“Who is it?” Rip called.
Viera started giggling. “You shut door hard!”
I felt my entire face pale as I reached for the door again with a shaking hand, only to have Rip move past me, taking Viera out of my arms along the way, and open the door himself.
“Hey there, hot stuff. You forgot this at the office. Figured you were just anal enough to get grumpy when you didn’t have all your separate lunch containers.” The woman on the doorstep was wearing a full, expertly applied face of makeup that would make any glam squad proud. Her white pantsuit was molded to her body like it was made for her, and I’d bet my life that it was designer. She wore Chanel diamond earrings and a matching necklace and was tall enough to be an Amazon princess. She. Was. Stunning. Stunning and familiar.
“Oh! You must be Colby. It’s great to meet you!” Her megawatt smile was everything that used to terrify me in high school. She handed Rip some plastic contraption that I’m assuming separated all food, then held out her hand to me.
I didn’t even check to see if I had poop on my hand before I took hers.
Or any other horrible substance.
Because Heather Donnelly was standing at my front door—and she didn’t even seem to recognize me. Then again, I wouldn’t recognize me with a magnifying glass at this point in my life, but still.
I shook her hand—hard—and noticed how her smile wavered as she pulled back and wiped her palm on her sleek white pantsuit before forcing another smile and tossing her jet-black hair over her shoulder.
“Y-yeah, that’s me.” I tried for a smile, prayed to God I had nothing in my teeth, and wanted to immediately hide behind Rip, not that he was any safer.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” She winked, her green eyes sparkling in a way my blue ones never would.
And of course she had the perfect wing-tipped liner and just enough red on her lips to look natural.
“All great things, I’m sure.” I laughed awkwardly while Rip made a choking sound next to me.
“Yeah.” She briefly looked away. “Entertaining at least, right, Rip?”
I shot him a look. At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.
“Yeah, well…,” he started, and I could feel the tension rolling through his body as they shared a look that awkwardly made me feel like the third wheel. “Thanks for stopping by, Heather, but we were just having dinner, so…”
“Oh, no problem!” She winked. “See ya tomorrow, boss!”
With a wave she turned on her tall heels, which clicked against the concrete as she sauntered across the driveway and got into a Tesla as red as the soles of her Louboutin shoes.
“Can barely hear that thing even turn on,” I whispered to myself in awe, and then I glanced toward the minivan in our driveway and felt my soul do a little whimper of jealousy.
“So.” I turned toward Rip. “Heather Donnelly is your…”
“Receptionist and sometimes assistant.” He actually looked uncomfortable.
Good. He should.
It wasn’t like he didn’t know.
“And you were going to tell me that the woman who made all my high school days a living hell was on your payroll when, exactly?” I seethed.
“It’s my company, not yours, and she came highly recommended from—”
“Let me guess, Lingus Industries? The multimillion-dollar company her parents own? She doesn’t even need to work!”
“She’s changed.” He cleared his throat. “And she likes to work. It gives her purpose. Something you would clearly know nothing—”
I narrowed my eyes and subjected him to a glare. “Finish that sentence. I dare you. I’ve been home while you’ve been at work getting a break from the chaos that is suddenly being responsible for two kids while mourning the loss of—” I stopped talking because Viera had suddenly gone really quiet. I’d forgotten she was even between us.
Her lower lip quivered. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, sweetie, I’m just… I’m really tired,” I admitted. “Why don’t you go tell Ben he can come out of time-out and you two can color a bit?”