Page 7 of Hart Breaker

I look at Maggie, knowing this is the two of them. “You excited?”

“Not yet,” she answers slyly.

“Oh my God.” Iz clasps a hand over her mouth.

“What does ‘oh my God’ mean?” Lauren asks, voice full of borrowed excitement.

Maggie rocks back on her heels, her stunning smile growing. “I may have soothed my sorrows after the latest breakup and applied for a spot on Wilderness Warriors.”

“Are you fucking insane?” Lauren gasps.

I elbow her. “If anyone can do it, Maggie Sawyer can.”

“I mean, I guess. But why?” Sydney shakes her head. “Maggie, that’s dangerous.”

“Danger is my middle name.” She grins.

“No, your middle name is May,” Syd says sternly.

“She will be the first woman to win; I know it.” Iz holds her glass up.

“Um, where’s my glass?” Maggie asks.

“You’re not legal,” Sydney snips.

“Neither is Iz,” she points out.

I hold my hand out. “Keys.”

She pulls her lanyard off and drops it in my hand.

“Wait, you can’t be on the show,” Syd says smugly. “You’re not old enough.”

“Seventeen to twenty-year-olds this year.” She shrugs. “Dad and Mom okayed it.”

“What is wrong with them?” Syd huffs.

“They know she loves music and doesn’t want to get into the business because of her dad,” Iz tells her, then looks at Maggie. “You’re going to have the whole country eating out of your hand. You’ll be America’s sweetheart.”

“What the hell does Wilderness Warriors have to do with music?” Syd, who’s still not on board, asks.

“I’m gonna make it work.” Maggie smiles. “It’s a month. One month.” She leans over and throws an arm around Sydney. “I’m still gonna be all yours three mornings a week in the summer and every Saturday to help you freeze dry, bake, and decorate all of the things.”

She looks at me and Lauren. “All except for that one month. I’ll be here Saturday evenings and Sundays for the football shit and events around the holidays.”

I raise my glass. “To being girl bosses.”

Mags lifts hers. “Fempreneurs.”

Syd lifts hers. “She-E-Os.”

Iz is next, “Empoweress.”

Lauren is last. “What Ry sai?—”

“Screw that,” I cut her off, wanting her to step out from behind me and be herself. “What does Lo say?”

Her eyes smile as she lifts her glass. “Lady leaders.”

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