Devil in Texas (Rugged and Risque 1)

“Thanks for the offer, though. I really could use another pair of hands.”

“How about these?” Liza asked as she lifted her palms in the air.

Jess looked taken aback. “Oh well… I—”

“I’m no Michelangelo with floral arrangements, but I can deliver and set-up whatever you need.”

Jess perked up. “Really?”

“Sure. I don’t have any plans for tomorrow, so I’d be happy to help out.”

“That’s fantastic,” George said, smacking his hands together.

Jess grinned wide, as though Liza were a life saver. “You certainly would make my day easier. And I’d insist on paying you. I’ve been considering hiring someone part-time to help out. Say,” she said as a thought seemed to occur to her. “You wouldn’t be interested in a job, would you?”

Naturally, Liza couldn’t help but wonder what Lydia would think of that, and decided she liked the prospect of sticking in her craw, as her father would say.

“As a matter of fact,” she told Jess, “I was going to pick up a paper this weekend and see what was available. You’d save me a lot of time and interview-agony if you’re interested in hiring me.”

“You can start tomorrow. I’ll let you into the shop before the first service and you can prep the centerpieces for delivery while I’m at church. If you don’t mind.”

“Whatever you need me to do,” Liza said, thrilled to be employed. And by someone she genuinely liked.

“Well, this is just great,” Jess said as she lifted her glass for yet another toast. “To us.”

“New beginnings,” Liza said, liking the way the evening had panned out.

“What’s all the celebrating about?” Jack asked as he sidled up next to her again.

“I have a job,” Liza beamed. “Jess just hired me on a part-time basis.”

“And not a day too soon,” she added.

r /> Jack grinned. “That’s great. The two of you will get along well.”

“We should commemorate the occasion tomorrow night,” George said. “How about the four of us go out to dinner after you two close shop?”

Liza faltered for a moment. First, it was a bit of a surprise that George already considered she and Jack a couple, given their minimal interaction this evening. But then she remembered that he’d said Jess had talked about her before she’d arrived and Liza deduced that she’d shared Lydia’s little nugget. That Liza had been in the truck with Jack when she’d hit them.

Her second thought was, “Won’t you have to work tomorrow night?” She posed the question to Jack.

He gave a slight shake of his head and his jaw set. A telling sign of instant tension, she’d learned. “No one serves liquor on Sundays in Wilder, darlin’. Means I close shop for the day.”

Liza didn’t have to ask who’d advocated for that law. But she started to see why the reverend’s morality sanction rubbed Jack raw. It wasn’t just about shoving his views down people’s throats or restricting them or directing them to suit his own needs and purposes. He was actually affecting the economy and people’s livelihoods. By forcing Jack to close early or not open at all, he was cutting into Jack’s profits.

Just as she was sure Lydia was doing to Ginger. A woman who had a dream. One Liza could empathize with. Liza hadn’t been unemployed since she was a teenager. Working had helped her to define who she was as a person. Having left her job really had undermined her confidence and her self-worth. But she felt as though she was back to being productive. Useful. Needed.

In fact, if she was only working part-time for Jess, perhaps she could put in a few volunteer hours with Ginger, helping her with the window displays and advertising. Not to mention her online store.

There was nothing Liza could do about the City Council’s imposed curfew, but there were other workarounds to consider…one that just might help someone. Like Ginger.

“So,” George said, “Are we on for tomorrow night? A double date?”

George appeared genuinely excited about the idea. Eyeing Jack again, Liza found that he seemed just fine with the invitation to have dinner with the Mills.

“Looks like it’s a date,” Liza said.

“I’ll call Ruby in the morning to make the reservation,” Jess told them all. “It gets busy in the evenings.”