Taco Truck Takedown: An Enemies to Lovers Sweet Small Town Romantic Comedy (Schooled on Love: Clean Southern Romantic Comedy Book 1) Read online

  Taco Truck Takedown

  Clean, Small Town Romantic Comedy

  Kaci Lane

  For the love of tacos

  Copyright © 2021 by Kaci Lane Hindman

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Want to Know More?

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Leave a Review

  What to Read Next

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Kaci Lane

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  Chapter One

  Hadi hit send on her email draft, then scanned the checklist by her keyboard. The only task left was turning in her office keys.

  She’d learned so much these past few years as assistant principal. Arguably as much, if not more, than the students. With any luck, all that she’d learned would solidify her worth in Lake Level.

  When the school year started, Hadi couldn’t have imagined the longtime principal of her alma mater would retire at Christmas. Or that she would replace him. Sometimes, she still couldn’t believe it.

  Maybe reality would settle in when the moving truck arrived tomorrow morning.

  Hadi shut down her computer for the last time and squinted her clear blue eyes, surveying the space where she’d spent most of her late twenties and early thirties. Dark gray, block walls and a large, barren bookshelf stared back, not looking all that different from before she’d emptied them of her belongings. Hadi stood and grabbed the box holding her diplomas, desk plaque, and a handful of books. Funny how little office decor she’d accumulated over five years’ time.

  Armed with her personal effects, Hadi shut the door behind her and crossed the main office area to the secretary’s desk. Everyone had gone home, so she set the keys on the huge paper calendar that spread across the desktop.

  “Hey, I thought you’d be gone by now.”

  Hadi raised her head to see Angie leaning against the doorway. “On my way out.”

  “It won’t be the same without you here.”

  Hadi curved her lips as she made her way toward her friend. Angie stood out among all the teachers at this school, and in a good way.

  “You’re coming tonight, right?” Hadi asked.

  Angie nodded. “Of course, I’d never pass up your going away dinner, or Taco Town.”

  Hadi laughed. “You will do well in life, Angie.”

  Angie giggled and pulled her long hair to one side.

  “You know I mean it.”

  Angie smiled at Hadi, her cheeks blushing.

  “Have you thought more about grad school? You could do this job, you know.”

  Angie shrugged, her gaze lowering.

  The one thing Hadi didn’t admire about the young math teacher was her lack of confidence. In the few years since Angie had joined their staff, Hadi had tried to encourage her, noting her potential.

  “I’d love to do something like that, but I can’t afford to go back to school.”

  Hadi patted Angie’s shoulder. “If you decide to apply, I’ll do all I can in the way of writing recommendations and searching for scholarship opportunities.”

  Angie’s face brightened as she looked at Hadi. “You mean it?”

  Hadi frowned. “Now, when have you known me to ever say something I didn’t mean?”

  “True.” Angie laughed, and Hadi joined her.

  Hadi possessed a lot of good qualities, but subtlety wasn’t one of them. Her bluntness came as both a blessing and a curse in her career, but at least everyone knew she’d stay true to her word.

  The two women greeted the night janitor as they exited the building and headed for their cars. Hadi climbed into her Grand Cherokee and blasted the seat warmers. She checked her appearance in the makeup mirror while waiting for Angie to crank her car. The old Honda had given Angie a bit of trouble lately, and the cold spell that was certainly coming wouldn’t help. To Hadi’s surprise, Angie’s car cranked fine.

  Hadi let out a breath of relief. That happiness ended when she caught a glimpse of a few gray strands accenting her black hair. Hadi gritted her teeth and jerked them out before closing the visor.

  A promotion, plus moving home, would likely add to her natural highlights.

  On the way downtown, Hadi made a mental checklist of what she still needed to accomplish for the move. Her garden home had sold rather quickly, so she had decided to rent for the first six months in Lake Level. Several new neighborhoods had popped up since she’d lived there. And her childhood best friend happened to live down the street from her new home.

  Hadi sighed. She didn’t dread change. In fact, she welcomed it. But something about going back after all these years made her uneasy. Sure, she’d visited a lot, with her parents and brother still there.

  Yet, living in the same town as her family cast a shadow on anything she tried to accomplish.

  An instant calm rushed over Hadi as she parked her Jeep in front of the bright red-and-green taco sign. No matter her anxiety level, tacos always helped.

  Angie parked nearby and met her at the door. They entered under the infamous archway of oversized sombreros and scanned the room for their friends. From out of nowhere, Raven’s petite, blonde head popped up. She jumped and waved like a groupie at a rock concert.

  “And there they are.” Angie shook her head at Raven. The two were best friends, but as different as gluten-free and anything on the menu at Taco Town.

  “You sit there, since you’re the guest of honor.” Kara pointed to the seat at the end.

