Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Rose was half-expecting to get an apology text from Nick, blowing off the hunt, or even to get stood up altogether.
It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t have a dozen better, sexier invitations than traipsing around town with her.
But there he was, waiting in the square that evening in his thick winter coat, stamping slightly to keep his feet warm in the chill.
“You made it,” she said, trying to ignore the way her pulse hitched, seeing him standing there in the dusk light.
“Of course I did.” Nick smiled back.“And I brought supplies,” he said, holding up a slim satchel and showing off the contents. “Paper and pens, obviously, for figuring out the clues. Chocolate-covered pretzels, for keeping our blood sugar up. A compass… Duct tape…”
“Tape?” Rose asked, her eyebrows shooting up. “What are you planning to do out there in the woods, exactly?”
Nick grinned. “No clue, but you Americans seem to love the stuff. Every time I stop by the hardware store with a problem, Hank just says, ‘Have you tried duct tape?’ So I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
Rose laughed, relaxing. Nick was the same as ever: charming and light-hearted. She was the only one feeling an inconvenient jolt of adrenaline every time he appeared, but that was just a lingering aftereffect of the kiss. It would fade soon enough.
Right?
“Welcome to the fifty-eighth annual Sweetbriar Starbright Scavenger Hunt!” Aunt June called out from the front steps of the Town Hall, where she was stationed with Debra and Franny, all bundled up in coats and scarves, with a matching mischievous look in their eyes.
Nick must have noticed it too, because he lowered his voice and murmured, “Double double, toil and trouble…”
“Shh,” Rose whispered, hiding a laugh. A small crowd had gathered, and she waved to her friends and familiar faces as June continued explaining the rules.
“The game will take place over three nights. Each team will get a clue from us that will set them on their journey. Solve the clues and claim the prizes.”
“Whichever team has the most prize points by the end of the contest will win,” Franny continued.
“Win what?” A voice called impatiently from the crowd. Rose turned. It was Scott, standing with Becca, sizing up the competition.
“Geez,” Nick smirked beside her. “Someone tell him this isn’t Squid Game.”
“You mean, besides the glory and a fetching trophy?” Franny was saying. “You’ll see.”
“But the glory should be prize enough,” June added. “Why, all ten of our illustrious mayors have proven their mettle by winning the title. So, without further ado… Come get your first clues!”
Her timing was impeccable. The bells from the church began to ring out on the hour, and there was a mad stampede for the table as everybody grabbed the first envelope.
Rose barely got halfway there before Nick ducked nimbly through the scrum and returned, waving the paper aloft.
“Got it!” he crowed, ripping open the envelope.
They stepped back, away from the others, and Rose eagerly scanned the printed clue.
‘Like our hero, you have nothing to sow/ But out of these humble beginnings, your great adventure will grow.’
Nick looked amused. “You guys have any massive trees around here?”
“What do you mean?”
“A great adventure… That’s Jack and the Bean Stalk,” he said, and she gasped in recognition.
“Yes, that’s it. They performed it as the elementary school play this year, I helped out with all the fake foliage.”
“Beans.” Nick said, grasping it immediately. “Those are the beginning of the adventure. We need beans!”
“But which ones?” she asked. “Seeds, or edible?”
“Split up,” Nick said, already backing away. “I’ll take Hank’s, you hit the grocery store. Go!”
He set off, racing across the square, and Rose could see, the other teams had the same idea. She quickly joined the stampede towards the market, glad she’d worn her most comfortable winter boots as her feet pounded the sidewalk, caught up in the excitement.
This was fun.
“Excuse me…” she heard Becca asking a clerk as they all rushed into the store. “Where can I find—”
Rose raced on. Ha! Being a local had its advantages, like knowing the random shelving system in the market, which put nuts and grains out near the front register, but buried legumes all the way in the back.
She found the right shelf, and got down on her hands and knees to find—
There!
Rose spotted a cluster of envelopes tucked away at the very back. She took one, then quickly got to her feet again, hiding it in her coat.
“Hmm, I wonder where they are…” she said loudly, for the sake of the other contestants. Ultra-casual, she strolled back to the door. “This must have been the wrong place,” she added loudly, slipping outside.
She found Nick emerging from Hank’s hardware store empty-handed.
“Well?” he asked hopefully. She gave him a secret nod and gestured away from the crowd.
All around them, people were still puzzling over the first clue.
Some contestants were even searching in the community garden, even though its foliage was buried under snow.
