by Tina Leonard
“Not since August,” Kel said. “The economy has dried up the billboard business in town, as local businesses are suffering. That’s the brilliant thing. We’ll take it over for Pecan Creek in January. That way, the sign doesn’t sit bare in our slowest month when we could use advertising.”
“The timing’s right,” Cat said. “We could all stand a little extra business here.”
“I did ask about the sign,” Sugar said.
Jake spoke carefully. “It’s a thorny problem.”
“Only for you,” Sugar said. “Who made you the keeper of the billboard?”
“We all did,” Sandy Goody said. “Jake’s pretty good at wheedling money out of people.”
Sugar looked at Jake. “It’s not thorny. It’s you being the keeper of the gate.”
“I know. But I was being honest when I said that it was probably best not to rile folks around here if you want to fit in. And I think Maggie does,” Jake said, directing his words for Sugar’s ears only.
“I just don’t think you should be the one to decide whether we’re accepted or not,” Sugar said, “since you know very well your mother would never accept anyone.”
“What are we talking about?” Cat asked, overhearing the last words.
“Nothing,” Jake said.
“The party sounds like a great idea,” Sugar said, so the edge wouldn’t be taken off the group’s excitement.
Jake squeezed her knee in thanks under the table, and Sugar pinched the hell out of his wrist so he’d move his hand. He did, lightning fast.
“Meany,” he said. “Can I buy you another beer?”
“Yes,” Sugar said.
“What do you do, Sugar?” Cat asked. “I heard you and your family moved to Pecan Creek. I’m sorry I haven’t been by to say hello.” She smiled, so friendly and cute that Sugar took heed of Jake’s wish that she keep their business secret for Maggie’s sake, for now. Besides, they didn’t have a recipe yet. No sense stirring the fire, although she was going to fire Jake up later.
“My mom is in remission from breast cancer,” Sugar said. “We came to Pecan Creek because it’s quiet here, and relaxing. We were looking for a small town with nice people, and Pecan Creek was everything we wanted.” She smiled, super-friendly in return, and everyone beamed at her.
Maybe Jake was right. Soft-shoe things a bit in the beginning. Make friends. Don’t go at everything headfirst, like she had all her life. Sugar relaxed, and Jake patted her knee again, and this time, she didn’t pinch him.
She did move his hand, though. No point in letting him off the hook too fast.
A big man ambled over to their table, and everyone turned their attention to him with big smiles.
“Hello, Lassiter,” Jake said. “Lassiter Johnson, this is Sugar Cassavechia. She and her family have rented our family place.”
Lassiter shook her hand, smiling with a well-groomed mustache and blue eyes that twinkled in his acorn-colored face. He lifted his tan Stetson to reveal a nice thatch of silver hair. Black boots, huge rodeo buckle, strong shoulders complemented his appearance. The effect was pretty stunning for a probably sixty-year-old man, and Sugar was charmed.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Cassavechia,” Lassiter said.
“Lassiter was a rodeo star,” Sandy told her.
“Lassiter was and is a helluva rider,” Jake said. “He’s won more buckles than we have teeth in our heads. Now he runs a horse ranch outside of town. Got a helluva setup.”
Not to mention he had a helluva physique and a well-worn, movie-star face. “It’s nice to meet you, Lassiter,” Sugar said, and as Kel pulled up a chair for Lassiter, a thought hit her like a lightning bolt from God. “Excuse me,” she told Jake. “I need to check in on Mom.”
“Sure.”
He pulled out her chair, stunning her since Ramon had never done that and she wasn’t expecting it from a “snake” like Jake. She was steamed with him about the billboard, but maybe he had a point too.
She’d think about that later. Outside, she speed-dialed Lucy. “Lucy, bring Maggie down to Pecan Fanny’s. Yes, I’m serious, that’s the name. I haven’t met Fanny yet, but I’m presuming her name is part of the small-town charm. Make sure Maggie looks beautiful,” she said, talking quickly in case Jake came looking for her. A tiny blonde doll walked past her, entering Pecan Fanny’s, but other than a brief smile at her, Sugar barely paid attention to her.
“Make Maggie beautiful?” Lucy asked. “Why, are the town crazies holding a beauty pageant?”
