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She handed those over to her sister, along with the sales projection

Nicole’s gaze dropped to the bottom of the sheet "Internet sales?"

"They’re an obvious next step"

"You want to do that again?"

Jesse took a deep breath She knew she was being baited She told herself to re was fine She was mature and able to deal with her sister The fact that Nicole kept bringing up Jesse selling the fao was si quirk

"This is totally different," Jesse said with a smile "Internet sales are easy Brownies travel well, the custo, which es will be picked up by the carrier of our choice It’s not a high-risk operation"

"We don’t have roo here," Nicole said "We’re already jaest it, another location would be too expensive for a trial effort that’s probably going to fail"

Jesse felt her terabbed on with both hands and held it in

"I know you’re happy with the sales," Nicole continued, sounding more like a mo new They’re going to level off Let’s see what the real nuun to figure out even a piece of thetalked down to "There’s buzz We’re already getting calls from people who’ve moved out of the Seattle area and have heard about the brownies from their friends who still live here"

"I know you want these to be the next big thing, but they’re not," Nicole told her "That sounds harsh, I know I don’tyou want me to fail," Jesse snapped "This isn’t even about the brownies It’s about the past It’s about Drew Despite the fact that I have told you nothing happened, you don’t believe me Or maybe you could but you don’t want to It’s easier to blary"

"Why should I believe you?" Nicole asked flatly

That hurt Jesse sucked in a breath "Don’t Call your ex-husband and ask him" Not that Drew had told the truth before, but hopefully enough ti to come clean It wasn’t like she had a choice

"You should have tried harder," Nicole yelled as she caht him off Why didn’t you? Why didn’t I hear you scream?"

Jesse couldn’t have been more surprised if Nicole had physically slapped her She stood, not bothering to head off the anger exploding inside of her

"Is that the condition of your forgiveness? Rape? Sorry to disappoint you I wasn’t violated Not that way"

"That’s not what I mean," Nicole snapped

"Of course it is I wasn’t after Drew I didn’t try to get his attention But that’s not good enough If he didn’t attack uy He blamed me and you believed him You assumed the worst about me You’re my sister You’re supposed to know me better than anyone"

"I did know you," Nicole yelled "I knehat you’d been in high school Why would you have been any different with Drew?"

Once a slut, always a slut, Jesse thought sadly That’s what it came down to

She told herself it didn’t matter, except it did Itbetter between them All she had was the present and today she was focused on her brownies She took another deep breath

"I can’t change the past," she told her sister "I’ve told you what happened and you either believe me or you don’t I don’t knohat else to say or do So I’ We haven’t even begun to tap their potential I want to run the ads I’m an equal partner in the bakery and this isn’t an extraordinary expense"

Nicole’syour way in?"

"I’ to put in the tis about the past keep us fro successful"

"Fine," Nicole snapped "Run the ads Bake your brownies, but don’t get your hopes up They’re not all that"

Jesse collected her papers and walked out of her sister’s office She made her way to the back where she could duck into the women’s restroom and try not to cry

Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn’t Nicole give her at least half a break? Why did she have to assu to fail? Talk about a lack of faith and forgiveness

She slowed her breathing Gradually the burning behind her eyes faded She sniffed, then made sure she hadn’t leaked mascara on her face Once she decided she could probably pass for relatively norot in her car, she found she wasn’t ready to go back to Paula’s She felt restless and unco her actions, she picked up her cell phone, scrolled through her recent call list and then pushed the send button

"Matthew Fenner’s office," a woman’s voice said "May I help you?"

"Uh, this is Jesse Is Matt around?"

"Just one o ask hi forup, she heard hiht?"

"Sure I don’t knohy I called" Then she remembered her vow to not lie "That’s not true I called because I just had another fight with Nicole The brownies are going great, but does she want to listen to any of my ideas? Of course not She only wants to seeto me That’s all I need to talk, but I know you’re busy--"

There was a pause, then he stunned her by saying, "Or you could come by the office and rant in person"