Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jax
Mom looks appalled, which only makes me burst into laughter. Tears form in my eyes as everyone laughs along with me.
Mom slowly joins our amused laughter, but after a few moments, she says, “Seriously, can someone please tell me what I just walked into? I need to know if I need to call Sheriff Baker.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny, Mom. We were just making sure the friendly competition truly was a competition.”
“This is not what the bake-off is supposed to be about.” She places her hands on her hips. “We told y’all not to sabotage one another. Should I tell the judges we’ve called things off?”
“No!” Charlie and Callie blurt in unison. Charlie’s face is filled with desperation, and Callie throws some side-eye in his direction.
“Okay then. I can’t believe I’m about to say this when you’re grown adults, but y’all need to behave!”
“Yeah, Jax.” Charlie gives my shoulder a playful nudge.
“You’re the one who wouldn’t let Lauren help me pick cookies up off the floor.”
Mom clears her throat, getting our attention again. “I did come in here for a reason. There are only thirty minutes left. Will y’all be done and ready for the judges by then?”
“We can make that work. Thank you, Aimee,” Lauren says sweetly. I’ll have to give her a hard time later for being extra polite to my mom. I like that she cares about her image around her. It makes me think maybe Lauren’s thinking beyond this secretive stage of our relationship.
“Well, get back to baking! The cookies aren’t going to make themselves.” Mom swivels on her heel to head toward the front door, but pauses, crouching down to drag a bowl out from under the shoe rack. Scrunching her nose, she asks, “Is this frosting?”
“That’s where that went!”
Mom hands Callie the bowl. “Please don’t put this on the cookies. I think there’s dirt in it.”
Charlie nudges me, muttering, “Nice hiding spot.”
Rhett turns to me with a disapproving look. “You hid the girls’ frosting under a shoe rack? Are you serious?” When he spins back toward the counter, I swear I see the hint of a smile on his face. I’m beginning to think Rhett isn’t as intimidating as I thought.
“I can’t believe y’all won! Our idea with Nana and Papa Rhodes was way better than whatever the hell your elf idea was.” Charlie nudges Lauren’s side, a teasing smile on his face.
“Oh, come on! Ours was creative. You just took a story that already exists.”
“But we brought that story to life. Our cookies tasted like time travel,” I argue. “Good punch line, by the way, Rhett.”
“He gets that from me.” Olivia tosses her hair.
“I do.” Rhett snakes an arm around Olivia, pulling her in for a kiss.
“Boo! Get a room.” Callie blocks her face, but I can tell by the smile on it that her actions are done in good fun.
“Oh, grow up!” Rhett throws a piece of cookie at her. “I’m not surprised the girls won. Between Olivia’s marketing savvy, Callie’s rampant imagination, and Lauren’s organizational skills, it all came together perfectly.”
“What about my baking skills?” Callie asks, frowning.
“You’re just as good as me. We cancel each other out.”
“I still don’t think they should’ve won,” Charlie grumbles. “‘Justice for the elves’? Come on!”
“Hey, it’s not our fault elves have been unfairly represented for centuries.” Callie crosses her arms. “It’s about time someone spoke up for them to let everyone know they’re not the tiny little creatures we’ve been led to believe they are.”
“It doesn’t matter how silly the idea is, Charlie. It’s all about how you present it,” Olivia says.
“That’s marketing talk if I’ve ever heard it.”
“I don’t think we are all capable of agreeing on how this bake-off was settled, so let’s just move on,” I offer, trying to keep the peace.
“That’s what a loser would say. The vote was unanimous.” Lauren gleefully spins in my direction, moving in close and then quickly dragging her addicting aura away from me.
I’m dying to get her alone. Her big hazel eyes and curves in those leggings have been distracting me all day. Trying to pretend my sole focus was on Charlie has been difficult to say the least.
“All right, well, I better head out.” Callie stands from her seat. “Thanks for handing us the competition on a silver platter, boys. Maybe next time you can actually put in a little effort and make it fun?” She smirks as she heads toward the door.
“Yeah, we better get going too.” Olivia gets up.
“Maverick and I will be helping with the Resilient Paws table tomorrow at the Christmas festival,” she says, referring to the dog she and Rhett adopted from the rescue last year.
“Plus, this is my first Christmas in Roots, so my mom wants to show me everything the festival has to offer. I just know it’s going to be exhausting.
