Page 17 of Sweet Temptation

His mother emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. Sarah and Jess, his brothers’ wives, paused their conversation. Rachel and Jillian appeared from the hallway, their expressions shifting from surprise to barely concealed delight when they spotted Jackie.

“Well, hello there,” his mother said, crossing the room with outstretched hands. “I’m Alice Sweet.”

“Mom,” Garret injected, “this is a friend of mine from Houston. Jackie Drake.”

“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Sweet. I hope it’s not an imposition.”

“Company is always a treasure and never an imposition.” His mother beamed at her, then shot Garret a look that clearly saidyou should have called ahead. “You’ll stay for dinner, of course.”

“Actually.” Garret cleared his throat. “I was hoping Jackie could stay the night. It’s a long drive to Midland for her flight home and…”

“That road at night is no place for a woman alone. Of course she can stay.” His mom finished his thought for him before turning to Jackie. “I’m afraid I confiscated the guest room for a hobby room. You don’t mind sharing with a sewing machine, do you?”

The lighthearted comment brought a genuine smile to Jackie’s lips. Her whole face lit up. “I’m quite fond of sewing machines, as long as they don’t snore.”

His mom cackled with delight. “Atta girl”

Rachel and Jillian exchanged a look that made Garret want to groan. His sisters had the subtlety of a pair of bulldozers.

Rachel stepped forward, linking her arm through Jackie’s. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

“And I’ll help,” Jillian added, flanking Jackie’s other side.

Garret had an irresistible urge to shout ‘stop’ and pull Jackie back before his sisters mucked everything up. Then again, how much worse could it be? He was trying to strike a bargain with a near stranger for the most intimate job on the planet—that is, if it were for real.

“She seems nice,” Carson said quietly, clapping Garret on the shoulder. Then, lowering his voice, “The internet?”

He shook his head.

Carson stared down the hall his sisters had gone with the new woman in his life. “Interesting timing, an old friend showing up now.”

“She’s not that old a friend. We met recently in Millers Creek.”

“I see.” Carson studied his brother.

“She knows about our dilemma. She’s, uh, thinking about it.”

“Is that a good thing?” Carson was still studying his younger brother.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think so.”

The entire Sweet family radiated warmth, from Alice’s immediate welcome to Mason’s boyish curiosity. Even Brady, the dog, had given her his approval, and Jackie couldn’t help but feel that was somehow significant. Then why, as Rachel and Jillian led her up the stairs, was her stomach doing back flips.

“So you’re from Houston?” Rachel asked, guiding her down a hallway lined with family photos.

“Born in Tyler, but I’ve been in Houston for the last several years.” Jackie paused to look at a portrait of what must have been the whole family, including a man with Garret’s eyes who had to be their father. She guessed the Charlie his mother jokingly spoke to about their son.

“What brings you to our little corner of nowhere?” Jillian asked.

She shrugged. “Thought it was time for a change, but Millers Creek didn’t turn out to be the gem I’d hoped for.”

The sisters exchanged a sideways glance that had her wondering just how much they knew about how she and Garret met.

“Houston can be a bit much.” Jillian waved a hand in the air. “All that traffic and concrete.”

“Here we are.” Rachel pushed open a door to reveal a cozy room with pale blue walls. A sewing machine sat in one corner near the window, alongside neatly stacked fabric. The double bed looked freshly made, with a patchwork quilt in blues and creams. She wondered if it was homemade. From what she’d seen of the town, it wouldn’t surprise her if the whole thing had been hand stitched.

“Mom’s been quilting since Dad died,” Rachel explained, catching Jackie’s glance at the bedspread. “Says it helps her think.”

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