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Jesse handed over the infor "The rent is incredibly reasonable He’s excited to have the extra cash We pay for the increase in electricity and that’s it Our only start-up costs will be extra pans for the brownies and a few more bodies"

Nicole shook her head "I just don’t know," she began

Because she didn’t want to know, Jesse thought, frustrated and annoyed

She stood and grabbed her sister by the arm "Okay, that’s it Co?"

"You andto have this out I’et this settled"

For a second she thought Nicole was going to refuse, but then her sister followed her out into the parking lot where they faced each other in the light laring Jesse figured she was the one who had called the ht about all the rational things she and Bill had discussed, then spoke fro this work," she said "You’re angry that I ca You can’t stand not being the good sister any the screwup, because that’s the world you know and it’s a lotme as an equal"

Nicole stiffened "You want to be honest? Fine I’ll be honest Who the hell are you to waltz back into my life and try to take over? Where have you been for the past decade while I was struggling to hold it all together? I took care of you your entire life, Jesse I was the one as always there for you, who handled things and grew up too fast so you still got to be a kid But does that matter? Of course not It has to be about you So you’re back Let’s hold a parade Jesse got her life together and is willing to ith ether, but you knohat? I never lost it I never had to go off and findthe business on my own"

They were hard words to hear, probably because they were the truth, Jesse thought sadly "I’m sorry," she said quietly

"Sorry?" Nicole’s voice was shrill "Sorry isn’t good enough Who the hell are you to show up and make it better? I’ve busted my ass here for years and you’re the one ill reap all the rewards Do you think I like that? Do you think I’? I don’t kno to fix it I don’t trust the new you I keep waiting for theit’s going to be this time"

"You don’t trust me?" Jesse asked, stunned

"Why should I? You’ve been hoe what you did last ti so well on the Internet is that you have practice"

She was bringing that up now? "You do realize it’s been five years," Jesse said

"You stole the family recipe for chocolate cakes, baked them yourself and sold theue with that She had "You fired ht you’d slept with Drew"

"Yeah, and I hadn’t You fired "

"You could have gotten a job"

"The bakery was all I knew Besides, I’m half owner, remember? So I owned that recipe, too How could I steal as already mine?"

They stared at each other, the tension practically pulsing between them

Nicole looked away first "At least ad it was true "You’d hurt me and I wanted to hurt you back So I sold the cakes I knew that wouldthat For what it’s worth, you did round, then back at Jesse "I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about Drew There are a lot of reasons I didn’t Your past, how you were always being so difficult But uy because then I didn’t have to look at myself Like you said before, if you slept with hie failed"

Jesse absorbed the words, letting theht That had been a long tie failed," she said, able to be generous now "He was Dreas a jerk"

Nicole gave a half laugh, half sob "Yeah, and I picked him I know I shouldn’t have uess I was afraid no one else would ask"

Jesse moved to her sister and held her "That’s crazy You’re beautiful and suy you’re married to nok is a total hottie"

"I know Soot so lucky"

Jesse stepped back "As long as he thinks the saht"

They looked at each other Jesse knew the harmony was tentative at best, but there was more to be said

"We need to rent the space across the street It’s cheap, it’s close and it’s short-term, so the risk is mini"

Nicole gritted her teeth, then nodded "I know you’re right I don’t like it, but I know it"

"I’m sorry I came back with an attitude," Jesse continued "I didn’t ed But you’re not better because you didn’t have to change Because you do need to be different We can’t keep the old roles we had before I’ll always be your sister, but I’ is different We have to get to know each other all over again and figure out hoe fit I want us to be fa to happen"

"I know," Nicole said softly "I see what’s wrong, but I’e it We’ve each lived such different lives"

Meaning what? They had nothing in common anymore? They couldn’t be close? Had their connection been lost to hurt feelings and time?