“Selling?” Tessa made a face. “Who said anything about selling your restaurant? Sam doesn’t have any money to buy The Chuckwagon.”
“Oh, no?” Nick’s voice rose despite his efforts to remain calm. “What if she thought she could get it cheap because it was being foreclosed on?”
“Foreclosed on?” Alarm flashed through Rena’s eyes.
Shoot! Why did he have to go and say that? Now he had Rena all worried.
“Wait a minute. I know what this is about” Tessa said. “There’s no foreclosure. Sam only made that up to tell her parents.”
“What are you talking about?” Nick asked.
“Sam was hoping you would ask her to stay and work at the restaurant. She was trying to pave the way with her folks. They can be rather…difficult…and Sam doesn’t like to disappoint them.” Tessa winced. “So she made up a little story. She told them that she was buying a restaurant cheap out here. One that was in trouble and being foreclosed on. But that was just a made-up story to get her parents to buy into the idea.”
Tessa leaned against the door jamb and crossed her arms over her chest. “But how would you have known about that anyway?”
Nick’s heart fluttered as he let Tessa’s words sink in. Sam really hadn’t been scheming to take his restaurant away? She really didn’t know about the foreclosure? At least Tessa’s story had wiped the worry out of Rena’s eyes. Rena had believed it, and so did Tessa. And if it was true…
Dammit! He’d been such an idiot!
Memories of standing behind Sam and eavesdropping on her conversation came crashing back to him. He hadn’t even heard the whole thing, just snippets. And then he’d jumped to the worst possible conclusion.
Why hadn’t he just asked Sam?
But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d turned and ran like an insecure jerk. He hadn’t even given her a chance to explain.
And now he’d screwed up everything. He’d ruined his chances with Sam. She’d never want him back after the way he acted.
“But I thought—I mean, I heard her say…”
Tessa’s stern look stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t have any excuses.
“So, what are you gonna do?” Tessa asked. “She’s fixing to leave town.”
Nick’s heart jerked. “She’s leaving?”
“She was packing her bags when I left her at my place. Had her chili cooking and ready to go.” Tessa walked over and put her hand on Nick’s arm. “Look, I know she cares about you, and I know you care about her. Don’t mess this up. You guys have a chance at something special. You can’t let that slip away.”
Hope surged through Nick.
Tessa was right. He had to find Sam. He had to see if there was a chance that she'd stay. His eyes flicked to the chili bubbling in the crockpot. Maybe if he hurried, he could make things right and catch Sam before she left town.
“She’s still going to enter her chili for the judging?” Nick asked.
Tessa pressed her lips together. “Well, I guess so. She was tending to it when I left.”
Nick rushed over to his crockpot, dumped one last ingredient in then unplugged it from the wall.
“Where are you going?” Tessa asked.
But Nick was already running out the door with the crockpot in hand. “I’m going to drop this off and then get Sam back.”
He ran to the truck and raced off toward the fairgrounds. With any luck, he could catch Sam at the judging tent. But when he got there, she was nowhere to be seen. And her crockpot was sitting on the table waiting to be judged.
She’d already been there and left!
Nick tore out of there like a bat out of hell, heading to Tessa’s. It was the only other place she could be. But as he drove down the long dirt road to the small house, his chest grew tighter and tighter. The driveway was empty.
Sam’s car wasn’t there. She’d already left town.
He was too late.
Nick’s heart crashed. Sam was already gone. She hadn’t waited around for him, and he couldn’t blame her. She probably left in a hurry because she never wanted to see him again. Why would she want to be with a jerk that eavesdropped on her conversations and then didn’t even give her enough respect to ask her what they were really about? He didn’t deserve Sam.
Nick drove on numbly, barely seeing the road ahead of him. He didn’t care about the chili contest. Didn’t care about The Chuckwagon, either. At the end of the road, he took a left, heading to the one place where he always knew he could seek solace.
The one place where he knew he had a friend that would never let him down.
