The Wife Stalker(9)

I poured myself another cup of coffee and started to review the list one last time, then realized that Stelli and Evie already had their bathing suits on.

“Guys, get over here—let’s get some sunscreen on you before we forget.”

Evie came right away, but Stelli ran in the other direction. I sighed. I didn’t have time for this today, but I knew that Stelli wouldn’t respond to my being cross, so I got Evie covered in lotion, then called to her in a stage whisper. “I wonder where Stelli has gone. Did he disappear? I can’t see him.”

Evie giggled and pointed to where Stelli was partially visible behind a chair.

“I think he must be using his powers of invisibility, Evie. I need to find him and put this magic lotion on him before he disappears forever.”

“If you don’t do it soon, we’ll never see him again,” Evie said, playing along.

“That would be so sad. Then I couldn’t see him to give him the special Spider-Man comic book I just got him.”

“Here I am!” Stelli jumped out from behind the chair.

I pretended to look around. “Where? I can’t see you.”

He ran to me and threw his arms around my legs. “Here. Put the lotion on so you can see me.”

As I rubbed it on, Evie and I pretended to watch him appear one area at a time. By the time I finished, we were all laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Leo said as he came into the kitchen.

Stelli ran up to him. “We were putting my magic lotion on.” Leo smiled, looking over at me.

“Good thing. I’d hate for you to disappear.”

By four o’clock, there were over a hundred guests roaming the property, and I began to make the rounds, greeting everyone and making sure all was going well. I was standing at the bar by the pool, the summer heat making me wilt, and wishing I’d chosen something cooler than linen capris and the long-sleeved cotton shirt I’d picked only because it hid my jiggling upper arms. It was while I was chatting with Annette Morris, one of Leo’s partners’ assistants, that I noticed a stunning blonde in shorts and a tank top walk over to Leo. She didn’t work at the firm, and she wasn’t a neighbor, and something about the way they were talking to each other sent alarm signals through me.

“Who’s that?” Annette asked.

“I’ve never seen her before. Maybe she’s a guest of someone else from the firm.” I tried to sound nonchalant. “Well, have fun. I’m going to mingle a bit.”

As I made my way over to Leo and the mystery woman, I was stopped several times by people thanking me and telling me what a wonderful party it was, but Leo and the blonde were still talking when I finally reached them. It took a minute before they seemed to register my presence, and he turned and looked at me.

“Joanna, this is Piper Reynard from the recovery center, the one who tried valiantly to persuade me not to give up on meditation.” They both laughed.

“To no avail,” Piper said, giving Leo a conspiratorial look, suddenly making me feel as though I’d intruded on a private joke.

Leo went on. “She’s new in town, so I thought this would be a good way for her to meet some folks.”

I was surprised and a little stung that he hadn’t mentioned inviting her to me. She was gorgeous, with chiseled cheekbones, luminous blue eyes, and a fine straight nose. She had a face to rival any actress’s. Why had I insisted he go to that damn class? I smiled at her, hoping she couldn’t sense how dumpy I felt next to her, and reached out a hand. “Welcome. So nice to meet you. I’ve been meaning to check out the Phoenix Recovery Center.”

“You should come by. I’d love to offer you a complimentary class.”

“Thanks. That sounds great,” I said, trying to sound sincere, but I wasn’t a fan of yoga. And her ease around Leo—not to mention her striking looks—was making me uncomfortable. “How long have you been in Westport?”

“I moved here in January, but I’ve been so busy with the business, I haven’t had time to make many friends.”

“Oh, where did you move here from?”

She hesitated for a second. “The West Coast. But I’ve moved around a lot. It’s been hard for me to put down roots. It’s so beautiful here that I’m hoping I finally can. Have you always lived in the area?”

“Yes, I was born in Connecticut. Pretty unadventurous, huh?” I said.

“Adventure can take many forms. You can take a journey without traveling a mile.”

“That is so true,” Leo said, looking at her as though she’d just solved the riddle of the Sphinx. He was normally so pragmatic.

I forced a smile again. “Well, nice to meet you. There’s plenty of food and drink, so I hope you’ll dig in,” I said, even though it looked like she didn’t eat at all. She had to be a size two or zero in those little tan shorts, her long legs shapely, without an ounce of cellulite, and arms as buff as they could be. I turned deliberately to Leo.

“Leo, I think Stelli wanted you to see his lion face. He just had it painted.” I looked at Piper. “Stelli loves his daddy so much—they’re like two peas in a pod.”

“Well, I’d better go check on my boy. Enjoy yourself,” Leo said as he walked away.

As he moved through the guests, Piper’s eyes never left him. I wasn’t surprised. Women had always been attracted to Leo, some even making it clear they didn’t mind that he was married. There was one thing I knew about Leo, though, and that was that he had integrity. He’d always been a loyal and faithful husband. Still . . . there was something about this woman that made my antennae go up.