Page 59 of Steadfast

She felt a pang of mild annoyance at the constant presence of social media in the house, yet she was grateful that the young women had found a common bond after the tense exchange.

For the time being, they seemed to be getting along.

She went past them to the stove, quietly listening to their conversation as she poured coffee into her mug.

“Just wait until I’m in charge next week,” Oakleigh grinned, knowing just what would ignite the interest of her onlineaudience. “I’ll golive so you can all get a firsthand look at Paisley Davenport mucking stalls.”

“You know, Mom would never make me do dirty work.” Paisley elbowed her older sister.

“Momnever made us do much of anything,” Oakleigh replied as sharp resentment dripped into her words. “That’s what the maids are for—or poor Clara.”

“And why hug the children when Nanny can do it?”Paisley went on, mimicking their mother’s elitist tone.

Mia slapped her hand over her mouth, attempting to stifle her laughter.

“Has she ever cooked us dinner even once?” Paisley asked.

“Is that some sort of a joke?” Oakleigh exclaimed. She glanced at the screen and noted the skyrocketing viewership as they delved into their exclusive family gossip.

“She probably doesn’t know where the kitchen is,” Mia added. “I know my mom doesn’t.”

“Oh, Harper knows where the kitchen is,” Paisley said, throwing her arm around Oakleigh’s shoulder and giving her a side eyed glance.

Oakleigh let out a callous snort of laughter.

“—Yeah, it’s right next to the wine cabinet.”

Maeve took a deep breath. The topic of conversation made her bristle.

Oakleigh noticed Maeve’s critical look and quickly pivoted. “We should stop. I’ve been down this road before, and it got me into some serious trouble, as we all know.”

Paisley muted the video and gave her a desperate look as she begged her to keep going. “Oakleigh, come on. The followers are eating this up. Do something for me, for once, Oaks. Evenmysubscriber count is going up.”

Oakleigh offered a hesitant glance to Maeve before she gave her sister a quick nod.

Paisley tapped the screen, unmuting the sound so the followers could, once again, be included in their conversation. “Oakleigh, your fans want to know if you and Mom will ever make things right?”

Maeve was certainly not thrilled that Oakleigh hadn’t taken her cue and minded her wishes. However, she was also too tired to argue. Doing her utmost to avoid being caught on the livestream, she took her opportunity to slip past while concealing her face with her coffee cup.

She wasn’t quite quick enough.

The viewers recognized her immediately. There was one thing the fans loved even more than gossip, and that was Maeve Callaway.

The screen filled with hearts, and the comments began scrolling rapidly. Swept into the exhilaration of the moment, Paisley grabbed Maeve’s arm and pulled her back into the frame.

“What do you think Maeve?”

The reactions momentarily froze as everyone waited to see if Maeve would actually answer.

“Paisley,” Oakleigh interjected, now completely serious. ”Don’t make her do this.”

“I think we need to hear from someone who has known Mom the longest,” Paisley replied. Unwilling to let the topic drop, she doubled down. “Will my mom ever apologize?”

Maeve couldn’t suppress the amused smirk that flitted over her expression as the truthful answer to the question crossed her mind,

When pigs fly.

Quickly composing herself, she knew better than to ever vocalize her thoughts on the matter, especially in front of a large online audience. Avoiding the topic altogether, she simply threw her arms around Paisley and Oakleigh.

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