Page 98 of One Reckless Moment

I went to reach for Walker’s beer but missed and fell directly off my chair. I hit the ground with a thud and groaned.

Walker peeled me off the ground. “Come on, Loverboy. Time to go home.”

“How are we going to drive home?” I slurred as Axle and Walker propped me up to walk me out of the bar.

“Walker’s sober.” Reid laughed.

“You bitch. I thought we were all drinking.”

“You should know better than to believe us when you’re holding vital information we want to know,” Axle said as we exited the bar.

“Way to kick a man while he’s down,” I groaned and threw my head back.

“We love you, buddy. It’ll be okay.” Reid opened the back door and the guys all but threw me into the truck. That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in my room alone.

44

A NEW LIFE

PAIGE

ONE MORE MONTH LATER

I walked onto the beach and tilted my head back, breathing in the salty air as the birds chirped above my head. I liked California, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the Montana mountains.

Maeve Kelly called my name and started waving at me with a huge smile. Maeve and I had become close during my time here. We were definitely cut from the same cloth and bonded over our love for fashion and torturing Owen Kelly.

I waved back and started through the warm sand, my sandals dangling from my fingertips and my beach bag draped over my shoulder.

After I had calmed down from talking to Cash, Lottie and I made a plan. I was going to stay in California for three months before returning to Ashton Creek for Lottie and Owen’s wedding. My parents weren’t thrilled about the idea, but they understood I needed some time to experience a different life.

In the two months that I had been here, I moved into a short-term rental apartment in Santa Monica and got an opportunity to freelance as a photographer. I had met more people in the last sixty days than I had in twenty-six years in Ashton Creek. Every night I had plans and I was constantly busy living life.

It was a dream…but it wasn’t my dream.

While going out to clubs and having martinis at rooftop bars was fun and chic, I mostly missed the peanut-dusted floor of the Iron Saddle.

The one thing I had that almost reminded me of my normal life was my photography. I started a social media page as a private photographer. The moment I posted the photos I’d taken on the road, I started getting messages to book me for sessions. I photographed engaged couples and families on the beach. I got to capture life in still moments. Even when I was having a hard day, those sessions cheered me up and brought me back to the moment.

“Hey, babe,” I said as I approached Maeve. I laid out my towel next to hers and stripped off my bathing suit cover-up.

“Hey, hey,” Maeve said, sipping her matcha.

Maeve Kelly was a spitfire of energy and sass. In high school, I would’ve been terrified to approach her. She was a gorgeous blonde cheerleader who had confidence pouring out of every surface. She placed her matcha down into the sand and tipped her head back to the sun.

Maeve was the kind of beautiful that was effortless. She wore a neon pink bikini and had her hair tied in a messy knot on her head with huge Gucci sunglasses propped in front of her bun.

I sat on my towel and fished out my sunscreen before lathering up my arms. Once my body was covered in the sweet banana-scented lotion, I laid back and closed my eyes.

“Girl, we need to get some color on you.” Maeve laughed next to me.

“I swear the California sun hits different. I’m used to being outside all day but I burn here worse than I ever did at home.”

“Everything here hits different,” she said with a sweet smile.

Something I learned while spending so much time with the Kellys was that they all loved California almost as much as I loved Montana. They grew up on the East Coast, but the entire family had migrated here and never looked back.

Spending time with their family really made me miss mine. Luckily, I had Lottie here. She was my dose of familiarity in the dark. I was starting to understand why Lottie felt so at home with this family. It was nice to have a group of people around who loved so fiercely.