“Just bring her. If you can’t find it on the computer, call Pecan Fanny’s and ask directions. I wasn’t paying attention to where we are.”
“Because you were paying attention to Jake,” Lucy said, “I understand.”
“Just bring her. And hurry,” Sugar said, turning off her phone and going back inside.
The tiny blonde had taken over Sugar’s chair in her absence, planting herself right next to Jake, who didn’t look all that happy, but neither did he look upset.
More like a deer caught in headlights on a county road. “Hi,” Sugar said, going to the table.
“This is Averie Pipkin,” Jake said, his expression a bit miserable. Everyone else looked at her with careful smiles.
“Hi, Averie,” Sugar said, feeling, indeed, like a basketball player as she looked at the tiny doll dwarfed by Jake. Averie offered her a small smile, certainly not friendly by any means, and Bobby German got up and dragged over another chair for Sugar since it was clear Averie didn’t plan to relinquish her spot next to Jake unless asked.
“Oh, did I take your chair, Sugar?” Averie asked, as if Sugar’s drink wasn’t sitting in front of her, half consumed.
“Not at all,” Sugar said, her smile smooth. “There are no names on the chairs, are there?”
Averie looked pleased. Jake looked like he was being dragged to a hanging.
Now that she was seated next to Cat and Sandy, they had a thousand things they wanted to talk to her about, which kept her from looking over too often at him and Averie.
“Don’t worry about her,” Cat said, her voice quiet. “Averie can’t get it through her head that Jake moved on a long time ago.”
Sandy nodded. “I love Averie,” she said in a soft voice, “but she can be clueless.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter to me,” Sugar said, surprised but delighted to be included in “girl” talk. Girl talk wasn’t something there’d been a whole lot of opportunity for in the military. “Jake is my landlord. That’s all.”
Cat smiled. “Jake doesn’t spend time with a girl unless he likes her.”
“Well,” Sandy said, “he’s nice to all the girls, don’t get us wrong. What Cat means is that he’s not interested in Averie. He wouldn’t have brought you here if you weren’t special to him in some way.”
Sugar smiled. “It’s fine. Really.”
They turned to their beers, and the guys ordered some chips and other favorites. Sugar tried not to look at Jake, though she found her glance floating over to him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He smiled at her and Averie glared, and then Kel said, “So, how’s Lucy?”
Sugar blinked at the big, muscular man smiling at her. “She’s fine, Kel. Thanks for asking.”
He smiled at her. “Your mother is nice.”
She was about to say thank you when Fanny’s door opened. Lucy ushered Maggie in, and Kel jumped up like a firecracker exploded in his jeans.
“Hey!” Kel exclaimed, pulling up a couple more wooden chairs.
Lucy had done a good job making Maggie “beautiful”. Her mother wore an emerald-green umbrella skirt and a white blouse that showed off the Florida tan that was baked into her skin. She even had on a little makeup and a chunky gold necklace and big, flashy gold hoop earrings. Lucy and Maggie made their way over, and Kel took it upon himself to make the introductions all around.
“Sit here, Mom,” Sugar said, guiding her to the chair nearest Lassiter.
“Oh.” Maggie smiled
at Lassiter. “I guess this is the old-folks corner.”
Lassiter laughed. “Then it wouldn’t be where you’d belong,” he said gallantly, and Sugar was so charmed and pleased with her matchmaking that she beamed at Jake.
He didn’t smile back. His gaze was on Lucy, who looked like Lucy always did, nothing flashy but definitely on the edge. But then Kel leaned close to Lucy, and Lucy stared at him, like what-the-hell-are-you-doing, and Sugar looked back at Jake.
Averie massaged Jake’s arm, catching his attention. Everyone chattered, ordering drinks for the newcomers Maggie and Lucy, and then they put in orders for food and Sugar realized she somehow was odd-woman-out.
Which was nothing she hadn’t been before—except that tonight was supposed to be amends-among-friends night for her and Jake.
It shouldn’t matter—but for some reason, it did.
Jake was stuck, hoist on the horns of good manners. Averie clung to his arm, claiming him. Sugar barely glanced his way, letting him and everyone else know it didn’t matter that they were no longer sitting together, which was well played on her part, and probably true as far as she was concerned.
