Page 34 of Jesse
I didn’t move this time. Just stood there, letting the moment settle, letting it root between us.
Finally, Beck broke the silence. “Come on. Let’s go be gracious losers. Maybe steal some fries off the winning trucks.”
“Only if they’re good ones,” I said, smirking.
“They won’t be. Not compared to ours,” he said.
“Damn right,” I agreed.
We started walking back, side by side. Not touching, but something electric hummed beneath the space between our arms.
When we got back to the fairgrounds, I expected it to be winding down. Some lingering crowds, leftover food smells clinging to the air, music tapering off.
But instead, the energy was still electric, buzzing with movement, with sound, with something I couldn’t quite place.
“Is the event still going?” I asked, scanning the booths.
Beck slowed beside me, brows drawn in confusion. “Looks like it.”
Then the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers. “And now for the fan vote portion of today’s competition!”
I blinked. “Wait. What?”
Beck turned to me, just as surprised. “Oh my god, we forgot about the fan vote.”
Right. I had completely spaced on that part of the event.
Probably because I’d mentally written us off the scoreboard. Didn’t seem to matter when you couldn’t even break the top five.
I opened my mouth to say as much, but then?—
“Brisket Delight!”
The shout came from somewhere in the crowd, loud and distinct. A man with a huge grin—someone I vaguely recognized from earlier today, pumped his fist in the air.
My head whipped around. Beck stiffened next to me. “Was that...?”
“Us?” I finished, stunned.
Another shout echoed from a different direction, someone else calling out for a rival truck. I swallowed. Well, that was fun while it lasted
But then our guy shouted our name again. Louder this time. And more voices joined in.
“Brisket Delight!”
“Brisket Delight!”
“Do we actually have a chance?” I asked, heart thudding wildly. I turned to Beck, who looked too stunned to respond.
The announcer grinned. “Y’all know the drill! Head to the website, vote for your favorite! You’ve got twenty minutes, folks!”
Suddenly, the crowd shifted with a new kind of energy. People pulled out their phones, huddling together to cast votes, buzzing with excitement.
I tensed, caught between hope and disbelief.
I didn’t even realize how tightly I was gripping my hands until I felt Beck’s fingers brushing tentatively against mine.
I looked down, then at him. His cheeks were pink, his expression uncertain.
