Page 10 of Sweet Temptation

“Honeysuckle. And it depends on what you do, but we’re growing. New businesses are coming to town, and so are the tourists with all the festivals.”

“Festivals?”

“The corn hole championship is the longest and busiest one, but we have more. Folks like gathering to celebrate pretty much anything.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I think so.” Finishing up, he closed his knife and fork, and set his napkin down beside his empty plate. “You planning on staying here for a while?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but at least I’ve remembered the name of my motel.”

“Hey,” he grinned at her, “that’s progress.”

To his surprise, she actually chuckled. “I guess it is.” Lifting her water glass in a mock toast, she waited for him to do the same. “To progress.”

“Progress.” Taking a sip and looking at her over the rim of his glass, all he could think was, what a shame they hadn’t met at a different place or time. Really a shame.

Chapter Five

Honeysuckle, Texas had to be the quaintest little place Jackie had ever seen. Nostalgia oozed from every storefront on Main Street—from the hardware store with its red-and-white striped awning to the beauty salon with the hand-painted sign. She’d been on the road to Midland, resigned to returning to Houston and facing Katie’s “I told you so” and the humiliating job hunt that awaited her, when thoughts of Garret’s easy smile, the warmth in his voice when he’d mentioned the festivals and the growing town, and the love in his eyes when he spoke of his family and the ranch, prompted her to pull off to the side of the road and type in Honeysuckle, Texas. The town was only an hour away from the freeway. When the exit came, curiosity drove her to follow through. Just a quick look, she told herself, delaying the inevitable return to reality.

Now, here she was wandering the length of Main Street, sipping a lemonade and working up the nerve to get in her car and drive to Midland to return the rental. From there, she’d head to her final destination, Houston. Of course, with no place to live and little money, her only option was to land on her friend’s sofa and start her life over again.

A slight breeze carried the sound of laughter from the park at the edge of town before Main Street turned into homes and tree-lined streets. Jackie followed it, finding herself on a foot path that led to an open green space with picnic tables, swings, and smack dab in the middle of a group of children playing, from where she stood, what looked like a game of corn hole. Though she’d seen bocce courts, basketball courts, and even tennis courts in neighborhood parks, this was a first for corn hole.

Then she remembered, Garret had told her that Honeysuckle was the corn hole capital of Texas. Now the park made sense.

“That’s a mighty fine toss, young lady!” A smiling woman clapped enthusiastically.

“Thanks, Miss Vicki!” The girl beamed, skipping back to retrieve her bags.

Jackie settled on a bench, watching the game. It looked simple enough—toss the bag into the hole. The children were surprisingly skilled, high-fiving after successful tosses. So this was corn hole. Everything here was so simple, so sweet, so Norman Rockwell. No wonder Garret spoke so fondly of his hometown.

The thought of Garret brought warmth to her cheeks. She’d spent far too much time thinking about him since their breakfast two days ago. He’d been kind when she’d needed kindness most, and hadn’t judged her lowest moment. And most importantly, he’d saved her from herself when no one else would.

Jackie’s hand drifted to her purse, fingers seeking the note she should have thrown away but hadn’t. The creases were already soft from repeated folding and unfolding. She wasn’t even sure why she’d kept it. Maybe because it represented someone doing something decent for her with no expectations.

“Do you play?”

Jackie jumped, looking up at the woman who had been cheering the children. Shading the sun from her eyes with her hand, she smiled. “Can’t say that I ever have?”

“That explains the look.”

“The look?”

“A little bit fascination mixed with moments of confusion.” The woman settled beside her on the bench. “Vicki Langley. My sister Liz and I own Corn Hole Heaven just up the street.”

“Jackie Drake. And yes, it’s my first time seeing the game played. It looks fun.”

“Fun? Honey, it’s a religion around here.” Vicki chuckled. “Stop by the shop if you’d like to learn more. We’ve got the best selection of boards, bags, and accessories in the state.”

“I might just do that.”

Vicki patted her knee. “You visiting or passing through?”

“Just passing through. I was in Millers Creek, but…” Jackie hesitated. “Things didn’t work out.”

“Ah.” Vicki nodded knowingly. “Well, Honeysuckle’s a better town anyway. Friendlier.”

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