Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,31
being lazy like it’s a goal. But I don’t think you’ve quite succeeded yet.”
“I’m working my ass off on it, though.” He walked her inside, and they took a table by a sparkly clean window that looked out over an open field. “Can I get you a drink, Sugar?”
She looked at him. “I’d love a beer.”
“Good woman. Two longnecks, Suzy,” he told the waitress, who looked pleased to see Jake in the tiny eatery. “So, Sugar, I’m sorry about the other day.”
“Why?” She was curious to know exactly what Jake was apologizing for.
“For saying I’d like to get you naked. I would, of course, but don’t let it worry you. I know how to keep my inner animal locked away.”
“Good.” Sugar looked at him. “I shouldn’t have dumped you in the pond. I have a short fuse for jerks. And I think I’m pretty much not ready for men who are probably nice guys but say something jerky.”
“Understood.” He raised a longneck to her when Suzy put them on the table. “Apology accepted?”
She nodded. “The thing is, I think my basic frustration with you is Maggie. I feel like you have an opportunistic side, and I don’t want you using my mom.”
“I get it.” He nodded. “You think I’m playing the whole Cassavechia family.”
“Well, not Lucy. Lucy’s too clever to let some guy use her.”
He sighed, and Sugar wondered what was on his mind. But he drank his beer and pretended to study the menu, not broaching whatever he was thinking. Sugar did likewise, almost too jittery to select something to eat, until she realized she was jittery because she actually forgave Jake for jumping the gun with the naked comment, and maybe she even kind of liked him, and then she felt a little ill.
It was far too soon to fall a little bit in like with someone, especially a sexy, handsome guy like Jake who had a tiny blonde that would make her feel like a basketball player standing next to her.
A huge truck painted with camouflage pulled up on the gravel next to Jake’s truck, and Jake sighed. “Here comes excitement. Do you mind company?”
Sugar looked at the door in time to see three big guys come in with two women. “Friends of yours?”
“Lifelong.” Jake grimaced when his buddies filtered over to their table, crowding around and pulling up chairs. “Everybody, this is Sugar. Sugar, in case you don’t recall, this is Bobby German, Evert Carmichael and Kel Underwood. They own the Bait and Burgers. This is Cat Jenkins, who works at the coffee shop, and Sandy Goody, the sheriff’s daughter. They’ve got a farm that keeps Sandy busy.”
“Hi, everyone.” Sugar nodded, smiling.
They pulled up a table, connecting the two together, and sat down in a noisy flock of fun. Evert sat Cat next to him, tagging them as a couple, and Sandy took the chair on the other side of Cat, obviously unattached. “I’ll call Lucy to round out the group,” Sugar said, and Jake said, “No!”
She put her phone back in her purse. “O-kay.”
He put a hand over hers, leaned close. “I’ll tell you later.”
His hand was warm; he smelled great. Sugar blinked, feeling something snap inside her. She gazed into Jake’s dark eyes, just four inches from hers, and felt herself gripping hard on to the edge of the side of sanity.
If she let go, if she slipped and let herself fall into the pit of love again, she knew she would regret it. It was a dark, foul pit full of heated emotions and sharp ups and downs, the roller-coaster ride from hell.
No roller coaster of love for her.
“We’ve figured it out, Jake,” Bobby said, and the girls nodded enthusiastically.
“Got what figured out?”
“Where we’re going to have our party. The last party of the summer.”
“Yet it’s pretty much fall already,” Jake said. “There’s a hook here, watch for it,” he told Sugar.
“A party sounds like fun to me,” Sugar said, and the girls smiled at her.
“We’re going to have the party at Sheriff Goody’s in the field where we play shirts ’n’ skins,” Bobby continued. “And we’re going to have it open to the community and bill it as a charity event for Pecan Creek. We’ll charge admission, and the money will go to put an ad up on the billboard outside of town.”
“What ad?” Jake asked carefully.
“A year-round ad that proclaims Pecan Creek as the most honest, growing town in Texas,” Evert said. “Thousands of people will see it all year long.”