Free Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery Page A

get away with that.”
    “I agree that her behavior was reprehensible.”
    That almost made her smile. Martin always talked like he had a stick up his butt. Usually she was the stuffy one in any relationship but with him she was, by comparison, the free spirit.
    “She stole, Martin,” she repeated, feeling the outrage swell up inside of her.
    It wasn’t enough that Jesse had screwed Drew. No. She had to go and steal the Keyes chocolate cake, too.
    “I want her punished.”
    “Rightfully so. But, Nicole, consider the consequences. This will be an expensive and drawn-out process. Family drama never plays well in court. Jesse could get the jury’s sympathy vote. We can do our best to paint her as the bad guy, but that doesn’t always work. She lost her parents when she was very young—”
    “So did I,” Nicole snapped.
    “Yes, but you’re the older sister. People may blame you for her behavior.”
    “That’s hardly news.”
    “Other matters might come to light.”
    Translation—the defense could bring up Jesse sleeping with Drew. While that should help Nicole, in truth it might make some members of the jury think the case was about revenge.
    “There’s also the matter of her being pregnant. We don’t want that to be an issue, but by the time this got to court, she would be close to her due date. That would be in her favor.”
    Nicole was fairly sure that Martin kept talking, but she couldn’t hear him. Not with the ringing in her ears.
    “Did you say pregnant?” she asked, barely able to say the words.
    There was a pause. “I’m sorry,” Martin told her. “I thought you knew.”
    Knew? That Jesse was pregnant? Nicole stood. For once, she didn’t need her cane. “How far along?”
    “I’m not exactly sure. Four months. Maybe a little more.”
    Nicole swore. Jesse was having Drew’s baby.
    Heat climbed her cheeks. Humiliation? she wondered. Or good, old-fashioned rage? Pregnant. She shouldn’t even be surprised.
    She felt as if she was going to throw up. The room seemed to tilt.
    “I have to go,” she managed.
    “Nicole, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
    “Drop the charges.”
    “Are you sure?”
    She nodded then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Drop them. You’re right. This is a losing battle.”
    She hung up without saying goodbye, then closed her eyes and let the pain wash over her.
    There’d been too much betrayal, she thought, trying to breathe through the ache in her chest. Too much loss. She’d given her baby sister everything, had sacrificed for her, loved her, dreamed for her, wanted only the best. And this was her reward.
    A baby. Jesse was having a baby.
    Nicole touched her own flat, empty stomach, then sank back into her chair. It wasn’t that she wanted a child with Drew, but a family…she’d always wanted a family. And someone to love, who loved her best. What she got instead was stabbed in the back.
    How fair was—
    The doorbell rang. She crossed to the front of the house and opened the door. A middle-aged woman with dark hair stood on the porch.
    “Hello,” the woman said. “I’m looking for Jesse Keyes.”
    “And you are?” Nicole asked.
    “Paula Fenner. Jesse is dating my son, Matt. I need to speak with her. I’ve left several messages, but she won’t return my calls.”
    “She doesn’t live here anymore,” Nicole said, knowing if Jesse was still in the house, she would kick her out all over again.
    Paula frowned. “Where is she? She’s not living with Matt.”
    “I have no idea.” Nicole refused to care. Jesse was twenty-two. She could take care of herself.
    “May I ask why she moved out?” Paula’s expression was curious and determined.
    Nicole hesitated. Her first instinct was to protect her sister, to not tell the truth. Then she remembered all Jesse had done to her, how Nicole had taken care of her, worried about her, loved her, and Jesse’s way of repaying her had been to sleep with Drew and get pregnant.
    The anger always