Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,75
feels for her.”
“Got it.” Sugar looked at him. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”
“No.” He held her hand to his lips, hoping this wasn’t the last time he ever got to kiss her. There was no easy way to make this confession; he deserved her dumping him cold. “Sugar, I’m real happy about your business. I’m thrilled our house is working out for you.”
“I so hear a but in there.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “The thing is, the town council voted down you advertising your business on the Pecan Creek billboard.”
“Why?”
“They don’t like the name of your company. They don’t want that on the billboard leading into town,” Jake said honestly. “The curse word in the business name doesn’t reflect the image they’ve cultivated for years of PC being a family town.”
“Oh,” Sugar said. “That means business cards at the parade are out too.”
“Yeah.” Jake sighed. “I did my best. I really tried to point out that your business will bring in revenue, and it’s no different from any other online business in town.”
Sugar blinked. “Other online businesses?”
“Yeah. We have a few. But they don’t advertise their products in a way that PC finds antifamily.”
Sugar looked at him. “You didn’t want to tell me this.”
“No. I really didn’t.”
“How long have you known?” Sugar’s eyes pierced him in the darkness.
“I never brought it up before the council until this week,” Jake admitted. “I didn’t know if you were going to be able to get your business off the ground. Once Maggie remembered her recipes and I saw that you had a winner, I took it to the council. They turned it down flat.”
“I would like the opportunity to present my business to the council myself,” Sugar said stiffly.
“It won’t do any good.” In fact, it would make everything worse. Vivian was already thinking about not renewing the Cassavechias’ lease. She so hated them that now that she had the ammo of a business being run without permits and health inspection requirements, she wouldn’t think anything of blowing the proverbial whistle on them. Vivian would help them pack their bags if it meant getting them out of PC. “They won’t change their minds.”
“I deserve the chance to defend my business.” Sugar’s tone was tense, unbending.
“I know,” Jake said, not mentioning that he’d had to take up the mayor’s mantle in order to pacify Vivian so she wouldn’t kick them out of the family home. “Please believe me when I say you don’t want to do anything to exasperate the council. If you lay low and run your business under the radar, like everyone else in PC, the whole thing will blow over.”
“Under the radar like you do?” Sugar glared at him. “Is your mother going to always run everything in your life? She doesn’t even know you own the Bait and Burgers.”
“I know. And I’m not telling anyone but you that I just bought out Pecan Fanny’s.” He sighed. “I have an acquisitive streak.”
“You sure do. You ass.” Sugar opened the truck door. “You made love to me and you knew your mother was going to vote me down and make certain everyone else did too. But in your acquisitive streak, you decided to acquire me first.”
She was mad, and he couldn’t blame her. “It really wasn’t like that,” he said, getting out to walk beside her as she stormed off toward the main road. “I really had forgotten about Hotter than Hell Nuts when we made love.”
“That’s funny,” Sugar said, “because I sure as hell never forget about my family’s livelihood.”
“I didn’t mean that.” Jake grabbed her arm, which she jerked away from him. “I meant I forgot about the billboard.”
“Although you managed to remember to fob your mayor duties off on my mother, knowing very well we hoped to get to advertise in the parade.”
“Sugar, listen to me,” he said, trying to turn her toward him.
She lashed out with a slap to his gut that reminded him she’d been through basic and was no lightweight who couldn’t defend herself. “Christ,” he said, “Sugar, I dig you. I really, really dig you. I’m no Prince Charming, but I’d do anything to make you happy, I swear to God I would.”
She kept walking. Jake stopped following her, massaging his midsection where she’d landed a fairly decent blow. Walking with her was just going to get him in more trouble, and he was already in it up to his neck. Jake sighed. He couldn’t blame her for being mad as hell. Everything she