Page 46 of The Journey of a Lifetime (Tiny Homes and Happy Tails #2)

M aggie walked back from the campsite showers, admiring the quiet and beauty of the morning. It had been four weeks since she arrived in Estes Park, and a lot had happened.

Her mom had filed for divorce as soon as she got back to Mississippi.

Julia had secured a great attorney who was fighting for a good divorce settlement.

It had turned out that her father had attempted to hide numerous assets from her mom, but they were quickly discovered.

Her father had moved out of the house and into a studio apartment with a twenty-something-year-old.

While her mom had been heartbroken by how fast her father had moved on, Julia was ready to get on with her life.

She was looking for employment and had some leads lined up.

As far as her father was concerned, he’d been livid when Maggie told him she wasn’t going back to school.

He told her to think about what people would say if she threw this opportunity away.

She ended up telling him that he was more concerned with his image than the happiness of his daughter.

After he tried to assassinate her mother’s character, she told him she wanted no contact until he got his act together.

Maggie had some good news in her own journey.

The charity event at the gallery had been a hit.

Her write-up on the gallery’s website had drawn in so many people there was a waiting line outside.

They raised over thirty-five thousand dollars in one night.

Ashley had even connected her with three more businesses in Estes Park, a bakery, a doggie daycare, and an ice cream shop that needed someone to write and keep up with their websites.

It was a great way to make some decent income while working on her novel.

She soon found a working routine that she enjoyed.

When it came to Mason, she had sent him a text telling him she knew what he had done with Lauren, and they were over. He blew up her phone with hundreds of texts trying to gaslight her and, when she wouldn’t respond, he became agitated. She blocked him.

She smiled to herself at how far she had come in only a few weeks.

Maggie shook her wet hair and draped her damp towel over her arm. Her fingers brushed against the doggie treats in her pocket she’d picked up in the office.

“Maggie.”

The sound of the familiar voice had Maggie stopping in her tracks. She slowly turned.

Standing behind her was her best friend. Ex best friend. Lauren.

Maggie’s heart thudded in her chest. “What are you doing here?”

Lauren clasped her hands in front of her and stood for a moment before speaking. “You ignored my texts and then blocked me. I really need to talk to you.” Dark shadows hung under her eyes and she looked like she’d lost weight.

“I don’t think we have anything to say to each other.” Maggie turned her back.

“Please, Maggie, we have been best friends forever. You can’t let one mistake ruin our friendship,” Lauren pleaded.

Maggie felt her anger rising. She curled her fingers into fists and slowly turned to face her.

“We were best friends. You destroyed that when you slept with Mason.” Her voice was steady and measured despite how angry she felt.

“It was a mistake. I know that now. I regret that more than you know.” She wore her guilt like a shawl.

But it didn’t move Maggie.

“I trusted you. And you threw away our friendship over nothing. I bet you and Mason didn’t last very long after I dumped him.”

Lauren’s face went pale and she studied the ground. “No. He said I ruined everything.”

Maggie laughed. “That’s rich, coming from him. He’s too selfish to accept the consequences of his own actions. That’s why I ended up blocking him.”

Lauren’s face was full of guilt and regret. “You’ll never know how sorry I am.”

Maggie studied her friend. She sighed heavily. “I believe you are.”

Lauren’s face brightened.

“But that doesn’t mean we can go back to how things were. I need faithful people in my life who won’t betray me. I hope that you remember this when you meet your next best friend.” Maggie turned and headed to the van.

While it stung to leave Lauren behind, she knew she had to forge her own path with solid relationships.

When she got to her campsite, she turned around. Lauren was gone.

Her heart tugged with sadness at losing her friend. But when she opened the door of the van and Walker greeted her with a toothy smile and a wag she knew she’d made the right decision.

She sat down beside him and held him close. “What do you say we go find a spot in the mountains to write and chase bunnies?”

Walker grinned and let out an affirmative bark.

Maggie Sullivan knew she’d made the right decision.