Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) (10 page)

Maggie sniffled. “It’s your dream, Sugar. I want to support you and your new business, not be the reason it never gets off the ground.”

Sugar thought about the bills she owed and the money she had left, and felt a bit closer to panic.

“Maybe you ought to be nicer to Jake, instead of pushing him into the creek just because he makes a pass at you in broad daylight,” Lucy suggested.

Sugar got up, went to clean the pan and utensils in the sink. “Every time I start thinking Jake’s a pretty nice guy, he reminds me that he’s a fink.”

“The fink with the roof over our heads,” Lucy said.

“That same fink over-advertised this place and took advantage of three women.” Sugar scrubbed at the pan with some passion. “Don’t worry. Jake can take it. He’s got backup.”

Lucy came to dry the pot and utensils Sugar placed on the clean cup towel to drip dry. “I wouldn’t expect a man like him to lack for female backup.”

Sugar shrugged. “I don’t trust him. Not entirely. Which reminds me, Maggie, Jake the Snake says you’re on for Christmas mayor.”

“He’s not a snake,” Maggie said. “He just has a strong-willed mother. It’s made him a bit ham-handed with females.”

Sugar thought about Jake daring her to play strip pool with him. “I’ll say.”

Lucy sidled up to her sister. “How does he kiss?”

“I don’t intend to find out.” The peck she didn’t confess—it would only encourage Lucy with the whole Jake-might-be-our-lifesaver routine. They didn’t need a lifesaver; they needed a working business model. “So, are you going to put yourself in Vivian’s line of fire, Maggie?”

“Oh, she doesn’t bother me.” Maggie let Paris in, toweling her at the door’s edge. “Vivian is just trying to hold on to the past, for whatever reason she needs to.”

Because her husband was back there, her marriage was back there. “I refuse to feel an ounce of sympathy for Vivian.”

“I have to go with Sugar on that one,” Lucy said. “Old Viv’s my idea of Mommy Dearest.”

Sugar laughed. “That may be a bit mean.”

Lucy bumped her with a hip. Sugar righted herself and looked at her sister.

“I bet if you made a habit of kissing Jake,” Lucy said, “you’d bring out Vivian’s Mommy Dearest, big-time.”

“That makes my blood run cold, Lucy,” Maggie said. “Vivian can’t be that bad.”

“Wanna bet?” Lucy went off with Paris, the two of them bounding up the stairs.

“Don’t pay attention to her,” Maggie said. “If you like Jake, go for it. He’s a grown man. Vivian can’t do a thing about it.”

Sugar didn’t care about Vivian. She didn’t like Jake.

At least, she didn’t want to. She was ankle-deep in issues at the moment, and the last thing she needed was Jake Bentley seducing her.

She had a feeling it would be fabulous, and irresistible, and something that wouldn’t be easy to turn away from once that particular bridge was crossed.

This was his reality.

Perhaps the basement of Bait and Burgers wasn’t the reality every man would want, but it was his, and it was what he’d dreamed of in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Have you made out with her yet?” Kel asked as Jake rummaged through the stock closet.

“I assume you’re inquiring about Sugar. If so, the answer is no. Emphatically no, edged with a this-conversation-is-closed.” Jake slammed the door, not feeling like dissecting his situation with Sugar with his buddies.

“I’m pretty sure she’s the kind of girl who’ll expect you to make out with her a few times before you do her,” Evert offered. “Probably even take her to the city for a few dates. Pay for play, is what I call it.”

Bobby German kept rolling napkins around utensils without looking up. “I like the Cassavechias. I think they add something to the town, so I hope they stay.”

It was only the beginning of September, the start of a new school year in PC, and already they were worrying whether the new people would want to stay. Jake privately admitted to some anxiety himself—and it wasn’t about the rent they were paying him for the family home. “I’ve asked Maggie to be the Christmas parade mayor. I think they’re committed to at least then.”

“Were you even going to make a cursory denial that you have the hots for Sugar?” Kel asked. “I didn’t hear one. Did anybody else?”

