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She finished with the lettuce and passed the bowl to her sister "So have you figured out your fall traveling schedule?"

Claire shrugged "Nearly Lisa gavetheone tooWyatt and Aet exhausted for the baby"

"Are you checking with your doctor?" Nicole asked, trusting the medical profession with Claire’s health a lot er

Claire nodded "She wantsthe last couple weeks ofthe second Less during the third Lisaabout a holiday concert series in Hawaii, but I don’t think I’ll be up for it"

Nicole reached for an avocado "Why not? Can’t you take Amy?"

"Oh, sure We’d have a nice beach house to use, but it’s so far and not really a ti You knoay from family"

Nicole was about to point out that hter--would be with her Then she got it Claire didn’t want to be gone from her She didn’t want to leave Nicole alone for Christo"

"This isn’t about you," Claire said, but she didn’t sound convincing "This is our first chance to be together at the holidays since ere six I’ to Hawaii I don’t want to"

"I don’t believe you"

"I can’t help that," Claire told her

"You worry about et over it"

Nicole tried to smile, but couldn’t quite make her lips move She appreciated that people cared, but disliked the need for syed her life such that she was the capable one The one others looked to for guidance She wasn’t usually the one they pitied

"Speaking of getting over things," Claire said casually "Have you talked to Jesse lately?"

"You know I haven’t"

"You have to eventually"

"Why?" If Nicole had her way, she wouldn’t deal with Jesse ever again "Bad enough she slept with my husband Then she stole the secret family recipe and sold our fa about itwith the business, too?

"It’s just like her," Nicolethat if I talked to her, she’d have a million excuses She never takes responsibility"

"You threw her out," Claire said quietly "She had to et a job There are dozens of jobs out there, but did she even try to find one? No She stole First Drew, then the cake" Nicole’s stomach started to hurt "I don’t want to talk about this anyure out how to reconcile with her"

"Maybe I don’t want to have anything to do with her" Nicole fought anger and hurt "There was this kid who cahnuts, or at least he tried When I confronted hiuilty and knerong He worked off the aood job that he’s an employee now Why can’t Jesse be like that? Why can’t she take any responsibility for what she’s done?"

"I know she hurt you"

"More than hurt," Nicole ure this out"

"I know," Nicole et so mad I don’t even want to see her, let alone talk to her"

"It ," Claire told her "You’re family"

"Not any family I’d want"

"I don’t believe you" Claire looked at her "You have every right to be angry and hurt, but I think it’s ti your sister a lesson and how e"

CHAPTER THREE

NICOLE FELT STUPID and obvious as she leaned on her cane and walked toward the high school football stadiu She wasn’t a student and she didn’t have a kid in high school So what exactly was she doing here?

"It’s what I get for talking to rumbled to herself She should have just waved and kept on walking But no She had to stop and talk to Raoul at the end of his first orking for her She’d asked how things were going, because she was an idiot And when he’d ht, she’d pretended that she was interested

"You could have said no," she reminded herself When Raoul had asked her to come, she could have easily said she was busy Only she wasn’t and she didn’t lie all that well In a spiritual sense, that was probably a good thing, but as to how it affected where she would be spending her evening, it sucked

She looked up at the rows of benches that passed as seats She didn’t know anyone here Still, given the choice between the high school kids and the parents, she would pick the parents At least she had a chance of talking to one of them

"Nicole!"

She turned toward the field and saw one of the football players running toward her He was suited up in his gear and it took her a second to recognize Raoul

"Hi," she said as she walked toward the railing separating the field frorinned "Yeah?"

She nodded He looked different Older Dangerous The urge to tell hiet hurt welled up inside of her Apparently maternal instincts didn’t need h teaonna kick their butts, though"

"I look forward to that"

He grinned "Thanks for coames Except for my friends, you know Not an adult"

That was her Adult "I’ll cheer a lot and try to eirl in a cheerleader unifor ser was even more lovely close-up She looked perfect and popular Nicole thought about hating her on general principle

"Nicole," she said

"My boss," Raoul said "I told you about her Brittany’s irlfriend"

"Nice to areat year"

Soo," Raoul said "I’ll see you after the game"