Page 126 of Say Yes to the Death

To Do:

- Prep lasagna

- Practice deep breathing

- Quote on greenery rental

Claire yawned as she tore off a sheet of aluminum foil and covered her freshly made lasagna. Her mother’s recipe had carried her through countless potlucks and dinners with glowing reviews. Claire could have made it in her sleep. It was the lowest amount of effort she could put in without setting out cold cuts and calling it a day.

She leaned against the kitchen island and took a sip of wine, fanning herself with the oven mitt. In classic Pennsylvania fashion, the temperature had soared up to ninety. Her tiny window air conditioner was chugging along doing its best, but it was definitely warm in her fourth-floor apartment. Maybe the heat would scare people away sooner.

What would this dinner be like? She was starting to get a handle on Jack, but Tanya and George were complete unknowns. What if Tanya was another Rachel? What if George was a serial killer? At this point, nothing would surprise Claire.

She ripped off sheets of paper towels and tucked them under the forks at the place settings. She wasn’t trying to impress these people. She hadn’t even made a dessert. They were lucky she made them a meal at all. Really, she was only doing it to shut Jack up…and to satisfy her curiosity. With the bonus of torturing Luke.

Claire took another sip of her wine and jumped when the doorbell rang. Rosie went crazy, barking at the door as her stump of a tail wagged vigorously.

Claire blew a strand of hair out of her face and opened the door.

Her father, clearly already uncomfortable, stood in another one of his famous nondescript suits, his arm around an earthy, ethereal-looking woman.

“Oh, Claire!” The woman exclaimed, rushing forward and wrapping her in a tight hug.

Claire shrank into herself like a hermit crab scuttling into its shell. Why was the home-wrecker hugging her?

“I am so pleased to meet you,” the unsolicited hugger added. “Let me look at you.”

She drew back and held onto Claire with both arms, her meadow green eyes poring over Claire’s features. Claire leaned backward as far as she could manage without tipping over.

“You have your dad’s eyes. And his chin,” Tanya said with a dazzling smile. “You are every bit as beautiful as I imagined.”

“Uh, thank you,” Claire said, taking a small step back into her apartment. “It’s nice to meet you, Tanya.” A realization hit her like a sack full of day-old scones. Tanya had a label beyond home-wrecker. She was Claire’s stepmother.

“Please come in.” She opened the door wider and tried to covertly take another deep breath.

“Your home is lovely,” Tanya said, floating around the room in her gaucho pants and Birkenstocks. Gold bangles clanged against each other on her slender, tanned arms as she skimmed her hands over the spines of Claire’s books as if she was reading by touch. Apparently, her father had a type.

Jack thrust a gift bag in Claire’s direction. His posture was rigid.

“Gifts,” he said simply.

“Thanks,” she said. The bag definitely wasn’t big enough to hold twenty years of birthday and Christmas gifts. She reached inside and drew out a bottle of top-shelf wine. At least he was good for something. “This will pair well with the lasagna.”

Tanya’s smile faltered for a moment.

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Tanya is a vegan. Sorry, I should have mentioned.”

Of course she was. Claire’s smile was so cemented on at this point that her cheeks ached from the effort.

“That would have been good to know. But it’s okay, I have several vegan-friendly side dishes. Sorry, Tanya, I wasn’t aware of your dietary preferences.”

“It’s fine, darling girl,” she said, cupping Claire’s cheek with her hand. She stared intently into her eyes again.

Ugh. Why was this woman so touchy? Claire squashed her neck back and gave herself a double chin.

“I actually brought a vegan chocolate cake.” She leaned in close, and Claire’s skin crawled. “It’s made with nutritional yeast,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“That sounds delicious. There’s nothing I love more than nutritional yeast.”

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