His buddies stared at him. “Look. Just because you guys have weather vanes in your pants that point in any direction when a pretty girl walks by, does not mean I suffer the same issue.”

“Wow,” Bobby said, “she turned you down.”

Jake sighed. “Keep rolling, Bobby. It may occupy your mind.”

Kel sat next to Bobby and took some of the utensils to roll, though he wasn’t as proficient at it. “We noticed you brought Sugar down here.”

Jake tried to remember how many boxes of ketchup and mustard he’d counted in the storage cabinet. Once upon a time, he could do inventory without writing anything down. It was like the pool table; every food item had its proper pocket. Now he thought about Sugar so many times a day he was beginning to need a notebook.

Not good. “Yeah, I gave her a tour.”

“Thing is,” Bobby said, “we feel this is our place. We keep it secret, private, for obvious reasons. Having a dame down here who we really don’t know can or will keep our secret is a bit of a problem. This is the only place any of us have where our wives and girlfriends leave us alone, mainly because they don’t know about it. We’d like to keep it that way.”

“Oh,” Jake said, ignoring the fact that he owned Bait and Burgers, lock, stock and barrel, in the realization he’d broken a man law with which his friends weren’t comfortable. “Point well taken. Won’t happen again.”

“It will happen again,” Evert said, “because you dig her. You loved showing this place off. We just want a commitment that you don’t bring her down here during our time. We’re not ready for a swing shack, dude.”

“Swing shack?” Jake looked around at his buddies. “Could you clarify?”

“It’ll feel like we’re cheating,” Evert said. “We tell our significant others that we’re never with other women. It’s true, ’cause we’re not. We’re down here, doing nothing, sure, but nothing’s not bad if it doesn’t involve a female. If Sugar is a regular visitor, then there’s no reason other ladies can’t come down, and then our one haven becomes a hangout. We don’t want our ladies here, so if other women are here, technically we’d be cheating.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Jake examined the complaint from every angle, impressed by his friends’ consideration of the issue. “And I swear she’ll keep our secret. One thing about the Cassavechias, they’re not much for gossip.”

The men nodded.

“Thanks for understanding,” Kel said. “It’s a small thing, but really important, you know?”

“It is important,” Jake said, but Kel raised a hand to stall him.

“Debbie and I are getting a divorce,” he said, “and I don’t want her to have any reason to hit me with anything that would alienate me with the courts.”

“What?” Jake exclaimed. “Kel! For the love of God!” He stared at his friend, shocked, realizing he was serious. “Debbie was all you talked about when we were over on the other side of the world, convinced we were never going to get back. Debbie and those ugly kids of yours. Pull your head out, man, you love your wife. And if this is about Lucy,” Jake said, shaking his head, “you are barking up a dead tree, my friend. Cassavechias are nothing to mess with, and as much as I hate to dent your ego, Lucy does not know you’re alive.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kel said miserably. “Debbie knows.”

Evert slapped a commiserating paw against Kel’s back. Bobby German shook his lunkhead and looked like his own heart was breaking.

“My God.” Jake sank onto a barstool, absolutely mystified. “Kel, think, man! Think about those kids of yours. I know I call them ugly, but that’s just because I’m jealous as hell. You’re the only one with little tax deductions. Their lives will change without you around. They already spent way too many years without you while we were serving. Do not throw your marriage away over a fast—I mean, over Lucy.”

Kel got up and found himself a contraband beer. “Debbie knew, man. She knew when we made love that I’d gotten the hots for another lady. She put up with it for a while, but when certain things in our sex life changed, she filed. There’s nothing I can do.”

Jake cleared his throat, glancing at Evert and Bobby for assistance. “Change it back, whatever it was.”

“I can’t.” Kel’s face was a study in complete confusion. “Certain things just aren’t working anymore, when we get together. Debbie said I used to be like a jack-in-the-box. Now she says I’m more like one of those water-wiggle things that only flop around when the water spigot’s on full blast.”

“Crap,” Jake said. “Go see a doctor. Get some of those blue pills. Get a girlie magazine. Take Debbie to a dirty drive-in, or better yet, send the kids off and rent some porn. Figure out a way to save your marriage.”

