Page 61 of Steadfast

“Oakleigh, are you listening?” Maeve asked, trying to hide the frustration edging into her voice. “Any sign at all of trouble, you call me.”

“It’ll be fine, Maeve,” Oakleigh sighed. “Go support the boys, represent the ranch, schmooze, do whatever you do at these things. I’ve got this.”

“Are we checking fences or your phone?” Maeve lectured, stopping as she noticed a disgusted expression appear on Oakleigh’s face. “What is it now?”

“Just a second, please,” Oakleigh snapped, flinging her handup to silence Maeve.

“I just—wow.” Oakleigh raised her eyebrows, and her eyes went wide with disbelief. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

She tossed the phone to Maeve, who caught it to her chest with one hand, firmly keeping hold of the reins and saddle horn with the other.

Maeve tugged the reins, and the mare obediently came to a halt. She turned the phone screen right side up and pulled it away from her eyes until it came into clear focus. Being in her late forties was quickly losing its charm.

On the screen was a paused video of Shayna. She was sitting in her car while dusting on a little too much makeup on her cheeks.

“Who’s this?” Maeve asked.

“Hitplay,” Oakleigh instructed. She pinched the bridge of her nose as though she were still fighting off that persistent migraine.

When Maeve tapped the screen, Shayna’s obnoxious tone echoed from the phone’s speakers.

“Hey there, Shayn–gang.”

“Shayn–gang?” Maeve murmured. She hardly cared about social media trends, but she knew when something was clearly cringe worthy. “Somebody should really tell her—”

“I know,” Oakleigh responded while gesturing Maeve’s focus back to the screen.

Shayna was patting on eye makeup as she continued. “Sorry, I’ve been gone for a few days. I know you’ve been anxiously waiting for my take on the latest drama, and I have some tea to spill today, or should I say,Cowboycoffee?”

“So, first of all, are we wondering why Oakleigh isn’t with Crew at his big cowboy deal? Is there trouble in paradise?“ Shayna paused for effect. “I’ve got some evidence that might point toyes.”

She pulled up a photo on the screen of Crew posing with four blonde women wearing matching low cut tops, bejeweled jeans, and cowboy boots. His arms were wrapped around them, and he had a flirty smile plastered across his face.

“Crew, you dumb idiot,” Maeve whispered under her breath.

“Oh, it gets worse,” Oakleigh uttered.

Shayna giggled in glee. “Oh, Oakleigh, just in case this wasn’t quite enough for you, I have one more thing. It took me forever to dig them up, but I’m so happy I finally found the receipts.”

A photo appeared on the screen that highlighted Mia, Shayna, and Oakleigh’s repulsive ex-boyfriend, HudsonAbernathy. They were all beaming and casually posing together on what was clearly the balcony of Mia’s beach house.

“While you were disowned and sent away to the middle of nowhere to cry on Aunt Maeve’s shoulder. Just know, Oakleigh, we werecelebrating.”

A mean spirited smile spread across her face as she bit her lip like she was debating whether to break the news. “Speaking of our favorite internetsaint—”

She tilted her head to the side as the words dripped from her lips.

“You’re next on my agenda, Maeve Callaway.”

Maeve scrolled down, curious to know what the response was to the scandalous gossip. The comment section was an echo chamber of shallow, uninformed opinions of Crew’s infidelity and Mia’s betrayal.

Oakleigh dismounted her horse and walked to the fence. She leaned her elbows hard on the wooden posts and wiped her brow with her sleeve.

Seeing that their progress for the day was at a firm halt, Maeve followed suit and dismounted. The wet grass squished under her boots as she approached the fence beside Oakleigh.

“Do you think—?” Oakleigh stumbled over her words.

Maeve knew exactly where Oakleigh’s thoughts had tumbled with the seemingly clear evidence that backed up the harsh accusations.

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