Page 56 of The Paradise Plan

She turned on her gorgeous heel and left the restaurant, imagining the people to part the way the Red Sea had for the Israelites.They didn’t, not really, but in her mind, they did.

Outside, the air had started to cool a little, and the breeze grabbed at her hair the way it always did here.She looked right and left, as if Blake would come rushing up to her.He didn’t.

He hadn’t texted or called, and Lauren minced her way back to the horrendous minivan.Perhaps she should’ve had him pick her up, then she wouldn’t be getting stood up at the best restaurant in town.

Safe in the van, she dialed him, her mind racing as fast as her pulse.The phone rang and rang…and rang.

Lauren couldn’t go back to Cass’s now.Everyone would know that the date hadn’t happened or hadn’t gone well.“What are you going to do instead?”she asked.“Go get a smoothie and waste a few hours on the beach?Then what?Make up a story about howamazingtonight was?”

She shook her head.It would be better to get out of these imposter shoes and the heavy makeup on her face.Then she could cry that everything had been going decently well with Blake via text over the past two days, but that he hadn’t been able to force himself to come meet her for dinner.

“Maybe he got back together with his girlfriend,” she said.“Or he feels bad that they literally broke up two days ago and he’s already going out with you.”

She didn’t know, but she waited fifteen more minutes, called him again, got no answer, and left the steakhouse parking lot.Back at Cass’s house, she texted him that she’d left, and she really hoped he had a good reason for not showing up and not answering his phone.

Then, gathering all of her strength and all of her courage, she got out of the van and went inside the house.

“Who’s that?”Bessie asked.

“Just me,” Lauren called, immediately kicking off the blue heels.The right one hit the wall too hard and left a mark, but she’d scrub it off later.She went through the foyer and into the living room.

Joy, Bessie, and Sage had come out of the kitchen and stood in a wall, facing her.They all wore wide-eyed surprise on their faces, and Lauren sighed.

“He didn’t show up,” she said.“He’s not answering his phone.”

“No.”Joy came toward her, and Lauren slumped into her arms after a few steps.“Honey, I’m sorry.”

“Maybe he has a good reason,” Bessie said.

“It better be areallygood reason,” Sage said, bitterness high in her voice.“Men.”She scoffed and went back into the kitchen.“But Lauren, you’re in luck.We haven’t eaten all of the bacon-wrapped smokies yet.”She came into the living room with two little sausages on sticks, a glossy, sticky glaze on them.“Come on, now.Anything can be fixed with meat candy.”

Lauren smiled and stepped out of Joy’s arms.“Thanks, Sage.”She took the meat candy and ate one in a single bite.The salty, the sweet, the crispy bacon, and sticky glaze—all of it made a party in her mouth.“Mm.Whose recipe is this?”She looked between Bessie and Sage.

“That’s my sister’s,” Sage said, grinning.

“You two should put together a cookbook,” Lauren said.She continued into the kitchen and sat on a barstool too.An array of food sat on the counter, and it was obvious they’d just been snacking and talking and enjoying one another’s company.

They welcomed her back without another question, for which she was grateful.She did keep her phone with her, and it was on, but Blake didn’t text or call.