Worth the Risk

gelato.”
    “How would you serve it? Alone? With fresh fruit?”
    “I’d take vanilla to put with our flourless chocolate cake or whatever else Charmayne thinks will work. I’ll also use it with seasonal fruit. Baci could stand alone.”
    “Perfect.” Lexi had already sampled the chocolate and hazelnut gelato called baci and knew it was unique enough to stand alone. She smiled at Brad and allowed herself to bask in the shared moment. He was asking her opinion; she had to mean more to him than just a quick date.
    They were sitting at a table for two hardly bigger than a briefcase, eating the gelato. An undeniable magnetism had built between them. What would she do if he kissed her? Kiss him back came the immediate answer.
    “How’s the summer job?” he asked.
    Lexi had conditioned herself to give a reply like “good.” But that wasn’t the truth, and considering how Brad treated her, she needed to share her feelings with him. “I’m a little bored. No, actually, I’m really bored. I’m working on taxes. It’s the same stuff over and over every day.”
    “Aren’t we beyond tax season?”
    “Yes, of course, but you’d be surprised how many people missed the deadline and had to ask for an extension. We’re working on those now.”
    “You must have known what it would be like to work for an accounting firm,” he said, leaning closer.
    “I did, but I guess being at a small private company for so long made me think I’d be doing lots of things, not just taxes. I find I’m in a rut. Taxes are the bread and butter of the firm.”
    “You could go elsewhere and do something more challenging with your degree.”
    “True,” she agreed. “But first I have to pass the exam. So I’m stuck here until the fall at least.”
    He took her hand and rose. Her skin prickled at his touch. As they walked toward the door, he put his arm around Lexi and she couldn’t resist leaning against his powerful chest. “Life’s too short to get stuck in a job you hate. It’s worth the risk to follow your dream.”
    “True,” she agreed, but she also had a sister to put through school.
    He stopped outside the shop, his arm still around her. “Speaking of dreams. I have an idea.”
    Something in his tone alerted her. “Oh? What’s your idea?”
    “Amber is determined to win, isn’t she?”
    “Yes. Obsessed is a better description,” she reluctantly admitted.
    “What if she doesn’t? Your sister will be upset, won’t she?”
    “Amber will go to summer school as planned. It’s important for her to pull up her math marks by taking a prep course in algebra this summer.”
    Brad studied her for a moment. “Amber will be fifteen in a few weeks and old enough to work. What if I give her a job that will allow her to attend summer school and work part-time at Black Jack’s?”
    “No! Don’t do that!” Lexi responded more sharply than she’d intended.
    Brad dropped his arm and took a step back.
    “I—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I didn’t intend to sound so angry. It’s just that Amber has no discipline and she’s developing an attitude. If she wins the contest and earns the internship, I’ll make it work somehow. But I really want her to study this summer and help me with City Seeds. Why should I pay someone to work in our business while Amber earns minimum wage working in a restaurant?”
    “Because the experience would do her good,” Brad replied in a strained tone that indicated he didn’t agree with her. “She might discover that she doesn’t care for the restaurant business.”
    “That’s what you thought when we came to lunch.” The second the words left her lips, Lexi cursed herself for saying them. “What I mean is…Amber is stubborn. She won’t admit she doesn’t like working at Black Jack’s even if she does.”
    “I understand,” Brad said, but it was clear that he didn’t. They walked to his car in silence and he made no attempt to put his arm around her again.

Chapter 9
    Unlike the preliminary round, the finals of the bake-off were held in the evening. Lexi was grateful, and she was sure the other working parents were as well.
    Amber had come to Samuel Houston High School’s cafeteria midafternoon to bake and decorate her torte. At this point, the chefs had sampled the desserts and decided the winner. Lexi expected Brad to make the announcement after the head of the foundation called the group in the auditorium to order.
    Once again, she glanced around to see if Brad