Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,84
today that she hadn’t known before, and decided maybe it was better to throw caution to the wind. “I need your help.”
“Name it, gorgeous.”
Sugar pondered her options, then took the leap.
“We’re going to enter a secret float in the Christmas parade. I’m sure there’s paperwork involved, and at the end of that paperwork is probably a council of Pillars, namely your mother, that approves everything.”
He nodded. “True.”
“We want our float to be top secret. I’d like for you to figure out a way to file our paperwork without us getting blowback from your mother.”
He leaned against the counter, looking sexy as sin. Sugar allowed herself to bask in his devil-may-care smile for a moment. “Can’t do it, babe.”
“Won’t do it.” She looked at him with attitude.
“Right.” He grinned. “I’d like to help you another way.”
“That’s new,” Sugar said, not about to let him off the hook.
“Yeah, well. Never let it be said that old dogs aren’t happy to learn new tricks.” He took one of her curls between his fingers, tugged lightly on it. “Here’s the deal. The billboard into town was reserved for two months, November and December, to maximize holiday traffic into PC.”
She nodded. “Which has nothing to do with me, as you’ve pointed out several times.”
He grinned, tapping her finger. “I think this time it might. What would you think about all that traffic running through Texas checking out your business in January?”
“The deadest month for retail in the year?” Sugar asked. “Are you cutting me a deal?”
“How about January and February?” Jake said. “A Valentine campaign for pecans would probably be successful.”
She narrowed her gaze. “How much?”
“On the house.” He grinned, and Sugar felt herself get a little weak in the knees, which she ignored. Made herself ignore a little more. It was difficult when a man looked that good in worn blue jeans, black work boots, untucked flannel shirt and a dark Stetson crowning his eyes.
“On the house? Why would you do that for us?”
He shrugged. “To compensate you for your troubles. To thank you for not suing me over the dead perv guy.” He glanced around to make sure Maggie wasn’t nearby to overhear him use the terminology she didn’t want to hear.
“Why would we sue? He came to see Lucy.”
“Tenants always sue. Could be the locks weren’t good enough; could be any excuse.” Jake glanced upstairs. “But mainly, I’m just trying to lure you into staying in my life, Sugar Cassavechia.”
“Really,” Sugar said, her voice flat.
“Hell, yeah,” Jake said, leaning over and kissing her a fast one on the lips; then he jogged up the stairs to check on the workmen.
Sugar touched her lips. Born salesman, yes, he was.
But oh my goodness, the man made her crazy for him. Absolutely nuts.
Chapter Twenty-One
Two weeks before the parade—which was scheduled the day before the kids got out of school for Thanksgiving break—the Cassavechias stood in Jake’s barn, staring at their secret float.
“Vivian’s going to poop her proper drawers,” Lucy observed.
Maggie laughed. “It will do her good. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when we pull out in front of Santa Claus.”
Sugar walked around the float. It burst with silver streamers and huge white and red and green pecan trees. Instead of throwing candy, they would toss tiny Hotter than Hell Nuts bags to the crowd. The bags were tied off with little pink-and-silver ribbons. She and Lucy would be the float “queens”, each of them dressing in red velvet skirts—very short in Lucy’s case—and before the day was over, their family business would no longer be secret.
“Bobby did a great job on the trees,” Sugar said. “You didn’t tell me he was such an amazing builder.”
“He’s wonderful with his hands.” Lucy beamed as she looked at the lights strung around the trees. “I think I’ve finally found the man of my dreams.”
Sugar looked at her sister. She had never thought to hear those words come out of her sister’s mouth. “That’s awesome, Lucy.”
“Funny thing is, I can see myself living in Pecan Creek.” Lucy scattered some more glitter over the float. “I like it here. I even like ol’ Vivian.”
“You do?” Sugar and Maggie said in unison.
Lucy shrugged. “She doesn’t bother me. I get her. I figured her out, and then I realized I kind of admired her.”
Sugar and Maggie sank onto a couple of hay bales. “She’s done nothing but be annoying to you since we got here,” Sugar pointed out.