Chapter Eight
J ordyn had liked Mason Walker well enough when she’d met him five days ago at the Candy Cane Fishing contest, but from the moment she arrived at the Terrible Tinsel Triathlon, Noel’s favorite cop stuck to her more than the candy cane syrup she’d just been doused in.
“The secret to winning the triathlon is to start off at a moderate pace, cut corners where you can, and save your last big surge of energy for the final few feet of the race.” Mason, hopping from one foot to the other beside her at the south end of Noel’s town square to warm up for the race, dragged a hand through his wet, sticky hair, then slung a handful of candy cane syrup onto the dormant grass. “Only thing,” he said, “is once you get to running, the syrup starts to melt all over you. It slides right into your eyes and ears. It’s enough to trip anybody up.”
“That’s okay,” Jordyn said, smiling. “I know a thing or two about racing. But I do have to admit, I’ve never raced anyone while covered in red candy cane syrup. Had I known a bucket of syrup was going to be dumped over my head, I would’ve brought a pair of goggles.”
She wiped her face as Mason had, then flicked a handful of candy cane syrup to the ground. Opening her eyes wide, she forced her sticky eyelids apart and surveyed the scene before them.
Noel’s Terrible Tinsel Triathlon was about to commence. As usual with each contest, a crowd of residents had gathered in the town square, some standing in line waiting for their turn to be doused with candy cane syrup for their run, others dumping the buckets of syrup over the participants, and a few standing by taking pictures, laughing at their friends’ and loved ones’ sticky discomfort. It was, indeed, a sight to behold.
Overnight, a fresh burst of frigid air had rolled over the little town, dusting Noel’s mountain peaks and valleys with a thin layer of snow. It made for a beautiful sight, but it also made the ground slick and slippery, which would pose an added challenge for participants.
“Are you familiar with the course?” Mason asked, shaking his hands by his sides and bouncing from one foot to the other as he continued warming up for his run.
Jordyn nodded. “Kandy gave me a rundown yesterday. From what she told me, we start over there.” She pointed at the starting line, which was marked with a line drawn through the snow several feet in front of them. “Then we take off across the town square, run its entire length, grab the gift box marked with our name that’s sitting on the other end, circle around and come back down the middle through the obstacle course. When we reach this end of the town square again, we have to wrap our gift box with one of the ribbons on the ground. The first one to finish beautifying their gift box wins.”
And boy, did she need to win this one!
So far, she hadn’t placed in any of the competitions she’d participated in, and according to Kandy, only the top three performers prior to the tree contest had a good chance of accumulating enough points to win the Christmas Crown. If Jordyn didn’t start accumulating points now, she was certain to be at the bottom of the scoreboard, and she’d lose every chance she had to win the Christmas Crown for Noel’s Nanas.
“Ms. Jordyn!”
Wiping away a fresh layer of syrup that had seeped over her eyelids, Jordyn glanced to her right, where Roxie was skipping across the town square toward her. “Hello there, Roxie!”
She craned her neck, glancing past Roxie to the sidelines, but Nate was nowhere to be found.
“Uncle Tucker told me you’d be running against him today.” Roxie’s eyes grew wide as she drew to a halt in front of Jordyn. “Boy, they really dumped a lot of syrup on you!”
Jordyn laughed. “Yeah, I think they did accidentally go a little bit overboard with me.”
Tucker, who’d been strolling leisurely behind Roxie, joined them. His hair, normally styled, was coated with syrup, as were his clothes and shoes. “Nah. That was a deliberate hazing. They always dump an extra bottle of syrup over the newbies.”
He nodded in Mason’s direction and the two men briefly greeted each other.
Jordyn gave Tucker the once-over. “Well, looks like somebody had it out for you today, too. You look like you’ve got more syrup on you than I do.”
He chuckled. “I probably do.” Leaning closer, he wrinkled his nose and whispered, “Seems I’ve upset a few of the ladies in town over the years and today is the perfect day for their revenge.” He rocked back on his heels and rubbed his slick hands together. “But the bigger challenge for us will be when they roll us in all that tinsel.”
He pointed at an array of multicolored tinsel that had been layered in high stacks along the edge of the town square. Several participants who’d already been doused in syrup had stretched out on the ground and volunteers were rolling them through the piles of tinsel and laughing uncontrollably.
Jordyn groaned. “Oh, I forgot about that.”
