THE NIGHT ETHAN COLE FINALLY FELT AT HOME
Chapter 6
Around eleven, the barbecue contest began.
Walter had entered Ethan without telling him.
Ethan stared at the registration table.
“You did what?”
Walter grinned.
“Relax.”
“I don’t know how to barbecue competitively.”
“You know how to cook.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“Close enough.”
The competition had six teams.
One was a local restaurant.
One was a retired firefighter.
One was a family that had supposedly won four years in a row.
Walter and Ethan were the only two who looked completely unprepared.
The whistle blew.
Everyone began cooking.
Walter panicked.
“Where’s the sauce?”
“You were supposed to bring it.”
“I thought you had it.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You invited me.”
“Exactly.”
Ethan looked at the ingredients.
He took a breath.
“Fine.”
He started cooking.
He relied on instinct.
Salt.
Pepper.
Garlic.
A little brown sugar.
Smoke.
Heat.
Time.
Walter watched.
“You know what you’re doing.”
“No.”
“You look like you do.”
“I’m pretending.”
“Good.”
They laughed.
The smell began drawing people toward their table.
Even the competing teams started looking over.
When the judges arrived, Ethan handed them the plates.
They tasted.
The first judge nodded.
The second took another bite.
The third looked at Walter.
“Who cooked this?”
Walter pointed at Ethan.
The judge smiled.
“Good work.”
Ethan looked at Walter.
Walter whispered:
“We’re winning.”
They didn’t.
They came second.
Walter complained for twenty minutes.
Ethan laughed for twenty-five.
