Sweet Trilogy: Sweet Talk / Sweet Spot / Sweet Trouble. Сьюзен Мэллери

      “YOU CAN’T NOT SPEAK to me forever,” Claire said the next morning over coffee. She was stating what she hoped was true, rather than what she was sure of. It seemed very possible her sister could hold a grudge for a very long time.

      Nicole looked up from her mug and raised her eyebrows. “Watch me.”

      “We have to talk about what happened.”

      Nicole returned her attention to the paper on the table and didn’t answer.

      “Oh, that’s mature,” Claire told her. “I know you’re upset about me bailing Jesse out of jail. I agree what she did was wrong, but I can’t believe you were just going to leave her there.”

      Nicole stood up and started to walk out of the kitchen. Claire trailed after her. “This is crazy. We’re all family.”

      Nicole spun back to her. “We’re not a family. Not by any definition I care about. We share biology, nothing more. You have been living your life around the world, living in your bubble of being special. You don’t know anything about me or my life. Speaking of which, I’m going back to it, starting today. I’ll be at the bakery, running my business. Mine. Not yours. You are no longer welcome here. Not at the bakery or here in the house. If you’re so hot on staying in Seattle, there are many very nice hotels. Or you could stay with Jesse, seeing as the two of you are so close.”

      Claire couldn’t believe it. “After all we’ve been through, you’re going to act like this?”

      Nicole ignored her and walked up the stairs.

      Claire didn’t know what to do. It was way too soon for Nicole to return to work. But how was she supposed to stop her? Nicole wanted to prove a point. Claire already knew how stubborn her sister could be.

      “This is going to be a disaster,” she muttered.

      “At least let me drive you,” she said fifteen minutes later as Nicole walked to the single-car garage behind her house.

      “No.”

      “You shouldn’t do this. You’re still recovering.”

      Nicole ignored her and punched in the code that raised the garage door. She got into her small SUV and started the engine.

      “You are the most stubborn, annoying person I know,” Claire yelled, then returned to her car. Fine, if Nicole was going to be a complete idiot, Claire wasn’t going to stop her, but she could stay close to make sure nothing bad happened.

      Nicole pulled out of the garage and started down the street. Claire followed her all the way to the bakery and was relieved when they arrived.

      One crisis averted and who knows how many hovering in their future.

      Nicole parked and ignored Claire who pulled up next to her. They walked into the rear of the bakery, with Claire trailing behind. That gave her the perfect view of all the employees rushing over to hug Nicole.

      “It’s been too long,” Maggie said. “I’ve missed you. Is it okay that you’re up and here so soon? You’ll take it easy, right?”

      “You look good,” Sid told her. “I’m glad you’re back. It’s not the same without you.”

      Phil gave her a big hug, then stepped back looking worried. “Was that too much? Did I hurt you?”

      Nicole grinned at them. “It’s wonderful. I’ve missed you guys. It’s been awful, trapped at the house. I thought I’d go crazy.”

      Claire felt herself getting mad, which was easier to deal with than the hurt inside. She’d been there to help take care of Nicole. Didn’t that count? Was her company so boring that it hadn’t been able to make up for the scintillating chitchat about cupcakes and bagels?

      They all talked for a few minutes, with Claire feeling as if she was standing on the outside, looking in at a place where she didn’t belong.

      Nicole glanced at her. “You can go now.”

      Something bubbled up inside Claire. Something hot and angry, that made her willing to be stubborn and difficult.

      “I don’t think so,” she said calmly. “We’re going to get this settled, once and for all.”

      Nicole rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We can talk in my office.”

      “We can talk right here,” Claire told her.

      Everyone scattered.

      “Is humiliating me your goal?” Nicole asked. “Because you’re doing a hell of a job.”

      “You know exactly what my goal is, however much you try to avoid it. I want us to be sisters again.”

      Nicole’s gaze narrowed. “Sisters don’t betray each other.”

      “Sure they do. Sisters do everything everyone else does. It’s the nature of close relationships.”

      “You’re an expert now?”

      “More than I was. You’re pissed off because I bailed Jesse out of jail without talking to you first. Fine. You didn’t talk to me about putting her in jail in the first place.”

      “It wasn’t your business.”

      “She’s my sister.”

      “She stole from me.”

      “You’re still punishing her for Drew. You couldn’t do anything about that, so you’re looking for another way to get back at her.”

      “Why the hell not?” Nicole demanded. “Should I be happy about what they did together? Should it fill me with pride? She screwed up everything.”

      Claire got it. She finally got what was going on with Nicole.

      “You’re the victim,” she said slowly, filling in the details as she talked. “I can’t believe it. You’re so tough on the surface, but underneath, you’re blaming everyone else for what’s going wrong. It’s true you were left with all kinds of crap here, but you did an amazing job. You took care of everything. But that’s not enough. I don’t know if you can’t accept your part, or if you’re not getting enough support or what.”

      “Stop it!” Nicole yelled. “Don’t you dare think you can get inside my head. I don’t need any amateur psychology from a poor little princess who doesn’t know how to function in the real world.”

      “At least I’m trying to make things better. I’m not running around, blaming everyone else.”

      “No, you’re sneaking around, hiding from your manager because you’re not willing to face her like a grown-up.”

      That shot hurt, Claire thought, but refused to acknowledge the zing.

      “I did run,” she admitted, “but I also faced her. I keep showing up with you, time after time. You keep trying to get rid of me. Who’s the one with the problem? Want to blame me for that? Or maybe Drew. I think a lot of this is his fault. It sure can’t be yours.”

      Nicole glared at her for several heartbeats, then turned. “I don’t need this or you. Get out. Just go away. I don’t want to see you again.”