23
Sam could barely face Tessa, never mind Nick or anyone else in Sweetrock. She’d screwed up. She was embarrassed about the way she’d jumped to conclusions.
Why would Nick want someone who would act that way?
She’d managed to drop off her chili, though. Not that she wanted to win the contest anymore. But by dropping it off, she hoped it would ensure Nick the win. She wanted him to have the money to make The Chuckwagon profitable again. It was the least she could do, one parting gesture.
She didn’t want to hang around to say goodbye to anyone else, and Tessa had disappeared from the house, so she packed her things in the car and headed out. Maybe she’d been so focused on her own problems that she hadn’t heard Tessa say goodbye. Had she gone to work?
Sam couldn’t wait for her to come back. She needed to get out of town now. Maybe she would call her once she was an hour out and see if she could break away and drive out to meet her for a final goodbye. She didn’t want to leave without seeing her, but honestly, it was a little annoying that Tessa had just taken off without saying anything.
But for now, Sam had one last stop. One last goodbye that she couldn’t leave town without saying.
The parking lot at Happy Trails was relatively empty. Sam was disappointed that Tessa’s car wasn’t there. Her relief that Nick’s wasn’t there, either, was twinged with regret. Maybe if she saw him one last time…
No sense in wishing for what you can’t have.
She walked tentatively into the barn, greeting one of the trail guides who was walking a beautiful jet-black horse out. Hopefully, not all the horses were out on the trail.
But she needn’t have worried. Nacho was there, his head hanging out of his stall. He nickered at her, and the corners of her lips tugged up in a smile. She stroked his silky nose, his mane, his strong neck.
“Well, Nacho, I guess this is goodbye.” Sam’s voice broke. She hadn’t realized how hard it would be to say goodbye to a damn horse.
Nacho nodded his head, his deep brown eyes looking at her as if to ask why.
“It’s just that things didn’t work out.” Sam’s eyes stung. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry, but the barn brought back happy memories and a pang of loss that was as deep as an ocean washed through her. Images of the trail ride with Nick when they’d made love under the stars. Images of visiting Nacho in the morning after waking up snug in Nick’s arms. She could have imagined a life where that happened every day. But it wasn’t to be.
“Sorry, Nacho. I would have liked to have stayed and gotten to know you better.” Sam leaned her cheek against Nacho’s neck. He was so soft, warm, and strong. And then Nacho did something amazing. He turned his head slightly, dipping his chin over her shoulder and resting it against her back as if giving her a big horse hug.
A tear slid down her face.
“Okay, boy, I guess I’d better go.” She gave Nacho a goodbye pat, but he only snugged her tighter, causing a waterfall of salty tears.
“You don’t have to go.”
Sam’s heart skidded. She peered around Nacho to see Nick silhouetted by the light of the barn door.
“Nick?”
He stepped into the barn, sending her pulse racing. Was he mad? Did he come to have it out with her?
“What are you doing here?” she asked softly.
“I came for you.”
“For me?”
A spark of hope bloomed in her chest. He didn’t sound mad. In fact, he looked scared and nervous. Just as scared and nervous as she was. She stepped away from Nacho and took two tentative steps toward Nick.
“Can you ever forgive me?” Nick took another step toward her.
“Forgive you? I was the one that was an ass.” Sam took another step. Now they were standing only a foot away from each other.
“No, I was the ass. I didn’t trust you and…” He ran agitated hands through his hair. “Oh, Sam, I promise if you stay I’ll never act that way again.”
Sam flew into Nick’s arms. He wrapped them around her like a warm cocoon, lifting her slightly off the ground. Her heart soared. It felt like heaven.
Nick buried his face in her hair, his voice muffled. “I was afraid I was too late. I thought you’d left town, and I’d lost you forever.”
More tears cascaded down Sam’s face, sweet ones this time.
She took a shaky breath. “I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Nacho. And then he kept hugging me as if he was trying to make me stay.”
