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“Oh,” she says, and takes the iPod from me. She playfully rolls her eyes and laughs again. “She’s so old-school; I love it.” Her façade could convince someone naïve, but it lacks something. Genuineness? “Want to come in?”

“I should get back,” I answer, gesturing to my truck.

“Just for a minute? Since you’re dating Tilly or whatever.”

Or whatever.

I sigh and follow her inside. She closes the oversized front door behind me, and we sit across from each other in the living room. Her designer perfume is too potent, and it makes my head pound as I get used to the intense floral fragrance.

I glance around the room without turning my head. These overly modern new builds don’t fit Napa’s overall vibe. Faux marble tiles line the walls behind the bar on the far wall, and the flooring nearly has a mirrored effect. I’ll keep my hardwood floors happily. I do like the floor-to-ceiling windows that allow sun to pour in from the concrete backyard, complete with an infinity pool.

I clear my throat. “Is her dad here?”

“No, Charlie’s out, too. He’s always golfing or something.” She doesn’t both cover the annoyance in her tone and releases a sigh. “I’m Clarissa, by the way.” She sits back in her chair and brushes her hair behind her ear. “Want a drink?”

“No, thanks.”

“Oh, that’s right. You probably drink at work all day.” I can’t stop my eyebrows from furrowing as she continues. “I heard you work at a winery.”

“I run it,” I nearly hiss.

Her eyes light up. “Oh, that’s cool. Hmm, so…you and Tilly.” I narrow my eyes at her but say nothing. The fucking irony and audacity of a twenty-eight-year-old asking me about dating her stepdaughter. I’ve found silence always has a way of getting people to say more than they mean, so I choose that approach now. “She’s a good girl, but that’s all she is. A girl.” Yes, I’m well aware. Clarissa clears her throat. “Just that, you know, she’s only twenty-one and going to grad school next month. You seem a little too old for her.”

There it is. The ironic judgment I knew was coming.

Clarissa wouldn’t think of me as ‘too old’ for her if she were single.

“She’ll be twenty-two in a month.” Fuck. That sounded defensive, and that’s not my style. “What’s your age gap with her dad? I’m going to guess.” I pretend I’m thinking, but I know this as well. I raise my eyebrows as I speak again. “Twenty-plus years? I don’t need to have met Tilly’s dad to guess that.”

She purses her swollen lips together in a tight line. “Look, I know she spent the week with you when we were in Hawaii,” she says like it’s leverage.

“Big fucking deal.” I deadpan. “And I took the week off. You have no idea how much fun we had,” I say with a smirk to egg her on, and her eyes flare with envy. I slept most of that week, but Clarissa doesn’t know that. And I made it up to Tilly since then. Multiple times.

“She was supposed to be watching the house.” I just keep my mouth shut. “What are you going to do when it’s time for her to start school? She could meet some guy her age there from a rich family, and they’ll ride off into the sunset.” I don’t flinch. The Tilly I know wouldn’t want some preppy college guy after one summer with me. I’d put money on that. And I like Clarissa not knowing what kind of wealth I come from.

I shrug. “Figure it out,” I answer.

“Solid plan. So, if you’re single in a few months…” she trails off and crosses her arms over her chest. I won’t be, and you still would never stand a chance. “Her dad will never approve of this.”

“Do I look like the kind of guy who gives a fuck?” I calmly ask. She sucks in a breath in a huff. “Is there something you needed? Or anything else you wanted to say? Because I’m a busy guy,” I say and stand to my full height, but Clarissa is quiet for once. “If you see Tilly, tell her I can’t wait to see her tonight.”

I see myself out, hoping I never cross paths with Clarissa again. She’s a fucking malignant presence in Tilly’s life, and she’s the type to burn Tilly if an opportunity ever presented itself.

Damn it, another person to watch.

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you talked to Clarissa,” Tilly says as soon as I let her in that evening.

I put my hands on her slightly sunburned upper arms and rub them. “Calm down. It was fine,” I reassure her.

Tilly looks up into my eyes. “She tried to sleep with you, didn’t she?”

“What?”

“I’m pretty sure she cheats on my dad, and…”

I interrupt her to stop this train before it derails. “No.” I let that hang in the air for a beat before I continue. “She didn’t make any move on me, but I could tell she might have a wandering eye.”

Tilly’s eyes flicker away. “Ugh!” she groans. “She’s so gross! How could he marry someone like her? Or that close in age to his kid? Did I tell you they got together four years ago? She was only like twenty-three or twenty-four.” Her face falls. “My mom was livid.”