“I got it!” she whispered in triumph, once they were out of earshot. She produced the next envelope, and Nick gave a muffled whoop. He eagerly ripped it open.
‘Your quest will cover wild terrain, dangerous rivers and such/ Go where my soft mounds cling to the touch.’
“Soft mounds…” Nick smirked. “First of all, I thought this was a family event. And second, where is that? There aren’t and hills or mountains around here.”
Rose thought for a moment, then burst out laughing. This clue had Aunt June written all over it. “I know where it is!” she said, and grabbed Nick’s arm. “Come on.”
She pulled him across the square to where her florist truck was parked. “Now, wait a moment,” Nick said, surveying the beat-up van. “If we’re going to do this, let’s do it in style. I’ll drive.” He pulled out his keys, and there was an answering chirp from a sleek sports car parked nearby.
“Fine!” Rose said, in too much of a hurry to argue. “Let’s just get there quickly before the others beat us to it!”
Already, other teams were racing to their vehicles and peeling out of there. Alice and Jackson even roared past on the back of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “Go, go!”
They climbed into the car, and Nick started the ignition. “Go where, exactly?”
“The bakery on Blackberry Lane,” Rose said. “Soft mounds clinging to the touch? That’s Summer’s famous sticky buns.”
Nick chuckled. “This town.”
They set off, driving the winding country lanes in record time and comfort.
Rose had to admit, Nick’s car was a luxurious treat compared to her rattling transmission.
And were those…? Yup. Heated seats. She was almost regretful when they pulled up outside the bakery, just moments behind Alice and Jackson.
“Great minds think alike!” she exclaimed to them, racing into the shop while Nick kept the engine running. Summer was waiting behind the counter, with a row of steaming hot cocoas and another sheaf of envelopes.
“Good luck!” she beamed, handing them a bun for the road.
Rose grabbed the supplies and raced back out to Nick. “Clue number three!” she announced, handing him a cocoa. “Plus, snacks for the road.”
“I’m liking their style.” Nick took a bite.
Rose ripped open the envelope and read the next message aloud. ‘Winning isn’t for everyone, as you’ll discover very soon/But for those with a spark of inspiration, you’ll find your prize on the dark side of the moon.’
She paused, stumped. “Could it be a telescope, or observatory lookout? But the closest one is in Woods Hole, that’s hours away.”
“Let me see…” Nick pulled out one of his maps, searching the tiny print. Outside the car, more competitors were racing into the shop—and then out again with their clues. She saw Scott and Becca lingering inside, clearly arguing, and felt a new burst of determination.
“Dark side of the moon…” she repeated, mind racing. “An old music reference, maybe? Pink Floyd—"
“Could it be Black Bottom Pond?” Nick asked, looking up from the map.
She gasped. “Yes, that’s it!” Rose threw her arms around his neck without thinking.
Nick jolted back in surprise, nearly spilling their drinks. He cleared his throat. “We better get moving.”
They drove off, and Rose was glad of the dim light, hiding her flushed cheeks. Did he think she was throwing herself at him—again?
“Wait,” she said, recognizing the winding road. “I know a shortcut. We can cut through the woods and beat everyone taking the long way around. Take the turn, just up ahead on the right.”
“Here?” Nick slowed the car, looking dubious. It wasn’t even a road, just a dirt track leading into the pitch-black woods.
Rose nodded confidently. “It goes straight there,” she said. “We walk it all the time in summer.”
“OK then.” Nick made the turn, slowing as they bumped and rolled along the track. It took them straight through the woods, and soon, the lights of the town were completely blocked by the dark trees all around them, Nick’s headlights casting shadows through the gloom.
“Do you think we’ll beat them?” Rose asked hopefully.
Nick glanced over. “Your ex and his new squeeze? We better. He doesn’t know about any of these shortcuts, does he?”
She shook her head, pleased. “But he does tend to get carried away with competition. Even a simple game of Monopoly turns into an event.”
“Well, as much as I hate to agree with the man, I’m with him on that,” Nick cracked a smile. “Board games are serious business.”
She laughed. “Not you, too!”
Nick grinned. “It’s in our blood. We can’t go slay beasts or duel to the death anymore, but by word, we can put a streak of little hotel thingies on Broadway.”
The car jolted on the uneven track, and Nick slowed to a crawl.
“Why are you slowing down?” Rose asked. “We want to win this thing!”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you about the hare and the tortoise?” Nick shot back, squinting ahead of them. “It looks awfully muddy out there…”