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with. He was a part of her youth that had been both bitter and sweet, exhilarating and frustrating. And ultimately, their relationship had ended on a sour note, leaving her hurt, and both of them damaged in ways that still lingered today.
    â€œWhy can’t the past stay back there where it belongs?” Victoria whispered to herself. She picked up a sheet of paper off her desk, leaned back in her chair, and started fanning her face. She didn’t know if the hot flash had been brought on because of menopause, or if the very thought of being entangled with Parker again was making her feel intense heat. Either way, she didn’t have time to go through more changes in her life, especially if they involved complications.
    She wiped her glistening forehead with a Kleenex. “I’ve gotta get myself together.” She reached down, opened her desk drawer, and removed her compact from inside her cosmetics bag. “I know I probably look like a hot mess,” she said to herself as she peered at her face in the small mirror. She powdered her nose and made an appraisal of her looks, and she had to admit she liked what she saw.
    For a woman in her early sixties, Victoria knew she looked damn good. She’d always been tall, slender, and shapely, and now as she was cruising into her senior years she’d still managed to hold on to her figure, evidenced by heads that still turned when she entered a room. She looked closely in the mirror, examining the small lines at her eyes that were barely visible, and she ran her fingers across her supple skin, which still glowed thanks to her dedicated skincare regimen and the good fortune of being blessed with extraordinary genes.
    Satisfied that she looked presentable enough for her meeting in one hour, she put away her compact, tucked a few loose strands of her silky chin-length bob behind her ear, and took a deep breath. She felt like her old self until her mind fell back on Parker again. “Damn it!” she hissed. “I can’t let him do this to me again, especially with the troubles I already have at home.”
    She shook her head as she thought about the way her life had been two decades ago. She had loved Parker deeply, but he’d cheated on her, breaking her trust along with her heart. Once they had gone their separate ways, she’d married, but he hadn’t. Years later, they had been reunited when their kindergarten-age children had ended up in the same Jack and Jill chapter, as well as the same classroom at a prestigious private elementary school. And that was when the real trouble had begun.
    From the moment Victoria and Parker had seen each other, it had been impossible for either of them to deny the intense chemistry and unfinished business that still lingered, like an itch they couldn’t scratch. A casual smile had turned into a lunch, which had led to a late-night visit to her office, and before Victoria had known what was happening, she’d almost slept with Parker one weekend while her husband, Ted, had been out of town on business.
    She was pulled away from her troubling thoughts by the buzzing of her phone, alerting her that a text message was coming through. She bit down on her bottom lip when she saw that it was from Parker.
    Parker Brightwood: I hope your day gets better. See you next week.
    Victoria let out a deep, frustrated breath. “The wedding isn’t until next month. Why is he coming to town next week?” she wondered aloud. “Maybe he meant to say next month but just got things mixed up.” But she knew he didn’t. Parker was a methodical man, steeped in the precision of details down to the tiniest degree. His work as a heart surgeon and his personality as a highly competitive, driven man, had made him that way. As he’d told her during their conversation, everything he said or did was intentional, so she knew he meant exactly what he’d typed in his text message.
    â€œHe can come to