“That’s the best part,” Tucker said. “The syrup itself is hard enough to wash off but once the tinsel sticks to it, you’ll be pulling multicolored strings of plastic out of your ears for the next three weeks.” He laughed. “But if you win, it’s worth it.”
“Speaking of tinsel,” Mason said, nudging Jordyn’s arm. “The line for being rolled in it has shortened. Shall we take our turn?”
Jordyn waved a hand. “You go ahead, Mason. I’m going to visit with Roxie and Tucker for a minute.”
Disappointment flickered over Mason’s expression, but he quickly hid it with a smile. “No problem. I’ll see you at the starting line.”
Roxie frowned, then peered up at Jordyn. “Are you and Mr. Mason on the same team now?”
Jordyn shook her head. “Nope. I’m still competing on my own. He’s just being nice and showing me the ropes.”
Roxie smiled. “Well, even though you’re going to be running against my uncle Tucker, I hope you do good, Ms. Jordyn.”
Jordyn squatted on her haunches in front of Roxie. “You know, that’s really nice of you, Roxie.” She winked and tapped her cheek. “But they always say good luck is best served with a kiss on the cheek.”
“You mean . . .” Roxie eyed Jordyn’s sticky face and shuddered. “You want me to give you a good luck kiss on your cheek?”
Jordyn nodded.
“But . . .” Roxie made a face, her mouth twitching into a smile. “You’re all syrupy!”
Jordyn spread her arms out and growled. “That’s right! Come here, little girl!”
Jordyn, laughing maniacally, reached for her, but Roxie hopped out of reach, giggling. “No way! I’m not going to kiss you with all that syrup on you. Yuck!” Laughing, she added, “Good luck, Ms. Jordyn!”
With that, she dashed off, running across the field, weaving between people to join Nate, who now stood on the sidewalk outside the town square, watching her.
Standing slowly, Jordyn lifted her arm and waved hesitantly at Nate. He waved back and smiled, though even from this distance, she could tell the gesture was polite and restrained. But despite the guarded expression on his face as he met her eyes, he’d smiled. She’d take it.
After Tucker’s and Roxie’s visit to Chestnut Ridge two days ago, she’d thought over what Tucker had said about Nate, turning it over in her mind all afternoon. It had given her a bit of hope to think that Nate’s hesitancy to explore a relationship with her might be due to the pain he’d experienced in the past rather than a lack of interest in her.
She, of all people, knew how difficult it was to lose one’s sense of security in life and how comforting predictability could be. But she’d also had the advantage of experiencing firsthand on the rodeo circuit how rewarding risk could be. How life could hold surprises and enjoyment that she never would’ve imagined.
“He’s pining, you know?”
Jordyn broke eye contact with Nate and faced Tucker, his syrupy, lopsided grin making her smile. “He doesn’t look like he’s pining.”
“Oh, believe me,” Tucker said, wiping a handful of syrup from his mouth. “The man’s been acting morose ever since he turned your invitation down. And his eyes turned green and burned a hole in Mason Walker the entire time you sat with him at the Candy Cane Fishing contest.”
“Well, there’s no reason for him to be jealous. There’s absolutely nothing between me and Mason Walker. He’s a nice guy, but we’re just friends.”
Tucker shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. As a matter fact, speaking as a man, myself,” he said, placing a hand on his chest, “I have to admit that sometimes a little bit of jealousy is all it takes for a woman to get our attention.”
“That’s not how I’d like to get your brother’s attention though,” Jordyn said quietly. “I don’t like games, and I certainly wouldn’t like to play someone else.”
Tucker dipped his head. “Duly noted. Though in that regard, my brother and I are complete opposites. I’m the only one in the family that tends to play games.”
Jordyn winced. “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry if—”
“Don’t sweat it.” He held up a hand, waving off her concern. “I didn’t mean anything by it, either. But it was good to hear because Nate is just as straightforward and honest as you are.” He grinned. “Just another reason why I think the two of you would hit it off perfectly if he would just give dating a chance.” His brows rose. “You give any thought to what I told you the other day?”
Jordyn narrowed her eyes. “Maybe. But does Nate know you’ve been talking to me about him?”
Tucker guffawed. “Are you kidding me? If he had any clue that I was talking with you about this kind of thing, I’d be laid up in the hospital with broken limbs about now.”
Jordyn laughed. “So, Nate’s a private person then?”
