Page 48 of Sweet Temptation

“You’re stress cooking,” Beth informed her, eyeing a pan of brownies. “You even made me healthy brownies without me begging.”

“Two kinds!” Meg chirped, placing a second pan next to the first. “Avocado and black bean.”

Beth didn’t move, so Meg rolled her eyes and scooped one of them onto her sister’s plate.

“My spidey sense tells me something is wrong,” Jo started, finally selecting one of the violet cupcakes. “I feel like maybe sharing would be good for you.”

“Maybe we can help,” Beth added, shaking her long purple-tipped hair back over her shoulders. “Come on. Spill.”

“Does it maybe have to do with a certain someone leaving town today?” Jo asked delicately. She startled visibly when Meg whirled on her, pointing a frosting-covered spatula at her.

“Why?” Meg waved the spatula through the air. “What did Theo say?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Rolling her eyes, Amy pushed back from the island and stormed out of the room. All three remaining sisters looked after her as they listened to her steps thundering up the stairs and then back down. She stalked back into the kitchen with a pair of high heels dangling from her hands.

“Hey!” Meg frowned at her. “Those are mine.”

“I know,” Amy replied, holding them up and shaking them. “These are the Via Spigas that you got on clearance at Neiman Marcus, right? The ones you love more than you love Jo?”

“I’d argue with that, except it’s true.” Since Meg was distracted, Jo stole the icing-covered spatula from her hand, then licked it. “You make the best vanilla buttercream.”

“What are you doing with my shoes?” Wiping her hands on her apron, Meg grabbed for them; Amy feinted back. “What are you doing?”

“Come clean.” Shifting both shoes to one hand, Amy lifted the lid off a huge pot of sauce that had been simmering on the stove all afternoon.

“Come clean about what?” Meg blinked innocently at Amy, who snorted.

“Come on. You’ll feel better.” Amy wiggled the pair of shoes, and Meg sucked in a deep breath. “Spit it out, or it’s Via Spiga bolognese.”

Meg watched her sister warily, not making any sudden moves with her favorite shoes in such a precarious position. She glared at Amy, who lowered them an inch closer to the sauce.

“Fine!” Meg reached for the shoes, and Amy shook her head, gesturing for her to speak. Meg ground her teeth together before biting out the words. “I’ve been sleeping with John, okay? Are you happy now?”

“John, John?” Beth asked. “Like, Theo’s John?”

“There’s a sexy mental picture.” Jo’s dreamy grin faded when Meg glared at her. “Sorry.”

“Yes. That John.” This time when she reached for her shoes, Amy handed them over. Meg hugged them to her chest as she sank onto a stool.

“Okay,” Beth replied slowly, her pretty face a study of confusion. “And this is causing much angst, why?”

“Because she wuvssss him,” Amy interjected. Meg snarled. “Whoa, dude. Just trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t realize it was that serious.”

“It’s not. It can’t be.” Meg scrubbed her hands over her face. “It just... It got serious fast. And now he’s gone. And it sucks. And I’m going to eat cake.”

Her sisters remained where they were, silent. Defiant, Meg picked up a cupcake. Lifting it to her mouth, she inhaled it in three bites.

The doorbell rang as she reached for another. Amy left to answer, and a second later, she yelled from the front door.

“Meg! Package for you!”

Sighing, Meg set the second cupcake down, pushing away from the stool. She pointed at her sisters before exiting the kitchen. “I expect some of this to be eaten when I get back.”

Heading down the hall, she rounded the corner to the front entryway, then gasped.

John was standing there, silhouetted by the front door. He was dressed in his pricey-looking jeans again, and another crisp polo, this one forest green. He looked good enough to eat.

“I thought you were already gone.” She froze ten feet away from him, then glanced at Amy, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, her most menacing scowl on her face. “Hey, could we maybe get some privacy?”

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