  Hadi smiled, noting that Samantha sat in one chair beside the end, and the other remained vacant. That meant she would sit between Samantha and Angie.

  Not that she would’ve minded sitting by any of these women. She did include them all in this going away dinner. However, Kara hadn’t worked with them long. And Raven was, well, Raven.

  “Are you excited?” Samantha didn’t even wait for Hadi to take her seat before asking.

  “Yeah, and a bit nervous.” Hadi straightened her coat on the back of her seat and forced herself not to think about everything she needed to do tonight.

  Focus. Relax. She blinked, as if hoping it would erase her mind and bring her back to the present.

  “It will work out fine. You’re ready for this. I know you’ll do great.” Samantha’s face expressed a genuine confidence.

  Hadi returned her smile. Her shoulders loosened as she sat back and started scanning the menu. Great friends and delicious tacos made the best nerve-calming remedy she could imagine.

  Christopher pulled his taco truck to the edge of the small shopping center facing the high school. Every Tuesday from eleven until seven, the Lake Level community knew they could count on Tacos To-Go. Between people making a midday run to the stores and hungry teachers needing
a break from their cafeteria cuisine, the first hour was one of his busiest.

  Like clockwork, people began lining up as soon as he opened the window and displayed his menu.

  Several repeat customers visited first. Christopher asked them to try his new brisket taco. They unanimously agreed he should add it to the regular rotation.

  Christopher lifted his chest with pride at having yet another new recipe approved by his biggest fans. His grandpa prided himself on serving the same authentic dishes for forty years. But those who wanted a twist on the traditional Cruz Tacos dishes knew they could count on Christopher’s taco truck.

  Amid the steady hum of the food truck and a few cars passing, Christopher could hear the distant ring of Lakeside High’s bell. Sure enough, a few minutes later, several teachers emerged from the side door and started across the road.

  “Hello, ladies. What’ll it be today?” Christopher greeted the women, some of whom he’d known his entire life.

  Most of them ordered the same food every week, but one asked if he had anything new. Christopher mentioned his new brisket taco, and she ordered two. That made the first official sale of his newest recipe.

  Christopher hummed to himself as he boxed up the brisket meal. Knowing he nailed a new food creation gave him a rush similar to hitting a home run.

  He worked nonstop for an hour-and-a-half, as customers came from all directions. A little before one p.m., he got a chance to catch his breath. Christopher wiped his forearm across his brow, then took off his gloves and ran a hand through his short, dark hair.

  He grabbed a Coke from the refrigerator and chugged two big gulps before he noticed Ms. Abigale crossing the road. She’d worked as Lakeside High’s secretary as long as he could remember. She visited the food truck on occasion, but never this late in the day. Christopher smiled to himself, wondering if the news of his brisket taco had traveled through the school rumor mill already.

  If Abigale heard about the taco, the whole town would know about it by dark. And if she liked it, he couldn’t ask for easier advertisement.

  Christopher washed his hands and reapplied gloves before pulling some fresh meat and making more brisket tacos in anticipation of Abigale’s order.

  “Ms. Abigale. Late lunch, today? What can I get you?”

  Abigale shook her head, causing her dangling red earrings to twirl beneath her short curls. “Nothing for me today, sugar. I’m on Weight Watchers again.”

  “Ah.” Christopher cocked a slight smile. “I can leave off the shell and make it low carb.”

  “Thanks, but I’m actually here on account of the new principal.”

  Christopher leaned his elbows on the counter, now more interested in the principal than making another sale. “Yeah, I heard Dr. Newsome retired at Christmas.”

  “Yes, well, his replacement wants to speak with you.”

  “Now?” Christopher straightened and peeked behind Abigale to make sure a late lunch crowd hadn’t emerged.

  “Actually, an hour ago, but I said it’s best to wait until the mob dies down.”

  Christopher nodded. He plated the brisket tacos he’d assumed Abigale would order and added some beans and rice beside them to complete the meal. Then, he grabbed a cup of his homemade salsa and another with his homemade guacamole before shutting the window and coming out to meet Abigale.

  “What’s that?” She pointed a long, pink fingernail toward the take-out bag.

  “Brisket tacos. My newest recipe.”

  Abigale nodded. “I’ll have to try that when I don’t have a weigh-in coming up.”

  Christopher laughed. What was it with women and their weight? Abigale barely came to his chest and wasn’t wide as a blender.

  “Don’t laugh. Wait until you get where everything goes down except your age—and weight.”

  He laughed harder. “Last chance.” He held up the bag as Abigale led them inside the building.

  “Don’t tempt me, Christopher.”

  “Okay, sorry. I’ll keep it as a welcome gift for the new principal.”

  Abigale’s face turned sour as she shook her head. “You’re gonna need it.”

