“Yeah, why?” Cash shifted his weight, and his back stiffened.
I swallowed the anxiety Chelsea’s expression stirred in me.
“There seems to be a problem with one of your suppliers,” she said.
Color rose into Cash’s neck. “What kind of problem?”
“They’re not on my list.”
Her words were like a sock in the gut. I stumbled backward in search of somewhere to sit, my knees almost giving out as I sucked in a wheezing breath. My stomach twisted, and my heart thudded against my ribs to a painfully accusing beat.
Cash crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “No way. I triple checked the list and spoke with each of the farmers personally. Willow did the pickups for me this afternoon.”
Chelsea’s eyes landed on me for a moment before focusing back on Cash. “I don’t know what else to tell you. One of these farms wasn’t a sponsor, and you know the rules. All fresh food used in tonight’s dishes must be purchased from the local sponsoring farms.”
Cash’s fingers curled around the food truck keys the other judge had given him when she declared him the winner. He rested his knuckles on the table in front of him. “Check the list again.”
“I already did.” She hugged her clipboard to her chest. “Three times. Crystal Farms isn’t there.”
“Crystal Farms? Let me see those receipts. There’s got to be some kind of mistake. Tell her, Willow.”
Tell her what? That she was right? That I’d singlehandedly pulled the rug out from under Cash and thrown away one of the biggest breaks life was ever going to toss his way?Sure, Cash, I’ll tell her. Chelsea, I traded Cash’s future for my own this afternoon. Go ahead and take those keys back.
My stomach turned, and suddenly I was glad I hadn’t had a chance to sample any of Cash’s cooking yet. Not only did I not deserve it, but I also wouldn’t have been able to keep it down.
He flipped through the receipts a few times before turning to me with confusion clouding his eyes. “Willow?”
My hand flew to my stomach, clutching my shirt as acid tried to burn a hole through my belly.
This was it. The end of everything.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
“Tell me you got the onions from 100 Acres Farm.” Cash’s voice was steady, but his eyes didn’t hold much hope. He still held the receipt the man from the roadside stand had scrawled out for me earlier that day.
I wanted so badly to tell him what he wanted to hear, but I couldn’t. Despite the crowd of people still enjoying the food from the other contestants around us, all I heard was the thick curtain of silence that fell between Cash and me. “Cash… I’m so sorry.” I almost whispered the words.
He bowed his head and closed his eyes for a moment, still clutching the keys to the food truck in his fist. He nodded then took a deep breath before opening his eyes and turning to Chelsea. He tossed the keys to her. “Tell the winner congratulations for me, will ya?”
She caught them and offered a sad smile. “I’ve always said you’re the best cook in Texas.You should’ve won.”
Dylan stepped up to the table and stood next to Chelsea. “Sorry, man.”
Before I knew what was happening, Grandmother was back at the table, ready to go toe-to-toe with Chelsea. “This is ridiculous. Cash’s food was clearly the winner. There must be something that can be done.” She opened her purse and shoved her hand inside. “How much does it cost to become a sponsor? I’ll pay the fee to get Crystal Farms on the list.”
“I’m sorry, it doesn’t work like that,” Chelsea said.
Grandmother whipped out her checkbook and flipped it open. She clicked her pen and scrawled the date on her check as if Chelsea hadn’t said a word.
I laid my hand on her arm. “Grandmother—”
She inclined her head toward me and said two words. “Money talks.” Then she signed her name to the bottom. “Give me a number, young lady,” she said to Chelsea.
Chelsea’s clipboard clattered onto the table, and she crossed her arms across her chest. “We can’t award the prize to someone who didn’t follow the rules. You’re going to have to accept the fact that Cash’s new girlfriend messed up.”
Grandmother looked at Chelsea through narrowed eyes. “I don’t think I like your tone, young woman. And for the record, my granddaughter isn’t somenewgirlfriend. They’ve been in a committed relationship for two years!”
Every warning bell in my head went off simultaneously. This wasnotan approved topic of conversation for my grandmother to have with Chelsea.