Still holding her tight with one arm, Nick stroked Nacho’s face with the other. “Good boy. He’s got good horse sense.”
Then his grip on her loosened. He held her at arm’s length, his hands warming her shoulders. Sincere eyes locked on hers.
“Sam, will you stay? Will you come work with me side by side at The Chuckwagon? I know I don’t have much to offer you, but—“
Sam silenced him with a kiss. She didn’t care what he had to offer. She didn’t need anything but him.
When they finally broke apart, his eyes were dark with emotion, his voice rough. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes!”
A bright smile split Nick’s face. “I think we can make a go of it at The Chuckwagon. And, of course, I’ll give you partial ownership, so your parents approve. I know we can turn it around together, especially with the money from the chili contest—“
“The chili contest!” they yelled together.
Sam had almost forgotten all about it, but now she wanted to see the look on Nick’s face when he won the money.
Nick’s eyes flicked to the clock. “The judging is in ten minutes. We can just make it if we hurry.”
He grabbed her hand, and they ran for his truck.
24
The fairgrounds were packed. Nick held Sam’s hand tight; their fingers threaded together as they weaved their way through the crowd to the chili tasting tent. It was a glorious summer day. The sun beat down from a cloudless sky, and the heat might have felt oppressive if it wasn’t for the joy surging in Nick’s heart.
They raced past tents full of prized chickens, artwork, cutlery and even cleaning products. The smell of hot dogs, fried dough, and popcorn followed them as they darted in between the people slowly strolling the main fair and dodged errant children that straggled from their parents’ orbit.
Nick couldn’t wait to see the look on Sam’s face when they announced her as the winner. He didn’t care if she put the money into The Chuckwagon or not. Maybe she’d spend it on a down payment on their new place. They’d need something bigger than his cabin if they were going to live together.
Hold on there. One step at a time.
Sam was staying in Sweetrock, and that was enough for now. He’d address living arrangements later.
Nick scanned the small crowd that had formed in the judging tent. He spotted Tessa, Cash, Jackson, and the others in the corner and pulled Sam over toward them. Donnie already had a wad of bills out in his hand—the money from the side bet on the chili contest. Nick had almost forgotten about that.
Tessa was practically jumping up and down upon seeing the two of them together. The approval of his longtime friend warmed Nick’s heart, and he guessed he had Tessa to thank for his luck in reuniting with Sam. If Tessa hadn’t come to the restaurant, he wouldn’t have realized what a jerk he was being and would never have struck out looking for her.
The circle of friends parted, letting Sam in as if she belonged. As if she’d always been a part of their circle. They’d quickly accepted her as one of their own, which made Nick happy.
But even if they hadn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered much to him. Sam was his, and he wanted her by his side no matter what.
Five judges were seated at a long table in the front of the tent. White bowls were lined up in front of them. Spoons rested on the table beside them. They’d made it just in time—the tasting was over and the award about to be handed out.
One of the judges, a salt-and-pepper haired man with a blue bow tie and a white linen jacket, stood and tapped on a microphone, sending a screech through the tent that made everyone cringe.
“Welcome to the seventy-fifth Sweetrock Fair Chili Contest! As you know, the contest is split into two parts. The popular judging is done by the fairgoers during the week and our taste test here.” He looked around at the other judges, his face creasing into a frown. Then he turned back to the microphone. “Usually, the taste of the fairgoers isn’t far off from our own, but this year something odd happened.”
A murmur went through the crowd.
“The chili from the two front-runners of the popular judging was, in our opinion, quite inferior. We’re not sure what happened, but perhaps our taste buds are much more refined than the general population.” The man smiled at his own joke and the crowd tittered.
Nick looked at Sam out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t surprised that his own chili didn’t pass muster with the judges. He’d dumped a ton of chili powder into it to make it unpalatable because he wanted Sam to win. Had she sabotaged her own chili the same way?
Sam flicked a look to the judges and then to him. “Wait a minute, did you…?”
