What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,3

That was what had drawn him to the family business in the first place. Sure, it was nice to build from the ground up, but it was better to remake and strengthen.

They spent about thirty minutes going over the various repairs and build-outs needed to give Mrs. Finkey what she wanted.

Taking one more turn around the property, Nate knew they could do this and probably come in under budget. He could even work it in around the repairs they were doing on Decadence for Claudia and her partners. It would be a nice boost to his checking account at the same time, too.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t do it,” Logan said, running a hand along the siding. “It should fit right in with what we’re doing at your girlfriend’s place.”

Nate caught the sideways sly look and the gleam in his brother’s eye. But he wasn’t going to rise to the bait. No way. “I don’t see why not, either.”

“Unless you have to watch Justin again so Claudia can go out and make time with another man while you sit at home, playing games with the kid and trying not to think about her sleeping with someone else.”

Nate tried to ignore the jab again, but he was nearing the end of his rope. “Just let it go.”

“Well, I’d love to, but it pains me to see you moping around all the time.”

“I do not mope, you ass. She and I are friends, have been friends, for years. I don’t know why you obsess about what she’s doing and who she’s doing it with. And I happen to like the kid, and so do you.”

Logan ignored all but what he thought was important. “Yes, you do mope. You moon around after her, doing everything for her...”

Whatever else Logan said was lost in the roar filling Nate’s head. His eyes couldn’t believe what he was seeing cruising along the road. It was like being thrown back over ten years to high school. Radio cranked up, windows down, top lowered on the vintage Mustang he’d driven all those years ago, Peter Drake breezed through town as if he owned it.

Shit.

“Hey, have you heard anything I’ve said?” Logan said, tapping Nate on the shoulder.

“What?” What the hell was Peter Drake doing back in town? He should have been tucked up in Ohio, not glooming up the skyline in Pennsylvania.

“I was telling you you’re being an idiot with Claudia.”

“Whatever. I have bigger things to worry about right now.”

“Well, that’s certainly a different tune for you. Normally, you obsess about her.”

Nate dragged himself back from wondering about Peter and hit Logan in the arm. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll put the bid in with Dad and go from there. I have something to do that can’t wait.”

“But what about the other two jobs?” Logan scratched his head, then crossed his arms.

“I don’t have time for this. There’s something I have to do.”

****

“Emergency girl meeting.”

Claudia opened her mouth to tell May she couldn’t possibly leave what she was doing, as the other woman breezed past. She’d just gotten back from her ill-fated car ride and needed to do some serious decorating to distract herself from the image of Nate with his shirt half off. She’d already ignored three calls from him on her cell. She couldn’t talk to him until she figured out a way to not picture him as she’d seen him near the stop sign. And the thought struck her that he was going to be working on Decadence in that capacity, too. She hoped she and her sanity survived.

In the meantime, May was yelling her name from the back office. Okay. She finished piping the icing around the edges of the top layer of the three-tiered cake for tomorrow afternoon’s senior tea and set down the white plastic bag. After washing her hands, she ducked into the back room and found Zoe already there. Why did everything seem to be such a crisis lately? She didn’t think she could take another one.

“What’s going on that you had to interrupt everything?” Zoe asked the question before Claudia could get it out.

“Claudia, I have something I have to tell you, and you’re not going to like it.” May took the seat behind the desk, leaving the two garage sale bargain chairs for Claudia and her sister.

“Should I sit down?” Claudia laughed a nervous laugh and gripped the back of the chair.

“I think you should.”

A million things ran through her head as she came around in front