“Very private.” Tucker glanced over her shoulder at Nate. “He barely opens up to me about his feelings.” His eyes returned to her face, a somber note in them. “That’s why, this time, I’m nudging a bit.” He flashed another wide grin. “But just a very little bit, mind you. One of you two has got to pick up the slack and do some work yourself; otherwise, there’s no way y’all will ever hook up. And I can tell you right now that it won’t be him that does the chasing. So put your racing shoes on and get after him, woman.”
Laughing, Jordyn saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
“And don’t think for a minute,” he said, holding up a finger, “that I’m going to take it easy on you in this race just because I’ve taken a shine to you as a potential date for my brother.” He scowled down at her. “I’m gonna wipe the floor with you, woman.”
Jordyn lifted her chin, growling back, “Give it your best shot, dude. I can take it.”
“Alright then,” he drawled, sauntering away. “It’s on!”
She watched him join the others at the tinsel station, then glanced at Nate once more before walking over and joining the tinsel line, too.
A little bit jealous, huh?
The last thing she wanted was to play games with Nate by using another man’s presence to make him jealous. But . . . she wouldn’t be averse to the idea of him noticing that other men might take an interest in her. Maybe then, he would start contemplating how he felt about her himself, and if Tucker was right—which she really hoped he was—Nate did harbor some affection for her.
A fluttering sensation moved through her chest at the thought and she quickly reminded herself that that’s all it was—just a thought. Nate, himself, had done nothing over the past three days to indicate that he had changed his mind about dating her. So for now, she’d do best to focus on the race, give it all she had, and try to cinch a win.
“Whoever’s next, please!” one of the volunteers at the head of the tinsel line shouted as she waved for the next participant to come lie down on the pile of tinsel.
Jordyn hurried over. “That’d be me!”
Ten minutes later, all the triathlon participants had been doused with syrup, rolled in tinsel and lined up at the starting line. Jordyn stood in the middle of the pack, with Tucker to her left and Mason to her right.
“Everyone ready?” Carol Belle, standing on stage in the center of town square, waited for the participants to indicate they were ready, then held up a whistle. “When you hear the whistle, take off. Run to the other end of the town square, retrieve the gift box with your name, race back through the obstacle course, and at the opposite end of the town square, tie the bow on your gift and declare you’re finished. All participants are being timed and the competitor with the fastest time wins. Ready, set . . .”
Carol Belle blew the whistle and at the sound, the line of participants shot off from the starting line and dashed across the snow-slicked ground toward the opposite end of the town square.
Jordyn ran as fast as she could, saying a silent word of thanks for her long legs, which enabled her to keep pace with Tucker and Mason. With each step, her skin warmed despite the chill in the air, and the red candy cane syrup began to melt, dripping over her face, clinging to her skin and making every move of her limbs a sticky challenge.
“You’re falling behind, cowgirl!” Tucker shouted as he pulled ahead a couple feet.
Jordyn laughed and lurched forward. “Only for a moment! Watch your back!”
Moments later, she surged ahead of the pack, reminding herself to keep her attention straight ahead and not look back to see if others were gaining on her.
When she reached the other end of the town square, she quickly found her gift box, spun around and headed straight for the obstacle course. She darted through a series of tires that had been lined up on the ground in pairs, sneezing twice when tinsel that clung to the syrup tickled her nose. Next, she climbed a short rock wall, straddled it and slid down the other side, slamming her feet onto the ground and dashing through the last stage of the obstacle course. Volunteers, holding jumbo holiday inflatables such as reindeer, Santa Claus, and gumdrops, battered her and the other contestants as they passed.
An inflatable candy cane smacked into Jordyn’s forehead, rocking her off balance momentarily, but she regained her footing, ducked under it and ran faster, mumbling under her breath, “Good grief, these people love their candy canes!”
As she reached the opposite end of the town square, still in the lead, the cheers from the bystanders grew louder and she could hear Roxie’s voice among the crowd shouting, “Go, Ms. Jordyn! Go!”
She glanced in Roxie’s direction, struggling to see her through a haze of red candy cane syrup and tinsel, then snatched up a length of ribbon from the ground, wrapped it around her gift box and did her best to tie it into a bow despite the goopy syrup and tangled tinsel tangling around her fingers.
