Page 11 of Sweet Temptation

“So I’ve heard.” The familiar weight of uncertainty settled in Jackie’s chest. “I should really get back on the road soon.”

“Where you headed?”

“Houston via Midland Odessa airport.”

Vicki made a face. “That concrete jungle? You sure?”

Nodding, Jackie laughed despite herself. Right now she wasn’t sure of anything, but Houston held more options than returning to East Texas.

“Well, before you go, you should at least see Corn Hole Heaven. And our niece’s candle shop, Heaven Scents, is just a few doors down. Jillian makes the finest scented candles in the state.”

A small tussle amongst the children broke out and Vicki jumped to her feet. “Oops, I’m supposed to be teaching the kids how to improve their game, and, of course, be good sports about winning or losing. Clearly, I’m falling down on the job. I need to run, but remember to stop by the shops before you leave town.”

Jackie nodded.

“And if you’re thinking of staying, there’s a help wanted bulletin board at the café. Agnes will show you where.”

Smiling, Jackie nodded at the woman as she returned to the children, her mind turning over the crazy idea of staying a little longer. She didn’t have a job, or much money, and credit cards could only get you so far without a job or money.

Fingering the note in her purse once more, she couldn’t decide if popping into the café would be a good or bad idea. Then again, she was getting pretty good at bad ideas, what was one more?

Navigating the hallway crowded with students rushing for the exits, Garret checked his watch for the third time. Three-thirty. If he could get to his truck within five minutes, he might actually make it to the south pasture to lend Carson and Preston a hand in repairing that irrigation line before dinner.

“Mr. Sweet!” A seventh-grader skidded to a halt in front of him. “I forgot to turn in my permission slip for the museum trip.”

Garret suppressed a sigh. “Come on back to the classroom, Mikey.”

Five minutes turned into fifteen as he sorted out Mikey’s paperwork, then answered an urgent email from the principal about next week’s parent-teacher conferences. By the time he finally made it to the parking lot, he was already mentally calculating how much time they’d have left for repairs.

Sliding into his truck, he tossed his bag onto the passenger seat and started the engine. The truck rumbled to life just as his phone buzzed. A text from Carson:Irrigation line not as bad as we thought. Don’t rush.

Well, that was something at least. Garret pulled out of the school lot, turning toward Main Street. He could use a coffee for the drive home, and Agnes made the best in town.

As he cruised past the town park, something—or rather someone—caught his eye. A flash of blonde hair, a familiar profile. He slowed the truck, squinting through the passenger window.

It couldn’t be.

But it was. Jackie Drake, looking far less hungover and much more at ease in a pair of slacks and t-shirt than she had the last time he’d seen her. Near the edge of the corn hole courts, she snapped her purse shut and stood.

Before he could think better of it, feeling an urgent need to hurry before she slipped away, Garret pulled into a parking space and cut the engine. What were the odds? He’d been unable to get her out of his mind for the past two days, wondering if she’d found a solution to her predicament. More than once he’d wished that he’d gotten her phone number, but at the time, he hadn’t thought she’d be so hard to forget.

Hurriedly, he crossed the street, hands in his pockets, suddenly uncertain. She hadn’t noticed him yet, her attention focused on some distant point down the street. The sunlight caught in her hair, highlighting strands of gold among the blonde. She looked different here—less lost, more curious.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he called from the curb.

Jackie whirled around, surprise widening her eyes before a smile spread across her face. “Hi.”

Had he ever been so happy to see a woman smile? Closing the distance between them, he returned the smile. “What brings you to Honeysuckle?”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I was on my way to return the rental in Midland, but then I remembered what you said about the town and thought I should take a look for myself since it’s unlikely I’ll ever be out this way again.”

“Yeah, well,” he glanced down the street, “I hope it lived up to your expectations.”

“Far beyond. It’s everything you said it was.” She looked over her shoulder at his aunt and the children. “I got distracted watching the children playing. That nice lady came to talk to me for a few minutes. Like you said, Honeysuckle is friendlier than Millers Creek.”

“Glad Aunt Vicki made you feel welcome.”

Surprise clung to her face. “That’s your aunt?”

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