  Christopher stood stunned, wondering what she meant by that. He’d assumed the principal wanting to talk with him was a good thing. Maybe he wanted to taste what all the fuss was about. Or, maybe he was a huge Braves fan and wanted an autograph. That still happened plenty, even though Christopher hadn’t played in a year.

  Abigale continued into the office, her head forward. She wasn’t kidding about him needing a peace offering, or else she would’ve cackled her smoker’s laugh by now.

  Christopher blinked at the realization that he could still get called into the principal’s office more than a decade after he’d graduated. Catching up to Abigale, he stopped close enough to get a whiff of her over-the-top perfume as she knocked on the door he’d entered more times than he’d care to admit.

  Of course, he got away with much more during baseball season, as the team couldn’t afford to have him suspended on game days. Not that Christopher was a bad student. A prankster would be a more accurate assessment of his high school days.

  “Come in,” a voice called from the other side of the principal’s office. It sounded light, almost feminine.

  Whoever waited on the other side of the door probably didn’t follow MLB. But maybe they liked tacos. Who didn’t like tacos?

  Christopher gripped the bag tighter, taking in a breath as Abigale opened the door.

  His jaw dropped when the view above Abigale’s puffy hair revealed a face he hadn’t seen in years. A beautiful face, nonetheless. Or, it could be, if she would smile for once instead of sending off ice-queen vibes.

  “Hadi?”

  “Well, Christopher Cruz. Why am I not surprised?”

  Christopher stiffened. Unlike Hadi, he was very surprised. Not knowing what else to say, he stepped from behind Abigale and raised the bag.

  “You like brisket?”

  Chapter Two

  Hadi let out a breath, her nostrils flaring. She tried to keep her cool out of respect for her first day on the job, not for Christopher’s sake. He needed to catch her fury.

  “Abigale, can you leave us to talk?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Abigale took a step back and mouthed “good luck” toward Christopher.

  Hadi cleared her throat, hoping her secretary got the hint to stay out of this. Abigale frowned and walked away.

  One down, one more to go.

  Hadi stiffened her back, trying to appear as intimidating as possible. Christopher never took anything too seriously, so she needed to let him know she meant business. Back in high school, everyone worshipped the handsome baseball king. But it was her school now.

  Christopher stepped into her office and started toward her desk.

  “Shut the door, please.”

  He reached back and closed the door before coming closer. “You want to be alone with me after all this time, huh?” He started to take a seat.

  “Not funny.” Hadi glared at him. “And don’t bother sitting, this will only take a moment.”

  Christopher froze mid-sit and slowly straightened his legs.

  He hadn’t aged much at all. If anything, he was in even better shape in his thirties than at eighteen. How was that even possible? Hadi bit the inside of her cheek to bring her back to reality. His charm might work on Abigale and all the teachers, as well as the rest of Lake Level, but it couldn’t fool her.

  “You’ve got to move the food truck.”

  “Oh, it doesn’t stay there. I’ll be gone at seven.”

  “No, Christopher, you’ve got to move it now.”

  Hadi waited as Christopher glanced around, not saying a word. He grabbed the small, gold cross necklace hanging at the neckline of his plain, white T-shirt. Plain, except for a few grease stains. She tried to ignore the way his biceps flexed as he fumbled with the pendent.

  “Christopher, I’m serious. This is my first day as head principal, and I can’
t have all my staff running across the road and all the seniors hyped up about getting queso on their way to co-ops.”

  Christopher leaned forward on her desk and met her gaze. Hadi stared into his sad, hazel eyes until she could see her own reflection in his irises. She swallowed hard, knowing if she turned her eyes anywhere else, she’d either put his biceps in full view or give him the satisfaction of winning a stare down.

  “I’ve parked Tacos To-Go across from Lakeside every Tuesday since May. Everyone in town knows it comes here on Tuesdays. Dr. Newsome didn’t see a problem with it, and neither has anyone else. Until you.”

  Hadi clenched her jaw. “Stay today, but know that I’m going to get to the bottom of this. You’re disrupting my school and messing with my authority. And I can’t let that go.”

  Christopher dropped his head, easing some of the tension in Hadi’s chest. Regardless of whether he’d acknowledged defeat, she didn’t have to look into his eyes any longer. She’d won the stare off.

  Christopher raised his head and pushed himself off her desk. “Okay, do what you want. But I’m staying until you find the authority to make me leave.”

  With one hand, he signaled air quotes as he mocked the word authority, and with the other, he dropped the plastic bag he’d been holding on her desk. Hadi grimaced at the bag, crossing her arms to keep herself from impulsively throwing it back at him.

  “Fair enough. Now, please leave my office.”

  Christopher strolled toward the door. Hadi watched as he paused with his hand on the knob.

  “Hadi?” He turned his head, a half-grin across his tan face.

  “What?” She did nothing to hide the irritation in her voice.