The waiter appeared with their drinks. When he was gone, Katie picked up her glass.

“I sense trouble coming,” she warned.

Mia ignored her. “It’s true. What about the time I wanted to get Grammy M a membership in a dating service for her birthday? You three wouldn’t listen, but look. She’s dating Gabriel and is really happy.”

“They wouldn’t have met through a dating service,” Francesca said.

“No, but she might have met someone else. My point is-”

Brenna laughed. “We are clear on your point, but we don’t agree with it.”

Mia scowled. “You guys are always like this. It’s the three of you against me. You stick together because I’m so much younger.”

“That’s not true,” Francesca said.

Brenna disagreed. It was often true. There were ten years between Mia and Katie, nine years between Mia and herself and Francesca.

Brenna patted her shoulder. “We still love you.”

“I know, but sometimes I want a little respect.” She brightened. “The good news is I’m still cool while the three of you are seriously old.”

“How flattering,” Katie murmured.

Mia picked up her glass. “Anyway, that’s why I wanted you all here. So we could reconnect.”

Brenna glanced at Francesca. “Not a bad idea for a baby.”

Francesca nodded.

Katie looked less convinced.

Mia sighed. “What?” she asked. “You have that ‘Mom’ look you sometimes get.”

Katie shrugged. “I’m just wondering if you’re really okay. Do you have any regrets about breaking off your engagement?”

Mia put down her glass. “No. David and I were really good together, but we were more caught up with having a relationship than actually thinking about what getting married would mean. I reacted to family pressure, and he reacted to being on his own for the first time. We’ve stayed friends and that works.”

The waiter appeared with a basket of bread. Mia lunged for it and pulled out a piece, then passed the rest to Brenna.

“I will admit that I miss the sex,” she said as she scooped up a pat of butter.

“Makes sense,” Katie said.

Francesca looked at Brenna. “Was that just Miss I-Only-Want-Romance expressing interest in sex?”

Brenna laughed. “Probably because it’s so good with Zach, she can relate now.”

“I could always relate,” Katie told them archly.

“Well, that’s annoying,” Brenna said. She turned to Mia. “I guess you and I are the only two not getting any these days. I resent that.”

“Me, too,” Mia grumbled. “When I get back to college, I’m finding a boy toy right off.”

“Just be careful,” Katie said. “If you still plan to rule the world, you need to consider staying single.”

“I know.” Mia sighed. “But single and sex-free aren’t the same thing.”

Francesca sipped her tea. “How are you doing, Brenna? It was stressful enough when you were just working at Marcelli and starting your own thing. But now, with Joe-are you okay?”

Brenna wasn’t surprised her sister had brought up the subject. If only talking about it would make things more clear.

“I like him,” she said slowly. “And I hate that Grandpa Lorenzo is going to leave him everything. So while I’m glad Joe is here, I can’t help wishing he’d never been born. Pretty awful, huh?”

“Not at all,” Katie said. “It’s perfectly understandable.”

Francesca patted her hand. “Why wouldn’t you have mixed feelings?”

“You’re being really brave about it,” Mia said. “If I were you, I’d get serious about the kidnapping plan.”

“What’s that?” Katie asked.

Mia filled them in on the idea she’d had for getting rid of Joe.

“We’ll ignore that he’s a trained professional,” Brenna murmured. “I doubt the four of us could take him.”

“How embarrassing for him if we could,” Mia said with a giggle.

“Maybe we’re overreacting,” Katie said. “Maybe it’s all just cheap talk on Grandpa Lorenzo’s part.”

“I wish, but I was there,” Brenna said, trying not to sound as if she cared. “He flat out told Joe that all of Marcelli could be his. Joe was more than interested.”

“Which means you were really smart to start your own label,” Francesca told her.

“I agree. I have to make it a success. And I’m going to. Thank God Nic came through with the money.”

He’d saved her, she thought. Without him she’d be totally screwed.

The waiter appeared with their salads. Once he left, Brenna picked up her fork. She glanced around and saw her sisters were all staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“You really brought Nic to the party,” her twin said.

Brenna nodded slowly. “I asked you and Katie if you would mind and you both said it was fine.”

Katie glanced at Francesca, then back at her. “Sure, but we didn’t think you would actually do it.”

“Okay.” Brenna speared a piece of lettuce. “You guys could eat.”

They ignored her.

“There’s something going on there,” Francesca said firmly.

“Is this your professional opinion?” Brenna asked, then took a bite of her salad and chewed.

“The question is what,” Katie said.

“Cut to the chase.” Mia looked at Brenna. “Have you had sex yet?”

Brenna started to choke. She managed to swallow the food, then drank her tea. While her discomfort was genuine, she couldn’t help but be grateful for the distraction. Mia’s unexpected question had caught her off guard. While she didn’t exactly want to lie to her sisters, she wasn’t willing to tell the truth.

She cleared her throat. “Sorry. That went down the wrong way.” She pointed at their untouched plates. “Are you going to eat?”

Mia looked at Francesca and Katie. “I can’t believe it,” her youngest sister breathed.

Francesca reached for Brenna’s hand. “Tell us you didn’t.”

Now Brenna felt cornered. “Didn’t what?”

“Sleep with Nic,” Katie said, her voice low.

She cleared her throat. “I didn’t.”

She didn’t sound convincing, even to herself.

Mia sighed. “You are so lying.”

Brenna put down her fork. “Look, Nic and I have a working relationship, nothing more. We used to have something significant, and because of that, we have a past to deal with. Which we are.”

“Talk about psychobabble,” Katie said.

Mia grabbed a fry and took a big bite. “I can’t believe I’m the only one not getting laid,” she mumbled.

“It just happened one time,” Brenna insisted. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Francesca’s gaze was steady. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Absolutely. Cross my heart.”

“Uh-huh.” Katie started in on her salad.

Mia looked smug.

Francesca dropped her hand to her lap. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t have to. Her knowing look was enough to get on Brenna’s nerves.

“Don’t give me that ‘all things happen for a reason’ crap,” Brenna told her. “This wasn’t like that. It’s not cosmic. It’s hormones and circumstances. Given the past Nic and I had together, it was practically inevitable. But it didn’t mean anything.”

“So it wasn’t your fault?” Mia asked innocently.

“Exactly.”

“Be careful,” Francesca warned.

“There’s nothing to be careful about. We’re just working together.”

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