"Perfect timing. You can be our first taste-tester. The judges won't make their rounds for another half hour." Jaxon slung his arm over my shoulder and steered me toward their booth.
Dane stood over a huge pot, stirring chili with an aroma of rich cumin and other spices.
"Dane is bitter because his secret recipe got third place last year," Jaxon joked.
"Behind your watery tomato soup? The judge had COVID and lost his sense of taste. That's the only explanation," Dane shot back.
I laughed at their antics.
"What makes your chili special?" I asked, leaning against the table.
"Ah, my special soldier's chili — created in the field with limited supplies but maximum impact. The secret ingredient is determination." Jaxon winked.
Dane scoffed. "And enough hot sauce to be classified as a chemical weapon. Don't let him fool you. His soldiers' recipe changes every year, depending on what he saw on The Food Network last week."
"Wow!" Jaxon pressed a hand to his heart.
I couldn't help but laugh again.
"Don't listen to him, Gisselle. Try it and prepare to have your taste buds transformed." Jaxon spooned some into a small cup.
I accepted the cup and took a cautious sip. Heat immediately crossed my tongue, followed by a layering of flavors.
"Damn. That's actually good!" I admitted, genuinely impressed.
Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Actually? The disrespect! I spent three days perfecting this recipe."
"More like three hours. Most of that time was spent texting the paramedic from County General," Dane corrected.
"Multitasking is a skill, nigga." Jaxon smiled at me.
"Uh-huh. I'm going to leave you two to it. I'm looking for Liam," I replied.
"Blaze is at the judges' table." Jaxon pointed at a long table where a row of people sat, each with a clipboard and small tasting cups lined up in front of them.
My eyes found him. Liam sat at the end of the table. His expression was one of complete concentration as he made notes about the sample he'd tried. His attire caught me off guard. I'd only ever seen him in uniform. Today, he wore dark jeans and a navy Henley, his sleeves pushed to his elbows, revealing strong forearms and a noticeable scar. The casual clothes made him more approachable.
"Want me to shoot a flare so he sees you?" Jaxon asked, amused.
"Shut up. I'm taking in the whole event," I said, fighting a smile.
"With laser focus on one particular part of it," Dane added, laughing.
"Y'all are worse than my cousins. I came for the community, not the personnel," I responded.
"The personnel might be happier to see you than you think. The man's been wound tight as a spring. Something to do with an arson investigation," Jaxon commented.
Dane shot him a look.
"What? It's public knowledge. It was in the paper yesterday," Jaxon defended.
I glanced back at Liam as he tested the chili. His posture spoke of a burden he'd carried too long. This time, I headed in his direction. When I got closer, I stopped at his table.
"Ah, you made it." Liam stood up to greet me, a grin tugging at his mouth like he couldn't hold back. He pulled me into a hug, his hand lingering against my back before letting go. "We're about to announce the winners in about twenty minutes. After that, let's hang out," he confirmed.
"Cool, I'm going to try a few more samples until then," I managed, my pulse tapping faster than I wanted to admit.
"Sounds good," he replied, but his gaze skimmed over me like he was already counting those minutes down.
