Susan Mallery - Sweet Talk

“Whatever you say. Seriously, you’re in charge.”

“Unlikely,” Claire told her, knowing Lisa was good at her job, but also stubborn. “We’ll have to find a way to compromise. I don’t want to be running all over the world for weeks at a time.” She was also going to have to eventually avoid air travel. The pregnancy wouldn’t allow it. Although she didn’t know when that restriction would start.

“You can write your own schedule. There’s also studio work.”

Claire nodded. “I’ll want to spend a lot of time in Seattle. I might buy a place here.”

“You can play here or in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even Phoenix. Also Japan, but only when you want to go overseas.” Lisa leaned toward her. “We can make this work, Claire. I want us to be partners.”

They would never be close friends, but she would like them to be partners, too. “I have the greatest respect for you,” Claire told her. “The change is going to be hard on both of us. We have years of patterns we have to break.”

“I can change.”

Claire knew she could, as well. She already had.

AFTER LISA LEFT, Nicole came out of the kitchen. “You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question.

Claire didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry,” she began.

Nicole shook her head, then handed over a pint of ice cream. “Don’t apologize. You have to go. It’s where you belong.”

“I don’t agree with that, but it’s where I have to face my demons.”

“You have mutant hands,” Nicole teased. “You’ll beat those demons for sure. But just because you’re leaving doesn’t mean you have to stay gone.”

“I know.” Claire fought tears. “I meant what I said. I want to get a place here. You’ll get sick of me.”

“Maybe, but I can handle it.” Nicole handed her a spoon. “How does it feel to be in charge of Lisa?”

“I don’t know. Scary, but in a good way. It only took me twenty-eight years to figure out how to be a grown-up.”

They moved to the sofa and dug into their ice cream. Claire wondered how it was possible to be both excited and sad about her future. She felt the need to start practicing right away, to know what music she would be playing. She was also thrilled about the baby. But there was also the pain of leaving Seattle and her sisters, not to mention Wyatt and Amy. Speaking of her sisters…

She licked her spoon. “You have to forgive Jesse. Not right away, but eventually. She’s family.”

Nicole took another bite of her Cherry Garcia. “Did I ever mention that she and Wyatt had a brief but highly passionate weekend together? Amy was off at camp. They headed to a B and B on the San Juan Islands. I heard they nearly set the place on fire.”

The ice cream formed a hard knot in Claire’s stomach, which felt worse than wanting to throw up. Her skin got really hot, while a sense of anger and betrayal crawled through her body. She wanted to scream. She wanted to rip Jesse’s hair out.

“When?” she asked, her throat thick with pain.

Nicole took another bite. “Gotcha.”

Claire blinked. “What?”

Nicole looked at her. “It didn’t happen. I wanted you to experience about a tenth of what it felt like to find Jesse, the person I loved and trusted most in the world, in bed with my husband and then ask you if you still thought I had to forgive her.”

Relief rushed through Claire. She thought about being angry with Nicole, but she totally got her point. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I won’t mention forgiving Jesse again. You have to deal with that in your own way.”

“Thank you.” Nicole sighed. “You’re right, though. I can’t stay angry forever. It’s going to end up hurting me more than her. But I’m comfortable being really pissed for the next few weeks.”

“The hits keep on coming,” Claire said, knowing Drew hadn’t been the only hurt. Jesse’s stealing the family recipe had made things worse.

“I’m swearing off men,” Nicole told her. “Pretty much forever. I don’t care who the guy is or how he tempts me, I’m not giving in.”

“Never say never.”

“Watch me.”

Claire smiled. “I will, because it will be great fun to say ‘I told you so’ to you.”

They ate more ice cream, then Nicole said, “I’m sorry about Wyatt. That he’s being such a jerk.”

“I appreciate that.” Claire wasn’t sure what to think about all that had happened. “I wish things had gone differently. I wish he could love me back.” She managed to get the words out without her voice cracking. Improvement, she thought. But she still had a long way to go.

“Love sucks,” Nicole said.

“No. But it’s not always easy. I can’t regret loving Wyatt and Amy. I tell myself the big hole inside of me will eventually heal. I’m better for having known and loved him.”

“You’re being really mature. It’s kind of annoying.”

