nightforge had been the connection she was looking for.

“You’re…not what I expected,” he said between bites.

Maude raised an eyebrow. “That sounds ominous.”

He laughed. “I mean—you’re cool. I guess. No, I mean you are. But, like, not in a way I thought.”

“I’ll take it,” she said.

They talked more easily after that. About school. About games. Even a little about his concern about college, although he was excited to go. How he was going to miss Milo. How mad he was at his mother and how he didn’t know how to get past it.

Maude listened more than she spoke, doing her best to offer reassurance when she did.

When Ollie texted to say he’d be home too late to see her, Maude showed Nolan the message and shrugged. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Or I can run you back home.”

Nolan lifted one shoulder. “Nah, I’ll hang.”

Then he asked her to show him around Nightforge. She obliged and within a few minutes he was laughing and asking to join her enclave. She promised to sponsor him.

As the evening settled in, Maude was infinitely grateful for the way things had changed between them. Enough that the awkwardness was long gone.

Apparently, all it took to win over a teenage boy was pizza, an online roleplaying game, and the willingness to try again.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Paige checked the list of addresses on her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s start with Essie’s place.”

“And we’re off.” Graham eased the golf cart out of the driveway and onto the quiet street, the headlights catching the trunks of palms and mailboxes as they passed.

The hard work had been done, but once they collected all the signature sheets, they’d be on to step two, counting all those names, doing their best to be sure there were no repeats, no illegible names. Nothing that could cause their efforts to be undermined.

She and Graham would do that as soon as they returned to her place.

She sat back. The Colony looked different at night with everyone tucked away in their houses. It was calm and quiet. A real haven. No wonder it was such a popular place to retire to. Porch lights glowed warmly and sprinklers hissed somewhere nearby. A television flickered through a front window as they drove past.

“Remind me again,” Graham said mildly. “Why we’re doing this after dark.”

“Because I like to go to the fitness center in the morning,” Paige said. “And because I thought I should be the one to collect all the signature sheets. I started the group, after all. And this way it’s not like everyone has to trek to my place and turn them in after they’ve already spent the day traipsing around the community.”

He smiled faintly. “Good thing there’s nothing suspicious about creeping around collecting envelopes from under doormats.”

She shot him an amused look. “We’re not creeping.”

“Oh, I think we are.”

Paige laughed despite herself. “You volunteered.”

“I did,” he agreed. “You’re right, but I’d probably storm the Bastille if you asked me nicely enough.”

Her grin widened and she gave his arm a squeeze. “You are very agreeable to my suggestions.”