by Liv Brywood
“All of my dishes are spicy,” Zack said innocently. “I just gave this one a little extra kick.”
Lori coughed as she tried to speak. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Can somebody get some milk?” a producer yelled.
After the judges had guzzled a glass each, Lori lit into him.
“That wasn’t a little kick. It was so hot that I couldn’t even taste the food.” She glared at him as if he’d committed a cardinal sin.
“I don’t understand,” Sebastian said. “You did so well yesterday. What happened?”
Zack shrugged. “I guess I just had a bad day.”
“It’s a miracle you made it this far. How you made it to the final six with this nonsense is beyond me,” Bobby said before moving to Kim’s half of the table. The others followed suit.
“Well,” Sebastian said, “I hope you’ve done a better job than Zack, since you’re in last place. Although I can’t imagine how it could be any worse than his dish.”
“I created a healthy Barbecue Pork Loin,” she said as they lifted their plates.
At first, no one moved to take a bite. Lori reluctantly went first.
“It’s not spicy at all,” she declared as if surprised. “It’s actually amazing.”
As the other judges took their first bites, Zack glanced at Kim. She looked back with a wary expression.
“The meat is incredibly tender,” Sebastian said. “It melts in your mouth.”
“I agree,” Lori added.
Bobby looked up at her and smiled. “I wouldn’t mind serving this in my restaurant.”
Zack smiled at the well-deserved compliment. She’d worked her ass off for the last two and a half hours. She deserved all of the praise they could give her.
“This is a dish worthy of the finals,” Sebastian said. “Let’s see what the others have created.”
As the judges moved on to the next station, Zack took a step toward Kim.
“Your dish looked amazing,” he said. “You’re going to win.”
“I hope so,” she said. “But I won’t start celebrating until I see my name on the final board.”
“Trust me,” he said. “You’ve got this in the bag.”
It took another twenty minutes for the judges to sample all six dishes.
“We’ll deliberate and return to announce the results,” Sebastian said.
After the judges left the competition area, Zack began cleaning the station for the last time. He almost couldn’t believe he’d thrown the competition, but it was the right thing to do. He’d find another way to build his dream home. Just knowing that Kim would be able to take care of her mom’s medical bills would be enough to get him through even the coldest shower.
They worked in silence to clean their station until it shined. He wanted to break the silence between them, but every time he looked at her, she looked away.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please,” Sebastian said.
The final six contestants returned to their stations to hear the results.
“In sixth place, we have Zack with his Inferno Cowboy Barbecue Pork,” Sebastian said.
When Kim glanced his way, he smiled and shrugged. She frowned. Maybe she suspected what he’d done, but he didn’t care. She needed to win, and if that meant looking like a fool, then it had been worth it.
As the judge ticked off three more names, Zack’s heart skittered in his chest. He’d taken a huge gamble in trying to let her win. What if she lost? What if he’d given up first place for nothing?
A bead of sweat formed on his brow as Kim and the other contestant took a step forward.
“The winner of the Bigger in Texas Barbecue competition is… Kim Paulson.”
She screamed and brought her hands up to cover her mouth. When Sebastian leaned over to give her a congratulatory hug, Zack’s bear snarled. He rubbed his fist across his belly to get the beast to settle down.
As Kim stepped up to the podium, Sebastian handed her a giant check made out for one hundred thousand dollars.
“I can’t believe I won,” she said.
“You deserved it,” Lori said. “Your dishes were consistently good, with one minor exception. You were clearly the best chef.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to get my own show,” Kim said.
“Believe it,” Bobby said. “I’ll be expecting an invitation to be the special guest at your first taping.”
“Sure,” she said noncommittally.
Zack waited while everyone congratulated her. After the crowd dispersed, he walked up to her.
“Congratulations,” he said. “You deserve it.”
The smile on her face and joy in her eyes warmed his soul. Given the chance, he would’ve done it all over again.
“We need to have a little chat later,” she whispered.
He tried to read the expression on her face. It wasn’t seductive by any means. If anything, she seemed pissed, so he wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.
Chapter 13
As Kim strolled around the ranch, her mood swung between excitement and disappointment. She knew for a fact that Zack had thrown the contest so she could win. At first, she’d wanted to scream at him. He’d basically cheated by not giving it his full effort. But she’d kept her mouth shut because she needed the money for her mom. Dealing with medical bills on top of the physical and psychological stress of having cancer would devastate her. Kim wasn’t willing to risk her mom’s life to prove a point.
She found Zack in one of the equestrian rings. As he exercised a gray gelding, he spoke to it sweetly. The horse whinnied and tossed his salt-and-pepper mane. For a moment, she considered turning and walking away. What was the point in confronting him now? She’d already won. But questions burned in her chest, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t get some answers.
She watched for several seconds before finally approaching the ring.
“Hey,” she said.
“You’re still here,” he said. “I thought you were planning on leaving right after the contest.”