Kel shook his head. “I think I need to find out what’s on the dark side, man.”

Jake closed his eyes for a minute, seeing Sugar lying on the pier, those beautiful breasts kind of relaxed and loose under the tight tank top. Could he blame Kel for losing his mind over Lucy?

He was no better than Kel.

I’m just single, which is what he understands. He doesn’t want to “cheat” on his wife by having females down here, but I’d take Sugar on the pool table if I could.

“Which reminds me,” Bobby German said, “Averie came by the restaurant to see you. Said she had something she wanted to give you.”

Jake looked up from pondering a nonexistent bump in the pool table felt. “Give me what?”

“I don’t know,” Bobby said, “but I think it was either sex or a piece of her mind. She’s heard that you’ve got a thing for the new muff in town.”

“I do not,” Jake said, “have a thing for what you just said.” He got up and went to get a beer from the same stash Kel had hit. “What did you tell her?”

“That you’d be by tonight at eight o’clock to pick up whatever she wants to give you.” Evert shrugged. “Far be it from me to judge.”

Jake stared. “Who are you, my social secretary?”

“Kind of,” Evert said. “She said it was important. She also said she’s thinking about going out with Kennedy Carson, because she’s getting tired of waiting on you to pull your head out of your butt. I’m not supposed to tell you that,” Evert continued with some pride, “so please don’t mention it. I kind of like being the guy the ladies tell their troubles to, but trust is imperative.”

“You don’t say.” Jake stood. “I don’t want sex with Averie, and I don’t want a piece of her mind.”

“Those Cassavechias really know how to take a man apart, don’t they?” Kel sighed dramatically.

“Just buy Debbie some sexy lingerie and fix your marriage, Kel,” Jake said, heading up the secret stairs to get away from all the angst in the pit.

He was in as bad a spot as Kel.

Vivian looked at Jake when he appeared in the kitchen of her small, two-bedroom home located at the opposite end of Azalea Street, not too far from Charlotte Dawson’s house. “If you’re here to twist my arm further about the Cassavechia woman, I’m late for a meeting with the committee.”

“You can tell them,” Jake said, “that Maggie Cassavechia has graciously accepted the position of mayor.”

“I think you know that woman is not what I had in mind when I envisioned presenting Pecan Creek to the visiting public in a positive, welcoming light.” His mother looked at him, her gaze bitter. “We will hardly end up on the pages of
Southern Living
as a small town worthy of interest with her smoking cigarettes and advising the public of the fun of lying out topless in one’s backyard.” Vivian sniffed. “Yes, I heard about that. Your meathead friends can’t keep a secret to save their lives.”

Jake leaned against the kitchen counter. “Mom, look. Maggie is not the devil you paint her as. She’s a nice, friendly lady. Visitors will love her.”

“They may find her quaint, but they won’t be convinced to bring their money to Pecan Creek.”

“And it all comes down to commerce.” Jake sighed.

“Yes, it does,” Vivian snapped. “How do you think I pay for this place, Jake? And where do you think the revenues come from to keep Pecan Creek up to date and well repaired? You may not be aware of this, but it does cost quite a bit of money to keep Pecan Creek with the town services we all enjoy. Perhaps you’d prefer to raise taxes on a town that hasn’t had a decent employment rate in the last five years?”

“So we make our money on body potions and body candy.” Jake shrugged. “It won’t be the end of PC commerce if Maggie serves as our mayor.”

“The super-tanned, rumpled persona of Pecan Creek. Let’s see, would you respond better to a woman who looks like she’s been down a few hard miles of road, or a confident man who’s a war hero?”

“Easy on the war-hero stuff, Mom,” Jake warned. “Maggie will be fine.”

“Maggie, as you call her, wouldn’t be put forth as the face of Pecan Creek if you didn’t have significant hots for her daughter. A mistake you will rue, I feel certain, when Averie marries someone else. And I hate it when you call Pecan Creek PC. I really do. I’m well aware you’re making fun of the quiet businesses the ladies run by disparaging us as not being exactly politically correct.”