“Sure,” Jesse said. “What mother doesn’t want her child taught by the famous Claire Keyes?”

Claire laughed. “Don’t expect much. We play more than we learn, but I want them to appreciate music and find it thrilling, not be a grind. If they’re interested, they can work on scales and technique later.”

“You’re the expert. Just tell me when and I’ll have him here.” She paused. “Assuming it’s all right with Nicole.”

“Jesse, don’t.”

“Don’t what? Be realistic? Admit it.” Jesse kicked off her sandals and tucked her feet under her. “She doesn’t want me to be successful, Claire. She’s sorry I’m back.”

“She’s not sorry. She’s dealing with a lot. Remember—we didn’t give her any warning.”

Which had been Jesse’s request—that Claire not tell Nicole she was coming back. “Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe I should have let you tell her. Not that I think it would have made any difference. She’s still angry with me about something that didn’t happen.” Exactly like Matt. He was furious about the past he remembered, not the one that had happened.

“She’ll get over it,” Claire said soothingly. “Give it time.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really. She’ll come around.”

Jesse wasn’t so sure. “It’s unfair. I kept telling her before and she didn’t believe me. Now it’s five years later and she’s still pissed.”

“You didn’t try very hard,” Claire pointed out.

Jesse stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“You weren’t very convincing back then. You kept saying nothing happened.”

“Nothing did.” Jesse couldn’t believe it. She was being judged on the way she’d tried to defend herself?

“We thought you meant Nicole shouldn’t be angry because you and Drew hadn’t actually gotten far enough along to have sex.”

“What?” Jesse couldn’t believe it. “I meant nothing happened as in nothing happened. Not, gee, we were interrupted and I’m really bummed about it.”

Why would they have thought otherwise? Why would—

She rubbed her temple. Nicole would have assumed the worst because she was used to her baby sister being a disaster. Because the worst was easier to believe.

“All this over words,” she murmured. Lives changed forever, chances lost because of semantics?

“Words matter,” Claire said. “Nicole was devastated. I’m not sure she would have listened to anything you had to say.”

Claire was right, Jesse thought. But at least if she’d made her sister understand what she’d meant, they might be getting along better now.

“Nothing happened,” Jesse repeated. “Drew and I were never involved, never had sex, never wanted to have sex.” She paused. “Okay, he did, that last night, but I have no idea where that came from. I was in love with Matt and I was completely faithful to him. Drew was a friend, nothing more. Is that clear enough?”

Claire touched her hand. “I totally and completely believe you.”

“Great. When you get a chance, pass it on to Nicole.”

“Give her time. She’ll come around.”

Jesse nodded. It wasn’t like she had much choice.

Claire smiled. “You’ve changed. You’re a grown-up.”

“A hard-won victory.”

“An impressive victory.”

“I have so much I want to do,” Jesse told her. “So many things I want to achieve. Coming back here is just the beginning. Reconciling with Nicole is a part of that, but ultimately the decision is hers.”

“I agree. So do what you can and then try to let it go.”

“That doesn’t seem possible.” Let it go as in not care? “I appreciate that you stayed in touch with me.”

“I didn’t have the same emotional energy about you that Nicole did,” Claire said.

Because they hadn’t grown up together. They were still practically strangers who just happened to be sisters.

“I’ll get through it,” Jesse said, knowing one way or the other she would. “I’m strong. I think I was always strong, I just didn’t know it then.”

“You know now,” Claire said. “Isn’t that what matters?”

JESSE SAT IN HER CAR and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed the button to dial a familiar number, then smiled when she heard the slow, low, “Hello?”

“Hi, Bill.”

“Hey, Jess. How you doing?”

“Okay. Good. Sort of.”

He chuckled. “Still trying to decide.”

“Oh, yeah. Nothing is like I thought.”

“Better or worse?”

“Both.”

“That happens.”

She gave him a brief rundown of her time in Seattle. “I’m going to be staying six months and working at the bakery. I wanted to let you know so you could replace me.”

“I’ll never be able to replace you but I’ll hire someone to take your place.”

She laughed. “You’re a charmer.”

“That’s what my mama said.”

“She was right. And how sad it is that all your charm goes to waste.”

“You appreciate it.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, the argument familiar. “Come on, Bill. It’s been six years since Ellie died. You need to think about dating, finding someone. You should be happy.”

“I tell you the same thing.”

“The circumstances are different.” The person she couldn’t forget was still alive.

“Not that different, little girl. Now get off me.”

“For now.”

“I’m going to come visit you. I miss you and Gabe more than I want to admit.”

“We’d love to see you.” She gave him Paula’s address and phone number.

