“Shhh,” I say, rushing over to them and grabbing Kane by his ear like he’s a kid. “We have guests in here, so you need to shut the fuck up,” I whisper. “I will tell your mama in a heartbeat that you’re using that language in the B&B.”

He rolls his eyes but straightens up as soon as Dad comes into sight. “Y’all behaving?”

“Yes, sir,” they all say in unison. I give them an evil look, then smile sweetly at my dad. He nods and walks away as I return to the kitchen.

Just after eight, my cell phone buzzes like crazy on the counter. It’s from an unknown number, but I answer it anyway.

“Is this Ms. Maize Bishop?” a man asks.

“Yes, it is.”

“Great, I just wanted to call and congratulate you on being accepted to compete in the barbecue contest at the rodeo. We would’ve gotten back to you sooner, but we had a ton of applications to sort through this year. You’re still interested, correct?”

My heart flutters with happiness. “Oh my God, yes, absolutely!” I throw my hand up in the air, giving a fist pump as Jane and Sandra glance over at me.

“Fantastic. We’ll have a pre-meeting in a few weeks that you’ll need to attend. Please make sure you read over the rules for your team so you’re not disqualified. We’re happy to have you on board and can’t wait to try your brisket.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The call ends, and I let out a hoot. I know I’m being loud as hell, but this is the best news I could’ve received today. I thought I wouldn’t get picked for a few days because I hadn’t received a call yet, but now that I have, that means I need to start preparing.

Knowing I have to tell Dad the good news, I go and search for him. He’s in the dining area pouring coffee into a mug.

“What’s going on?” He grins.

“They chose me for the contest!” I’m so excited my voice is an entire octave higher than usual.

He gives me a side hug. “See, told you! You’re gonna win this, sweetie! I just know it!”

“That would be incredible,” I admit, imagining it, then notice we need more bacon and biscuits. “Gotta get back to it.”

I’m floating on cloud nine as I slap bacon strips on the griddle. Since Grandma mentioned it, I’ve been trying to perfect my honey barbecue sauce, but honestly, the meat is so juicy and tender that it’s not even needed. When I deliver the food to the buffet, I see Gavin enter. His eyes meet mine as I carefully stack a pile of hot buttermilk biscuits under the lamps.