Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,43
you’d understand.” Maggie smiled.
“I hope you’re glad you’re here now,” Lassiter said. “I’m getting just a bit fond of my redhead.”
Maggie closed her eyes, absolutely charmed by his words. She didn’t dare tell him that if she couldn’t remember the recipes, then the dream was lost.
They’d be packing up the blue Oldsmobile and heading back to Florida right after she took off the mayor’s top hat and ribbon, and following the parade right out of town.
“I thought maybe you were kidding about bug spray.” Sugar waited on Jake, practically sprayed within an inch of her life with chemicals guaranteed to keep all insect, animal life and mankind away.
Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea. Jake dragged his canoe from the back of his truck, which they’d picked up on the way. He wore what he called a muscle shirt, so she had a great view of muscular arms as he carried the canoe to the creek. He’d changed into khaki shorts, eschewing jeans, saying that if her legs were bare for skeets, he’d man up.
He had a really great set of nice, athletic legs. When he’d pulled off his shirt and changed, she noticed the marks of the military: ripped, strong chest muscles, corded back. A dragon tattoo on his right shoulder.
“Does Vivian know about the tat?”
“Hell, no.” Jake began fumigating himself with bug spray. “Not that I care if she does. She wouldn’t approve, mind you, but Vivian and I understand that approval isn’t part of our relationship.” He studied her legs. “Now, I want you to close your nose and hold your breath and spray the bejesus out of yourself one more time. Pretend you’re in a windstorm, and the goal is to keep the toxins from penetrating your nostrils.”
“You’re scaring me.” Sugar studied the can. “This is just plain ol’ garden-variety Off, isn’t it?”
“No. This stuff is powerful. The goal is to keep from getting insectus problemus.” He watched her as she began to spray. “You have no idea how bad you do not want mosquito-borne crap.”
“We get an occasional bite at our house,” Sugar said.
“Yeah,” Jake said, “but notice it’s only occasional. I get the area sprayed regularly with garlic.”
“Very eco-friendly of you. And yet now I’m covered in toxins.”
“Only for a few hours. Here’s your paddle.”
She took it from him. “I’ve never done this before.”
“It’s not that hard.” They got in, she more gingerly than he, conscious of trying not to tip before she got her first canoe ride. Jake shoved off, and they floated downstream. “Just paddle opposite me, so the boat moves smoothly.”
“It’s beautiful here,” Sugar said, soothed by the overhanging willows on the banks. She mimicked Jake’s paddling motions, and soon they had the canoe moving through the water.
She had a great view of his back, much of which the white muscle shirt didn’t conceal.
This is the best day of my life, Sugar thought. I love it here in Pecan Creek.
I think I might be falling for Jake.
Chapter Eleven
Jake glanced at Sugar as he dragged the canoe ashore twenty minutes later, lodging it on the bank. “I’m going to show you my secret hangout.”
She tugged at the canoe with industrious good cheer, and it came to Jake that Averie had never enjoyed canoeing, bug spray or sweating, as it appeared Sugar was doing.
It made him smile. She was so unselfconscious. He really didn’t think Sugar knew how appealing she was, how feminine, how sexy-as-hell.
She turned his crank like it had never been turned before.
“This is your secret hangout? What do you do out here?”
He secured the canoe and pointed to two tire swings and a wooden bench underneath a large weeping willow with tendrils that draped beautifully near the water, like a leafy green veil inviting peace and serenity. “I do nothing but sit. No one comes here but me. So sitting is just about all I do. Kind of crazy, I guess.”
“I don’t think so.” Sugar smiled at him, not complaining about the smelly bug spray nor the heat, nor the fact that her blouse stuck to her in all the wrong places. “We came to Pecan Creek for peace and serenity.”
He took her hand and pulled her over to the tire swing. “I could have told you that PC was fifty percent small town, fifty percent drama. But I’ll share my serenity with you.”
Jake tucked Sugar into the tire swing, her feet standing in the tire. He placed her hands on the rope. “Now, hang on.”