Chapter Thirty
T he winter games kicked off with the goofiest race Wren had ever seen—grown men sledding down hills and tapping their partners in, only for those fools to slip into blow-up Rudolph costumes and race to the finish line in order to build a snowman.
All she could do was shake her head.
The crowd seemed to enjoy it, though, as all of Mistletoe was lined up along the route of the race, cheering on their favorite contestants.
At the center of Mistletoe Park where the games were being held, three large tents had been erected. Inside were different activities, including chainsaw ice sculpting, Christmas dessert contests, and of course the pie throwing. Wren planned on stopping by during Sam’s shift as moral support.
After the race and a break for lunch, there would be a hockey game on the ice-skating rink. Then everyone would leave to get ready for the Christmas concert. It was the final event in a long Christmas season, and Wren was happy that she’d be here for it, even if she was technically working the event.
Wren saw Sam leaning against the fence, talking to his brother, Holly, and Merry. Wren approached them nervously. Although Clark had been an adorable kid, she hadn’t paid him a lot of attention when she’d dated Sam in high school. As for Merry and Holly, they were sweet, but she’d heard the rumors about Sam and Holly, before she’d started dating Declan Gallagher.
Wren heard Millie calling her name and turned around, searching for her. Millie was walking away from a tall, fit man in a backward hat and glasses. Wren was positive it was Matt, the dreamy physical education teacher, but she waited for Millie to catch up before she asked.
“Hey, sunshine,” Wren said, nodding to Backward Hat. “Was that Matt?”
“Yes, he’s playing in the hockey game this afternoon and asked if I was going to come watch.”
“And you said of course you were?” Wren asked.
“I did say I would stop by.”
“Oh, very good. Noncommittal, letting him know who is in control.”
Millie rolled her eyes. “Oh, right. How about you?” She glanced over to where Sam stood with his friends. “Why are you hanging over here instead of going to say hi to Sam?”
“Sam? Oh, I didn’t even see him there. He looks busy, so I’ll wait.”
Millie crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s up? Are you scared of hanging out with Sam’s friends? Merry and Holly Winters are super nice.”
“I’m sure they are, but I’ve also given them tickets for jaywalking—multiple times—so I doubt they will be excited to see me.”
“That’s your job, though. If they don’t like you, then screw them.” Millie linked her arm with Wren’s. “Come on, I’ll go over there with you. If anyone gives us any attitude, I’ll throw something at them.”
Wren laughed, letting her friend drag her over to see Sam. When he spotted her, his face split into a wide grin, a pair of dark glasses covering his fantastic eyes.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, leaning over to give her a kiss. “How is protecting and serving going?”
“It’s going,” Wren said.
“It’s Millie, right?” Sam said, holding out his hand. “I remember you from high school, but it just took me a minute.”
“Glad you convinced this one to give you another chance, Sam,” Millie said, ignoring Wren’s dark look.
“We were just talking about the games. Apparently, Anthony and Pike got themselves into a tight jam over this afternoon’s hockey game. They bet the opposing team a pair of snowmobiles for their boat?”
“So stupid,” Merry muttered.
Holly shrugged. “Maybe so, but I can’t stand Brody and Trip, so I hope Pike and Anthony kick their rears.”
Wren felt Sam’s hand clasp hers, and she blushed, loving the warmth of his touch.
“Speaking of activities,” he said, hugging her, “I have to get back for my stint in the pie-throwing ring.”
“I’ll be sure to come by and check it out,” she said.
Sam covered his heart with his hand. “Don’t tell me that you’re gonna throw a pie at me.”
“Is there a reason why I should throw one at you?” she asked, rubbing her hand against his chest.
“You should never throw anything at me. I’m your boyfriend.”
Wren cocked her head to the side, teasing, “I thought I read somewhere that throwing things at your boyfriend is a rite of passage?”
“You should be kind to me,” Sam pouted. “I think I’m going to really get it today.”
“We’ll see,” Wren said, giving him a kiss. “I’ll come by in a bit.”
“Alright, I love you,” Sam said, jogging backward away from her. Wren thought that she would never get tired of hearing him say that.
“I love you, too,” she said.
Sam sat in the chair in the pie-throwing area for what felt like hours. He was covered with everything from pumpkin to chocolate, and his hair was a mess of different textures. Thankfully, a sweet young woman with a wet towel came to him in between pies and wiped his face. His neck felt a bit crusty, though, and he couldn’t wait to get out of there and take a shower. He’d had a coughing fit earlier when someone chucked a pie at him and he’d gotten globs of filling up his nose.
Although most of the women had left smiling after chucking a pie at him, there were a few who hadn’t seemed at all appeased. Finally, there had been a lull in people looking to hit him with pies, and thankfully, he only had about fifteen minutes left in his shift.
The Winters clan stopped at the gate of the pie-throwing booth, various stages of amusement etched into their friendly faces.
“Man, you really got hammered!” Chris called out to him.
