Eli sat up straight and elbowed Wren in the side. “Come on, Dad. You said you’d try to win us the trough tonight.”
“No way.” Jace shook his head.
“What’s the trough?” I asked.
Wren and Eli started talking at the same time.
“Slow down.” Jace turned to face me. “It’s a banana split that comes out in a ridiculously large metal trough.”
“It looks so good.” Eli licked his lips.
“We’ve never tried to win it,” Wren added.
“And all you have to do is a hog call?” I eyed both of them with suspicion. Wren had already pretty much tricked me into eating dinner with them. I didn’t want to get in over my head.
“Best one wins,” Glenda said.
“I dare you to give it a shot.” Jace sat back, a smirk playing across his lips.
He didn’t know me very well if he thought I’d back down from a challenge. I lifted my shoulder. “I’ll do it.”
“Really?” Eli clapped his hands together while Wren slapped her palm down on the table.
Jace laughed and didn’t get up. “I was just teasing. You don’t have to, Delaney.”
“I don’t mind. What’s a little public humiliation when the trough’s on the line?” I waited for him to slide out of the booth while my heart did somersaults in my chest.
Glenda showed me where to wait my turn as she announced the start of the competition. There were only a handful of other customers willing to give it all they got, so it didn’t take long before it was my turn to stand in front of the mic. The competition was stiff, and I had my work cut out for me.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. With one last look over at Jace and his kids, I gave it my all.
CHAPTER 6
JACE
I didn’t knowwhat happened to Delaney when she stepped in front of that microphone, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting her to wipe the floor with the competition.
“Sooooooo-eeeeeeeee! Sooooooo-eeeeeeeee!” Her voice started out soft and rose into a high-pitched squeal as she delivered a traditional call. It was good, but not award-winning, at least not around these parts. But then she took it to a whole new level.
“Come to mama, you finger lickin’ little bacon bits. Shake your money makers, you saucy squealers.” She wiggled her ass like her life depended on it. “Let’s go, curly-tailed cutie pies. I need your hickory-glazed ham hocks front and center. The biscuits are hot, and I’ve got a bucket full of love just waitin’ on y’all!”
The restaurant went silent. Even Glenda wasn’t sure how to react to Delaney’s over-the-top delivery.
But Delaney wasn’t done. She leaned in close to the mic and oinked. Loudly. Twice.
Eli’s jaw dropped. Wren’s eyes just about bugged out of her head. As for me, I buried my face in my hands to cover the belly laugh that threatened to spill out.
Applause thundered through the place and made the walls shake.
“I believe we have our winner.” Glenda lifted Delaney’s hand high in the air.
It took a couple of minutes for Delaney to make it back to the table, pausing to accept everyone’s congratulations along the way, and gave me time to pull myself together. The kids held out their hands for high fives. I got up so she could slide back into the booth, impressed and stunned at the same time.
“Do I want to know where you learned how to hog call like that?” I asked.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder like shocking a restaurant full of locals into silence was just a regular Saturday night. “That’s the first time I’ve ever tried.”
“That was…” I struggled to find the right words.
