Page 82 of Relentless

“The part where you tell your fans that the town is at capacity?” she challenged.

Her gaze flicked away to the corner of the kitchen.

“Oakleigh, I swear,” Maeve replied, her temper rising as she put her mug down on the countertop. Taking her phone from her pocket, she dialed Audrey.

“Miss Maeve —” Audrey stammered.

When Audrey’s quivering voice came through the speaker, Maeve shot Oakleigh an exasperated glance.

“Audrey, hang in there,” she reassured. “I’m on my way.”

“Okay,” Audrey sniffled. “Please hurry.”

“Maeve,” Oakleigh deflected. “You know she’s just being dramatic.”

Maeve put up her hand, cutting off Oakleigh’s statement. She dialed June, knowing the older woman would give her an accurate picture of the situation.

“Maeve, I was just about to call you,” June answered, her voice marked with concern.

“I hear there’s trouble,” Maeve said, giving Oakleigh another annoyed glance.

“Well, I’d say that’s an understatement,” June replied. There came a sound in the background of low clamor and the clinking of mugs. “I just popped into the shop, and it’s packed like a can of sardines.”

“What about the bed and breakfasts?” Maeve asked, running her palm across her brow as she flung ideas like spaghetti at the wall.

“All full,” June answered. “No room in the inn.”

“And I don’t suppose we can send them home?” Maeve suggested, knowing already that the solution was far too simple.

“Road’s closed to the airport, hun,” June said with a touch of dismay. “If we send them away, they’ll likely freeze out there.”

“Okay, we’re heading your way,” Maeve said, hoping to reassure her. “Tell Audrey to keep the generator running.”

When the call ended, she was nearly at a loss for words.

“Oakleigh,” she said, searching the young woman for answers. “How many times has Audrey asked for help?”

“A few times,” she admitted, biting her lip, “but we’ve kind of had a lot going on here.”

Her brow furrowed, and frustration flashed through her eyes. “Can’t she do anything on her own?”

“No,” Maeve interrupted, her volume rising.

“And why not?” Oakleigh bit back.

“Because she shouldn’t have to,” Maeve snapped.

Seeing from Oakleigh’s expression that she was upset, Maeve needed to step away before she said something she might regret.

“We’ll talk about this later,” she said. “We have to go.”

Maeve bolted up the stairs and whisked down the hallway to quickly change into some warmer clothes. At just the wrongtime, Harper stepped out of her room. She blocked Maeve’s path in a way that set her nerves on edge.

She noticed that Harper was again donning her signature pearl necklace that had belonged to their mother, paired with a self-satisfied expression.

“Oh, I’m so glad I ran into you,” Harper chimed with an unusual bounce of optimism.

“I’m afraid it’s going to have to wait,” Maeve replied, attempting to pass her by. “We’ve got an emergency.”

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