Page 25 of A Happy Endings Wedding
Her heart squeezed. “He’s so wonderful, isn’t he?”
He shifted his head side to side. “Sure.”
“He is!”
“All right, all right.” He winked. “Claire’s checking in with the hairdresser and makeup artist right now. Enjoy your bride time.”
“I will.”
She headed up to her suite, feeling very Zen after her beach day relaxing. She set her exhausted fur babies on the bed and took another shower before heading to the dressing area at the end of the hallway to meet with her friends.
The moment she opened the door, conversation stopped. She spoke into the silence. “Hello, everyone! Have a good day? It seemed you were all quite busy.”
The women all chimed in at once, assuring her they were great. A little too great.
She narrowed her eyes. “Is there something I should know about?”
Mad shook her head. “Not a damn thing. Come in and take a seat.” She gestured to a deep-red cushioned high-back chair. “We have something for you before the styling stuff.”
“Oh-kay,” she said slowly, taking the offered seat. Her friends gathered in a semicircle around her. “What’s this about?”
Mad wrung her hands together. “We all felt really bad the way your bachelorette party ended last night. Hailey, I’m so sorry I knocked you overboard. It was an accident. And I’m sorry I laughed. It’s the kind of thing me and my brothers would laugh about, seeing someone get knocked on their ass, but it was inappropriate. I’m really, really sorry.”
Hailey shook her head. “Mad, it’s okay. I’m fine now. And I know how you and your brothers are. All is forgiven.”
Claire spoke up. “We wanted last night’s party to show just how much you mean to all of us and it didn’t quite get the message across like we hoped, so we got you this to wish you all the best on your happy ending after you helped all of us to find ours.” She handed Hailey a leather journal.
Hailey took it, beaming at her friends. It was true. She’d made sure every one of her friends found their happy ending, nudging and supporting them all the way. It was the whole reason she’d formed the Happy Endings Book Club in the first place, to bring people together. That and the wonderful joy of dishing on romance novels and the delicious book boyfriends they loved.
Hailey ran her fingers reverently over the leather embossed with the royal crest—a lion wearing a crown with the sea and a fish beneath.
“It’s a special kind of journal used only by the royal family,” Mad pointed out. “Phillip offered it as a keepsake, and we all got in on it too.”
Hailey hugged it to her chest. “This is so nice.”
“Open it!” Mad exclaimed.
She did. The pages were a beautiful cream, unlined, with a gorgeous thick texture. And right on the first page Phillip had taken the time to sign it.
Hailey,
Thank you for being our guinea pig. I know you’ll emerge a swan.
Much appreciation,
Phillip
She looked up at her friends, smiling. “Thank you so much. I’ll definitely treasure this.”
“Keep going,” Mad said.
She turned the page. Another note, this time from Claire.
Hailey,
You brought me a sisterhood of real friends at a time when I felt alone in a crowd. And you gave me a nudge (Ha! More like a shove!) to go on a blind date with Josh, who turned out to be Jake, the love of my life. I joined your Happy Endings Book Club and truly found my happy ending. Sistersforever. Long live romance and the happy ending!
Love,
