Page 61 of The Wife Stalker

She looked a bit surprised. “I’m not sure how that’s relevant.”

“I was just curious.”

Celeste rubbed her hand across her chin. “Would it be accurate to say that both your father and Leo abandoned you and gave their affection and resources to someone else in your place? And that perhaps, in Leo, you chose someone with the same character traits as your father?”

Please don’t pull any punches for my sake, I thought. “No, I don’t think that’s accurate,” I said, crossing my arms.

My father was a liar, a cowardly liar, I thought to myself. Leo was an honorable man who’d already been dealing with depression and feelings of inadequacy when he got caught in a web of someone else’s deceit—someone who was out to hurt my family. Was he responsible for his actions? Of course. But you could only blame the person for inviting the vampire into your home—you couldn’t blame them for falling victim to the bloodsucker’s thrall.

41

Piper

“We’re going to have a family game night,” Piper called out to the children, who were coming downstairs with Rebecca, fresh from their baths.

“Fun!” Evie said.

Piper had already set up the board for Sorryin the family room.As they took their seats, Rebecca brought in a plate of store-bought brownies.

The kids each grabbed one, as did Leo, who stuck his right in his mouth. “These are good!”

This woman really was getting on her nerves. Piper would have to talk to her again about all the sugar.

Stelli looked inside the Sorry box. “I want red. What color do you want, Dad?”

Leo shrugged. “You pick.”

“You can be yellow. Evie’s blue. You’re green, Rebecca.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a long moment, then Rebecca spoke. “No, sweetie, the four ofyouare playing.”

“This whole idea was Piper’s, remember, pal?” Leo said, ruffling Stelli’s hair.

“Yeah,” Stelli mumbled.

Piper knew her face had flushed. “I guess I’m green.” She forced a cheerful tone into her voice. “Stelli, why don’t you go first?”

He picked a card. “Three!” He moved his pawn onto the board.

As they started to play, Rebecca withdrew from the room, and Piper felt the tension in the room dissolving.

“Are you looking forward to the long weekend?” Leo asked. “You get to skip a day of school.”

“I am,” Evie said. “I got a new Nancy Drew book, and I’m going to read all weekend.”

Piper smiled. “I have a surprise for you.”

“What?”

“I found all my old Nancy Drew books in a box I’d put in the attic. I took them with me when I left home. The whole series. They’re yours if you want them.”

Evie jumped up and down. “Really? Yes, thank you, Piper.”

Leo gave her a warm smile and reached out to squeeze her hand.

“Are we playing or talking?” Stelli interjected.

Leo laughed. “My little man. Soon you’ll be ready for poker.”

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