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After we hung up, I racked my brain. I wasn’t about to show up at the wedding and make a scene. I’d already been humiliated enough. I wondered if Leo’s mother might intervene, though. She was always so good at seeing through people, and surely she could tell that Piper wasn’t good for him. I started to dial, but put the phone down. It wasn’t fair to put her in that position. I dialed Leo’s cell instead, pacing as the phone rang.
“Hi, Joanna.” The frustration in his voice was apparent before I’d even said a word. “What’s up?”
“Shouldn’t you be telling me? I’ve just had a call from a very upset Stelli. You’re getting married Saturday?”
He sighed loudly. “I was going to call you.”
I’ll bet he was. “What’s the rush, Leo?”
“We thought it best to do it before the children start back at school. This way things are settled before the school year begins.”
“But you hardly know her! And she’s not who she says she is. As a matter of fact—”
“Stop it, Joanna,” he interrupted me. “I’ll hang up if you say another word. I know you’re not happy, but it’s my life.”
I bit back an angry reply. I had to think of the children. “Look, Leo, it’s going be a stressful day for the children, watching their father marry someone else. Why don’t you let me take them out in the morning for a little while, to the beach and for some ice cream?”
“I don’t know if that’s a great idea.”
“Regardless of what’s going on between you and me, we both love the children and want what’s best for them. I promise not to say anything negative. I just want to make the day a little easier for them.”
“All right, but only if you promise: not one bad word about Piper.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course not. I’ll pick them up around ten and have them back in plenty of time. What time does the ceremony start?” I couldn’t bring myself to say the wordwedding.
“It’s five o’clock, but they need to be back here well before that.”
“I’ll have them back by two,” I said, meaning it.
When Saturday arrived, I drove over to the house a few minutes early and watched from the street as flowers were delivered, tables and chairs were brought in, and a flurry of activity unfolded. I was surprised to see that the kids’ croquet set was still up, that she hadn’t cleared it away for the big day. I waited until ten o’clock on the dot, just like I’d arranged with Leo, and pulled up to the front of the house. The children ran down the hill and jumped into the car, and once they were settled in their seats, I pulled away.
“Hi, my darlings. It’s a beautiful day. All ready to go to the beach?” I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Stelli was pouting and his arms were crossed.
“You said you were going to do something. They’re still getting married. I checked.”
I took a deep breath. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing I can do about that. But Daddy loves you, and I’m sure it will all be fine. I wanted to try to cheer you up before Daddy’s wedding.”
Then Evie, in a small voice, said, “She’s making me be a bridesmaid, and Stelli is the ring bearer.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I hate her, and I’m too old to be a stupid ring bearer!” Stelli piped up. “She’s always telling me to be quiet. And she hogs Daddy. Why can’t you come home?”
My heart sank. Stelli was a spirited child, full of joy and energy, but to someone who wasn’t used to children, he could be a handful. And Piper struck me as someone who didn’t have the first clue about kids. “I’m trying to. I love you so much.”
Stelli kicked the seat. “You said you were just going to be gone for a little while. You lied.”
“Oh, my darling. I wanted to come back, but your daddy wanted Piper instead of me.” I knew I’d promised Leo I wouldn’t say anything negative, but I couldn’t let Stelli think I had willingly abandoned him.
“It’s not fair,” he said.
Evie spoke then. “Daddy wants us to call her ‘Mommy Piper.’ She’s nice, but I don’t want to call her that.”
It took everything I had not to scream. I gripped the steering wheel harder. “You donothave to call her that. I’ll speak to Daddy.”
“I don’t want Daddy and Piper to be mad at me for telling you,” Evie said.
“They won’t be mad, honey. I promise,” I assured her. I was going to let Leo have it. How could he be so thoughtless? Poor Evie always wanted to make everyone happy, and Leo was putting her in an impossible situation.Mommy Piper?That woman would never be their Mommy.