Worth the Risk

She swung her feet up onto the scarred coffee table. “A to-die-for chocolate-raspberry tart. I made it for the third time today and everyone at the senior center said it was the best. A real winner.”
    Lexi doubted the seniors would criticize a free treat, but she had to admit Amber was a good cook.
    “Don’t forget this is just the first round. If—and it’s a big if—you win, then you’ll have to compete against the winners from all the other middle schools.”
    “I know,” Amber replied with her usual self-confidence. “I’ll invent something new for that round.”
    Swell, Lexi thought. More baking, more sampling. Too many sweets for a diabetic. “Have you tested your blood sugar?”
    Amber swung her feet to the floor. “All right. All right. I’ll test, but I didn’t have a piece of the tart. I relied on people to tell me if it was good.” She stomped off toward her bedroom, presumably to test her blood sugar. Lexi resisted the temptation to follow her. Amber had been giving herself insulin long enough to be able to do it on her own. Having Lexi hover over her only made Amber more difficult.
    In a few minutes, Amber reappeared. “While I was waiting for the tart to bake, I made a chicken salad for dinner. The kind with Granny Smith apples that you like.”
    Lexi thanked her sister. She could hardly berate her for not watering the plants now.
    “How did your interview go?”
    Lexi was amazed Amber remembered that she’d had one. She rarely paid attention to anything unless she was directly involved.
    “Okay, I guess.”
    “What do you mean—you guess?”
    “They didn’t offer me a job on the spot, but they may. I’m just not sure I want to work there. Everyone’s jammed in like cigars in a box.”
    “What else can you do until you take the CPA exam?”
    “Good question,” Lexi admitted. “Not much. Keep City Seeds going and continue to work at Millard’s.”
    Millard’s Upholstery was a small business nearby where Lexi did the payroll as a part-time job. There was no chance to move up in the family-run business, so it made sense to join a large CPA firm until she passed the exam. It would also pay better.
    “It sounds as bad as school,” Amber complained. “At least you’re earning money. What use is geometry and history?”
    “It’ll help you get into college.” They’d been down this road too many times to count.
    “So I can end up like you, with a master’s and nothing interesting to do with it?”
    Lexi hoped the anger that surged inside her didn’t register on her face. Amber was baiting her, and reacting would just encourage her sister. She repeated her usual explanation. “A college degree will give you more options. If you settle for being a cook without a college education, you may end up slinging hash at a drive-through fast-food joint. Would you like that?”
    “Maybe,” Amber huffed.

    Brad hesitated outside the old Victorian house. This couldn’t be City Seeds. The home was in one of Houston’s oldest areas. It was in the DMZ between a lower-middle-class district and a neighborhood overrun by gangs and the homeless. Once the neighborhood had belonged to the city’s elite, but over time people had moved to more desirable enclaves. Most of the homes had subsequently been split up to accommodate multiple families.
    He checked the address on the note he’d written. This was the right place. He assumed its large backyard was intact or there wouldn’t be room for a garden.
    When he rang the bell, he heard a girl yell that she would get it. Amber, he guessed. The door swung open.
    “Oh my gosh!” she cried. “What are you doing here?”
    Before Brad could answer, Lexi appeared in cutoffs and a faded navy blue T-shirt. A sexy outfit, but he doubted she realized it.
    “Mr. Westcott?” she said, obviously not thrilled to see him.
    Lexi had been on his mind a lot since he’d met her, but he’d been so busy at work that he hadn’t found a chance to see her again. Finally he’d hired another sous-chef, a woman this time.
    “I’ve heard such good things about City Seeds that I thought I’d come see for myself.”
    “That’s great,” gushed Amber, but Lexi didn’t look too pleased. “I’ve come up with a winner of a dessert for the contest.”
    “Really?” It took a second for him to recall that the contest’s preliminary round was next week. “That’s wonderful.”
    Lexi moved around her younger sister. “What sort of vegetables are you