Chapter 28 #3
“Well…” Madi already sounds too cheery for my liking.
“Town fair is where we showcase the new town sweetheart,” Pops says with an irritating whistle to his words.
“You…showcase the town sweetheart.” I glare at each person in the room, understanding dawning and not liking it one bit. “How does Happiness showcase their sweetheart?”
“This has disaster written all over it.” Savvy groans again. She’s picking at the quiche Madi made, but I’m the only one paying attention.
Braxton chuckles, and Cian purposefully stares at a blank spot on the ceiling while swaying with Keela fast asleep on his shoulder and attempting not to laugh.
I linger on the serenity of the sleeping baby for a moment.
“She’s a night owl,” Elle says, catching me staring. “Her internal clock is all screwed up.”
“Showcasing the sweetheart is a time-honored tradition.” How the hell is Madi so damn chipper?
“Madi.” The warning in my tone hits a brick wall. “How do you showcase sweethearts?”
“You’re not going to like this.” Cian chuckles, a full, belly-shaking laugh that has Keela stirring, but nothing seems to wake her.
How I long to sleep with the security of a baby surrounded by love.
“Explain,” I demand, forcing my gaze away from the tiny ball of pink once again.
“Well.” Elle stands and begins talking with her hands. “It starts with naming the most eligible bachelor. Then it’s the Sweetheart Crowning Ceremony.”
“Most eligible bachelor,” I scoff. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope,” Elle laughs. “And he has to put his best foot forward to win that title, and then the rest of the weekend, other bachelors have the opportunity to—”
“To what?” I interrupt when my hand fists my mug so tightly, I’m afraid it will crack.
Pops loses his shit, and I’m certain he’ll be on the floor, rolling around in laughter at my expense soon.
“The other bachelors have the opportunity to woo her away.” Cian’s laughter gets the better of him, and he swipes at his eyes, then hands Keela over to Braxton.
“The entire weekend is dedicated to Savvy?” Is that pride in my tone?
“Sort of,” Madi says. “She’s more like the face of the festival. In reality, everyone is showing off for everyone else—like the last hurrah of the summer.”
“In the old days, it was a way to arrange proper marriages,” Pops says.
Fucking perfect.
“But times change,” Madi says. “We’re not dealing in dowries anymore.
Now, a bachelor or bachelorette might compete in one of the challenges, but they could be showing off for the sweetheart, someone in the crowd, or just to win the prize.
But the vibe of the fair is really all about love.
Finding it, spreading it, experiencing it. ”
My heart gallops in my chest. All I heard was competition—no one is competing for my girl but me. “What sort of challenges?”
“My favorite is Cupid cowboy.” Pops hoots with laughter, and I’m already regretting this particular life choice. “All the bachelors in town line up for shirtless line dancing. You should see how it makes all the ladies swoon. That’s how I got my Maisie, you know?”
“You’ve been doing this shit for that long?”
“Next year will be the 175th anniversary,” Moose says proudly.
“Shirtless line dancing. Shoot me now. Isn’t that…sexist or something?”
“We don’t make anyone disrobe. It just…happens sometimes when the competition gets fierce.” Clover giggles.
“Fine. What else?”
“There will be a Savvy trivia time,” Madi says. “You know, like how well do you know Savvy?”
I stare straight through Miss Monroe. “Easy.” My confidence in this challenge isn’t inflated. I doubt anyone knows her as well as I do.
“Remember, Savvy’s just the face. Everyone’s in it for the prizes or bragging rights.” Madi pats Keela’s back and then takes her from Braxton.
They keep passing her around the room, but I’m not even itching to hold her. My mind is completely filled with thoughts of Monroe.
“Then there’s the bachelor bake-off,” Elle says, calling my attention back to this small-town rite of passage. “How are your baking skills, Grey?”
“Fine,” I mutter.
“Oh,” Clover chirps in. “Don’t forget the matchmaker mamas, where all the mamas get to showcase their boys, but that’s really more for the younger generations. Oh, who wants to woo—game-show style is a fun one.”
“My favorite is the build-a-date,” Elle says. “You have to build something that would showcase Savvy’s perfect date out of whatever supplies they have in the booth at the time of the competition.”
“Chili for charity is my personal favorite. Won that one six years running,” Moose says.
Sorry, old man. I might like you more than most, but you’re going down.
“Lots of competitions, got it. What are the prizes for each of these idiotic games?” I shouldn’t have used the word idiotic. As soon as it leaves my mouth, I see hurt flash on all the ladies’ faces.
Why am I such an asshole sometimes?
“Each competition wins time with Savvy,” Braxton blurts, and I narrow my eyes.
“Wait. Madi was a sweetheart. Did you have to do all this stuff?”
Madi’s cheeks flush crimson.
“It happened before I arrived,” Brax says bitterly.
“What kind of time do they win with her?” I ask.
“Dates, events, that kind of thing. The person who wins can either take Savvy, or they can excuse themselves from the running and use the prize with someone else.”
“Does that happen often?”
I didn’t think it was possible, but Madi’s cheeks glow even hotter. “Not usually.”
“So you’re telling me, my fiancée could potentially go on multiple dates with multiple assholes?”
Savvy sighs heavily. “It’s not like this is re—”
Spinning on her, I lower my voice to an octave I’m not sure should exist in human nature. “Finish that sentence, and I’ll show you just how real we are, Monroe.”
“Okay, okay,” Moose says, clapping his hands. “Everyone, calm down. It’s really very simple, Grey. If you don’t want to share, then you’re forced to win.”
“Simple?” I scoff. I’ve never line danced a day in my life. But something tells me I’m about to throw my whole back into it because no one’s going to steal time with my girl.
The first thing on my list is ensuring that I’m named the most eligible bachelor of Happiness. Here’s to hoping I can write a check for it.