Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,99
the pace of the Pillars, who kept their businesses on the down-low and developed fanatical word of mouth and discreet advertising. But Sugar wasn’t a down-low kind of girl. It was a hurdle between them he didn’t think could be solved. She didn’t have to change hotterthanhellnuts.com to suit PC. She wasn’t PC—that was why he was nuts for her.
He was thinking happy thoughts of Sugar, enjoying the half rise in his jeans and the stirring of fantasies that seemed to sweep him often whenever he daydreamed about her—when he saw a tall redhead in a shorter-than-a-second skirt and a busty white top flounce across the main street of PC wearing white cowboy boots—very Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader—and an excited smile.
He blinked. Sugar wore capri jeans and shorts almost exclusively, rarely a dress or skirt. Lucy wore the short-short skirts in the family. It could not have been Sugar.
A smaller redhead with a matching Christmas skirt and red heels higher than the PC billboard bounced along behind her sister.
His heart began a painful beat inside him. Sugar was up to no good, with the streets lined with excited parade-goers and sneaking reporters shuffling around for the best angle. And there was his girl, hot enough to kill a man.
Bad thought. No more dead men.
He parked his truck and hurried after the hot red skirts.
He was stopped on the way by the Pillars, who were dressed in Mrs. Claus costumes, very Little House on the Prairie Goes to the North Pole.
“Jake,” Charlotte Dawson said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She looked very festive in her gray wig and pretend spectacles. “Averie is going to be our parade princess. Lucy got her for us when she decided to be princess for her sister’s float. Did you know Sugar has a float?”
This was bad. Very, very bad. Clearly, his girl was not a big believer in securing permits for her endeavors. This business of act now, obtain forgiveness later was something he was going to have to factor into their relationship. “Yes, ma’am, I did,” he fibbed, not wanting any disharmony on PC’s Big Day.
They all looked at him with concern.
“Have you seen the Cassavechia float? Their costumes?” Minda Hernandez asked.
He held up a hand. “I’m not the parade marshal this year,” he reminded them, “I believe that’s Mom’s job.”
They gasped, turning their eyes to his mother, who rounded out the group of four Pillars.
“Did you approve their float and costumes, Vivian?” Dodie asked.
His mother looked at him. “Why yes, I did,” she said. “I actually thought the Cassavechia float was an excellent freshman effort.”
He shot his mother a look of pure gratitude.
“Good to see you, ladies,” he said. “Best of luck in the judging today.”
He didn’t also say, They had a stall in a prime spot outside the courthouse where their wares were set up. From her vantage point, Vivian could see every second of the parade and sell her friends’ goods discreetly, from which Vivian made a portion for her time. And forbearance.and may your sales skyrocket on this day of purveying all things sexy.
Maggie went by, a round and cheerful figure in her black top hat, red jacket, white gloves and red sequined trousers.
“Sequins, Jake?” Vivian murmured.
“She likes sparkle,” Jake said.
Vivian nodded. “It becomes her very well. Hello, Maggie. Thank you so much for acting as our mayor today.” Vivian smiled a genuine smile at Maggie.
“It’s so much fun!” Maggie looked around. “Everybody is having a great time. Evert says he thinks this is the biggest crowd Pecan Creek has ever had!”
Yes, thanks to you and your daughters.
“I’m going to go look over the floats,” Jake said hurriedly. “I’ll catch you ladies after the parade.”
He hurried to the end of the street, where the floats were lined up in position, waiting on the “mayor” to give the signal to start moving at a leisurely pace through the town square. A band played at the head of the line, Christmas carols that the audience sang along to with holiday delight.
He scanned the floats—same-old, same-old, every year the same—in a hurry, striding from the top of the line to the middle where the Pillars’ float was. Averie waved at him, her poufy Cinderella outfit perfect for the parade.
“Jake!”
He stopped, chafing to further inspect the line and find the Hot Nuts. “Hi, Averie. Great costume.”
“Thanks! Lucy Cassavechia was supposed to be the princess, but she asked me to stand in for her. Isn’t that awesome?” Averie’s smile was delighted.