Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Dex
“ H ow positive are you that Todd wants to go to the Bahamas for your vacation?”
I was in the middle of my Sunday catch-up call with Kayla and making a last-ditch effort at guilting her into coming to Charming for the fiesta. I was struggling to make her see the benefit of her hometown outdoor chile fiesta instead of enjoying a peaceful, relaxing vacation at some boring, old luxury resort.
I lived with a lot of hope.
“More positive than words can express.”
“That’s pretty positive,” I sighed.
“Yup.”
“You’ll have to talk me through it,” I said.
She gasped. “The entire weekend? Dude. I’m not going to be on the phone with you while I’m getting massages and enjoying sexy times.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I settled back on the living room sofa. I was waiting for Meyer to get back from the store with a crapton of fresh ingredients. I’d offered to accompany him, but he’d suggested I get all the cute little jars out and sterilize them while he was gone so we could save time.
“Yeah, no. Not what I meant, sis.” I ruffled my hair. “I mean the making of the salsa.”
“Didn’t you get my email?”
“I did.”
I plucked on one of the tassels of an old throw pillow. I idly wondered why I still had it. A vague memory of spilling grape juice on it when I was five or six drifted through my mind. I turned it over, and sure enough, there was a darker spot in the corner of the chocolate brown linen fabric. Maybe it was time to spruce the place up a bit now that Meyer was around.
“Did you hear what I said?” Kayla grumbled.
“About the recipe?”
“Oh my god. Why me?” she muttered. “Yes. I said, if you have the recipe then what’s the problem? I gave detailed instructions. You already know how to scrape the needles off the pads. The rest is a no-brainer.”
“I know, but…” I was seriously out of my element, and I didn’t think she was grasping how clueless I was in the kitchen. “I’m not really the recipe type. What if I misunderstand and screw it all up? I don’t want the townspeople buying a disgusting salsa and our family name to be forever tainted because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Ohhh…okay. Now I get it,” she said. “I guess I wasn’t taking that into consideration.”
I drew my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
“Only that I’m not in Charming anymore. It’s a place I visit, not where I live. My world is completely different now.” She sighed. “I wasn’t grasping how you have to face everyone there, people you’ve known your whole life. But I don’t. If something goes south at the fiesta, it doesn’t touch me. Not really.”
My gut tightened. “Umm, that’s not really helping.”
I couldn’t bring myself to admit that what bothered me more than anything was how her absence had crashed into me like a charging bull. Regardless, I still needed help with the salsa. She was right about the fiesta. I didn’t want to face anyone I knew if I messed up.
“Okay, I’ve got an idea,” she said. “Let’s talk about your boyfriend for a sec.”
I’d gushed to her the week before about Meyer. After all, she’d witnessed the brutality of my perceived rejection in high school. Now, she could celebrate with me instead.
“Sure. What’s your idea?”
“Well,” she began, “he’s making that spicy lemonade, right?”
“Yeah, but not until a day or two before. It tastes better fresh. Today is salsa day.”
“Got it. What I’m getting at is that he knows a thing or two about measuring and combining ingredients?”
I scratched my head. I could see where she was headed. She was doing a handoff play.
“He’s not very good at slicing tomatoes, though.”
A funny noise, perhaps a combination of a choke and a snort came through the phone. “What the hell are you talking about? Then you cut the tomatoes.” She chuckled. “My point is that he’s not a stranger to preparing food. And what about Lindy? I know for a fact she makes killer dishes. Every time you dined there, you gave me a complete menu rundown.”
After a pause, she continued. “Hon, you need to do what you did when you took over the ranch. Embrace those around you, don’t shy away from developing deeper relationships.”
I could usually comprehend Kayla’s sisterly wisdom, but she seemed all over the place today. I squirmed on the sofa. Or maybe I was the one who was all over the place. Was that what she meant?
“So… What did I do when I took over the ranch that I’m not doing in the rest of my life?”
“You kept going, Dex. Full speed ahead, didn’t question every damn thing. Whether you were aware of it or not, you took charge. Became the boss. Cal and the hands respected you, and the operation is now successful because you never worried if you could do it or not. You simply carried on in Dad’s place.”
“Yeah, but…” I got what she was saying, but the concept still made my head feel a bit swimmy and my stomach queasy. “Raising cows isn’t the same as making salsa.”
“ Duh.” She let out a small growl. “I’m trying to tell you how freakin’ amazing you are! You took over a large cow-calf operation in your early-twenties and have kept it going full throttle. Make the salsa. No one needs to talk you through it. But if you have questions about whether it’s a teaspoon or tablespoon of salt, your cutie-pie and Lindy can handle it.”
“Cutie-pie? I’m totally telling him you said that.”
“Ha! Your threats mean nothing to me.”
The sound of a truck door slamming caught my attention. “Hey, I gotta go. Cutie-pie is back from the store.”
“Awesome. Show him how a real man cuts a tomato.”
I slapped my hand to my forehead. “Please stop.”
“Never.”
“Love you, sis. Thanks.”
“Love you too, dork. Save me a jar for the next time I visit.”
I chuckled and ended the call. The door opened, and my breath caught in my throat as Meyer crossed the threshold. His captivating brown eyes locked on mine, the slight curve at one side of his mouth a sign that he was as glad to see me as I was him. The action of him moving to the kitchen with two large totes filled to the brim with salsa ingredients yanked me from my Meyer-the-hottie-induced trance.
