Page 66 of A Simple Regret

“Thanks, I’ll let you know either way,” Maren says, placing her phone back into her coat pocket after, what I assume, was inputting Oaklee’s number into her device.

“We’ll talk soon,” Oaklee says, stepping forward and pulling Maren into a quick hug.

“Sounds good.”

“Good night, Camden,” Oaklee says with a wave as Cade takes her hand and leads her toward his truck.

“Night, Oaklee. Later, Cade.”

He waves goodbye, leaving us alone on the sidewalk.

“Ready to go?” I ask them both.

“Yep!” Theo replies as Maren nods.

We make our way to Maren’s vehicle, and even though my brother and his fiancée crashed our dinner, I really enjoyed it. It felt natural and easy, and the entire night was a stark reminder of how flawlessly Maren’s life wove into mine.

Then and now.

She just fits.

Her and her son.

And I don’t hate it.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

Maren

“I love that color,” Jenn says to my client, Erika, as she’s walking past.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Erika states, offering a wide smile in the mirror as I finish styling her long, ash blond hair. “Maren is the bomb.”

I feel myself blush and keep my focus on the task at hand. “You have great hair,” I finally tell her, adding the final touches of beach wave curls to her golden locks. “All right, all finished.” I step back and carefully remove the cape before passing her a hand mirror and turning the chair so she can see the layers I added to the back.

“Oh my gosh, it’s perfect. Exactly what I wanted,” Erika gushes, taking in the view of the back before returning the mirror.

We make our way to the front counter, where I give her the total for today’s visit. She hands me cash. “Keep the change,” she insists.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go ahead and make my next appointment. I usually do every eight weeks,” Erika says, pulling out her phone and tapping on the calendar app.

We schedule her next appointment, and I’ll never be able to describe the rush I feel every time a client walks out of the salon, happy and smiling and with another appointment booked.

“Great job, girl,” Jenn tells me as I return to my station to clean up.

I’m sweeping up the hair when the door opens. It’s just before noon, and my next appointment isn’t until one, so I know it’s not my client.

“Oh my goodness,” Jenn bellows, clearly happy to see whoever is here.

I spin around and come face-to-face with Charli Miller, Camden’s only sister. She’s not looking at me—yet. She’s talking to Jenn, who is peeking at the baby in the car seat Quinn is holding.

I take a quick second to observe the newcomers. Charli is glowing, her smile as big as it can get. She looks positively happy, despite the fact there’s exhaustion lacing her eyes. As a single mom, I understand that level of tiredness instantly, recalling it fondly, especially in those early days of motherhood.

Then there’s Quinn. My old friend has aged well, and it’s obvious how ecstatic he is about being a father. And not just that. He’s looking at Charli as if she’s the center of his universe, and a wave of happiness sweeps over me. I’m so pleased he finally has his chance with the woman he’s always loved.