Free Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery Page B

lurking under the surface exploded into something hot and demanding.
    “I found her in bed with my husband,” Nicole said flatly. “I kicked her out.”
    Paula’s face paled. “I’m sorry. I’m not surprised, but I’m sorry.”
    “I’m sorry, too,” Nicole said. She stepped back into the house and shut the door. She was sorry about a lot of things. Mostly caring about someone who had never thought about anyone but herself.

    NICOLE WAITED impatiently on Wyatt’s front porch, then rang the bell again. Claire answered the door.
    “Did you know?” Nicole demanded.
    Claire frowned. “Know what?”
    “That Jesse’s pregnant?”
    Claire went pale. “Oh my God. Are you sure?”
    “Reasonably. I heard it from my lawyer.”
    “I didn’t know. I swear.”
    Nicole believed her. Claire was talented in many ways, but she was a lousy liar. It was a good quality in a sister. Jesse, on the other hand, was an expert at avoiding the truth.
    Claire stepped back to let her in. “I can’t believe it. Pregnant. Is it…”
    Nicole entered the living room, wanting to hit something with her cane. “Drew’s? Based on the timing, it seems likely. I guess the boyfriend could be a possibility, along with whoever else she was sleeping with. But with my luck, the baby’s Drew’s. I know when I caught them together but who knows how long they’d been sleeping together before that.”
    In her house. Making a fool of her. Lying to her. Pretending they both loved her while they were sneaking around and laughing at her.
    She swallowed hard and vowed she wouldn’t cry. That was her new rule—no tears wasted on people who didn’t matter.
    “I don’t know what to say,” Claire admitted. “This is awful. Have you talked to her?”
    “No. There’s nothing to say. She’ll deny the whole thing. It’s what she’s good at.”
    “But maybe—”
    Nicole cut her off with a look. “This is not a good time to play the middle child.” She sank onto the sofa. “I just don’t get it. What went wrong? Why would she do this to me?”
    “I don’t think it was totally about you. I think it just happened.”
    Nicole rolled her eyes. “Is that what she told you? And you believe her?”
    “You can’t know she was trying to hurt you.”
    “Maybe not, but I have a good idea. She was angry with me. She hated that her half of the bakery was tied up in a trust until she was twenty-five. She was bugging me to buy her out now so she could go do who knows what.”
    Claire sat next to her and touched her hand. “I know she was difficult and you did your best. She got into a lot of trouble, but to do something like this? And what about Matt? Didn’t she care about him?”
    Nicole no longer had an answer. Jesse changed guys as easily as most other women changed shoes. But Matt had been different, or so she’d thought. Jesse had dated him for a few months and really seemed to care about him.
    “Maybe she was playing him, too,” she said slowly. “She swore she loved him, that he was the one. It was all a big game to her.”
    “I’m sorry.” Claire hugged her. “I’m so sorry.”
    Sympathy was a little too close to pity for Nicole’s taste. She accepted the hug, reminded herself she wasn’t crying ever again, then stood.
    “I should go.”
    “No. You shouldn’t be alone.”
    “I’m fine,” Nicole insisted. Suddenly the large room seemed too small. “I haven’t told Drew. I’m not going to. That’s Jesse’s job.”
    “I won’t say anything and Wyatt won’t, either.”
    Because Claire would tell her fiancé, who just happened to be Drew’s stepbrother. Talk about a mess.
    Claire walked her to the door. “What can I do to help?”
    “Knowing you’re here helps.”
    “Are you sure?”
    Nicole nodded. “I’ll call if I need anything else.”
    She walked to her SUV and got inside. After starting the engine, she stared out the windshield. Where was she supposed to go now? What was she supposed to do? Her sister was