Nick nodded “You did it, too?”
Sam laughed, nodding. “I didn’t feel right taking the money, and I wanted to make sure that you won.”
Nick’s heart swelled. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close as the microphone squealed again, attracting their attention back to the front of the room.
The bowtie judge was now holding a big trophy with a giant bowl on the top of it. The chili trophy. “So, the results of the judging including the popular vote weighted at fifty percent, and our own votes at the other fifty, the winner of this year’s chili contest, including the trophy and the ten thousand dollar prize, goes to…”
He paused for effect and Nick held his breath. If Sam had sabotaged her chili, too, then which one of them would win?
“Beulah Grady!”
The crowd erupted in applause. Beulah rushed up from the side of the crowd and accepted the trophy and a check. Nick was genuinely happy for her. Heck, if he or Sam couldn’t win, Beulah was the next best thing. Sure the prize money would’ve come in handy for the restaurant, but all his problems with The Chuckwagon seemed so unimportant now. He had Sam, and that was all that mattered.
Judging by the way Sam was beaming and clapping herself, she felt the same way.
Beulah worked the crowd, shaking hands and sashaying her way over to Nick and Sam. She stood in front of them holding up her trophy.
“Sorry, you guys didn’t win.”
“It’s okay. We don’t need the money, we have each other” Nick grabbed Sam’s hand and held on tight. “We can make the restaurant work together.”
“Ah, don’t get all mushy on me now.” Beulah held the check out to him. “I’m giving you the money.”
“What? No. I can’t take it.” Nick pushed it back at her.
Beulah held her hand up. “Don’t talk back to me, boy. I have enough money." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "It rightfully belongs to one of you, anyway. I know you each sabotaged your chili so the other would win. I have an in with the judges and took a taste. No way either of you would enter something that bad in a contest."
Nick took the check reluctantly. "Thanks."
Beulah nodded. "Besides, I need you to keep that place open. Who else is going to hire a ninety-six-yea
r-old hostess?”
She turned to Donnie, her hands on her hips. “Now who wins the side bet? Neither Sam nor Nick won the contest.”
Everyone shrugged.
“I say we give it to Nick and Sam,” Tessa said. “Let them put it into The Chuckwagon.”
“Good idea,” Cash said.
“Agreed,” Jackson added.
“A good cause,” Iris said.
Beulah pursed her wrinkled lips. “Fine. What the heck, I got plenty.” Her eyes drifted over Tessa’s shoulder. She stood on her tiptoes, and then realized that it only made her about chest height with everyone else. She craned her neck to peek in between them.
Nick turned to see Hargrove making a beeline toward them. His eyes were fixed on Beulah, a sappy smile curling his lips.
Beulah shoved in between Tessa and Sam. “Here’s my date. I gotta run. Hope you don’t mind, but it’s a new romance. I’ve been neglecting him the past few days with this chili contest, and we got lots of lost time to make up for.”
“Don’t mind at all. In fact, we should get going ourselves.” Nick put his arm around Sam and tugged her close. He looked down at her, his heart bursting. “I think we have a lot of making up of our own to do.”
25
Two weeks later…
Sam backed out of the kitchen, pushing the swinging door open with her hip as she tossed her apron into the laundry barrel. She paused to look back into the kitchen, a feeling of satisfaction warming her. The past two weeks had been like a dream. At Nick’s insistence, she’d taken charge of the dessert menu and was finally doing what she really loved. Now the smell of roasting meat mingled with the sweet smell of pie crust and the savory scent of artisan breads she’d introduced into the menu. Her chocolate dessert specialties had quickly become a favorite with both the female and male clientele.
She loved coming to work every day, cooking with Nick in the kitchen side by side, just like his parents and his grandparents had. They’d worked out a good rhythm along with the other chefs and the restaurant was booming, thanks to the new menu and Nick’s awesome cooking.
Some Like It Hot (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 1) Page 15