Chapter Four

Piper

Leo paced back and forth across the kitchen; his brows knitted together as he mumbled incoherently. We'd been through an incredible amount of stress since buying the house six months ago, but this was by far the biggest speedbump.

Don't panic. We've gotten through everything else.I took a deep breath and let it out before taking a seat at our refurbished farm table with pale green legs and matching chairs. It went perfectly with the new white granite counters and sage green cupboards. To us, the kitchen was the heart of any home, so we'd remodeled it first, splurging on top-of-the-line appliances.

When we were halfway through the kitchen, we discovered the home inspector had missed a major issue: termites and water damage from a leaking pipe inside a wall. We'd had to tent the place and call in a mold remediation company, who removed over one ton of plaster from the walls in the basement and first floor. It all had to be sheetrocked. So expensive. Now the home was safe and livable, but not exactly aesthetically pleasing because our money'd run out.

Now this.

"I'm sure you'll find a new job," I said, keeping my voice peppy despite my mortification. "And with my salary, we can keep things afloat." Maybe. We'd definitely have to put off more work on the house.

"I knew this was a mistake." Leo shook his head at the floor. "This fucking house cost me my job."

That wasn't true. Leo had been spreading himself too thin between late nights at the office, entertaining clients, and this. I'd told him a million times to slow down. If it took five years to finish this project, so be it. But he'd insisted on sticking to our original timeline. I think he was just eager to start his own business and be his own boss.

I couldn't blame him. He worked incredibly hard and deserved to be making money off his sweat and tears. But what Leo had in ambition, he lacked in patience.

I walked over to him, taking his rough hand in mine. "Leo, it's okay. I'll find someone to rent our guest room." It had a working bathroom and beautiful crown moldings. Very charming. "That'll give us a little extra cash, and I can pick up a few more classes next semester. You can find a temp gig while you put out your résumé." I squeezed his hand. "It'll all work out. You'll see."

His jaw muscles pulsed away beneath his golden-brown stubble, and his brow was all sweaty. He looked like he hadn't slept last night, with huge bags under his eyes.

I think he's about to have a meltdown.Honestly, though, what did he expect? It was only a matter of time before something had to give. I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't listen to me and slow down.

"This is a fucking disaster," he grumbled.

"We've survived shittier things, and we'll survive this." For example, his parents had died a few years ago, right after we met. First his mother went from cancer and then his dad from a stroke. Poor Leo. It had been a hard time for him and put our relationship to the test right out of the gate. It was how I knew we could handle anything together. Even death.

Thankfully, my parents were still alive, both living in Nebraska with my older brother, who was married with four kids. I didn't see them much, but I doubted they had time to miss me. With my brother and his wife running their own Greek restaurant and raising four small children, everyone was busy from sunup to sundown.

"I need to clear my head." Leo blew out a breath and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "I'm going to hit the gym."

A lie. He was probably going to hit the pub down the street. Of course, I didn't mind. Getting fired in front of your biggest client in the middle of a meeting was a crap deal. But apparently the client, some big shopping center developer, had become unhinged over a delay getting permits issued. The city wanted changes to the plans because of a new earthquake-proofing ordinance. It had been completely out of Leo's control, but he took the fall anyway.

"Sure. No problem." I kissed his cheek. "I love you."

He grabbed his keys from the drawer. "Don't wait up."

I watched him leave, feeling a heaviness settle in my chest. Clearly, Leo was not the type of man to take failure well. Probably because he'd done so little of it in his life.

Me? I'd failed all over the place. I'd opened a history-centric bookstore right out of college. It closed after five months when the landlord jacked up the rent. Also, I'd probably overestimated the demand for history books. Just History had been doomed to be history from the start.

Then, about a year later, I went to work for a publisher in New York who'd hired me to acquire historical literature. It felt so exciting to do the very thing I loved: reading history. I'd been sure it was my calling.

Nope.

I hated it—the city, the traffic, the sharks at the office. I quit after fourteen months and went to live with my best friend, Conni, in San Diego, where I got a teaching job at the community college. I dated around for a few years—nothing serious—until I met Leo. Conni had dragged me to a party, and there he was. We hit it off right away, and I moved in with him after a few months, around the time his parents passed. Seemed practical since he needed the moral support, and I was sleeping over every night.

Before I knew it, Leo and I were engaged, and then Conni moved here to San Francisco. It was during a long weekend when Leo and I came to visit that we came up with the idea to buy one of these Victorians. A few months later, Leo found work here, and I landed a new teaching position—step one of our big plan.

In short, there'd been a lot of changes in my life since college, which included every bump in the road imaginable. It was why the issues with this house felt surmountable. Meanwhile, Leo saw this setback as a catastrophe. I hoped in a few days he'd realize there was a light at the end of this tunnel.

I pulled out my phone and logged into Craigslist to post an ad. Short-term room for rent.

