LITMIR.BIZ

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pick you up at seven.”

      “I’ll be ready.”

      Wow. So that’s what it was like to be asked out. She should do this more often.

      She started to leave, then remembered the permission slip and pulled it out of her pocket. He signed it and she left. Technically, she walked to her car, but it felt a whole lot more like floating.

      She was going on a date! With Wyatt. Now all she had to do was figure out how to tell Nicole.

      “THESE ARE AMAZING,” Claire said as she grabbed another onion ring. “I’ve never tasted anything this good. Ever.”

      Jesse picked up her burger. “See. Not everything good happens in New York.”

      “I never thought it did,” Claire said as she looked around at the colorful interior of Kidd Valley, the burger place where Jesse had suggested they meet. “I may have to have these flown in for my next concert.” She took another bite of the onion ring, chewed and swallowed. “I’ve never made any crazy food demands. I could start with these.”

      “They won’t travel well.”

      “You’re right. Which is seriously disappointing.” Claire licked her fingers. “So what’s going on?”

      “Nothing.” Jesse didn’t look at her. “I just wanted to say hi.”

      Claire thought there might be another reason for Jesse’s call suggesting they get together. “Are you doing all right?”

      “I guess. I’m keeping busy and, ah, stuff. Nicole’s still mad, huh?”

      “I’m the wrong person to ask. We’re not exactly sharing bondy moments.”

      From Claire’s perspective, they’d been avoiding each other since the fight about Wyatt. Which was going to create a really big problem. She had found someone she wanted to go out with. He wasn’t married, involved with anyone else, or a convicted felon. So Nicole was going to have to get over her hissy fit and accept the relationship, such as it was. At least that was the plan.

      “But she’s okay,” Jesse said. “She’s getting better, right?”

      “She’s moving around better. I think she’s going back to the bakery next week.”

      “But she’s still mad at me?”

      Jesse looked miserable. Claire wished she had better news to tell her.

      “You slept with her husband. That’s going to take some time for her to get over.” Worse, Nicole had walked in on them. She had a clear visual of the betrayal. That couldn’t be easy.

      “I didn’t sleep with him,” Jesse said as she slumped in her seat. “It’s not what she thinks.” She held up her hand. “Don’t say it. My shirt was off, so I must have been having sex with him. I’m bad, he’s bad.” Jesse shook her head.

      Claire fought frustration. Why couldn’t Jesse understand that the fact that Nicole had interrupted and kept things from going all the way didn’t make the situation right? The intent was there. The semi-nakedness was there.

      “I have a boyfriend,” Jesse said. “Matt. I love him. I would never hurt him. But then I found a ring. An engagement ring. Matt wants to marry me.”

      What? A boyfriend? And she’d screwed around with Nicole’s husband? “That’s great, but if you love Matt what were you doing with Drew?”

      “I can’t explain it. We always talked. Drew listened when Nicole wouldn’t. I was freaked about the ring because I never thought anyone would love me like that. I didn’t know what to do. Drew was there and then he was touching me. I don’t know. Maybe I deserved it.”

      Now Claire was confused. “Deserved what?”

      “Drew. Maybe I deserved what happened.”

      “Sex with your sister’s husband as punishment?” Nicole was right, Claire thought, getting annoyed. Jesse didn’t take responsibility for anything.

      Nicole had every right to feel hurt. She’d raised Jesse, been there for her, had loved her and cared for her. In return, her sister had violated her trust in her own home.

      “I want to take it back,” Jesse admitted. “Seriously, if I could go back to that night, I’d walk away. I never wanted to hurt Nicole or anyone else.”

      Jesse looked painfully young as she spoke. And wounded. Claire was unimpressed.

      “Where are you staying?” she asked, deciding to change the subject rather than fight.

      “I was with a friend. Now I have a place in the University district. You can get rent really cheap in the summer, when most of the students are leaving.”

      “Are you working?”

      Jesse shifted in her seat. “Um, I’m doing some Internet stuff. Nothing big. I have to earn a living, right? I’m allowed to do that.”

      “No one’s saying you don’t,” Claire said, not clear on what Jesse’s temper was about. “What were you doing before this all happened?”

      “Taking business classes at a community college. Working in the bakery. It’s half mine. Did she tell you that? My half is in a trust fund until I’m twenty-five. I want her to buy me out but she won’t. Why do what I want? She’s such a bitch.”

      “Maybe if you hadn’t been with Drew, she would be more willing to listen.”

      “Oh, sure. Take her side.”

      Claire stared at her. “Do you understand that you did something incredibly wrong? How much you hurt Nicole?”

      “What about how she hurt me?” Jesse pushed away her lunch. “You don’t care, either. I’m not all to blame here. It’s like the bakery. Nicole is the only one who gets to be right. Only she gets to be in charge. I had some ideas for these brownies based on the chocolate cake recipe. I’d been playing with different ingredients. Nicole wasn’t all that interested, but I knew if I found the right way to make them, she would be blown away. I wanted to make something of my own. Something special.”

      “You could still be working on that.”

      Jesse shook her head. “It takes money to buy ingredients.”

      “Do you need money? Are you broke?”

      “I’m okay.”

      Claire reached for her handbag. “I don’t have a checkbook. I pay for everything with my credit cards, but I have some cash. Do you want it? I can get more if you need it.”

      Jesse stared at her for a long time. “Why would you give me money?”

      “Because you need it.” Because Jesse was her sister and despite everything, Claire wanted her to be okay.

      “There’s something wrong with you.”

      Claire had known that for a while. She’d just hoped it wasn’t visible to everyone else. “Not the point. Yes or no on the cash.”

      “No for now. I may have to change my mind.”

      “Just let me know.”

      “I will.” They seemed to have reached a temporary truce. Jesse picked up her burger again. “Are you getting along any better with Nicole?”

      “I was until I asked about dating Wyatt.”

      Jesse nearly choked. “How did that go?”

      “Not well. But it doesn’t matter. I’m going to stand up to her and date who I want to date.”

      Jesse looked surprised. “Good luck with that.”

      “It’s not as if they’re dating.”

      “Uh-huh.”

      “She

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