Page 28 of The Wife Stalker

His face turned bright red. “I want you out of here now. If you come here again, I’ll file a harassment complaint. You won’t like the consequences.”

Tears blinded my eyes as I rose and ran from the office, grateful that Missy wasn’t at her desk to witness my humiliation. I knew how ruthless Leo could be when there was any obstacle in his way—and right now, that’s how he saw me.

21

Piper

Piper walked along the short finger pier that jutted out from the main deck to Leo’s boat, a trickle of perspiration running down her back. It was a hot and muggy August day, the air heavy and still, without even the slightest hint of a breeze. She had forgotten how oppressive the summers were on the East Coast. California weather had spoiled her.

“Good morning! We’re all set to go,” Leo called from the deck.

Evie stood next to him and waved at her. “Hi, Piper. I have my bathing suit on. Look.” Evie unzipped her terry-cloth cover-up to reveal a turquoise bathing suit with a mermaid on the front.

“Evie! What a pretty suit. I have mine on, too, underneath my shorts. We’ll go swimming together later.” Piper held out the bag in which she’d packed food for them to Leo. “Lunch,” she said, as she stepped on board.

Leo put his arm around her, kissing her lightly on the cheek. “I missed you last night,” he whispered.

Piper had stayed late at the center the night before, overseeing another mindfulness retreat. By the time she’d left the office, she’d decided to go home and try to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for their outing with the children. Today was the day they were going to tell Evie and Stelli that she and Leo were getting married.

Stelli sat in the swivel seat at the helm, moving the wheel back and forth and makingvroomnoises.

Piper walked over to him. “Hi, Stelli. Are you the captain today?” She ruffled his hair, and he jerked his head away from her. She counted to ten, determined to remain calm. Why couldn’t he be more like Evie?

“Okay, time to cast off,” Leo called out. “I’m going to need that seat after we’re untied, buddy.” He gave Stelli a tap on his knee. “You can sit on my lap, okay?”

“I’m your mate, right?”

“Right. My number-one helper.”

Stelli’s lips parted into a wide grin. “No girls allowed, right?”

“Well...”

“You promised.”

“Just for now. Evie will be my mate on the way back. And then Piper the next time.”

“No fair,” the boy whined.

“Completely fair, buddy,” Leo said as they pulled away from the dock.

Piper took Evie’s hand. “Let’s go sit on the sundeck together.”

As they passed the no-wake zone and were able to pick up speed, the air felt cooler. Piper and Evie sat side by side as the wind whipped through their hair. She still hadn’t gotten used to the noise, and even though the Sabre boasted a quiet ride, it couldn’t compare to the silence of a sailboat gliding sleekly through the water. Piper turned to the young girl. “Are you looking forward to going back to school?”

Evie was silent for a minute, her lips pursed. “I guess.” She looked down and made invisible designs on the deck with her finger. “I don’t know who’s going to take my picture on the first day,” she said, continuing to trace a shape.

Piper wasn’t sure what to tell her. Before she could, Evie spoke again. “On the first day of school, Mom takes a picture . . .”

Piper could tell that Evie was trying not to cry. “I bet your dad will take your picture, honey. And it will go with all the other first-day-of-school pictures. Will you show it to me afterward?”

“Sure.” Evie gave her a tentative smile, and Piper put her arm around the child’s shoulders. She was so easy to like. She didn’t know how many times she’d wished that Evie were Leo’s only child. It would make things so much easier.

As the boat came to a stop, they sat up straight and looked around.

“How about we anchor here and have some lunch?” Leo called to them.

“Sounds good,” she said, rising along with Evie and heading to the galley for plates and cold drinks.

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