Page 51 of The Lyrics of Love

“My sister had childhood cancer,” Carter said. “She was only two. I wasn’t born for another two years, so I only know what I’ve heard through my mom.”

“Did she make it?” he asked quietly.

“She did. Lives in San Francisco now and has two little boys, six and almost ten. But because of her leukemia, my mom started donating time and money to the American Leukemia Society. Later, she moved her efforts to Make-A-Wish after one of her students passed away from a brain tumor. The little girl had always wanted to see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland, and Make-A-Wish made that happen. Ever since then, I’ve also tried to support the organization.”

“Then we’ll talk it up, maybe while we’re waiting for those enchiladas to bake. Are we ready to start?”

Tenley stepped forward, handing Nash a folded apron. He opened it. “Hey, it’s got my name across the front! That’s pretty cool.”

“Willow designed it. I thought it would be nice if viewers saw your name. I had her do one for Carter, too.” She handed her husband his. “Put these on. I’ll tie them in back for you.”

“I’m moving up in the world,” Carter quipped. “I’ve never used an apron before. The next thing you know, Tenley will have me in a chef’s hat. I may have to draw the line at that. Ready to get started?”

“Sure,” Nash said, allowing Tenley to tie the apron’s strings behind him before she moved on to her husband’s.

“Tenley usually doesn’t talk. Sometimes, though, I mention her as we shoot. Remember, we’re just having a conversation about cooking. But we can talk about other things, as well.”

“I’ve always been a go-with-the-flow type,” Nash revealed. “That should do me fine as we film.”

“Ready when you are, babe,” Carter said, smiling at his wife.

She held up her phone and nodded.

“Hi, Carter Clark here. Welcome to another episode of A Fireman’s Guide to Surviving in the Kitchen. Today, I have a friend along for the ride. He’s a bit of a novice, just learning how to cook. Say hello to Nash Edwards.”

Nash felt right at home as Tenley filmed them. It was the same as being on a stage and performing, merely in a different format.

“Hey, Carter. Thanks for letting me stop by today. I’ve had a bit of a rough year, and watching your vlog encouraged me to try my hand at cooking. So far, I’ve mastered meatloaf and pork chops, but I miss some of the foods I grew up with in Texas. Namely, enchiladas.”

“Nash told me he’s from East Texas. Texas is home to Tex-Mex foods, everything from queso to margaritas and everything in between. Tortillas can be stuffed with beef, chicken, or seafood. Even spinach and a whole lotta cheese.”

“The more cheese, the better,” he said, playing off Carter.

“Well, we’re going to do one you one better, Nash. We’re going to make a hearty chicken tortilla soup that’s simple and some shrimp enchiladas. Ready to get started?”

“I was born ready. Especially if we get to eat what we make when this is finished.”

Carter laughed easily. “We can do that. Or we can box it up and let you take it home with you. In case you might want to have company for dinner.”

This guy was good.

“As a matter of fact, I have dinner plans with my lady. Instead of ordering takeout, I think she’ll be impressed if she knows I made dinner for her.” He paused. “Or at least if I helped make it.”

“I’ll have you do most of the work, Nash. I’m going to play supervisor today. We’re going to start with the soup first. That way it can be simmering while we make and bake our enchiladas. I find letting a soup simmer a while helps the flavors blend. And I always like a homemade soup or stew better the second day, after those flavors have really sat and made friends with one another.”

“Same here. I don’t get take advantage of that very often because I’m on the road quite a bit. But I’m taking some time off from touring. Writing some new songs.”

“Maybe next time I can talk you into bringing your guitar and playing one for us.”

“Will do.”

Carter got down to business. “My viewers know I’m all about making things easy. In the old days, cooks would debone a hen and boil it before they put it into dishes they made. That takes way too much time, especially if you have a Costco nearby.” He went to the freezer behind him and removed two bags of frozen chicken. “You can go one of two ways with this tortilla soup recipe. The first is diced chicken breasts. Two pounds. The other route, for a bit more of a kick, is the same two pounds of fajita strips. They’re already seasoned and will add a bit more flavor to your soup. Your choice, Nash.”

“Let’s go with the fajita strips,” he said, claiming the bag and opening it, while Carter returned the other bag to the freezer.

“Dump them into that large microwave dish,” Carter said. “If you go with the diced chicken, you’ll cook it according to the package and drain. With the strips, you’ll microwave them, drain, and then have to dice on your own into bite-sized pieces for this soup.”

He poured the fajita strips into the dish, covering it as Carter instructed and placing it in the microwave to cook.

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