Page 104 of Perfect (mis)Match

I smiled despite the knot of tension in my stomach. My dad made no secret of how much he adored Piper, and it always made me happy to see how she lit up at having a father figure who enjoyed her company.

“What haveyoubeen up to, my dear?” he asked her. “How’s business?”

Her smile went wider at the mention of Strapped.

“It’s overwhelming in the best possible way! Mercedes has been a godsend. We definitely needed the funding from her, but what’s invaluable is her industry insight. Even though footwear is a different animal, there are a ton of parallels in terms of supply chain and establishing retail relationships. And we’re already launching our bag division! Darcy crunched the numbers and saw that the price of leather was at an all-time low, so we made the leap.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I don’t think Macy’s would’ve given us a second thought if it wasn’t for Mercedes’s introduction to the head buyer.”

“You’re going to be inMacy’s?” he gasped. “Piper, congrats!”

I puffed up with pride at her accomplishments. “Hey, don’t give Mercedes all the credit. You’re the one who came up with the flagship bag designs. Three of them, Dad, and they’re all home runs.”

She shrugged modestly. “No, it’s a team effort.”

“And what about you, Vincent?” Richard asked. “Give me the inside scoop on all of your launches.”

He said it jokingly because two fragrance launches within a few weeks of each other was unheard of.

“Well, you should know that they both set new records,” I replied. “Evermoreis not only our top-selling fragrance, it beat the launch numbers for every new fragrance in the past five years. I guess Amanda really was right about there being no such thing as bad press.”

I hated even referring to the publicity that might’ve fueledEvermore’s rise to the top.

“And what aboutPerpetual?” he asked.

I glanced at Piper, and she met my gaze with a smile. “It’s right on the heels ofEvermore. An absolute knockout. We had to rush the expansion lines into production because people can’t get enough of it. So we’re good to go with the lotions and oils, and the shower gel and soap will be out next week.”

“I’m not at all surprised,” he replied proudly. “Just goes to show what’s possible when you set your mind to something. Never give up, that’s what I say!”

I studied my father. His tone made it clear that there was a subtext to what he was saying.

“Dad, what’s going on?”

He smiled, then his eyes drifted behind me and went wide. “Oh, there she is!”

I turned, already bracing myself for disappointment over the idea that our time together was about to be ruined by a stranger trying too hard to make me like her. When I saw the woman striding toward us, I froze. It was impossible.

“Mom?” I gasped.

Piper’s voice cut through the haze, full of surprise. “That’s your mother?”

My dad leapt out of his chair and jogged over to meet her. They embraced, and when he pulled away, he grasped her arms and said something I couldn’t hear.

I followed behind him as confusion swirled inside of me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as she pulled me into a tight hug.

“Visiting my favorite people,” she laughed.

We hugged for a long time. Her signature lily of the valley scent, a perfume created for her by my father calledBeauty, triggered a thousand sense-memories. I hadn’t seen her in person in months. I finally pulled away, ready to introduce Piper, but I didn’t get the chance.

“I’m Kathleen—I’ve heard so much about you,” my mom gushed as they embraced. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you!”

My heart filled to overflowing watching them together. I’d been looking forward to the moment, and seeing it live was even better than I could’ve imagined.

“I’m…I’m in shock,” I admitted as we all sat down. “What exactly is happening here?”

“Family,” my mom replied.

“Yeah, but…” I gestured between my parents.

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