Free Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery Page A

overpowering. I’m not usually big on the whole peanut-butter-chocolate combo, but even those are incredible.”
    Jesse didn’t relax. Nicole wouldn’t care what Claire thought.
    Nicole pushed away the brownies. “They’re good. I’d sell them in the bakery.”
    Jesse exhaled. “All three flavors?”
    Nicole nodded.
    Relief was sweet and instant. “Great. So now what?”
    Claire rose. “I’m going to leave you two to talk business. I’ll be in the back with the kids.” She patted Jesse on the shoulder as she left.
    Nicole leaned back in her chair. “What do you want? You said before you were interested in earning your way back in. Is that still true?”
    “Yes.” What did she want? A do-over. She wanted to somehow change the past. Except she wouldn’t give up Gabe and she liked the person she’d become.
    “I want to work for you for six months,” Jesse began, making it up as she went. “After that period of time, we’ll discuss me becoming your partner. During that six months, you’ll get the brownie recipes. If things don’t work out, I take them with me.”
    “And go sell them somewhere else? I don’t think so. If you leave, the brownie recipes stay, but I’ll pay you for them.”
    Jesse didn’t like that, but she understood Nicole’s concerns. She wouldn’t want to sell something in the bakery for six months only to lose it and possibly customers.
    Before Jesse could respond, Nicole said, “Or I could just buy you out. You’re over twenty-five now. I could get a loan and you’d get cash for half what the bakery is worth.”
    It would be a lot of money, Jesse thought. Enough for her to start her own business. But that wasn’t what she wanted.
    “I want to make this work,” she told her sister. “That’s why I’m here.”
    “I have trouble believing that,” Nicole admitted. “But you’re different. That’s obvious.”
    “I don’t care what I do at the bakery. You always need extra help. I’ll provide that. I’m not saying I have to be in charge. You’re still the boss.”
    Nicole shifted in her seat. “An interesting statement. Since having the twins, it’s been really hard for me to get into the bakery much. We’re stretched pretty thin. What I need is someone to help run the place. You have any management experience?”
    “I’ve been running a bar.”
    Nicole’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
    “No. I worked my way up from server. I would bartend and run the place a few nights a week. I’ve managed employees and drunk customers. A few businesspeople buying donuts and coffee will be easy. I also have my associates’ degree in business.”
    “You went to college?”
    “In the morning. I worked at night and did homework when I could.”
    “What about Gabe?”
    “I raised him, too.”
    “You’ve been busy.”
    Jesse nodded. She felt a little pride and took pleasure in the fact that Nicole seemed impressed. Despite what Nicole believed, Jesse cared about what her sister thought of her. Which was why she was willing to shatter the moment of connection between them by saying, “We have to talk about Drew.”
    It was like a wall came down. “No, we don’t,” Nicole snapped.
    “Fine. You can just listen. I didn’t sleep with him. I never slept with him or had anything close to an inappropriate relationship with him.” Jesse spoke quickly, afraid Nicole might bolt. “We used to talk, nothing more. He listened and I had a lot to say. One night…” She drew in a breath.
    “That night I was upset. I’d found an engagement ring while I was helping Matt unpack. I knew he was going to propose. I loved him so much, but I was terrified, too. Terrified of blowing it. I’d never had a real relationship before. Could I have one with Matt? I wanted to, but I’d always managed to mess up everything good in my life. I didn’t want to screw up with him.”
    Nicole started to stand. Jesse put her hand on her arm.
    “You have to listen.”
    “I don’t want to hear