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Chevy interrupted them as he hurried back to their booth, a concerned look on his face. “Apparently, there’s been a sleeper team this year that might be pulling ahead of us. Aunt Sassy put a team together calledChili Chili Bang Bang, and I’m hearing their recipe is getting rave reviews.”
“I heard they’re passing out tiny wine slushies with their samples,” Lorna said.
“I think my family is doing pretty well this year, too,” Emily told them. Her ginger-haired family had dubbed themselves theGrateful Red,and their chili was full of carrots and red peppers.
“Step it up, team,” Chevy called out to both booths. “Sell more cookies. Pet more dogs. One of us has to win this thing.”
Chapter Nineteen
In the end, neither of their teams won first place.
The Lassiter’s had taken second though.
Leni and her sister had pulled in a solid fourth spot, which still earned a ribbon and a plaque and made Lorna happy, since she could display it at the shop.
The Chili Dawgs, a new team formed by the family who ran the local hardware store had come in strong with chunks of smoked sausage, brats, and bacon in their recipe, and they nabbed the winning trophy and bragging rights for the year. They’d been cooking the meat all day on the new smokers they were selling at the store, and the consensus from the Lassiter clan was that the scent of smoked sausage and the extra samples of brats in the barbeque sauce that theyalsosold in their store, was the catalyst to their win.
“That was some damn good chili though,” Chevy said as they washed up the last of the dishes that night.
They’d already put Max to bed and Chevy, Mack, Leni and her sister were all in the kitchen of Lorna’s house. Lorna had finished nursing and put Izzy down and was trying to wheel the knee-scooter around the kitchen to help with the dishes but kept bumping into the cabinets and everyone else’s legs.
Leni finally gave her a job that required her to sit at the kitchen table with Mack while she and Chevy finished washing out the last of the five-gallon buckets and all the coolers.
“Welcome to the family,” Lorna told Mack. “What an introduction. Talk about getting thrown into the deep end to learn how to swim. That was a lot for your first day here.”
Mack offered her a shrug. “I thought it was fun.”
“You must have a lot of siblings the way you were able to just jump right into the mix,” Leni said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to her sister.
Mack shook his head. “Not really. I was raised as an only child.”
“That sounds tough,” Chevy said, setting four glasses of ice water on the table before dropping into the chair next to Leni. “We give each other a hard time, but I don’t know what I’d do without my brothers.”
“You’re lucky,” Mack said, taking a glass then passing one to Lorna. “You need anything else?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said. “A million dollars, a great night’s sleep, and a weekend in Paris.”
He chuckled as he took out his wallet and looked inside. “No million dollars or a trip to Paris, but I could offer you a Subway card that’s only two stamps away from a free sub.”
She held out her hand for the card. “That’s the best offer I’ve had all year. I’ll take it.”
He started to hand her the card then pulled it back. “How about I get the last two stamps by picking up sandwiches for you and your sister some night next week, andthenI’ll give you the card and the free sub is yours.”
“Deal,” Lorna said with a laugh.
“Great. How about Monday night?”
“Perfect.”
He pulled out his phone. “I’d better get your number so I can text you for your sub order.”
Chevy chuckled as he muttered, “Smooth, bro,” not quite under his breath.
Leni laughed. “Works out well for me too, since I’m now also getting a free sub out of this deal. Although I should be treating you guys to a meal for all the help you gave us today. Seriously, I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“Yes, thanks so much,” Lorna added, lifting her glass for a toast. “Here’s to good food and good times, to new friends…” She glanced first over at Mack then turned to Leni and Chevy. “…and old friends becoming new ones again.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Chevy said, as they all clinked their glasses together. “And speaking of new friends, Mack and I should get back to the ranch. Duke will want to get you settled in proper, and I’ve still got chores to do.”