He wanted her next to him. But if he insisted that Averie move and Sugar retake her seat, it would look odd as hell, since everyone had switched seats a few times, depending upon whom they wanted to be able to hear best at the moment. It was an easy, friendly night, just the way it should be, except this was supposed to be undeclared-first-date night, taking it easy and working his way in slowly. That was the plan.
It was dumb. Sugar didn’t want to date him.
Forcing the seating chart would practically proclaim his interest in Sugar. Averie would not take this strategy lying down, and he was in no mood for a meltdown. Across the long table, Kel practically slobbered on Lucy, who seemed bemused by all the attention. Lucy knew Kel was married but didn’t know Debbie had filed, so she probably thought Kel was a harmless doofus flirting while the wife was at home.
Lucy had no idea the danger she was in. He’d never seen Kel act like this. Jake was a bit annoyed with Sugar for calling Lucy when he’d tried to clue her in that it was a bad idea. Lucy was young and while not necessarily tender, she had to be lonely in a one-horse town. Kel might have some appeal to a woman like Lucy.
It was a terrifying thought.
“Jesus,” Jake said to no one, and Averie said, “I thought you were going to come by last night.”
“You told someone you wanted me to come by. I run my own social calendar, Averie.”
“Don’t make it sound like I was being bossy,” Averie said, hurt clear in her blue eyes. “I made dinner for you.”
Dinner and sex, the route to his heart she’d always parlayed. Very successful combo too.
He looked at Sugar, thinking about saucy nuts and sassy nights and complicated family members, a tangle of emotions that had him fascinated for reasons he couldn’t explain to himself.
“Sorry, Averie,” he said, his gaze on Sugar, “but we’ve been over for months now. It never occurred to me you’d make me dinner.” He spoke low so no one could hear, because he genuinely didn’t want to embarrass her.
Yet he knew Sugar had to feel like she had been cut adrift, though she bravely sat and chatted to the other women. At the opposite end, Maggie seemed entranced by Lassiter, who appeared knocked to his knees by the vivacious redhead. Lucy did a good job of keeping Kel in his cage.
And then, the unthinkable happened.
Big, dark-haired, woman-loving Bobby German scooted his chair close to Sugar’s. Jake blinked, recognizing Bobby’s ploy for what it was: he had Sugar in his sights.
Bobby was single. Bobby was charismatic. Bobby’d had his back on more than one occasion in the war zone; he could count on Bobby to make sure he didn’t end up blown to bits. Bobby German was a helluva warrior, he was a good friend, he was a decent man.
Sugar seemed happy to have Bobby paying attention to her, and Jake couldn’t blame her. She was new to town; he’d left her alone among strangers. He’d turned her down for the billboard, which could boost her fledgling business. Tonight was about making up for his get-your-clothes-off crack, and now he was sitting with another woman draped over him.
There wasn’t a damn thing he could do to change the hand he’d been dealt. Maybe he was as hopeless as Kel, begging to have his heart run over. Averie put her hand on his arm again, and Jake tried to collect his wits.
Sugar made his wits fly like balls on a pool table, busted apart by a hard-hit, existential pool cue.
The night was not destined to turn out well.
Chapter Nine
It was midnight before Sugar got home. She’d ridden home with Lucy in the blue Oldsmobile because Jake and Averie had removed themselves from the gathering early. Averie had gotten a bit toasted, and Jake seemed to feel obliged to do the gentlemanly thing and remove her from the premises. At least that was what he’d told Sugar. Sugar had stayed, mainly because she was having a great time, and because Maggie seemed to be enjoying the company of good-looking Lassiter.
“I didn’t feel right leaving Maggie there, even if Lassiter said he was taking her line dancing,” Lucy said.
“Don’t you think Mom can make her own decisions? If she’d felt uncomfortable, she would have come home with us.” The evening would have been kind of unsettling except that seeing Maggie chat like a teen had lifted Sugar’s spirits and kept her from wanting to bean Averie with a dinner roll.
“Mom’s vulnerable,” Lucy said.
“I don’t see the downside of a gorgeous, well-respected man paying attention to her.” Sugar went up the stairs to her room, craving her bed and deep, dreamless sleep.
