Chasing Happiness Read Online Free PDF

“They’re perfect. Thanks.”
    “You can use the spare room to change.”
    As Zoe headed there, she couldn’t help but admire Ari’s home. It was furnished with sleek modern furniture—lots of steel and glass. Zoe’s mom’s house was old-fashioned and full of antiques. It hadn’t been updated since the sixties. Not that she didn’t love it. She did. But there were times like this, when she was at a friend’s home, that made her think she’d like to try her hand at decorating…see if she could find her own style. As long as she lived with her mom, though, that wasn’t going to happen. And she sure couldn’t afford her own place now, having just opened the Rosebud.
    It looked like the only chance she might have would be if she got married… Her thoughts began to drift back to the party, when she’d thought for a moment that Dan was going to propose. Her chest tightened with disappointment. Would Dan ever be ready to get married? Or was his wanting her to move in with him as much of a commitment as he was willing to give? With a sigh, she entered the spare bedroom, closing the door behind her, then she changed into Ariana’s sleepwear.
    When she returned to the kitchen, Ari was pouring them each a cup of tea, while her cat, Tabby, sat next to her, meowing.
    “All she does is beg for food.” Ariana set a bowl of dry kibble down onto the floor. “Maybe that comes from having been a stray.”
    “Could be. She’s put on quite a bit of weight.”
    Ariana petted the top of Tabby’s head. “She needed to. Remember how she was such a scrawny thing when I found her?”
    Zoe stared at her friend and had thought the same thing of her when she’d picked Ari up at the train station the night she’d returned home from her stint as a model. She was skin and bones, and her once beautiful, glossy hair was dull and lifeless.
    Ariana seemed to read Zoe’s mind, because she said, “It wasn’t that long ago that I was a mess too. Maybe that’s why I have such a connection to Tabby.”
    Zoe carried the teacups over to the kitchen table, then pulled out a chair and sat down. “Thankfully, you’re both doing well now.”
    Ariana studied her face. “I suppose. At least I was…”
    “You still are. It’s to be expected that you’d be upset by what happened tonight. You just can’t dwell on it and let it destroy all the progress you’ve made.”
    Ariana sat in the chair across from her and blew into her tea before taking a sip. “I know. I keep telling myself that. The problem is, I just can’t get Phil’s face out of my mind. The way he looked at me earlier… It brought me right back to the past, and now that’s stuck in my head.”
    “It’ll go away. I promise.”
    Ariana took another sip of tea, then leaned back in her chair. “I hope so, but I’m afraid tonight was just the beginning of more problems with that man.”
    Zoe looked down at the table, not wanting Ariana to see that she had the same fear. Something was telling her that he was by no means out of Ari’s life.
     
    ****
     
    Katie stuffed her clothes into an overnight bag, then turned to Jake, who was leaning up against the bedroom door. “Try not to miss me too much.” She chuckled.
    He put his hand to his heart. “That’s not possible, and you know it. Even one night away from you is torture.”
    She laughed as she threw her hairbrush into the bag, then zipped it up. “Stay busy, and that should keep your agony at bay.”
    “I plan to. I have lots of work. First thing Monday, I have a meeting with the board about the Mexico trip.”
    Jake had a passion for kids, so when he’d come to her last year with his idea to start a nonprofit that would help children in need, she was more than supportive. However, she doubted either one of them had had a clue that One Life at a Time would become such a success so soon. Not only did they provide relief to children in need in the US but to kids across the world. Jake and his staff were planning