The Happiness Plan


 
 
 
 Select praise for the novels of Susan Mallery
 “Told with a style as authentic as it is entertaining, this book is for the author’s many fans as well as those who enjoy Debbie Macomber and Susan Wiggs.”
 —Library Journal on The Friendship List
 “Mallery is an expert at writing about strong women, their friendships, and their romances... The friendships in the book are warm and realistic, as Mallery’s many fans will expect.” 
 —Booklist on The Vineyard at Painted Moon
 “Heartfelt, funny, and utterly charming all the way through!” 
 —Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author,on Daughters of the Bride
 “A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.” 
 —Kirkus Reviews on The Boardwalk Bookshop
 “Fans of Jodi Picoult and Elin Hilderbrand will assuredly fall for The Girls of Mischief Bay.”
 —Bookreporter
 “Sparkling.” 
 —Publishers Weekly on The Friendship List
 “Mallery brings her signature humor and style to this moving story of strong women who help each other deal with realistic challenges, a tale as appealing as the fiction of Debbie Macomber and Anne Tyler.”
 —Booklist on California Girls
 “Mallery’s latest novel is a breath of fresh air.” 
 —Library Journal on The Summer of Sunshine & Margot, starred review
 “Heartwarming... This book is sweet and will appeal to readers who enjoy the intricacies of family drama.” 
 —Publishers Weekly on When We Found Home
 “This engaging character study by Mallery is sure to please her many fans as well as readers of similar authors such as Nancy Thayer and Debbie Macomber.” 
 —Library Journal on The Stepsisters
 
 
 Susan Mallery is the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.
 Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the ragdoll cat and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom. Visit Susan online at susanmallery.com.
 
 
 Susan Mallery
 the Happiness Plan
 
 
 
 To the Susan Mallery All Access group on Facebook.You always come through for me, whether it’s naming a marketing group (thanks, Deb!) or a town or even a pet. Your love and support are always the highlight of my day and I love that we get to hang out together. 
 So many of you have asked for Heather’s book, so here it is. Enjoy!
 
 
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-One
 Chapter Twenty-Two
 Chapter Twenty-Three
 Chapter Twenty-Four
 Chapter Twenty-Five
 Chapter Twenty-Six
 Chapter Twenty-Seven
 Chapter Twenty-Eight
 Chapter Twenty-Nine
 The Happiness Plan Reader’s Guide
 Discussion Questions
 Slow Cooker Meatballs Your Way
 Barbecue Meatballs
 Honey-Garlic Meatballs
 
 
 one
 “Is it possible you’re overcommitting in your personal life because you don’t want to feel your emotions?” Tori Rocha asked, her tone more concerned than judgy. “Kittens? Really? Because you needed one more thing?”
 Heather Sitterly glanced down at the three sleeping two-week-old kittens she’d just agreed to foster, thought about the client she’d signed that morning and the kitchen remodel she was considering.
 “Possible?” she repeated, grinning as she spoke. “No. Not possible. I think we can agree it’s likely. Very likely.”
 Tori’s mouth twitched, as if trying not to smile. “Admitting you have a problem is half the battle. How can I help?”
 Heather shifted her wrist so her friend and the head graphic designer at 206 Marketing Group could see her smart watch.
 “In forty-two minutes these little guys will need feeding.”
 “The conference room in forty-two minutes. I’ll be there.”
 So would the rest of the senior staff, Heather thought, because forty-two minutes from now was the weekly update meeting.
 “Thanks.”
 Heather walked to her large corner office where she had an oversize executive desk, a small conference table and a seating area. The traditional furniture contrasted with the soft-sided playpen in the back corner.
 She set the box of kittens on the coffee table and pulled a couple of soft blankets from the closet, along with a large heating pad. She set the heating pad on the lowest setting and covered it with one of the blankets, then used the second one to make a little nest. Carefully, she transferred the sleeping kittens to the playpen where they mewed for a few seconds before falling back to sleep.
 “I’ll take good care of you,” she whispered. “In a few weeks you’ll be old enough to go to your forever homes. You’ll have a great life.”
 Between now and adoption day, Heather would be their surrogate mother. While time consuming, the task wasn’t a stretch. She fostered on a regular basis. Once she got the kittens back to her place, she would be aided by her crabby, mistrustful cat, LC, who loathed her but was an amazing foster dad to all the kittens she brought home.
 Heather crossed to her desk and uploaded the signed contracts from Mountain Goat Northwest, their newest client. She’d been courting them for eighteen months, so having them sign on the dotted line was a sweet victory. MGNW specialized in outerwear for various sports but emphasized sustainable fabrics and bright colors, often decorated with faux fur. Many of their jackets and pants could be custom ordered with personalized details such as patterns and trim.
 She’d sold MGNW on an experiential marketing campaign—one that would help form a relationship with their customers to create brand loyalty for a lifetime.
 Once she’d sent the contracts to accounting,