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Enough is enough, Julia decided. She would put her parental struggles, David’s house, and her financial worries on the shelf to soak up these two weeks of doing nothing. She was going to vacation hard .

There was so much to do and so little time to fit it all in. Boating, swimming, hiking… she wanted to savor the rose-colored sunrises and orange-dappled sunsets, to spend her evenings lounging in the hammock, with the fire roaring and her favorite chardonnay within easy reach.

The sound of car wheels approaching pulled Julia from her daydream. Nutmeg barked an alert and followed Julia and Taylor as they stepped outside to greet the new arrivals.

She saw a sparkling midnight-blue Mercedes SUV pull to a stop in back of David’s house.

The passenger door opened, and a young woman with curly light brown hair, who could not be much older than Taylor, emerged from within.

This must be David’s new girlfriend, Julia figured, the one he was so gaga over.

They were a relatively new couple, together three months or so, but from what Julia heard, they were already hot and heavy.

She was petite and perky, unassuming in jeans, flip-flops, and a simple white T-shirt. Young and pretty had always been David’s preference, but this cherub didn’t have a wrinkle on her youthful face. Menopause was as distant as Mars.

David had told Julia the name of his latest fling, which began with an F—Fern, Flora, something like that—but he had failed to mention that she’d get carded at most liquor stores.

The young Miss F paused to send Julia a pleasant smile and a brief wave before helping Brody and Becca out of their booster seats. A moment later, out stepped David, flashing a huge smile, as if he were on top of the world. He gestured with open arms at his creation.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” he said with a dimpled smile.

Brody and Becca bounded over to Taylor, whom they revered like a deity.

David’s new woman stayed back and watched. She looked so young, it seemed as though she were playing house with real kids. And David, with his dark hair, olive-toned complexion, and Roman nose, fit the role of the handsome older man quite well.

Julia went to him with lips pursed, eyes narrowed, and brow furrowed.

David looked surprised that she was anything but happy to see him. “What, you don’t like it?” he asked, pointing to the house.

Christian came over and shook David’s hand as if everything was fine. Men!

Brody and Becca were getting along fabulously with Taylor, while David’s young fling remained silent as a mannequin. Julia felt uncomfortable being the only one to express her disgust, but she stood her ground. “Are you out of your mind?”

David folded his arms across his chest. “This is prefab construction from one of the world’s most renowned manufacturers of luxury modular homes. I thought you’d be more impressed.”

Julia’s mouth fell open. Because it was David, and they had a history, she tried to make excuses for him. She told herself that all the new money must have shut down part of his frontal lobe. But she wasn’t about to give him a full pass.

“You’re blocking our view,” she told him, directing his attention to the new part of his home that jutted out past the original construction. “And Erika’s… all I can say is that I hope you’ve kept up with your life insurance payments. She’s going to flip.”

David’s smile broadened again. “Oh my god, Julia, relax, will you? I thought that all through. The windows in the front and back line up, so it’s not obstructing anything. And I cleared out a bunch of trees, so the view should be even better than you had before.”

Christian perked up. “Right, so to see the lake, we just have to look through your house?”

David held up his hands, like a magician performing a stupefying trick. Leave it to him to come up with such a ludicrous explanation and expect everyone to buy in.

“It’ll be like admiring the lake through your own window,” he insisted.

“Yeah, with your hairy full moon in our view,” said Julia bitterly.

David slipped extra charm into his boyish grin, which even Julia wasn’t immune to. “Pants always, anytime I’m in the living room. That’s a promise.”

“And a shirt,” said Christian, eyeing David up and down.

“You’re looking jacked, bro. I don’t want Julia getting any ideas.

” Christian offered up the uneasy laugh of someone who was only half joking.

After his divorce, David had gotten into working out, posting CrossFit photos of his daily WOD so often that he tempted Julia to unfollow him.

She drew David’s attention to his pretty, young companion and said quietly, “Please tell me she’s old enough to drive.”

David belted out a hearty laugh. “That’s not Fiona,” he insisted.

Fiona, that’s it! Julia felt bad that she hadn’t remembered the new girlfriend’s name, but keeping track of David’s love life took a lot of effort.

Before she could respond, a gleaming red Porsche barreled down the drive, pulling up alongside the Mercedes. A blond woman with a fair complexion and legs that had no end emerged from within.

Julia wasn’t sure if it was envy or a hot flash that made her feverish. Christian did a double take when the woman lowered her sunglasses to reveal striking blue eyes. Yet, despite all her natural beauty, she gave off the same cold vibes as David’s new home.

She wore a low-cut tank, cropped trousers, and statement sandals with leather straps circling her ankles, as though giving a fashion nod to the Romans.

In her left hand she carried a white Saffiano leather wallet with a gold shoulder strap, an odd choice for a lake accessory.

Julia doubted she’d ever be caught dead carrying a foam noodle.

The woman moved to David’s side. He slipped his arm around her slender waist. The other young woman joined them as well. Julia almost gasped. Was David in a throuple ? Well, if Erika killed him over her obstructed view, at least he’d die a happy man.

“Julia, Christian, this is my girlfriend, Fiona,” said David, gesturing to the woman with the captivating ice-blue eyes. “And this is Izzy, our nanny. She’s helping out with the twins for the next couple of weeks.”

Izzy’s mouth crested into a shy smile. “Nice to meet you both,” she said, extending her hand.

The hot girlfriend and the alluring nanny. Julia had heard this story before, and it seldom ended well.