Page 145 of Broken Dreams
“Jesus, I can’t even breathe after that.”
“Last one is Charlotte’s,” I say as we walk toward her table. “I’m picking her no matter what.”
“Your funeral,” Asher says with a laugh.
Not only did Addison pretty much warn me that not picking one of those three was going to be my demise, but Rowan threatened to cut my balls off. Seriously, one day he’ll realize threatening me only makes me want to do it more.
We walk up, Charlotte has her bowls assembled, and she smiles at both of us. “Hello to the only handsome Whitlock brothers that reside in Sugarloaf.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Charlotte,” Asher says as he lifts the bowl. “Same recipe?”
She nods. “Yup. I know it’s a winner so I wouldn’t alter it.”
I smile and lift the spoon. When I take a bite, I remember why I chose her. It’s good, really good. It’s got some heat, but not to the point that your eyes tear like the others we’ve had. It’s chili that I would eat again, which I can’t say about the others.
Asher and I both take another taste and place the bowls down, like we did with the others.
“Thank you,” I say. “We’ll announce the winner soon.”
Asher and I walk over to the table and he huffs. “You know we can’t pick Charlotte, even though she’s definitely the best one and it is always fun to piss off Rowan. However, pissing off those three is at your own peril.”
“I know, Addy basically warned me of the same thing.”
In fact, she basically threatened to kill me if I did anything different than picking them when we were lying in bed last night.
Our bed.
The bed we share in the house we share.
“So, I think we pick Mrs. Cooke. It was the best of the worst.”
“All of these are rigged, aren’t they?” I ask.
“Yup.”
“And the dance-off?”
He shakes his head. “No, Phoebe wins that fair and square.”
“Sure she does.”
Asher rolls his eyes. “Okay, so we’re prepared to pick Mrs. Cooke, get in their good graces, and have the Sullivans hate Rowan more than they do already?”
I nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
We head back to the area where the town is standing around, waiting for the results. Addy is there in the front row with Elodie and Jett in the wagon with blankets bundling them up. I stare at her, wondering how in the world I found someone I can love again. She smiles up at me, her hair pulled to the side in some braid thing that’s peeking out of her hat.
She winks at me, and I grin back before Asher huffs and elbows me. “You’re announcing this.”
“Oh, right.” I clear my throat. “Welcome, everyone, to the second judging of the chili competition. Due to my allergic reaction, we didn’t have a chance to taste all the competitors and I felt it was necessary. My brother, Asher, has deemed the winner and it’s Mrs. Cooke. Congratulations.”
“You son of a bitch,” Asher says beneath his breath.
“For me, it was a tie between everyone. So to me, you’re all winners.”
I smile at everyone, clasp Asher on the back, and walk to Addison who I lift up and kiss.
“That was smooth,” she says as she wipes lipstick from my lips.