Tucker slid past her on his hands and knees and struggled to halt his momentum by digging his heels into the ground. After gaining a firm footing, he crawled across the ground, retrieved a ribbon and began hastily tying it around his own gift box, shooting anxious glances in Jordyn’s direction as he worked.
Despite his valiant efforts, Jordyn managed to finish tying her bow moments before his and she took a moment to gloat, running in his direction, jumping over him and shouting, “In the dust, man! I’m leaving you in the dust!”
With that, she took off, sprinting the last few feet to the finish line, lifted her wrapped gift box into the air and did a little dance as the crowd cheered her on. Tucker crossed the finish line mere seconds after her, securing second place.
“First place, sucker!” Jordyn laughed, sticking her tongue out at Tucker. “I got first!”
Slamming her gift box on the ground like a football, she did another dance, laughing louder as the Nanas and bystanders clapped and shouted, cheering her on.
Jordyn tilted her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the raucous sound of approval emanating from Noel’s residents as they chanted her name, feeling—for the first time in her life—as though she fit right in.
Finally, a win!
“Feeling a bit left out?”
Nate, standing in front of the stage in the center of the town square, smiled at the sound of Kandy’s voice next to him.
“I don’t mean to break your solitude,” Kandy said, leaning closer to be heard above the cheers of the crowd. “But I thought you looked a bit lonesome over here.”
And, Nate admitted reluctantly to himself, he couldn’t argue.
At the conclusion of the triathlon thirty minutes ago, Nate stood on the sidelines and applauded with the crowd as Jordyn was cheered for her first-place win. Roxie had left Nate’s side to run across the field and congratulate Tucker on his second-place win (a position Nate knew must’ve hurt his pride). Roxie helped Tucker up from the ground then led him over to the hose-down area where other participants had lined up, raising their arms and laughing as volunteers sprayed them with warm water from several water hoses, washing away as much of the candy cane syrup and tinsel as possible then wrapped them in thick blankets to ward off the chill in the air. The job was undertaken mostly in vain as the candy cane syrup and tinsel were practically glued to each contestant and would require several scrubs of soap and water for complete removal.
Nate had laughed at the sight of the sweaty, sticky participants, but his enjoyment had faded as soon as Mason Walker, having finished third, jogged over to join Jordyn as she left the hosing-off station and walked to the stage for the award ceremony.
The uncomfortable churn in his gut that had first surfaced during the Candy Cane Fishing contest returned with a vengeance. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to focus on Roxie and Tucker instead, trying to smile as Roxie grabbed a hose and vigorously sprayed down his brother.
But that had been in vain, too. Despite his best efforts, his gaze continued to drift back to Jordyn and Mason, his teeth clenching tighter each time Mason made Jordyn laugh.
It wasn’t Mason’s fault. Nate had no right to be angry with Mason, seeing as how he’d turned down Jordyn’s invitation. But the fact was, any man who had the ability to make Jordyn tilt her head back, smile that beautiful smile of hers and laugh wholeheartedly, would make Nate’s blood boil.
And that realization shocked him. He’d never experienced such intense emotions for anyone whom he’d known such a short time. At this point, Nate had to admit that he’d felt something very intense for Jordyn from the outset.
He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he couldn’t deny Jordyn had a strong claim on his emotions.
“There’s room close to her, if you’re interested?”
Nate shook his head. “I’m sorry, what?”
Kandy gestured toward the front of the crowd, nearest the stage. “You can get a much better view of Jordyn receiving her award from the foot of the stage than you can from back here.” She rose to her toes, craned her neck and smiled. “Roxie’s muscled her way up to the front. She’s more excited than anyone, I think, to watch Jordyn receive her first-place ribbon.”
Despite the awkward tension coursing through him, Nate managed to smile. “I imagine so. But she’s up there to support Tucker, too.”
“Yes, but as a newcomer, Jordyn’s much more intriguing at the moment, don’t you think?”
Nate faced her then, searching her expression, his mouth twisting at the mischievous light in her eyes. “You know, Ms. Kandy, you Nanas are always up to something, but you act real subtle-like, as though you think the rest of us won’t catch on.” He narrowed his eyes. “I think I’d prefer it if you’d just come out and say whatever it is you’d like to say to me.”
Kandy at least had the good grace to look suitably chastised. “I know we Nanas are sticking our noses where we shouldn’t, but we have concerns.”
Nate lifted one eyebrow. “Which would be . . . ?”