“They need me to stay and take publicity shots.”
“When do you leave?” he asked.
“Tomorrow night.” She hesitated before asking the question that had been churning in her gut all day. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?” he asked innocently.
“Don’t play dumb,” she said.
“Maybe I just didn’t want it as bad as you did.”
“I find that extremely hard to believe,” she said.
“At first, I desperately wanted to win. It would have been amazing…but you need the money more than I do.”
“You didn’t have to give up your dream for me. Please don’t say you did it because my mother has cancer. I don’t want your pity.”
“Is that what you think? That I pity you?” he asked. “I admire you.”
“Why?” she asked. “I’ve been an emotional wreck since I got here. I don’t even know how I would have gotten through this week without you.”
“Honestly, I think you would have won even if I hadn’t thrown the contest. So maybe I did it out of pride,” he said. “But don’t think that you’re not strong. You are. You’re a resilient, self-reliant, completely amazing woman. If you can’t see it, then you’re not looking hard enough.”
“I don’t know what to say… Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He brushed the horse again. “Since you’re not leaving until tomorrow night, I wanted to see if we could celebrate tonight with dinner. I’d like to cook for you one last time.”
“Thanks… but why?” she asked.
“I don’t want to be remembered as the guy who dumped an entire jar of chipotle seasoning into my barbecue pork.” He grinned. “Besides, I like spending time with you.”
She mirrored his infectious smile. Now that they didn’t have the stress of the competition hanging between them, she could relax and enjoy his company. Since they only had one
more night together, why not make the most of it?
“That sounds nice,” she said.
“Good. I’ll see you at eight?”
“See you then.”
For the rest of the afternoon, she wandered around the ranch. She stopped to pet horses and admire the beautiful flower garden in front of the house. But as time ticked by, nerves fired in her belly. They hadn’t been alone since she’d discovered he was a bear shifter. She still didn’t understand that side of him. But maybe it didn’t matter. Tomorrow she’d be leaving and she’d never look back. She wasn’t the type of woman who would cling to regret and live in the past. She preferred to enjoy the present.
But she was curious about his bear. After the initial fear had worn off, she’d been fascinated by his story. Discovering that some humans could shift into other animals had been incredible. She’d had so many questions she’d wanted to ask. Maybe if she asked nicely, he’d shift into his bear form. This time, she wouldn’t panic. She’d be expecting the radical change, so she wouldn’t be afraid.
She shook her head in frustration. Who was she kidding? He wasn’t a freak show. She didn’t have the right to ask him to do something so personal. He obviously wanted to keep his animalistic side a secret, and she didn’t blame him. If other people discovered his secret, they might react with more than just fear. They might react with violence. He could be in danger if someone else discovered that he was a bear.
No, it would be better for everyone if she could just stuff her morbid curiosity down. She could make it through dinner without asking him about his bear. None of it mattered anyway. She’d be leaving after the photoshoot, and she’d never see him again.
As grilled chicken sizzled on the barbecue outside, Zack ran back into Kim’s cottage to check the steamed vegetables. He didn’t want to mess up their last meal together, so he split his time between the kitchen and the barbecue. Maybe he should have just grilled the vegetables. Oh well, it was too late now. Besides, he could pull it off.
“Healthy food, huh? I half-expected a rack of pork ribs,” Kim said as she set the small table in the kitchen.
“I can cook healthy stuff too,” he said. “As much as I love ribs and bacon, I don’t think I could eat it every day. Besides, this is our last meal together, so I wanted to cook something you’d actually want to eat.”
“It looks delicious,” she said.
“I’m going to run out and check on the chicken. I’ll be right back.”
He raced out to the barbecue, completely forgetting to grab a plate. As he ran back in, he almost collided with her.
“Did you forget this?” She held a plate up.
“You read my mind,” he said. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” She handed it to him.
As he rushed out to grab the chicken, the last word she’d said stuck in his mind. Anytime. Why would she say something like that knowing that this was the last time they’d be together?
He returned to find her carrying a bowl of steamed veggies to the table. He set the plate of chicken next to it and took the chair beside her.
“Dig in,” he said.
“This looks amazing…I know I tease you about it, but you’re a good cook,” she said softly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I just wish…”
“What?” He reached to cover her hand with his. “I’m glad you won the competition. I’m a very resourceful guy. I’ll find another way to build my dream home.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done for me this week,” she said.
“I can think of a few ways.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“I’m sure you can.” She laughed.
“So sex is off the table?” he asked in a joking tone. He didn’t want her to think he was too serious about it. His bear sure as hell wanted one more romp with her, but he didn’t want to push his luck.
“Please pass the butter,” she said after a short pause.
Apparently sex was off the table.
“I thought you didn’t eat butter,” he said.
“Recently I’ve been doing a lot of things that I never imagined doing.”
“Like what?” he asked.