” Despite her words, Olivia wears an affectionate smile as she gives Lauren a quick hug.
Rhett nods at Charlie and me, which I’m beginning to think might be the closest we will ever get to a bro hug from him. Oddly enough, I’m starting to accept his reserved nature.
“Are you two going to the Christmas festival tomorrow?” I ask Lauren and Charlie.
“Of course.” Lauren’s tone is matter-of-fact. “I have to work at the Copper Hill booth.”
“You’re going to work at the Christmas festival? No one should have to work at the festival, especially not Little Miss Whoville.”
“That’s what I told her, but she keeps refusing.” Charlie frowns.
“Come on, Freckles. You need a break.” I catch myself reaching out to grab Lauren’s hand, but it’s too late.
Charlie is already giving me a look, his brow raised.
I can’t meet his gaze. After years of friendship, I know he can see right through me.
It’s a miracle he hasn’t already figured out what’s going on.
“Someone has to work the booth. This is how I’m going to spread the word about our shift to regenerative agriculture,” Lauren insists. “Plus, people come from out of town for the festival. Think of all the new customers and connections. The ranch can’t afford to pass up this opportunity.”
“But, again, the girl whose favorite holiday is Christmas deserves to enjoy the Christmas festival.”
“I’ll still enjoy Christmas day with my family.”
I glance in Charlie’s direction for some help. She may be mine now, but I still haven’t figured out exactly how to get through to her.
“Let me help then,” Charlie offers. “We can rotate shifts so you can enjoy part of the festival too.”
“No way. This is the first time in years you’ll be around for it. People are going to want to see you, and you deserve the chance to enjoy it.”
“I don’t exactly mind being stuck at the booth for a bit. I’m sure Jax will pitch in to help too.” Charlie nudges me in the side, and funnily enough, a wave of relief rolls over me at the gesture.
The fact that he thinks he needs to convince me to help Lauren is laughable, but I do my best to play the part he expects. “Uh, yeah. I guess I can do that.”
Hurt flashes in Lauren’s eyes. This is getting too complicated already. I feel like I can’t win with anyone while I’m keeping us a secret.
I rise from my chair. “Do you two mind helping clean up before you head out?”
Charlie nods, going into his natural helper mode. He may be a bit of a troublemaker, but he’s also the best guy I know.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Can you take the garbage out? Lauren, maybe you can clean the counters off, and I’ll get the floor?”
They both nod, and as soon as the door closes behind Charlie, I grab Lauren by the waist, pushing her up against the fridge and pressing my lips to hers.
As much as I hate to do it, I quickly break apart from her.
The look of amusement paired with the way her breath catches makes me want to pull her back in for more, but instead, I blurt, “I want to help you at the booth tomorrow. I just can’t be super enthusiastic about it in front of Charlie.
The version of me he knows wouldn’t be.”
She nods, a grin taking over her dazed expression.
I kiss her again. “He’s going to be back in probably two more seconds, but I need to see you later. Hiding us all day has been torture.”
“Charlie is supposed to stay over tonight.”
I throw my head back, groaning. “That co—”
“But I can sneak you in later if you want.” The smirk on her lips is enough to stop my heart.
“Yes, I very much want that.” I unabashedly pull her in for another kiss, but the sound of the front door opening startles me.
Instead of keeping my cool, I accidentally shove Lauren away.
Now a solid two-and-a-half feet across the kitchen, she narrows her brows as if to ask what the hell was that?
Or, I guess in Lauren-speak it’d be what the heck was that?
Charlie dusts his hands off. “What else do you need me to do?”
“I think that’s it.”
“That’s it? You just asked us to stay and clean up, and all you had me do was take out a measly garbage bag.”
“Yeah, I guess the kitchen is in better shape than I thought.”
“You’ve been acting kind of weird since I got back. Are you okay?”
Honestly, I’ve never been better. “I could say the same for you, California Boy.”
He rolls his eyes, draping his arm over Lauren’s shoulders. “Come on, Lo. Let’s go. I’m ready to swap whatever voodoo stuff is going on over here for an ice cream chat.”
He tosses one more look over his shoulder before they head out, and I can tell the poor guy is genuinely concerned. It simultaneously warms and breaks my heart.
I do my best to distract myself by putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and starting it, but a buzz in my back pocket catches my attention.
Lauren
My place. 11 pm.