Page 69 of The Wife Stalker

She looked pleadingly at Leo, but he seemed completely oblivious, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. As her kitchen was taken over, she grew impatient and asserted herself. “This is so generous of you, Evangelia. Thank you so much, but I’ve already cooked our dinner.” She gestured toward the large turkey on top of the stove, where it was waiting to be carved. “We’re having turkey. It’s traditional on Thanksgiving. And I’ve made potatoes, both white and sweet, and lots of vegetables. I don’t think we really need all the food you’ve brought, but I could wrap it up and put it in the refrigerator for you to take with you later.”

Evangelia turned to Leo and began to speak rapidly in Greek.

“What?” Piper said. “What is she saying?”

“You’ve hurt her feelings. She was only trying to help you, so you wouldn’t have so much to do with the whole family coming.”

Great, Piper thought. Now the woman would hate her even more. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Piper said to her. “I just wish I’d known before I did all the cooking.” She noticed Leo’s jaw tick just a touch, and she plastered on a smile. “But, of course, we’ll have lambandturkey. Thanksgiving dinner is supposed to be a feast, right?” She tried to make it sound like she meant it.

“Kala.Good. Turkey is for the Americans. Lamb is tradition.”

Toula and Angela, her new sisters-in-law, helped Evangelia take the food into the dining room, and Piper grabbed Leo by thearm, holding him back. “Why didn’t you tell me she’d be bringing all the food? Why the hell did I spend two days cooking?”

“I’m sorry. She always brings something, but not the whole meal. I don’t know why she did that this time.” He seemed sheepish but nowhere close to bothered, which made her anger flare. It was just like when Matthew would shrug at Mia’s antics or tell her to relax about Ava’s behavior—it seemed unbelievable that men had so little idea of how manipulative and cruel women could be.

“She did it because she hates me.”

“Piper. That’s not true.”

“She doesn’t even say my name right. She doesn’t like me, Leo.”

He put his arm around her. “Stop this. She just doesn’t know you yet. Come on, let’s go have a drink in the living room.”

Everyone else went into the other room, where the shrimp, cheese, and crackers had been put out. Piper took the spinach pie from the oven and gave it fifteen minutes to cool, then transferred the pre-cut pieces to a platter. She could hear laughter and talking and took a deep breath to steady herself. Leo’s family was so Greek. He’d assimilated so well that she almost forgot his roots. But when his family came around, he fell back into the role of adored son to a mother who clearly thought that Piper wasn’t a suitable wife to him.

When she walked into the living room, Leo stood up from his seat on the sofa next to his mother and walked over to her.

“Ma, look what Piper made,” he said, pointing at the spinach pie she was holding.“Spanakopita.”

Evangelia looked up in obvious surprise. “But I brought mine.”

Leo took a piece from the platter Piper was holding and put it on a napkin. “Here, try it.”

She took it from him reluctantly, examined it, then brought it to her mouth. She made a face. “What kind of filo you use? From a store?”

Piper felt her stomach tighten. “Yes. I got it at Trader Joe’s.”

“What does Joe know about filo?” Everyone laughed while Evangelia shook her head. “You have to make it yourself. And if you too lazy to do that, at least you get at Greek grocery store.” She stood up. “Come. I show you what realspanakopitatastes like.”

Piper could feel the heat in her face, and Leo mouthedSorrybut said nothing. Piper put the platter on the coffee table and smiled. “That’s okay, I’m not really hungry.”

“Ma, come sit down,” George said, trying to take her arm.

She shooed him away. “I’m going to heat up thespanakopitaand thetiropitesI brought. Leo, show me how to start your oven, please.”

Angela, Gus’s wife, gave Piper a sympathetic look as Evangelia left the room. She picked up one of the pieces of spinach pie and took a bite. “It’s delicious. Thank you so much for having us here today. She means well... I hope you won’t let it ruin your day.”

Piper smiled warmly at her. “Thank you.”

“Who wants to see my new remote-control helicopter?” Stelli asked, and for once, Piper was grateful for his interruption. His cousins Michael and George, along with their fathers, followed him from the room, leaving Piper alone with Toula and Angela.

Toula, George’s wife, lifted her wineglass. “To Piper, may she survive Hurricane Evangelia.”

Piper laughed despite herself and clinked her glass with Toula’s.

“She’ll come around. She’s tough but fair. It took her a while to warm up to us. You know Greek mothers and their sons,” Angela said.

Piper arched an eyebrow. “But at least you’re both Greek. That’s one strike against me. And the other is that I’m not the children’s real mother. She really dislikes me.”

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