What's Life Without the Sprinkles - By Misty Simon Page 0,6

Have fun with that.”

Claudia frowned at her sister.

“You know I’m right, but you’re so stubborn you’re going to have to see it yourself. I get it.” Zoe rose from the chair and whisked her pale blonde hair over her shoulder. “At least you can put Justin to bed when you get home from said date and kick back, since it’s a school night. Maybe he won’t give you any lip for at least one night.”

Claudia spent a moment wishing she looked as fresh and young as Zoe. Three years separated them, but sometimes Claudia felt it was more like twenty.

“Justin has a lot going on lately.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “This whole new morbid pre-will thing from Roger certainly isn’t going to help with that.”

“Not unless he gets something really cool. Then I bet he’ll be fine.”

“But what about Peter being in town?” Her stomach churned again. “Do you think I should ask him to see Justin while he’s here?” That was the big question that had been gnawing at her for the past few hours. Would Justin be devastated if he knew his father had been here but hadn’t bothered to see him?

“Absolutely not. I don’t think you should let that scum near you or Justin beyond the lunch you’re determined to go to. He gave up that privilege a long time ago when he left without a backwards glance.” Zoe stomped to emphasize her point and Claudia was reminded again how young she was. Twenty-five and still relatively ignorant of the way things worked. Though she had the operation of the flower shop down to a science, she hadn’t been tested much in matters of the heart.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But I do know we need to at least be civil to Peter at that lunch or you’re not going to be in the room for too long. I don’t want to antagonize him. I don’t even want to look at him. So don’t call attention to me by being a brat.”

Zoe’s answer to that was sticking her tongue out as she took the back stairs down to Decadence. Nice. Sunday ought to be a freaking blast.

And now she had to go get ready for her date with Edward-of-the-possible-toupee. What had happened to her excitement about the eight-thousand-dollar check and feeling as if her life was finally on the right track?

Chapter Two

Nate West grabbed the ringing phone as he stepped out of the shower. Slinging a towel around his hips, he walked into his master bedroom and pressed the talk button.

“Hey, Claudia. What’s up? You have another huge check to deposit? Or are you finally returning all the phone calls you’ve been avoiding from me? I don’t get why you have a cell, if you’re never going to answer it.” He laughed and waited for her to laugh, too. But she didn’t, and silence hung in the dead space of the phone wire. “Claudia?”

Throat clearing that sounded like Claudia, but nothing else. Had someone hijacked her phone?

“Claudia?”

“Yeah, I’m here, sorry. I was trying to clear my head from all the Lysol and perfume I just had to use. That boy is going to get his rear end grounded.”

This ought to be good. Justin stories always were. He loved that kid, but he did not envy Claudia having to deal with his shenanigans sometimes.

“What did he do now?” He settled back on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. He didn’t have anywhere to be tonight and had some time to kill before he made himself dinner. Telling her about Peter could wait a minute.

“Well, how about we stick with this afternoon only, since I don’t have time for the whole day. Let’s just say I smelled something foul when I walked past his bedroom. I went in armed with Lysol and came out with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that looked like it had petrified under the bed, except it smelled horrendous. I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Then hit myself with an extra dose of perfume just to clear my nose. I probably reek like a whorehouse, but whatever.”

“That’s disgusting.” But he was laughing.

“You’re telling me. And don’t you dare laugh about it in front of him. I don’t want to encourage him.”

“You know I’d never do that. Whenever I’m around him I try to be on my best behavior.”

She sighed, and it sounded weary. He didn’t like Claudia to sound weary. “Do you want me to