“I’ll be by in the next few weeks.”

“Good.”

“Now go find yourself someone,” he instructed.

“I’m hanging up on you, Bill,” she said.

He laughed and said goodbye.

She pressed the end button on her phone and thought about what he’d said. That she should find someone.

Maybe that was possible in the future, but not now. Not until she’d resolved everything with Matt. She had to get some kind of closure, make sure she wasn’t still in love with him. Only then could she put the past behind her and look into the future.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Five Years Ago…

JESSE STOOD IN FRONT of the house for a second, before approaching and knocking softly on the door. She should have told Matt she would meet him somewhere else, but he’d said his house and she’d agreed before she’d thought the plan through.

Seconds later the door flew open and a very angry Paula Fenner stood in front of her.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp. “Don’t you know what time it is?”

Jesse opened her mouth, then closed it, not sure what to say.

“He’s out with someone else,” Paula continued. “Another girl. He’s not out with you. Don’t you have any pride?”

Jesse couldn’t figure out why Matt’s mother hated her. They hardly had any contact. Jesse wasn’t even dating Matt. She was helping him. Not that Paula saw any of that. For some reason the other woman believed Jesse was a threat and attacked every time they were in the same room.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Jesse said and stepped back. “Good night.”

Paula glared at her, not moving from the entryway until Jesse climbed into her car, then the front door slammed shut.

Jesse sighed. Paula and Nicole should get together and start a “we hate Jesse” club. They’d have to fight over who got to be president. They could hang pictures of her and throw darts at them.

The silly image made her smile, then reality intruded and her smile faded.

She wished that Paula wasn’t so determined to have nothing to do with her, because Jesse sure had a lot to say to her. Paula was holding on too tight and that clinging was pushing her son away. Jesse could see it every time Matt talked about his mother. Paula was making him crazy and if she wasn’t careful, she was going to lose her son completely.

“Not my problem,” Jesse murmured as a car pulled up to hers.

Matt climbed out and approached the driver’s side. “Thanks for meeting me,” he said. “Want to come in?”

She eyed the door, then shook her head. “Your mom is still up and she wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me.”

Matt grimaced. “She’s getting worse. Come on. I know an all-night diner. Want me to drive?”

“I’ll follow you.” It would be easier if she had her own car and could just walk away at the end of the meeting.

As she started the engine, Jesse tried not to think about what Matt had spent the past few hours doing. And whom he’d been doing it with. After all, him dating was what she wanted. Her goal had been to bring out all his hidden potential and her lessons were paying off. He’d been on three dates this week alone.

He was exactly the kind of guy women wanted—funny, smart, caring, good-looking and wealthy. Not that any of his dates knew about his money. He’d wanted to keep that information quiet and Jesse had agreed. But even without the millions sitting in an investment company somewhere, he was still a catch.

The changes had been simple. A new wardrobe, an interest in current events, a working knowledge of how to ask a girl out and basic date etiquette had transformed him. There was only one teeny, tiny problem…

She’d fallen for him.

Jesse sighed. She wasn’t about to admit it to anyone and barely believed it herself, but there it was. She liked Matt. She’d liked him geeky and she liked him even more now. He made her feel safe and that was a very unfamiliar state of being for her.

Still, her job was to help him become what he was always capable of being, not get involved with him. Like now—he’d asked for her to see him so they could go over the date together. Sort of a post-game review. They’d done it before. He’d told her how things had gone and she’d suggested improvements he could make. It was no big deal, except she’d found it harder and harder to listen to the great time he had with other women.

They met back up in the parking lot of the diner and walked inside. When they were seated at a quiet booth in the back, Jesse said, “So, tell me everything. How did it go?”

“Good.” Matt rearranged the flatware on the Formica table. “Kasey is bright and pretty. She was a little too into her dogs, but that’s not a big deal.”

“What’s too into?” she asked, trying not to smile. “Does she dress them in matching outfits?”

“No, but they sleep with her.”

“I’m sure she locks them out of the room when a good-looking guy shows up to do the wild thing.”

Matt grinned. “I’m not so sure. Fluffy and Bobo seem to be her closest friends.”

Jesse snorted. “Bobo? Okay, yeah, the dogs could be a problem. How did it go otherwise?”

“Fine. She’s into music, which I like. She wasn’t turned off by the computer thing.”

“A-plus,” Jesse said, trying not to notice his dark eyes and the way his smile made her insides all quivery. “Any sparkage?”

Matt laughed. “No one says sparkage anymore, Jess.”

“I do.”

The waitress showed up and handed them menus. Matt ignored them and smiled at the older woman.

“Tell me about the pie,” he said. “It seems like a good night for pie.”