Chapter 4

Back in the kitchen, the meat sizzled in the pot. Kayla threw in the onions and garlic and stirred vigorously. Reese opened the two cans of tomatoes and added that to the mixture.

Right then, Andres called out from the doorway, “Spice Delivery Service!”

Kayla went to greet him. “Awesome. You’re a life saver. And we’re just at the point of adding the spices.”

Andres sat at the little breakfast table in the kitchen. Reese nodded at him and went back to stirring.

Andres whispered to Kayla, “So is this the ‘Texas thingy’?”

Kayla laughed. “Yes, and I have high hopes. Pass me that cumin and we’ll add it in.”

She did so, along with oregano and chili powder. She would save the hot sauce and salt for later after the whole thing simmered a while. Kayla’s mother had always added a small dollop of Karo syrup, but Reese didn’t like to mix sweet and savory, so Kayla was debating about it.