Once I finish cleaning, I tell everyone goodbye. Just as I’m heading through the dining room, Grandma Bishop enters as if an angel called her. “Hey, sweetie.”

I tilt my head, wondering what she’s doing here. Grandma’s always up to something and is in the know with all the town gossip. “So, I’ve got some news. A little birdie shared something with me today.”

My blood pressure rises, and I hope to all things holy she didn’t catch wind of what happened between Gavin and me because I’d literally die. “Oh really?”

I try to play it cool, but I’m actually crumpling as my heart rate rushes.

“So, I was at my quilting club meeting and was chattin’ with Rebecca Blanchard. She mentioned the rodeo was coming to town in a few months, which we all know is typically a big deal and brings lots of business to the B&B. But she also mentioned something else.”

My palms are sweaty, and my mouth goes dry. Any time someone mentions the word rodeo around here, Gavin’s name comes soon after. I nearly stop breathing as I wait, and the anticipation might kill me. Grandma eats it up as I wait. Sometimes she’s so dramatic.

“Come on, just go ahead and spit it out,” I finally say, the dramatic pause being too much.

“Maize Grace! Watch your manners. This is my story, and I tell it how I want.” She gives me the evil eye, then goes back to being nice granny. “Anyway. Rebecca told me about the barbecue contest, and she mentioned you should enter your famous smoked brisket. The one you did for the food drive fundraiser last year. It was incredible, Maze, and we all took a vote and believe you could win first place.” Grandma beams as if I already had the trophy.

“You really think I have a chance or are you just saying that?” I ask, nearly laughing that my food was the topic of their conversation at their meeting.

“I can admit I give a bunch of frivolous compliments, but honey, I’d never set you up to humiliate yourself. If your brisket wasn’t worth a lick, I wouldn’t mention it, because I can’t have you embarrassing yourself or the Bishop name,” she confirms with a nod. “You went to that fancy culinary school for a reason. So, you need to enter and kick some ass.”

I burst out laughing. “Grandma, you just said ass.”

“I’m old enough to have earned that right.”

“This is very true.”