"I'm sure he'll come around, Pipe. Leo's got a hard head," said Conni the next morning while sipping her cappuccino across from me. We came to this French café once or twice a month, usually on the weekends when Leo was off golfing with clients, a mandatory part of his job. It was our favorite place to catch up and vent, laugh, or shoot the shit. We also made it a point to wear a scarf. At first, it happened by accident, but after three consecutive Saturdays of us both showing up in scarves, we started doing it on purpose. Today, she had on a brown scarf that matched her short hair. I had on a pink floral chiffon scarf to go with my overalls and low-top Converse. I planned to do some work in the garden after.

As for Leo, he hadn't come home last night, which was why I asked Conni to meet up early. He'd been refusing to answer my calls or texts.

I raised my hand to flag down our waiter and ordered a bottle of wine, a charcuterie board, and cheese plate. Those were the other reasons to come here besides the excellent coffee. "Extra bread, please."

The waiter nodded and walked off.

Conni's big brown eyes lit up. "Wow. Cheese, meat, and wine, all before ten a.m. You really are in a crisis." Conni set her coffee down. "I was just about to order some snacks, too, so you saved me the trouble. Can you fucking believe Steve?"

Steve had been her boyfriend up until last week. They'd been together almost five months.

"He should've told you the truth," I said, trying my best not to hog up all the pity. At least Leo and I were still together and on the same page. Maybe?

"I told him a thousand times I want kids. I mean, he…" As Conni went on about their breakup, a man in his late twenties, sitting behind her, caught my attention. He kept glancing over, like he knew me or something. Maybe a student from one of my classes?

No, I'd remember eyes like his. Pale, pale gray, like ice mixed with ash. He wore his thick black hair down around his face, obscuring his hard jawline. I got the impression he didn't want to be noticed, because a good-looking face like his was the type most guys showed off.

"What? Am I boring you already?" Conni snapped her fingers.

"Oh. Sorry. I just thought I saw someone I recognized."

Just then, the man stood and left. Conni turned her head in time to see his broad back as he walked out.

"Who?" she asked.

"Never mind. He's gone. So, are you going to finally ask out your boss now that you're single?" I asked.

Conni laughed. She hated her boss. He was some crusty old pervert who always hit on her. I kept telling her to file a complaint with HR, but she worked in special effects at a very prestigious company across the bay. She was stuck between the fear of being labeled a troublemaker in the industry or losing her mind.

"Maybe you're right," she said. "I should ask him out. And while we're eating, I can chew with my mouth open, fart, get sloppy drunk, and throw up on his lap. That would stop him from wanting me."

I chuckled. This was exactly why Conni had been my best friend since college. She had a weird way of seeing things and turning lemons into lemonade. I just wished she'd fight harder for herself, but she was as stubborn as Leo. Once her mind was made up, that was it. I was like a willow in the wind, swaying with the punches. Leo always accused me of having zero backbone, but I never saw myself as a pushover. I just…didn't like drama or unnecessary conflict.

"So, what's your plan?" she asked and then slapped the table before I could reply. "Oh. Hey. You can always move in with me again."

"I'm not that desperate."

"Wow." She pressed her hand to her cheek. "Ouch."

"Oh, stop. You and Leo don't get along, and I'm sure we'll figure something out with the house." Money would be tight, but we'd survive, even if it meant selling the place at a loss.

"Who said he was invited?"

What the…?I was not leaving Leo. Why would she even think that? "He's going to come around, just like you said." But as I spoke the words, I had to ask, "Exactly why don't you like him, again?"

I'd questioned her dozens of times over the years, but she never gave a clear answer: "We're just different people," she'd say, or, "I don't dislike him, but there's only one reason I hang out with him, and that's you."

Conni shrugged. "He's too caught up in his image."

This was a new response. "Well, yeah. He cares about being successful, and I prefer that over being with some slacker."

She leaned in close. "Piper, you are a hot, hot woman. And you're smart, caring, and hardworking. But, girl, you have bad taste in men." She clicked her tongue at me.

That was a bold statement, considering she'd only seen me with a handful of guys. None of them had been serious relationships except Leo. "I do not."

"You one hundred percent do. It's like you absolutely refuse to see men's flaws." Grinning, she leaned back in her chair. "I swear, Piper, if the devil himself knocked on your door, you'd invite him in, bake him cookies, and compliment his radiant horns." Conni held up two index fingers over her head like horns.

I took my napkin, crumpled it up, and threw it at her face with a snicker. "Oh, boohoo. I don't look for the bad in men, like some people I know." Meaning her.

"Maybe it's time you do."

"It's a moot point. I'm with Leo, who's great. We're getting married. And say what you want about my weakness, but you're a cynic, and you still got blindsided by Steve."

"That's because I'm a sucker for a big dick."

Just then, the waiter walked up with our wine. He smiled at Conni, clearly having heard her comment.

She and I both laughed.

He opened the bottle of Bordeaux, poured two glasses, and said he'd return promptly with our big sausage plate.

"Just the way we like it," Conni said to him and then raised her glass to me. "Here's to our weaknesses. May they always keep our beds warm."