Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,58
crossbody bag she’d love for Christmas. Vivian would probably pee her bunched-up drawers if Lucy walked into church wearing those.
Lucy smiled, then put the magazine down.
It was time to go to work.
Chapter Fourteen
Minda’s huge downstairs basement had been newly graced with giant spools of chicken wire. Lucy looked at Charlotte, Minda and Dodie, not sure how such a thing fit into their business models. “Are we going to start selling chickens with our boobs, oils and dingle doilies?”
The ladies smiled at her.
“It’s time to start our parade float,” Charlotte said. “Christmas is just around the corner. We don’t have any time to waste.”
“Not if we want to win,” Minda said, “and we do want to win.”
“We never have before,” Dodie added, “but this year we think we have a chance because of you.”
“Me?” Lucy blinked. “I know nothing about building a parade float.”
They smiled at her benignly, their round faces cute and doughy. Lucy felt happy just looking at them. It was like having three grandmothers all at once, which was nice, because her own grandmothers had passed away when she was young.
“We want you to ride on our float,” Charlotte said.
“Me?” Lucy repeated, thinking about everything Sugar had just told her. These sweet ladies had no idea what Vivian had dug up, and no doubt the old witch would share instantly the moment she found out about Lucy being on any float, or even being within ten feet of the parade.
Sugar wanted the sign along the highway for Hotter than Hell Nuts. The chance of Vivian not putting her foot down about that seemed remote—but Lucy riding on a PC float wasn’t going to help.
“I’m flattered, ladies, but I can’t,” Lucy said. “I’m afraid of crowds.”
They stared at her.
“That’s balderdash,” Charlotte said. “You just don’t want to get crosswise with Vivian.”
Lucy shrugged. “It’s better if I stay in the background. But I don’t mind helping you build it.”
“We want you to be our princess,” Dodie said.
“Princess of what?” Lucy looked around at the group. “We market sexual goodies.”
Minda smiled. “Princess of Pecan Creek.”
Lucy sat down at a worktable. “I’m sorry, have you all made the acquaintance of Vivian Bentley? She hates me, remember? And my family?”
“We know,” Charlotte said. “And while no one has done more for Pecan Creek than Vivian, and we absolutely bow to much of her vision for Pecan Creek, we think that the real way to bring new life to our town is younger people.” She gazed at Lucy’s cut-off shorts, short tank top and ankle tat. “We’re going for hip and happening. We can have all the Christmas parades we want, and all we’re going to lure out here is folks who want to retire. You put a different face on Pecan Creek.”
“I thought you wanted a parade mayor that would give an honest, gentle vibe to Pecan Creek,” Lucy said.
“Yes,” Dodie said, “there’s comfort in that. But as far as a princess, we think we need a girl who makes guys see that we have something sexier out here than what they might expect in a small town.”
“Single men don’t come to parades,” Lucy pointed out. “Families do.”
Charlotte nodded. “We realize that. So we’re going to rent the town billboard for December and put you on it.”
They practically glowed with their idea. Lucy felt their approbation flow over her, and it felt good.
But in the back of her mind, she knew Vivian had dug up some secrets that hardly made her an unsullied princess. “My family and I are trying to lie low. Vivian plus Cassavechias equals trouble.”
“Think about it.” Minda smiled beatifically at her. “We’ve already picked out a dress for you and hired a photographer.”
Lucy shook her head. “This is not a good idea. Let me see the dress.”
They took her to a closet in the workroom, opening the double doors with a flourish. A white minidress with fringe hung inside, twinkling with occasional sequins. Sky-high white heels that any model would love made Lucy gasp.
“Like it?” Charlotte asked. “We think it’s very now.”
“Very happening,” Dodie added.
“Sexy,” Minda said, “and we know better than anyone that sex sells.”
Lucy touched the short, fringed dress. “I just think you should know that Vivian put a dick on my family. And he found that we don’t have the most princessy past.”
They looked at her.
“Neither do we,” Dodie said. “Did you murder anyone?”
“No,” Lucy said, “there are some things Cassavechias don’t stoop to.”
“Then we won’t worry about taking the speck out of your eye,” Charlotte