Page 6 of Sweet Temptation (Honeysuckle, Texas #3)

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.”

“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?”

He nodded. “Yep. And one of those kids over there is my nephew Mason.”

“That explains her indoctrination in the local religion.”

“Definitely sounds like you’ve been chatting with our local corn hole evangelist.” Garret couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Her and Aunt Liz could convert anyone to corn hole.”

“She’s sweet.” Jackie smiled. “Invited me to visit their shop and the candle shop, and the café.”

“What, she left out the ice cream parlor and beauty salon?”

“There wasn’t enough time.” Jackie laughed, pointing to his aunt and the kids. “The natives were growing restless.”

He glanced at her grip on her purse strap. “Were you about to leave?”

“Oh, well, actually, I was thinking of stopping at the café first.”

“Really,” he tried not to grin like a cat with a belly full of cream, “I was just going that way for a cup of Agnes’s coffee before I head to the ranch.”

“Oh.” Her gaze darted down the street and back.

“Would you care to join me for a cup, maybe a bite to eat?”

Her hesitation almost had him backpedaling the offer before she smiled and nodded. “That would be nice.”

“So.” Walking the short distance to the café, he kept his hands in his pockets resisting an odd urge to hold her hand. “What did you think of our little town?”

“It’s charming. Very different from Houston. Or Millers Creek, for that matter.”

“Born and raised here. It grows on you. Even after leaving for college, I had to come back. Couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

” Reaching the café, he opened the door and waved her in, not at all surprised by all the heads that turned to face them.

Clearly, his aunt hadn’t had time to spread the word an available female was in town.

Agnes hurried over, two menus in hand. “Always nice to see you, Garret Sweet. Staying or take out?”

“Staying. We’ll take a table.”

“All I have are booths.” Without waiting Agnes turned on her heel and walking past a couple of open spots, led them to the last booth in the place. By tomorrow, tongues would be wagging. What he didn’t know was if that would turn out to be a good or bad thing.