Page 89 of Pitcher Perfect

A few minutes later, Austin returned. His eyes were a little red, but he insisted he was okay. I pulled him into a hug anyway. He squeezed me like I was the last life raft on the Titanic.

“Can we talk later?” I whispered as I relaxed into his embrace.

“Yeah. I want to talk to you too.” He squeezed me reassuringly before my uncertainty could spike.

When we pulled apart, he gave me a wide smile that took my breath away. I knew we were on the same page.

“It’s time! Please gather round,” someone on stage said.

Austin grabbed my hand.

“We’ve tallied the scores and will announce winners of the secondary categories.”

My heart pounded in my chest as they announced winners for best sweet dish, best savory dish, and best beer. The most well-known restaurants and breweries snagged those, of course. My hope shriveled a little with each winner announced that wasn’t us. The odds of us winning were slim, but we’d put in a damn good showing.

“Now, for the grand prize for the best team pairing of a beer and dish.” The man on stage fumbled with opening an envelope.

I intertwined my fingers with Austin’s and squeezed his hand again.

Ty chanted, “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”

Ethan crossed his fingers. Dom took steady, deep, measured breaths. Dad stood on the other side of me from Austin and squeezed my shoulder.

“This year’s grand prize winner for Portland Pairing goes to Tap That Brewery and Be Eggcellent to Each Other food truck. Congratulations! If representatives from those businesses could come on stage for the award presentation.”

Ethan shrieked as Ty whooped. Austin pulled me into the tightest hug. I thought he was going to climb me and wrap his legs around my waist. He pulled back, and we leaned toward each other, but before our lips could make contact, we were pulled into celebratory hugs. I didn’t even know who was hugging me, but soon we were shuffled to the stage. It was a blur.

I shook hands with everyone on stage, but when Henry approached me, my smile faded. I didn’t have a chance to properly glower at him before I was herded to the side of the stage for a photo. Austin and I kept glancing at each other through the whole ordeal. Sharing smiles, grins, silent promises for celebratory kisses later. At least that was what I hoped my face promised him.

We’d done it. We’d fucking done it.We won!I was so proud of us, of Austin, I could burst into a million pieces.

I ignored the photographer’s directions of where to stand and moved next to the man I’d flirted with over ink and who’d ended up one of the most important people in my life. I wanted to stand proudly next to him in that moment as it was immortalized. We wrapped our arms around each other’s waists and smiled at the camera. It was the best moment of my life and the start of something special. I just knew it.

CHAPTER28

AUSTIN

“Where’s Caleb?”Ethan asked as he loaded an empty keg into the back of Dom’s SUV.

“His dad is helping him pack up. We got everything?” I looked around the SUV to make sure we hadn’t left anything on the curb.

Ethan climbed into the back seat while Ty called shotgun. It was pointless for him to say it any longer since he’d been calling dibs for as long as I could remember. After closing the hatch, I opened the back door to climb in next to Ethan.

He put his hand out to stop me. “Sorry, man. Car’s full.”

I pointedly looked at the empty seat. Ethan placed our trophy on the empty seat, reached over, and buckled it in.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, dude. You’ll have to find another ride.” Ty grinned.

“You’re not allowed back at the house tonight either,” Dom said in his gruff voice.

“You, too, Dom?” I shook my head. “Where am I supposed to go, then?”

Ethan looked at me like I was the king of all dumbasses. “If you don’t stay at Caleb’s, you’d better get a room at the Dahlia Springs B and B because you’re not coming home tonight. You have celebrating to do.”

I shuddered at the thought of having to spend the night in that doily hellhole. They’d littered nearly every surface the last time I’d been there.Between that, the gaudy dahlia wallpaper, and the stuffed animals? Christ.

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