Queen Of The Dixie Drive-In by Peg Sutherland

Author:Peg Sutherland [Peg Sutherland]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459277786
Publisher: Harlequin

ALONE THE NEXT MORNING while he waited for Tag Hutchins from Hutchins’ Lawn & Garden, Tony did a test run on the projector. He’d found a place in Birmingham that still serviced old projectors, and it seemed to be running smoothly, like everything else he was doing to get the drive-in open.

Films were contracted for, concession supplies ordered, the new sound system almost in place. Publicity had been sent out and advertising placed on the entertainment pages of key newspapers throughout northwest Alabama. Today Tag was delivering the crape myrtle bushes that would line the front fence. The grand opening drew closer by the minute.

Tony wasn’t as excited as he had expected to be. This big dream of his seemed hollow, somehow, since it had not won over his mother as he had hoped. Still, he told himself he had meant what he said. Sometimes one must make his own family, seek it out. He had not yet asked himself if he’d had some other motive in saying that to Carson.

“Say, Tony! You up there, man?”

Tag Hutchins’s deep-as-a-well voice rose up from the concession area.

“Be right down.”

Tony shut off the projector and told himself to shut off any thoughts of Carson, as well. He’d kept himself focused on his goals all these years by refusing to let women distract him. Carson Delaney should be no different.

He ignored the voice inside him that laughed at his folly in thinking such a thought and walked down the narrow stairs into the concession area. Tag was stroking his thick brush mustache and studying Tony’s handiwork.

“Can’t believe what you’ve done to this old rat’s nest,” Tag said. “Mighty fine job.”

Tony acknowledged the older man’s praise and followed him out to his truck. Tony often had a hard time equating the gruff-voiced but easygoing Tag Hutchins with the grim hell-raiser that everyone in Sweetbranch insisted he used to be. Black sheep of the town, everyone called him. Until Susan came back into his life.

Tony shook his head, thinking of Carson and the way she had come back into his life.

He ached for her, no doubt about that. And in that moment when she asked him for his touch and nothing more, he dared to wonder if his caring for her went deeper than the friendship that was all he had been willing to admit to before. He felt her loneliness, and was less lonely himself because of it. He felt her courage, and was stronger himself. But the bond he had felt from the beginning was stronger and deeper than he’d ever realized, going far beyond admiration and identification.

“Gotcha eight crape myrtles here—Malorie says they’re fuchsia-colored and that’s just the ticket for the color scheme you’re working on here.” Tag lowered the gate on his pickup. “I take my stepdaughter’s word on stuff like that.”

“This will be perfect,” Tony said.

They began unloading the small trees along with the peat moss, lime and bales of pine straw Tag had brought.

“We never needed flowers and shrubs back

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.