I jumped up. “Whoa, let me help.”
Meyer hoisted both bags onto the kitchen table. “I’ve got this, babe. There’s a couple more bags in the truck, but these have refrigerated items.”
He sidled over and planted a quick kiss on my mouth. Damn, but I could get used to this being my everyday norm. Meyer smiled and snaked an arm around my waist.
“You okay?“
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah. Perfect. Just got off the phone with Kayla.”
“Oh, cool. Everything good with her?”
“Yeah. I was checking to make sure she hadn’t changed her plans and was coming to the fiesta.” I averted my gaze and plucked at one of the buttons on his shirt. “You know, so we didn’t waste our time making all this salsa. After all, she’s made it a zillion times. Probably doesn’t even need the recipe.”
My heart had sunk into my stomach again. After all the pep talk, I was right back where I started from.
“Hmm…” I glanced up and caught Meyer’s furrowed brow. He cupped my ass cheek and gave it a hearty squeeze. “Let me get the rest of the groceries then we can discuss this.”
He gave me another quick peck then headed out the door. I let my head fall back and stared up at the ceiling, silently yelling at myself. I rubbed my neck as I pondered what Meyer planned to say. Kayla was right about everything she’d said. Yet five minutes after hanging up, I’d let my insecurities take hold again.
I was a mess.
With a sigh, I started digging through the totes to find the perishables. I’d barely made it past the beer when Meyer reappeared with the rest of the groceries.
“I see you have your priorities straight,” he joked.
I had to grin. “Busted. I thought maybe the salsa might taste better if I prepared it with a carefree heart.”
Meyer barked out a laugh. “Carefree heart? I like that.” He winked. “I want that for you more than you know.”
His comment left a twinge in my chest. “Should I grab a beer for you, too?”
He cradled a couple of cheese blocks and a small carton of half-and-half in the crook of his arm. “That would be amazing. It’s pretty hot out there today.”
I gave him a half-smile. “There’s always ice water.”
“Blasphemy.” He passed off the pile of dairy products to me, and I traded them for two beers. “Thanks. We can share a drink and regroup before we get serious about making culinary magic.”
I grunted. “Kayla just talked me off the ledge. Now it’s your turn.”
His brow creased, and he laced our fingers together, tugging me toward the living room. “Hey, come on. You’ve been on edge all morning.”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was giving off a bummer vibe.”
Meyer jostled our joined hands. “Didn’t Coach Frederickson used to say ‘Bummer, man’ for absolutely everything? Like, it was the exact same reaction whether you spilled a drink or broke your leg.”
I laughed as I fell on the sofa next to him, our hips touching. “Oh my god, I forgot about that. Do you think maybe it’s because he was stoned twenty-four-seven?”
Meyer snorted. “I don’t think. I know . We all did.”
I took a sip of my beer then placed it on the coffee table. “I didn’t. I was completely out of the loop.”
“Oh.” Meyer set his beer next to mine. “We all kind of left you out, didn’t we?” Meyer frowned, dragging his fingers through his hair. “That’s my fault. How could you build camaraderie with the guys when I wouldn’t let you play?” He groaned. “I’m such an arrogant dick.”
I straightened, my jaw going slack. “What? No. That’s not what I was getting at.”
Meyer regarded me with a creased brow. “Come on, Dex. You were pissed off at me for ten years, and with good reason. I made a choice for you out of some misguided sense of…” He shrugged. “I was being arrogant. It wasn’t my place to decide whether you got to play with the team or not.”
“Hey, hold on.” I laid a hand on his wrist. “First off, I was angry because I assumed you hated me for being gay. Not because I was on the bench. Trust me, I was nervous as hell about getting on the field with all those guys. I might’ve been shit at reading people, but I was overly aware of how easy it would be for those bruisers to destroy my skinny ass.” I drew my eyebrows together. “Besides, it was the coach’s final decision on who was in the lineup. Not yours.”
Meyer chuckled. “I can be pretty convincing.”
I bumped our shoulders together. “I like the way you convince.”
He arched his eyebrows. “You do, huh?”
We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, then leaned in for a kiss at the same time. With his soft lips moving against mine and his strong hand at my waist, gripping me in a way that said I was his, I released my uncertainty. I had to. Beginning the next phase of my life with Meyer at my side wouldn’t work otherwise.
I pulled back and rested my forehead against his. “Sorry I’ve been moody. I’ve kept to myself for so long that everything seems overwhelming. I’ve turned selling salsa at a local fiesta into an international incident.”
Meyer framed my face with his palms and locked eyes with me. “Am I moving too fast for you?”
I covered his hands with mine. “No.” I sucked in a breath, still afraid, but ready to jump off that cliff. “Not fast enough.”
This time, when Meyer claimed my mouth, he pushed me onto my back. He used one hand to undo my belt and unbutton my jeans while the other slid beneath my shirt. I writhed beneath him, kissing him back and shoving my hand down his waistband to cup that amazing ass.
Funny thing. I was no longer worried about salsa, fiestas, or whether I’d disappoint the town. It was time to finish growing up. I’d figured out how to run a ranch. Surely I could handle a booth at the fiesta. Plus, I wouldn’t be alone.
I’d have Meyer.