She did not want Jake haunting her dreams.
“What if Lassiter seduces her?” Lucy asked.
“God bless him if he does,” Sugar replied, and her sister gasped. “When did you turn into the family mother figure?”
“Sugar,” Lucy said, following her, “this town is not what it seems.”
“I don’t care what it is. I don’t care if ghosts come screaming up out of the graves at night, and witches dance on the roofs at moonspell. If Mom finds someone better than the shithead that was our stepfather, do we really think that’s a bad thing, Lucy?”
Lucy stared at her, her eyes huge, as Sugar got on her bed. Lucy flung herself on top of the comforter of the circular bed, patting the rich velvet. “I just don’t think you understand the deep currents here.”
“Maggie can take care of herself. She raised two daughters who went into the military. She’s had plenty to deal with in her life.” Sugar swallowed, thinking about Shithead, who’d left in the middle of the night, courtesy of Sugar and a wooden baseball bat. She felt guilt for that—actually, a hell of a lot of guilt. Maybe Maggie had loved Shithead.
Sugar had run him off. He’d known better than to cross her, his options being few: jail, death by Slugger, or a hasty, permanent exit from the family home. My name is the only sweet thing about me, Sugar thought. “Don’t worry about deep currents. We can swim.”
“I know.” Lucy didn’t look convinced. “So, was it my imagination, or was Kel Underwood hitting on me tonight?”
“He’s married with kids. Probably just a friendly thing.” Sugar yawned. “Tell him you’ll have coffee with his wife if he gets any ideas, and don’t worry about it. Men tend to be sensitive about their wives having coffee with women they hit on.” She stared at her sister. “You don’t like him, do you?”
“God, no.” Lucy sighed. “I don’t think I’ve ever really loved a man, Sugar.”
Pecan Creek’s deep currents weren’t anything compared to theirs. “You will one day.”
“Why’d you surrender Jake to Miss Perfect with the size-five feet and the double-D bazooms?” Lucy flipped over on her back, gazing up at the circle of ceiling visible from the round harbor of the velvet hangings.
“I didn’t surrender him,” Sugar said. “There’s nothing between Jake and me, and it’s get
ting old telling everyone that.”
“I think he took her home.”
An arrow shot into Sugar’s heart. “I don’t care, Lucy.”
“I think you do. A little.” Her sister turned over to look at her. “If it wasn’t for Ramon, you would. You’ve got your heart locked up tighter than a virgin’s legs because of Ramon. But I don’t think Jake’s a cheater. He might be easily led, though, so hard-to-get might not be the best card to play when you’ve got Averie-the-Barbie-doll trying to drag him into her dollhouse. I thought she was going to massage him under the table.”
“I do not care,” Sugar repeated, closing her eyes. “I have too much on my mind to care what Jake Bentley does in his spare time. Or under tables.”
“It’s weird,” Lucy said. “I’m just so sure he digs you. He looked like he was going to explode when Bobby German started sucking up to you. Was Bobby hitting on you?”
“No.” Sugar sighed. “Can we talk about anything but Jake?”
“Well,” Lucy said, “I’ve got two hundred bucks to put in the kitty.”
Sugar’s eyes flew open. “Where’d you get two hundred dollars?”
“I’m doing some work for Charlotte Dawson. Easy breezy gopher stuff.”
“I thought you said she was Miss Osborne the Mop on senility drugs.”
“Yeah,” Lucy said, “I might have misunderstood her clarity on certain things. She’s pretty cool, actually.”
Sugar stared at her sister, who reclined on her bed like the old days, when they’d spent hours lying on their beds telling secrets. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Sugar, this isn’t basic training, you know? Helping Charlotte is not the same as running a course or flying a helicopter. Besides, I’ve got to make a living. No one ever said you had to be the only breadwinner in the house. If we get hotterthanhellnuts.com off the ground, I’ll tell Charlotte I can’t help her anymore. But she pays in cash, so…” Lucy shrugged. “It’s hard to pass up.”
“It will certainly help. Thanks, Lucy.” Sugar felt relief that her sister had figured out an easy way to benefit the family resources. She didn’t want her mother or her sister to know how dire their circumstances might be by Christmas.