Christian approached from the direction of their house (or the outhouse, in Taylor’s parlance). Technically, it was Julia’s home, after her parents had gifted her the deed that came with the responsibility of maintaining the property. She and Christian put the house in a trust that Christian oversaw, so the lake home could eventually be given to their daughter.
“I’m telling you, the new car made the drive here feel like nothing,” Christian marveled. “The way she glided over the logging road—she’s really a dream.”
Julia flinched ever so slightly.Even his cars are girls,she thought. She’d once caught him caressing the leather seats lovingly when he thought nobody was looking. It reminded her of a man in the throes of infatuation.Oh, how easily a married man can be distracted by a shiny new toy.And sometimes those “toys” could talk, laugh, and order drinks at an airport bar. It was hard not to dwell once the reminder took hold—his mistake… and hers.
Julia gave Christian the once-over like he was being dim. “Really? You’re talking about your new car and not thishouse?”
Christian peered up, finally acknowledging the giant fish tank. He took a step back, as if the slight change in his perspective might alter his assessment.
“That’s a big surprise, all right,” was all he said, which annoyed her. Such a bland, middle-of-the-road comment put the burden of outrage entirely on Julia.
“Christian, he’s blocking our view.” She pointed through David’s house into their kitchen to prove her point.
Christian defended his occasional golfing buddy. “There’s nothing we can do about it now, Julia. I get that it’s not ideal, but it is his property. He can build whatever he wants.”
Julia eyed him with contempt. “Not ideal?Oh, please. It’s too close to the shoreline. There’s no way a building inspector would have approved this,” she said. “This was definitely done under the radar and probably under the table, not to mention he didn’t share any plans with his abutters, meaningus.”
Christian looked away.
Julia glared at him. “Did he share plans with you?” she asked, all fired up.
“No, not really,” said Christian, shaking his head. “He told me what he told you, that it would be a modest addition.”
Julia was relieved. Christian keeping secrets would trigger her lingering doubts and set back all their progress. He’d been eightyears sober, and his affair was finally in the rearview mirror. How the marriage had survived his brief fling with some woman he’d met while on a business trip defied logic. It certainly wouldn’t have lasted if his drinking had continued.
“It’s hardly a small addition,” said Julia, stating the obvious. “This is the kind of house a clueless rich asshole would build just to show off.”
“He made one smart investment, so he gets to do whatever he wants, including being a rich asshole. At leastsomeonearound here is making money.”
Christian’s remark earned him a stern, albeit silent rebuke from Julia. Taylor wasn’t privy to their financial struggles, and with her mood in free fall, it was best to keep it that way.
Julia’s phone buzzed in her pocket, as if she needed any more reminders of their precarious position. She grimaced in a Pavlovian response while playing Guess the Bill Collector.Electric? Landlord? Franchise?She decided not to look. Everyone wanted their money, yet here they were, ready to vacation, having arrived in Christian’s overpriced tax deduction he drove off the dealer’s lot before Julia had a chance to object. What an absolute disaster.
“At a minimum, this is deeply unfair to us, but even more so to Erika and Rick,” said Julia.
“What do you want me to do about it, Jules? Throw rocks at the windows? He’s built the damn thing. All we can do now is adjust. Just relax. Everything is going to work out.”
Julia winced. “Last time you said that, we bought a gym.”
Christian returned a wan smile. Naturally, she wanted him to back her, but she also understood why he kept his rose-colored glasses on. It’s how he saw life after he found sobriety. Every minute was a second chance, and every day was a new opportunity to experience something amazing. Exuberance and blind zeal had replaced his nightly scotch and soda. He’d become a whirlpool of a human, always churning up new ideas or get-rich-quick schemes with enough force to suck her down with him.
Even though it was Christian’s idea to buy a VR Gym franchise—the nation’s only all–virtual reality fitness studio—Julia had signed on the dotted line as well. Nobody forced her to leave the job she loved at a prominent nonprofit devoted to child welfare, which boasted a former First Lady of the United States as a supporter and a brand ambassador, to help Christian run his new business.
Julia jumped in headfirst, her heart full of optimism and her head abuzz with dreams of an early retirement. How naive she had been. In some ways, Julia missed the drunk Christian—the salesman who was too fuzzy and hungover to turn any of his ideas into reality. Now what could have been uneventful days became an endless adventure on a trip to nowhere.
“I’m going to put the groceries away,” said Christian. “Just remember that we’re all friends, Jules. We’re only here for a short time, so let’s make the best of it.”
At least he didn’t quote his favorite AA aphorism about accepting things we cannot change.
Everythinghad changed with this one ugly building.
Christian might be fine with it, but Julia wanted to kill David—and she knew Erika would feel the same. Her friend was due to arrive any minute. Only one question remained: Who would get to him first?
Chapter 2
Izzy
Being a nanny is not a cush job. Absolutely not. It is a serious business that demands care, focus, and know-how. You have a huge responsibility. As the nanny, you are in charge of the most precious, sacred, and meaningful part of someone’sentireexistence—their children. You can’t just kick back and coast through the day. Oh no, no, no. To be a high-caliber nanny means being on top of your game, always on your toes, eyes everywhere—back of your head, top of your head, you name it, youmusthave eyes on the prize. But it’s more than just being watchful. This is a job that requires great skill, caring, the compassion of a saint, and most important, cunning.
