Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,87

night. Sugar saw him go in.”

“Oh shit,” Lucy said. “Did you leave him any balls, Sugar? Is that why he left in the night?” Lucy gasped. “Sugar! Did you kill him?”

A slight smile touched Maggie’s face. Even Sugar smiled—just a bit.

“I didn’t kill him. I just helped him leave our house.”

“Poor bastard,” Lucy said. “Did I just sleep through all the excitement like a baby? I probably never moved, did I?”

Sugar shook her head. “You slept like a princess, Lucy. Which is just the way it should have been.” Once again the rage washed over her. Sugar had to blink back the white light of fury that had never left her that night.

“I was in the hall,” Maggie said. “I saw him go in. I froze. I’m so ashamed of that.”

“Mom, stop.” Sugar pulled Maggie to her. “If you’ve been beating yourself up about this all these years, you shouldn’t have.”

“You did what I should have done,” Maggie said. “When I saw you go in after him, I should have had your back. I’d like to think I would have if he’d turned violent, but I just don’t know. I was so astonished.” Tears poured down Maggie’s cheeks again. “It’s really hard to know that your daughter has to fight your battles, that you let her down when she needed you the most.”

Sugar shook her head. “You’re a wonderful mother.”

“But I know you must have been watching him,” Maggie said, “keeping an eye on him. And if you were suspicious of him, then I know in my heart he must have made a move on you. And I think it’s the reason you married Ramon,” Maggie continued, wiping at her eyes, “when you knew he wasn’t the kind of man who’d ever be faithful to you. I think my fear and my weakness affected you for a long time.”

Sugar wrinkled her nose. “Mom, Shithead did make a move on me. I kicked him in the balls so hard it was a wonder he could ever stand in anything other than a caveman stoop after that.” She gently touched her mother’s face. “I figured that since he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me, he might try more vulnerable ground.”

“Vulnerable?” Lucy looked at them. “I always thought I was taking care of this family. I always thought I was the adult.” She hugged Sugar and Maggie to her. “Sugar, you’ve always been the big sister every girl should have. You have to tell me, what did you do to Shithead?”

Sugar shook her head, relief engulfing her now that she knew her mother hadn’t pined for her husband. The relief was so intense it was almost painful. “I believe a baseball bat might have been involved. I was as tall as he was, and he knew I had a helluva swing. It was a fast conversation.”

“God, you’re a tough broad,” Lucy said admiringly. “And so I slept on in my ivory tower, completely unaware you were fighting my battles.”

“And mine,” Maggie added.

Sugar sighed. “I didn’t fight any battles. I just wasn’t ever going to let anything happen to us.”

Lucy looked at her. “No wonder you were so pissed when that officer made a move on me and then got me in trouble.”

Sugar nodded. “I knew damn well you hadn’t been messing around with a married officer. I was glad you slapped him. I just wanted you to take the discharge and let us get the hell out of there. I’d had it with the military at that point. It just wasn’t worth it anymore. Being a woman in the military can be a challenge, and I was ready for some peace in my life.” She held her family tighter. “Whatever happened, I was proud that we always stuck together, through thick and thin, as a family.”

“I know,” Lucy said, “I always thought we had the coolest family of all.”

Maggie pulled out of the embrace to wipe her eyes with the collar of her white blouse. “I have the best daughters in the world. The very best.” She sighed. “I wanted so much for you over the years. There was so little I could provide for you. And then, somehow, you grew up independent and strong, and I knew everything was going to be all right. Even though I’d never really been able to give you anything except my love.”

“Which turned out to be all we needed,” Sugar said. “It’s going to be all right, Mom. From here on out, everything