Claire smiled. “Thanks. I’ve grown a lot in the past couple of months.”

“You’ve done good. You’re not a useless ice princess anymore.”

“I was never that.”

Nicole grinned. “See. You’re standing up for yourself and everything. You’re a regular person, with gifts and flaws.”

“And a baby,” Claire said, knowing that was the greatest gift of all.

CLAIRE WAITED until she was sure Amy would be in bed before going over to Wyatt’s. She parked in the driveway, then walked up to the wide, double door and knocked. She had her car keys in her pocket and a legal-size envelope in her hands. Unfinished business, she thought sadly. Too bad there weren’t documents that could fix her broken heart.

He opened the door. “Claire.”

She stared at him, trying to memorize everything about his face. The deep color of his eyes, the shape of his mouth. Would their baby have his features or hers? Would people look at the child and know Wyatt was the father by the way he or she smiled?

“This won’t take long,” she said. “I didn’t call first. I was afraid you wouldn’t see me.”

“I’m not hiding from you.” He stepped back to let her in.

“You’re not exactly trying to find me, either.”

He led the way into the family room. Neither of them sat.

“You here to finish what Nicole started?” he asked, sounding more curious than worried.

Claire welcomed the memory of her sister standing up for her. “No. I’m here to give you this.” She handed him the envelope. “I had my lawyer prepare the documents. They’re straightforward enough, but I suggest you get your own legal counsel to look them over. The basic idea is once you sign, you will have no legal or financial responsibility for the baby. I’ll never ask for anything. Not that I would, but this should give you peace of mind. It will be like it never happened.”

Wyatt dropped the envelope onto the coffee table. Is that what he wanted? This to have never happened?

“Look,” he began, not sure what he wanted to say. “I know you’re not Shanna, but this is a lot to deal with.”

“You don’t have to deal at all. That’s the point.”

“Is that what you want?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Why does that matter?”

“Because we’re both involved. Because I want to know where you see this going.”

What did she expect from him. Marriage? In his head, he balked at the idea. He should be running in the opposite direction. But maybe it wouldn’t be so horrible. Claire wasn’t the woman he’d thought. She cared about people. Amy was crazy about her.

“I want it all,” Claire told him. “I want the happily ever after fantasy. I want you to love me with every cell in your body. I want us to be a family. You, me, Amy, the baby, more kids. I want forever.”

He swallowed and tried not to feel the walls closing in.

“I love you,” she said, staring him in the eye. “All of you. Even when you’re a total jerk. But you don’t love me back. You’ve made that clear, and I won’t settle for less. So I’m leaving. It’s time for me to go back to New York, anyway.”

His mind was completely blank. He didn’t have a single thought. Then they crashed in on him, making it impossible to focus on anything.

She loved him? Seriously? She said it just like that? And she was leaving? “You can’t,” he told her, not sure if he was telling her she couldn’t go or she couldn’t love him.

“I’m going to keep in touch with Amy,” she said as if he hadn’t spoken. “I hope you won’t have a problem with that. She’s wonderful and there’s no reason why she and I can’t have a relationship.” She paused and swallowed. “I hope you find whatever you’re looking for. I hope…”

She bit her lower lip, squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “Goodbye, Wyatt.”

Then she was gone. She told him she loved him and she’d left anyway. They all left, so he was used to it. But this was the first time he would be sorry.

“YOU HAVE TO PROMISE,” Amy signed.

“I promise,” Claire told her, then hugged her. “I’ll be back for your surgery.”

“I want to hear your music.”

“You will.” Claire straightened and hugged Nicole. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right by yourself? I worry about you.”

“I’m fine,” her sister told her. “I’m practically breaking land-speed records on my crutches. I’m going back to work where I can terrorize my staff. It will be fun. I’ll barely notice you’re gone.”

But there were tears in Nicole’s eyes as she spoke. Probably like the tears Claire could feel burning in her own.

“I hate this,” she muttered.

“It’s the right thing to do. Just don’t stay gone long.”

“I won’t. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Unlikely.”

“Don’t argue,” Nicole sniffed. “I’m two minutes older.”

Claire nodded, then hugged Amy again. “I love you.”

Amy started to cry, then signed that she loved Claire.