She stuffed a piece of zucchini in her mouth and shook her head, as if she was sorry that she couldn’t respond. What a ploy. But he didn’t want to push her. Tonight, she’d have to take the lead. He wasn’t going to put her into a position she’d regret in the morning.
As she took a bite of chicken, she sighed with pleasure. He could get used to that sound. The woman was so damn sexy. His bear pranced around in his chest as if determined to mate with her tonight. The beast really needed to learn how to be patient. She’d never really responded to his question about sex, but he held onto a thread of hope anyway.
“How did you learn to cook?” she asked between bites.
“I started fiddling around in the kitchen when I was a kid. I got into all kinds of trouble for getting flour all over the floor whenever I tried to bake cookies. I’ll never be a pastry chef. Those guys work magic in the kitchen.”
“Have you thought about becoming a chef?” she asked.
“Sometimes I think about it, but I could never leave my family. They can be a pain in the butt, but I still love them,” he said.
As dinner progressed, they talked about everything from their favorite books to their favorite movies and more. The tension that had kept them apart all week was gone. For the first time since he’d met her, he felt like he could be himself.
He hadn’t realized how much stress he’d been under in previous relationships. He’d always hid his bear from women because he was afraid of rejection. But he didn’t have to hide his furry secret from Kim. She’d seen him shift. He’d never shared that level of comfort with anyone before, and it gave him a deep sense of peace.
“So…have you cooked for a lot of girls?” she asked.
“You’re the first,” he replied truthfully.
“I don’t believe it. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I guess I never met anyone who showed any interest in my cooking. I haven’t had many long-term girlfriends.”
“Why not? You seem like a good catch.” Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“I never really thought about settling down. I won’t slave over a hot stove or a blazing barbecue for just anyone.” He winked.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said.
“I doubt that. But honestly, I haven’t thought about settling down until recently.”
“What changed your mind?” she asked.
“You.”
Her head snapped up and her lips parted. He shifted in his chair. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, but he couldn’t hold back.
“Whatever’s happening between us… it can’t go anywhere,” she said.
“We’ve both been saying that, but what if it could?” he asked. “We’re not that far from Houston. I’d be happy to drive your mom to her treatments at the hospital. If we really wanted to be together, we could make this work.”
“I can’t talk about this right now,” she said. “What you’re asking for is impossible. I can’t uproot my mom in the middle of her treatments.”
“We could wait until she’s well,” he said.
She dropped her fork. It clanged against the edge of the plate. “I wanted to enjoy spending more time with you, but you’re making it hard. I don’t want to talk about this…about us. I don’t even know if there is an ‘us.’”
He dragged his chair closer and took her hands in his.
“You’re the most challenging, obstinate, beautiful, passionate, driven woman I’ve ever met. If you can’t see a future together, then I’ll find a way to move on. But… I think we could be great together.”
She sighed. “Can we please talk about something else?”
He didn’t want to risk pushing her away, so he let the subject drop. He didn’t know how to make her see that they’d be great
together. She was totally focused on her mom, which he completely understood, but the fact that she refused to talk about any kind of future together scared him. Maybe he’d read too much into their relationship.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked.
“Your bear,” she said softly. “What does he look like? I didn’t really get a good look because you were shifting.”
“Would you like to meet him?” he asked. A spark of hope blossomed in his chest. At least she was interested in some aspect of him.
“Right now?” Her eyes widened.
“Sure, but we’ll have to go outside. He’s a big guy and I don’t want to scare any of the other guests. We’ll have to go into the bayou.”
“Okay,” she said.
He stood and held out his hand. When she took it, his bear pranced around in his chest. The beast couldn’t wait to meet her.
Outside, a silver moon hung over the bayou. Frogs croaked and unseen animals splashed in the river. A bat screeched in the distance, while bugs buzzed the edge of the river bank.
He released her hand. As he pulled off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants, her curious gaze raked across his body. Although she didn’t appear nervous, the scent of fear rolled off of her in waves. He didn’t blame her for being scared. He just hoped that once she met his bear, she’d see that the creature could be as gentle as a kitten.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly. “I will look like a bear, but it will still be me inside. Okay?”
He waited for her to nod her head before shifting. The painful, searing crack of bone and tendons ripped through his body. Fur sprouted on his hands and feet as they morphed into paws. His spine elongated and his legs grew to an enormous size.
With the shift complete, he sat on his haunches and waited for her to come to him. She approached cautiously, taking small steps until she reached him. After a moment’s hesitation, she held out her hand. He brushed his nose across her palm and inhaled her sweet scent.
As he rubbed his head against her hand, she relaxed. An expression of wonder smoothed the crinkle in her brow. She slowly stroked his face before running her hand across his shoulders. Her acceptance sent a calming rush of warmth through his body. As she wrapped her arms around his chest, he nuzzled her shoulder. And in that moment, he never wanted to let her go.