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“You’re funny. Try me.” Tyler snorted. “I dare you. Please. I’ve eaten mud, my friend, and cardboard. I’ve eaten salty jockstraps.” He squeezed Josh’s shoulder and sauntered away before Josh realized what he’d said.

He meant jockstraps on the field. Right? That was a metaphor, right? Josh wiped sweat from his face, trying not to think about Tyler in a jockstrap.

While Tyler went to claim a large rock under a stand of yucca trees, Josh stepped up to the counter and ordered a real mix: venison, quail, trout, even alligator. At least the crowd had calmed down some once the hometown heartthrob removed himself from the fray.

“This is perfect.” Josh returned to Tyler with a tray piled high with steaming tamales. “You better be famished. I’m counting on you, superstar.”

Tyler’s eyes widened in amazement, and his grin grew even wider. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about this place!” he exclaimed as they dug in.

Josh started with the quail, the rich, smoky flavor dancing on his tongue. Tyler’s favorites turned out to be the venison and the alligator, of all things, although that might have been because Josh only left him one quail to try.

Tyler tried to look offended. “You’re not even sorry.”

Josh shook his head, chewing. “Not even a little.”

“This is how you do me.” Tyler pressed his hands to his heart.

“Have to come back, I guess.”

Tyler patted his stomach. “You’ve got a deal, my man.”

After they finished their meal, they tossed the garbage.

“Thank you for spending so much time with me today, Josh,” Tyler said sincerely. “I can’t remember the last time I just goofed off like this.”

“Hey, no problem,” Josh replied, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’m having a blast.”

A pretty server from the tamale stand approached them. “Mr. Fantana, is it okay if I ask for an autograph?”

“After that meal?” Tyler didn’t flinch. “Of course. Your food is phenomenal.”

“My mother’s. Would you tell her that yourself? She’d just die.”

“Well, hopefully not that.” Tyler looked up at her. “What would you like me to sign?”

She held up a paper plate and a sharpie. “This is all I could find.”

“Works for me.” Tyler grinned and scrawled his jagged autograph on the plate. “Now where’s your amazingly talented mama?”

She quietly led them back to the food truck and then took Tyler in the side door.

Josh shook his head at them. “I’ll wait here.”

From inside there was a muffled squeal and then a gabble of voices. He couldn’t hear what Tyler was saying, but even without words, his exuberance and affection were completely audible. It sounded like Tyler was speaking Spanish.

A couple of moments later Tyler’s dark head popped out.

Josh grinned. “Well, you just made her day.”

“Are you kidding? She just made mine. Those tamales were next level.” He opened his arms like he wanted to hug the whole food truck. “Phenomenal. How did I not know about this place?”

“They’ve been here twenty-nine years. What she didn’t tell you was that her mother learned to cook from her mother.” Josh sighed happily. “I used to bring anyone I could drag out to Ocotillo. Nadia’s been a bunch of times.”

“Not with me.” Tyler pretended to be offended. “Which means there is going to be hell to pay when I get home.”

Josh laughed. “Be nice. I could have brought you in high school, but we weren’t friends back then.”

“All my fault.” Tyler draped one huge arm around his neck and tugged him close in a bro hug. “See? If I’d have known you all this time, I’d be a much happier man. Goes to show what happens when you don’t act right.”