Disqualify him and give the food truck to someone else?
I gulped in a stuttering breath as I handed over the receipts. Panic strangled my ability to think clearly. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. I wanted to beg Cash to forgive me.
But I couldn’t do any of that until Chelsea handed down the final word on the receipts.
I clutched Cash’s arm for support, knowing that if my fears proved to be true, he’d know exactly why every other guy in my life had saidarrivederciandgood riddanceto me. Even when everything seemed to be going great, I was bad luck.
I rested my head against his arm, wondering if this would be the last time he ever let me touch him.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Three receipts.
Three.
That was all I handed to Chelsea for her compliance check. All she had to do was read the name of the farm at the top of each one and tell us everything was fine.
So, what was taking her so long?
Not even my ever-poised grandmother was taking the situation very well. Her lips were pursed and drawn to one side. She fidgeted with the purse slung over her shoulder and sighed audibly. “What’s the holdup? Can’t you see this young man’s eager to claim his prize?”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Cash has beeneagerever since the first day I met him.”
Grandmother’s brows rose. “You’re acquainted with Cash?”
Chelsea’s eyes flicked up to meet Grandmother’s, and the corner of her mouth curved into a smirk that raised my hackles. “You could say that again.”
No conversation where Grandmother was speaking to Cash’s ex-fiancée could lead anywhere good. “Let’s not distract the”—I gulped down the words I really wanted to say—“thenice ladyand let her do her job.”
The situation’s stakes made me testier than I should have been, but I couldn’t help it. I stood there, holding onto the arm of a man whose future was hanging by a thread, and all his ex could do was flip through the papers attached to her clipboard.
Maybe she was doing her job, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. It was a lot easier to feel indignant toward the enemy than it was to own up to my own mistake. But I knew what I’d done. I’d dropped the ball for Cash—dropped it hard. If my epic fail caused him to lose his food truck, I’d never forgive myself. So, how could I expect Cash to?
I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep my bottom lip from quivering. We wouldn’t have anything to worry about right now if I hadn’t put myself first this afternoon. I’d been doing that a lot lately, but that was the exact opposite of what people in love were supposed to do.
In love.
Was I in love with Cash? The way I still clung to his arm hinted at the way I felt about him. But the wild surge of emotion that stirred inside me at the thought of losing him told me everything I needed to know. I loved him. But the question tearing up my stomach was whether or not I’d get the chance to tell him before everything blew up in my face.
“Don’t you think it’s odd that an acquaintance of one of the contestants is responsible for making a decision like this?” Grandmother asked.
I let go of Cash and stepped over to Grandmother, trying to guide her a few steps away from the action. The last thing I wanted to do was put distance between Cash and me, but I couldn’t let Grandmother’s interrogation go on. Who knew what Chelsea might say?
“It’s not such a big deal,” I said. “She just has to look at the list and double check who’s on it.”
“Then why is she taking so long?” Grandmother was reluctant to back away, but she followed me a few paces away from the table where Cash’s delicious food was still laid out.
“Granny has a point,” Cash said. “I don’t understand what’s taking so long.”
Chelsea cocked a hip. “I’mtryingto be thorough.”
Storm clouds were forming above Cash and Chelsea—a storm Grandmother did not need to see. I cleared my throat, trying to draw her gaze away from the stare down taking place over Cash’s almost-prize-winning grilled sandwiches. “Didn’t you say you had some news for me, Grandmother?” I couldn’t believe the words that were about to come out of my mouth. “What’s up with the”—I swallowed hard—“building?” Not that I was eager to find out, but anything was safer than having Grandmother overhear a conversation about Cash’s history with Chelsea. Talking about the past could muddle the story I’d concocted about the present. And I couldn’t letthathappen!
“Yes, I have news, but it can wait. We need to make sure Cash is being treated fairly.”
Chelsea stopped flipping through her paperwork long enough to look up at Cash. Even in the middle of all the stress, I wondered if she ever missed his hazel eyes. I knew how badly I’d miss them if he ever stopped looking my way.
“Did they give you a list of sponsors when you signed up?” Chelsea asked.
