Page 3 of Cowboys & Hot Sauce
"The problem is, she's considering selling to Bethany Sue Walker," I admitted. "She's not convinced I'm ready to take over—thinks I might get restless and take off for the city again."
Something shifted in Burke's expression—concern, maybe. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, I spotted Cody Parker and his fiancée Jennifer approaching the booth.
My stomach dropped. My ex-boyfriend wore a crisp Western shirt with pearl snap buttons despite the heat, his boots polished to a shine. Beside him, Jennifer looked perfectly put-together in a floral sundress, her diamond ring catching the sunlight as she waved.
"Scarlet! Burke!" Cody called with manufactured enthusiasm. "Great to see you both!"
The conversation that followed was painfully predictable—Jennifer's questions about mylittle adventuresdripping with condescension, Cody recalling how I'd organized an unauthorized bonfire cookout on school property the night before prom.
"Remember that?" He laughed, looking at Burke. "Principal Rios nearly had a coronary when he saw all those grill marks on the football field the next morning! Can you believe we used to think that kind of thing was a good idea? Thank goodness for growing up and getting some sense, right Jennifer?" He squeezed his fiancée's hand while giving me a look that clearly excluded me from the "grown-up" category.
I forced a smile, feeling my cheeks burn as they walked away. Six years gone, and they still saw me as that reckless teenager.
After they walked away, Burke glanced at me. "You'd think after so long, folks would find new stories to tell."
The understanding in his voice surprised me. Before I could think better of it, an idea struck—bold and impulsive in a way that would have made high-school me proud.
"Burke," I said, my heart racing, "be my boyfriend."
Papers scattered as he fumbled. "What?"
"For the weekend," I clarified quickly, heat rushing to my cheeks. "MeeMaw's ready to sell to Bethany Sue because she thinks I'm not settled enough. But if she saw me with someone like you—respected, reliable—it might convince her I'm serious about staying."
Burke stared at me, those green eyes widening. "You want us to pretend we're dating? To convince your grandmother?"
"Just through the festival," I said, suddenly aware how ridiculous it sounded. "That's all."
He gathered the fallen papers, his expression unreadable as he considered my proposal.
"Alright," he said finally.
"Really?" I couldn't hide my surprise.
"On one condition." He met my gaze directly. "No ghosting on me. If we're doing this, we need to see it through the whole weekend."
The seriousness in his voice caught me off guard. Was he remembering how I used to conveniently make myself scarce when things got difficult?
"Deal," I said, feeling oddly solemn about this crazy arrangement.
We shook on it, his calloused palm against mine. Such a simple touch shouldn't have made my pulse jump the way it did, but six years was apparently long enough to forget what it felt like to have Burke Tate's full attention.
"Then I guess I'm your boyfriend for the weekend, Scarlet Landry," he said quietly.
The way he said my name made me wonder exactly what I'd gotten myself into.
Chapter Two
Burke
I stood frozen at the information booth, watching Scarlet's retreating figure, her copper-red hair catching the afternoon sunlight as she disappeared into the crowd. The discordant symphony of the festival setup swirled around me—hammers pounding tent stakes, generators humming to life, carnival workers shouting instructions as they tested the Ferris wheel. The scent of funnel cake batter hitting hot oil mingled with the unmistakable Texas dustiness that rose from the sunbaked ground. Had I really agreed to be her fake boyfriend for the weekend? To help convince her grandmother she was settled enough to take over Smokin' Lurline's?
Sweat trickled down my back as I straightened the vendor check-in forms that had somehow gotten disorganized during our conversation. Scarlet Landry had always had that effect—sweeping in like a tornado and leaving everything slightly askew in her wake.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in."
I glanced up to see my youngest brother Rhett sauntering toward the booth, at least two hours late for his volunteer shift. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, and his easy grin suggestedhe had zero remorse for leaving me to handle the booth alone all morning.
"Hey, just saw Scarlet Landry's back in town," Rhett said, leaning against the counter. His eyes followed her direction. "I remember her coming over to the house to ask you for help with math homework back in the day. She's even prettier now—just sayin'."
