The Perfect Couple (Last Stand #4)(52)
Author: Brenda Novak

"How lovely," she said, gesturing at the roses.

Tiffany nodded. "Thanks. Colin gave them to me."

"I hope I’m not intruding on your anniversary or some other special event."

"No. He sent them to me just to say he loves me." She smiled brightly, delighted by the flowers.

"How thoughtful." And reassuring. Anything that proved Colin’s love for his wife made Zoe feel more comfortable about how interested and friendly he was with her. "Can I help with dinner?"

Tiffany’s teeth sank into her bottom lip as she considered the offer. "Is it normal to help when you’re a guest?" she asked. "I mean, would it be impolite of me to accept?"

"Not at all," Zoe said with laugh. "I’m perfectly happy to pitch in, especially since it was my investigator who made you late. Please tell me what you’d like me to do."

"I was making the salad. If you could finish slicing the carrots and cucumbers and add the beets and candied walnuts, I could go and change before Colin gets home."

"No problem."

Tiffany showed her into the kitchen, then hurried away as if Colin was a highly anticipated guest instead of joint host. But Zoe wasn’t offended that he was the person Tiffany most wanted to impress. She found it rather endearing.

Zoe was just adding the beets to the salad when Colin walked in.

"Hello? Tiff? Hey, where’s Zoe?"

Zoe poked her head around the corner. "I’m here. Your wife’s upstairs getting changed."

For a moment, he stared at her with such undisguised appreciation Zoe had to glance at the roses to remind herself that he and Tiffany must be getting along well. "Hungry?" she said to distract him.

"Definitely," he replied, but she had a funny feeling that he wasn’t talking about food.

"Your wife’s done a beautiful job with dinner." She ducked back into the kitchen, hoping Tiffany would show up, and wasn’t disappointed.

Seconds later, she heard the rapid beat of footsteps hurrying down the stairs.

"Colin, you’re home!"

"Finally," he said. "I swear I don’t know what they’d do at that firm without me. I’m the newest one there, but I do eighty percent of the work."

Zoe found that unlikely. She got the impression from his overloud voice that he was hoping to impress her, but tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Because you’re so smart," Tiffany said.

Silence ensued, making Zoe hope they were hugging and kissing.

Then Colin appeared at the entrance to the kitchen sans briefcase and Tiffany slipped around him to take over the salad.

"How do you like our home?" he asked.

"It’s beautiful," she said.

"Has Tiffany given you the grand tour? We have a slightly different floor plan than Anton. We have one less bedroom, but still have the bonus room over the garage."

Would it be different enough that there was any reason to show her?

She couldn’t imagine it was but didn’t want to be impolite.

"Not yet," she said. "I just got here a few minutes ago."

"Let me show you what we’re going to do with the backyard." He left and returned with a drawing that included a barbecue pit, a fancy patio, and a pool and hot tub, along with improved landscaping.

"This will be great. When are you planning to start?"

"In a year or so."

"Will you fence off the pool once you have kids?"

This question was met with a blank look. "Why would we do that?"

Zoe had thought it would be obvious. "For safety reasons."

"Colin’s never wanted children," Tiffany piped up. "And I’m fine with that. We just want to be together."

Zoe directed her gaze at Colin. Hadn’t he told her just the other night that they wanted a family? "I hope what’s happened to Sam hasn’t changed your mind."

"No, it’s not that." He shrugged. "We’ll probably have a kid someday.

But that’s later. Much later. I’m only twenty-five. There’s a lot to do before we tie ourselves down."

"Children are certainly a commitment," she murmured.

"You got that right." He winked at her. "But pets I can handle. They’re a different story entirely."

She’d never heard him talk about animals. "Do you have any pets?"

"Not yet." Tiffany shot her husband a look that indicated this might be a contentious issue between them.

"We’re considering a dog," Colin said.

"What kind?" Zoe asked.

He opened a bottle of wine and poured her a glass. "What kind would you guess I’d like?"

She smiled. "I’m not sure."

"One that can be trained to please," he said, but before he could elaborate, Tiffany interrupted again and seemed almost…upset.

"Dinner’s ready."

Chapter 21

"Are you high?" Tiffany whispered to Colin once they were in the kitchen. They’d finished eating dinner–a painful affair for Tiffany with her husband so attentive to Zoe. Now Zoe was using the bathroom.

He scowled at her. "Of course not. What are you talking about?"

"Don’t lie to me. You’re on drugs. I can tell." Having Zoe over was a bad idea. Tiffany had been worried about it from the beginning, but now she was getting really worried. She could tell by the way Zoe kept glancing at her that she’d noticed Colin’s altered behavior. She could probably sense his sexual interest, too. He kept leering at her as if he wanted to rip her clothes off. "Is it Ecstasy?" she asked.

"What’s it matter to you?" He set the dishes he’d carried in the sink.

"We were planning to party later. So what if I got a head start?"

"What’d you do?"

"I had one line of coke before I left the office, okay? No big deal."

"You couldn’t have waited, Colin? We need to be careful around Zoe!"

"I haven’t given us away."

"But if you keep talking about pets and how smart some of them can be she’s going to think it’s weird, okay? Don’t mention animals again! You’re making her nervous, and me, too."

He shook his head as if he didn’t believe it. "You’re overreacting."

"No, I’m not. If you want to have James and Tommy over tonight, and you want me to show them a good time, you’d better hurry up and get this route planning over with so she can be on her way."

He grabbed her by the waist. "Now you’re threatening me?"

She blinked rapidly, fighting tears. "I won’t go to prison like my brother."

"Oh, shit. I told you, no one’s going to prison–"