Jake’s grasp. “What’s going on?” Sugar asked.
Jake helped his buddy toward his truck. “You go back and calm everybody down.”
Sugar blinked. Jake muscled Kel into his truck, no easy feat because Kel was a tank, but he looked like he had it in hand, so Sugar went inside and found her sister and mother.
“What was that all about?” Lucy asked.
“I have no idea.” Sugar looked at Bobby. “Do you know what was wrong with him?”
“Yeah,” Bobby said, sounding very uncomfortable. “Yeah, I do.” He looked at Lucy. “Hey, I’m going to have to go.”
Lucy looked at him. Sugar saw surprise pucker her sister’s brows. “We haven’t had dinner yet,” Lucy said.
“I know.” Bobby looked regretful. “I’m sorry. Thanks for inviting me.”
The big man left the patio, headed to his huge camo truck without saying anything to Jake and Kel, which Sugar thought was strange. All these men were totally tight.
“That’s weird,” she said to Lucy.
“It is,” her sister said. “And it sucks.”
Sugar turned to her sister. “Are you crushing on Bobby German?”
Lucy sighed. “Believe it or not, I’ve finally met the man who makes my body rock.”
“Bobby?” Sugar glanced back out at the camo truck as it disappeared from the gravel lot. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“I didn’t, either.” Lucy sighed. “I never thought I’d meet any guy I couldn’t outthink. But Bobby’s brain is a maze, and it’s got me dizzy with infatuation.”
“Bobby?” Sugar blinked.
“Don’t say a word,” Lucy said. “I’ve been keeping it to myself because I couldn’t believe it, either. But once I kissed him—”
“You kissed him?”
“Yeah.” Lucy smiled. “He asked me to sit with him on the roof of Bait and Burgers, and I told him he was dumb. And he said if I’d come up there with him, he’d show me something I’d never forget. I told him I wasn’t climbing on a roof to have him swing a shrunken salami at me.”
“And?” Sugar demanded, fascinated in spite of herself.
“Turns out it wasn’t a tiny Tootsie Roll he wanted to show me,” Lucy said, and Sugar held up a hand, wincing. Jake was still in the parking lot with Kel. She could see the two of them jawing like mad, which didn’t seem to bode well.
“It was a telescope,” Lucy said, and Sugar said, “What?”
“I said, it was a telescope.” Lucy beamed. “He knows every star and every constellation in the sky, Sugar.”
Sugar stared at her sister. “Oh, I see.”
Lucy nodded. “It’s so romantic, Sugar, I can’t even tell you. I think I fell like a rock for him right then.”
“Oh my God.” Jake came in the front door, and Sugar looked at him. She’d fallen pretty hard for Jake too, though she wouldn’t admit it. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Jake’s into astronomy too?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t asked him.” She should. As soon as she got him alone, she’d ask him a lot of things.
Jake slid into his seat. “Is everything all right?” Sugar asked.
“Yeah.” He drank his beer, waved the waitress over with another one.
Sugar glanced at Lucy, not convinced. Clearly Jake wasn’t going to discuss it. Lucy shrugged and picked up a carrot stick, nibbling at it.
“Bobby left,” Lucy said, and Jake said, “Yeah. I saw him leave.”
Cat and Evert leaned close to the table. “Should we go check on Kel?”
“No. Kel’s going to go cool off. He’ll be fine.”
Lassiter stood up, helping Maggie gather her purse and new cell phone Lucy and Sugar had insisted she purchase. “We’re going to head out, kids.”
Sugar was relieved that Lassiter was taking her mother home. She went to hug Maggie. “I love you, Mom.”
Maggie gave her and Lucy a warm hug back. “I love you both so much. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sugar returned to her seat. “Wow,” she said to Lucy. “I think Mom’s getting swept off her feet.”
Lucy picked up another carrot. “Given her good news today, I would too, if I were in her shoes.”
Bobby pulled up in his camo truck. “Hey, Lucy!”
Lucy stood. “Hey, what?” she yelled back.
“Wanna go look at the stars down by the creek?”
Lucy hugged Sugar good-bye, hugged Cat, then Evert, then Jake. “You kids be good!” She shot out the door, hopping up on the running board as she launched herself into Bobby’s truck.
“I did not see that coming,” Cat said, laughing.
“None of us did.” Sugar smiled.
Jake sighed. “Sugar, would you mind if I call it an early night?”
“That’s fine with me.” She looked up at him. “You got water in your ear?”
“No. I’m fine.” He