“It’s okay, I mostly deserved it,” Sam said, wiping a hand over his saturated hair. “You aren’t thinking about getting me, right?”
The majority of them shook their heads, but then Sam caught sight of the devilish gleam in Declan’s eyes. The big man reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing a five-dollar bill from the black leather.
“Oh, come on,” Sam groaned.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. I’m not passing up the opportunity,” Declan said, studying the available pies.
“Is this seriously because I flirted with your girlfriend when you were first dating?”
“Yeah, a little bit.” Declan selected a white mousse pie, holding it balanced on the palm of his hand. “Also, you are too handsome, and I think you need a little smear on your face.”
Declan threw the pie, catching him on the chin.
“Weak aim, Gallagher,” Sam said.
“We need to get in on this action,” Merry said, grabbing a pie off the table and handing over her five-dollar bill to the attendant.
“Whoa whoa whoa,” Sam said, holding up a time-out sign. “You are my sister-in-law. What are you doing?”
“This is for all the times I told you to stop flirting with my sister and you just kept going, mocking me.”
“Man, Holly,” Sam said, scowling at his friend. “You’re getting me into all kinds of trouble!”
“Sorry,” she said, laughing.
“Fine, whatever, but for the record, she flirted back!”
Merry let the pie fly, but it only caught his shoulder.
“Ha ha,” said Nick as he handed over a five and picked up a pie.
“Wait wait wait! What did I do to you, Nick?”
“Nothing,” Nick said, smirking. “It just looks like fun.”
Nick’s lemon cream pie hit Sam square in the face, the pan dropping to the ground and leaving behind yellow and white goop. The Winters family cheered while one of the attendants ran over with a wet towel, wiping away the goop from Sam’s eyes, nostrils, and mouth.
When she finished cleaning up, Sam addressed the group with a sardonic expression. “Are we all satisfied now?”
“As your little brother,” Clark said, digging out his wallet, “I feel like I should be able to hit you in the face with a pie.” Clark pulled out his five, and he handed it over, weighing the pumpkin pie in his hand.
“Fine, little brother. Come on, let me have it!” Clark’s pie caught him against the cheek, and pumpkin filling exploded into his ear and hair. A few people hung on the outskirts, watching, and Sam felt like yelling, Are you not entertained?
“Anyone else?” Sam asked.
“I think you’ve had enough,” Chris said, giving Holly a stern look when she started rummaging in her purse.
Wren came walking in from the left, took one look at him, and burst out laughing. “Jeez, you really got it, didn’t you?”
“I know.” Sam hopped off the chair to greet her, leaning against the fence. “And I didn’t even date half the women who showed up.”
“I think they may have posted an advertisement after your announcement at the bachelor auction,” Merry teased.
“Is your shift about done, or are we waiting on more angry women to get you?” Wren asked.
“Oh, the last five pies were just us having fun,” Holly said.
Sam checked his watch and shaved off the last two minutes. He was tired. “It’s two o’clock. I’m done.”
“Let’s go.” He waved at the attendant. “Thanks for sticking with me.”
The girl blushed, and Wren rolled her eyes. “Have you learned nothing?”
“What? I was just being friendly.”
He came up to Wren and was going to put his arm around her, but she put her hands out. “No no, let’s not do that right now.”
“You don’t wanna hug me?” he pouted.
“Not when you’re covered with globs of gunk. I just got changed.”
“Come on, I got some coconut pie on me that is calling your name. I think over here,” he said, wrapping his arms around her as she squealed. He kissed her on her neck, cheek, and finally claimed her mouth. After a few moments of protest, she gave in, melting under his kiss and wrapping her arms around him.
When they pulled apart, they realized the Winters clan was still standing there, staring at them with wide eyes.
“Holy shit, he really does love her,” Merry said.
“It’s the end of the world as we know it,” Declan deadpanned.
Sam would have flipped them off if Chris and Victoria hadn’t been with them. “You guys are hilarious.”
“Come on, kids, let’s leave the lovebirds alone,” Victoria said, shooing her brood out of the tent. Before she exited, Victoria pointed at Wren and said, “You and I will have to get together and chat if you’re going to marry my adopted son.”
Wren blinked at her. “We didn’t talk about that!”
“Not yet, but I can always smell a wedding.”
“That is the weirdest thing I have ever heard, Mom,” Merry said, leading the way out of the tent.
When Wren and Sam were alone, he looked at himself in his cell phone camera and grimaced. “I think we need to get cleaned up.”
“Hey, I’m all good with that,” Wren said, feeling around her neck and cheeks. “I think you got a little in my hair.”
“I probably did,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Whatever happened to your baby grinch?”
“He got probation since his parents brought in everything he stole, and we were able to get the items back to the owners except for a few things he’d already sold.”
“My crime-fighting Birdy,” Sam said, kissing her forehead. “I feel the need for a dual shower. I don’t suppose you could blow off work and come join me.”
“That’s not how my job works, but how about tonight after work we get dirty again?”
Sam grinned. “I’m all for that.”