Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,97
tossed the condom into the trash near the patio table before settling against his chest. “Your neighbors are going to cite you for noise violations.”
“Jealousy,” he said, stroking her hair, enjoying the sun on his face and the feel of Sugar in his arms. “Anyway, the only person who might hear us is Lassiter, but he never comes this far in the fields. We meet on the fence line to have our bromance.”
She didn’t say anything else. Jake tried to recover his sanity and his equilibrium. It was too hard—Sugar had wasted him. He probably wouldn’t be good for anything more than gimping around like a little old man for a week. He tugged over the pool float, got on it, pulled her naked body up next to him, and settled into blissful unconsciousness under the last rays of November sun.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dear Journal,
Life is good. I got my memory back; I’ve got my groove back. Lassiter is planting a citrus tree for me, a lemon tree that smells so sweet and fragrant. And he’s teaching me how to make wine in a huge glass jar thing. What you really want to know about is the sex, right? The sex is phenomenal. Imagine waking up every morning with John Wayne in all his glory, and you’ve pretty much got why my middle-aged body feels like a well-tuned violin these days. I’m free of breast-cancer, and I quit smoking. My daughters have men in their lives who seem worthy, and it does my heart good to see my girls so happy. Tomorrow I’m the mayor of Pecan Creek’s parade, and we’re going to launch our business.
As much as I dreaded the journey, feared it even, I have become a new woman.
It’s like being reborn. Better even than I could have ever imagined. Brigadoon, only real.
And you weren’t the drag I thought you’d be, Journal. In fact, I really enjoy having the memories to look back on.
No longer participating on the sly,
Maggie
On the morning of the Christmas parade, Sugar had a case of nerves that wouldn’t quit. A niggling sense of guilt ate at her. Maybe she had performer’s nerves.
“It’s not every day I get dressed up in a short red Rockette’s outfit,” Sugar told Lucy. “I haven’t shown this much leg since I was on the high school drill team.”
Lucy checked her sister out. “Damn shame too. If I had your legs, I’d be kicking them up all over town.”
“Not since you’ve taken up with Bobby. He seems to have settled your desire to kick up your heels.”
“Yeah.” Lucy grinned, shrugging herself into the tiny, tight white turtleneck she’d chosen for their costumes. “The man is sex on a stick.”
“I won’t pretend to know what that means,” Sugar said, thinking Jake was probably likewise, “but I’m glad you’re happy. And Maggie’s happy.”
“We’re all happy,” Lucy said, “until we pull through the town with our nut wagon. Then we’ll see if we get tossed out on our cute red skirts with white fringe.” She swung her hips so the white fringe flew. “I should have been a flapper.”
Sugar shook her head and went to put the reindeer antlers on Paris and the jingle bell collar. “You get to ride in the float too, Paris! You can be our stowaway, since, technically, we’re not even supposed to be in the parade. Maybe you can smile that winning doggie smile of yours and keep us from the slammer.”
“Jake won’t let you go in the slammer. Besides which, I think if the dead body didn’t sour him on the romance, you two are probably heading for Happyville.”
“I had nothing to do with the body.” Sugar frowned. “How can you bring it up so nonchalantly?”
“Because I didn’t see it, A,” Lucy said, “and B, I got a new bedroom out of it, which I haven’t revealed even to Vivian. But today is the day. She’s coming over after the parade to see it. I want her to be the first.”
Sugar had been dying to peek in the room after the last load of furniture arrived, but Lucy had put her room off limits. Sugar respected limits, so she hadn’t indulged a fast snoop, but it hadn’t been easy.
She still thought about the gross cadaver lying in her sister’s room. Which wasn’t a very Christmassy thought.
Neither was what was making her feel guilty. “Jake really is a nice guy.”
“I know,” Lucy said. “Are you trying to convince yourself?”
“No.” She knew he was a great guy. And she’d fallen