“Well, doesn’t that sound sweet.” Her words are in stark contrast with the way her shoulders sink with disappointment. “Guess I’d better get my nose away from that scent, then.”

I smile at her choice of words. I’m not surprised Mark is infatuated with her. Renée would be hard not to like. “How’s working with David going so far?”

“Oh.” She waves a manicured hand. “He’s a dream.” She laughs at my raised eyebrows.

“Between you and me, after what Mark told me, I was expecting a lot worse. Of course, he’s a giant man-baby, but he just wants to be taken care of. Lucky for him, I like taking care of needy people.”

“Well, then, you are a stronger woman than me, because I have no patience for that man,” I murmur, savoring the first sip of caffeine.

“I just have different aspirations, is all. Look at you! You’re gonna be runnin’ the world soon. You don’t have time for that sort of thing. But me . . . I’ve had my wedding dress design since I was seven. I’ve already got my three kids’ names picked out and the color of their nursery and I can’t wait to join the PTA. It’s my jam.” She shrugs. “This is just a job for me. A great job, don’t get me wrong! But the part I like most about it is taking care of someone and making his life easier.” She pauses and then her eyes widen. “Oh my Lord, it sounds like I’m trying to marry my boss and have his babies, doesn’t it?”

I burst out laughing. “It sounds like you know who you are and what will make you happy. I’m impressed.” Even if it doesn’t look anything like my life plan. To be honest, I don’t have names or nursery colors picked. I have “children” penciled in for my thirties—mid to late thirties, the way it’s looking now—but that’s as far as I’ve gotten. David and I had talked about starting a family, but it was always more in passing, like, “Sure, we’ll have one, eventually, when it works for us.” We were both more focused on the Calloway world—the only real thing we had in common.

I have no idea if Kyle wants children, I realize. The topic never came up at Wawa beyond talk of condoms and birth control to avoid having them. We were too young then.

But now, I’ve jumped off another cliff to be with him and I have no idea what I’ve landed in. I’m ready to hand him a key, but what kind of life does Kyle see for himself? He’s already making comments about how much I work. What if he wants a Renée?

I will never be a Renée.

“You okay, Piper?” She watches me carefully. “You literally just went from laughing to dead silent, like that.” She snaps her fingers.

“I’m fine.”

She hesitates. “Do you miss being with David?”

“No. Not at all. I was never meant to be with him.” I toy with the paper wrapping from the package. It’s foolish, but I can almost feel Kyle’s hands on it.

Speak of the devil . . . David pops his head into my office then. “Renée, I need you now.”

“And I need you now,” I demand.

“I don’t have time—”

“Two minutes.”

“She sounds like her father,” he mutters, handing Renée a folder. “Meet me in my office.”

Renée marches out, her calf muscles bulging from her high heels.

“What is it?” David asks, and he has the nerve to sound annoyed.

“What was that stunt earlier today in the lobby?” I ask calmly.

“What stunt?”

I glare at him.

“Oh, so he ran up here and cried to you? What kind of man are you with?”

“David!” I snap. “What were you trying to do?”

He begins pacing around my office, his hands on his hips. “I know I was joking around about it because it was funny at first. Shocking. It didn’t really hit me until after I got home and replayed what you said, and how you said it.” He stops in front of my desk. “You’re in love with this guy, aren’t you?”

I purse my lips.

That’s answer enough for him.

“Fuck . . .” David sighs heavily. “I guess, I don’t know. In the back of my mind I thought you’d be so focused on taking over for your dad that you wouldn’t have time to date, and then eventually you’d wake up and realize I’m the guy for you and we’d get back together. I did not see this coming. The last few days have been . . . weird for me.” He frowns as if replaying them in his head. “I almost told Kieran everything on the green today.”

“You what?” I hiss, my body going rigid, the urge to run for the lobby, to protect Kyle from what’s about to come, overwhelming.

He holds his hands in the air. “I didn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t.”

I sink with relief into my chair.

“So I want you to know that I’m not okay with this, and I’m probably going to be a dick every once in a while because I’m not okay with it.” He frowns. “But I won’t tell Kieran. I don’t want him to do something that would hurt you.”

My annoyance with David softens. Words like that don’t come easily for a man as self-absorbed as he is. “Thank you for the warning. But please don’t harass Kyle. It’ll make people talk.” Thank God Gus is already aware of our relationship.

“I was just letting him know that if he hurts you, he’ll have to deal with me.”

Kyle and David are the same size, but something tells me Kyle would win that fight. I bite my cheek to keep the laughter at bay. “You’re still an idiot. But that might be the most considerate thing you’ve ever said to me.”

His lips twist as his gaze drifts across the way. “Maybe I should start screwing the help, too.”

And . . . he’s back.

“I think that’s a great idea. She already has your children’s names picked out.”

“What?” Panic flashes across his face.

“I’m kidding. Now go away so I can work.”

Except now my focus is splintered between pie graphs and babies.

“Hello?” I holler, kicking the door shut and slipping off my shoes. I’m exhausted, it’s a quarter to ten, and I told Kyle I’d be home two hours ago. The kitchen and living room are empty. He’s not in our bedroom, either, I note with dismay.