Page 73 of Broken on the Mountain
"It's calledblasphemy!"
I watch them disappear behind a tent. "Okay. What on earth is all of this?"
"Have you ever cooked chili before?" Chase asks, all casual innocence.
I turn to stare at him. "I've never eveneatenchili."
His eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously?"
"Serious. Mom considers it pedestrian cuisine." I make air quotes, then narrow my eyes at his expression. "Why are you asking me this?"
Chase kills the engine, that grin returning full force. "Well, Betty's expecting big things from you today." He gestures toward the chaos outside. "Welcome to Stone River Mountain's Annual Chili Cook-Off."
My brain explodes. "Thewhat?"
"Chili. Cook-Off." He enunciates each word like I'm hard of hearing. "It's tradition. Everyone competes. There are categories—Classic, Spicy, Vegetarian, Wild Card. Betty's been talking about entering you all week, so I gave in and signed you up."
"But I—I can't—I don't even know what goesinchili!"
"Meat. Peppers. Bad attitude." He shrugs like it's the simplest thing in the world. "You'll figure it out."
Through the window, I spot Etta and Mabel setting up a judging table, both wearing sashes that readOFFICIAL TASTE TESTERS. Officer Sam Cooper struggles past with a crate of tomatoes. Knox and Travis appear to be having a heated argument over a bag of spices before they notice Chase's truck and wave us over.
This town. This ridiculous, wonderful, completely insane town.
I look at Chase, at his warm hazel eyes and infectious smile, at the way he's watching me like my reaction is the best entertainment he's had all week.
"I'm going to beterribleat this," I tell him.
"I know." He leans across and kisses my cheek softly. "That's what makes it fun."
Chase rounds the truck and opens my door, extending his hand like I'm stepping onto a red carpet instead of cracked asphalt.
I take it, letting him pull me down. My suitcase stays abandoned in the truck bed as Betty sees me across the parking lot.
She beams and starts waving me over with flour-dusted enthusiasm, more joy and happiness to see me than I've ever received from my own mother on her face.
Charlie's escaped her wrath and is grinning behind a tent flap, holding his arm up in a casual wave. Knox holds up a suspiciously large bottle of hot sauce, and Travis is already shouting something about team strategy.
Chase's hand finds the small of my back, warm and steady as we move towards the chaos.
Standing here in my thousand-dollar jeans and my mud-streaked teal hiking boots, about to make an absolute fool of myself cooking something I've never even tasted, surrounded by people who genuinely want me here…
Chase is right. Thisishome.
And perhaps, after next weekend, I'll never have to leave again.
Chapter Fifteen
Chase
I writeTeam Morrison/Whitmanon the entry board in bold letters and step back to admire the handiwork.
Piper appears beside me, clutching the hot chocolate Betty shoved into her hands thirty seconds ago. Whipped cream towers above the rim like a snow-capped mountain, dusted with cinnamon and drizzled with caramel that pools at the edges.
"Aw, look at you being all cute. You wrote our names together," she says softly, staring at the board.
I lean close enough that only she can hear. "Feels right, doesn't it?"