“Jordyn hasn’t been here long and she hasn’t met many people,” Kandy said quietly. “But it seems she’s taken a liking to you.”
Nate faced the stage again, remaining silent.
“The other day,” Kandy continued, “she mentioned to us that she was going to talk to you about her interest in you. And judging by how down she’s been the past couple days, I’m thinking she had that conversation with you?”
Nate sighed. “I’m aware this is a very tiny town, Ms. Kandy, but I don’t see how my personal business is anyone else’s concern.”
“I agree,” she said. “And it shouldn’t be. But that kiss Jordyn put on your cheek the other day was witnessed by quite a lot of people, and word of it has made its way around town. I care about Jordyn—so do the rest of the girls—and we’re doing everything we can to help her settle comfortably in Noel. That would be quite a lot harder to do if someone were to break her heart right off the bat.”
Nate watched Jordyn take her place, center stage, and smile as Tucker and Mason joined her, one man standing on either side of her. Holly announced each winner, starting with Mason and ending with Jordyn, pinning a ribbon on her syrup-stained sweater beneath the thick blanket that was wrapped around her. Jordyn, beaming, lifted her chin and grinned wide as the crowd chanted her name.
“Jordyn is a good person,” Nate said softly. “And I’m glad she’s my neighbor. I have absolutely no intention of making things difficult for her or misleading her in any way.”
Kandy tapped her lips with one finger, issuing a soft sound of discomfort. “Well, see, that’s why I wonder if you were completely truthful with her during your talk the other day.”
Nate frowned. “I’m not sure I follow?”
“What I mean is,” she said, “from what Jordyn told us, you made it rather clear that you aren’t interested in pursuing a potential relationship with her. But for someone who supposedly isn’t interested, I’ve noticed you keep quite a lot of your attention on her.”
Nate knew better than to give Kandy any more ammunition, so he remained quiet.
“I’m not trying to pry,” Kandy said. “And this will be the only time I say this to you. Carol Belle, Eve, and I have known you all your life, Nate. I know you went through a very difficult time losing Macy. Carol Belle and I have suffered the loss of a spouse and know just how painful the experience can be. Life can be terribly cruel—especially when it steals those we love from us. I understand your throwing yourself into this Christmas competition since it was Macy’s favorite time of year, but I don’t think you enjoy it. To be honest, that’s one of the main reasons Carol Belle has tried her best to get you to bow out of the Christmas competition this year.”
Nate looked at her in surprise. “But I thought she wanted to increase participation and—”
“Yes.” She smiled gently. “That’s exactly what Carol Belle would like you to think—that she just doesn’t want you to win the Christmas Crown for the tenth year in a row. The truth is, she’s spoken to us on many occasions about how seriously you take the contest and the holidays. She’s afraid you may be participating for the wrong reasons. We all do.”
Nate scoffed. “How could anybody participate in a Christmas competition for the wrong reasons? I didn’t realize having fun wasn’t a good reason.”
“Oh, it is. But are you having fun, Nate?”
Her question, blunt and unexpected, caught him off guard . . . almost as much as the realization that he didn’t exactly have a firm answer.
He ducked his head and avoided her eyes.
“I think participating in the Christmas competition has become a period of mourning for you rather than joy,” she whispered. “Winning the Christmas Crown in honor of Macy’s memory is a very valiant and loving thing to do. But devoting the entire year, every year of your life, to her memory may be depriving you of a new life.” She looked at the stage, smiling as her gaze settled on Jordyn. “A new life with new people who might bring more joy to you than you realize.”
Nate followed her gaze, focusing on Jordyn as well. She bowed in tandem with Tucker and Mason, then high-fived both of them, all three laughing.
An ache unfurled in his chest and seeped into his veins, making him long to celebrate with her. To smile and laugh with her. To be a part of the cheerful moment.
“Life can be scary and painful,” Kandy said quietly next to him. “But I’m beginning to believe that the unexpected gifts it gives us along the way, especially when we’re not looking for them . . .” She sighed contentedly, her gaze straying toward someone in the crowd. “Might make it worth it in the end.”
Kandy turned then and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Nate standing alone among the cheerful bystanders. He remained motionless for several minutes, watching Roxie climb up onto the stage, wiggle her way in between Jordyn and Tucker, grab their hands and smile, and for the first time in all the years he’d participated in the Christmas competition, he felt as though he were on the outside, looking in.