Chapter Four #2
Emotional connections. The truth was that Walker already felt connected to Pine Hill, and especially the men and women donning the same uniform he proudly wore.
A Santa suit, however? Yeah, if Cole wanted to keep the gig, Walker would gladly let him, especially when the other option meant spending time with Princess Not Interested.
Why did he feel proud that Maybelle recommended him for something?
He definitely had a weak spot for the older lady who’d made his family feel welcomed to the community.
He suspected Zoie’s immediate love of Maybelle played a role in softening the town matriarch.
If Maybelle thought he should judge the contest, then Walker would.
However, since his pals obviously wanted him to say yes, he dragged out vocalizing his agreement.
“Are there any perks to being a judge of this contest? Like, do I get to taste Christmas pies and decide which are the best? Because that’s a contest I could fully get behind.”
Chief shrugged. “The events haven’t all been publicly announced yet, but there is a cookie contest.”
“Events? As in plural?” Walker arched a brow. “Which one am I judging?”
“All of them. The contest’s going to run for about a month.”
A month? “What kind of contest are we talking about?”
“The Pine Hill Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer Games. Or, apparently, the Grandma Games, for short.”
“Yeah, right.” Walker snorted. Now he knew they were all in on the joke.
But Chief’s expression warned he wasn’t joking. “Sarah and Maybelle assure me that it’s going to be a big hit and likely to become an annual Pine Hill tradition.”
Lord, help him, but this tiny Kentucky town had some outlandish Christmas customs.
“Dare I even ask what the Grandma Games are?”
“You can ask,” Chief said. “But I’m not sure anyone knows all the details.”
Walker glanced toward Cole.
“I don’t have details, either. If Sophie knows, she’s not talking, which tells me she doesn’t know, either,” Cole admitted.
“It’s something to increase interest in the On-the-Square Christmas activities.
From what Sophie has said, there will be individual and team competitions against each other in the games.
The Butterflies will be one of those teams.”
“Of course, they will.” Walker doubted there was much in Pine Hill that the town matriarchs weren’t involved with, in some fashion.
He’d have preferred the Butterflies to be organizers, not participants. No wonder Cole hadn’t wanted to judge.
“Be Santa or judge grandmas getting run over by reindeer in the Christmas Olympics? Decisions. Decisions.”
“Technically,” Chief said, “unless Cole really does want to give up his Santa bit to judge the contest, there’s not a decision.”
“Be Santa versus risk ticking off the Butterflies if I had to vote against them?” Cole threw back his head and belted a jolly, “Ho, ho, ho.”
“So, I get to upset them?” The only positive thing about that would be Maybelle might quit with the matchmaking.
Still, he didn’t want to get on her bad side. He liked her. Regardless, he’d do his best to judge fairly, no matter who he had to vote for or against.
“You’ve got Zoie,” Cole reminded. “None of them will stay upset with you for long. That single dad card buys you a lot of points. That’s what makes you perfect.”
Perfect or not, Walker would be judging the inaugural Pine Hill Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer contest. He shook his head in disbelief. How could that even be a real thing?
“Let’s hope you don’t get run over by the grandmas.” Ben snickered; sticking out his hand. “Congratulations.”
Cole grinned. “Condolences may be more appropriate.”
“Especially if that new veterinarian has better luck with Maggie. I hear he’s the other judge,” Ben said casually. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Sarah had purposely asked him in hopes of him and Maggie hitting it off.”
The other judge? What other judge? Walker cringed.
He’d just as soon there not be a third judge, but he supposed it only made sense to have an odd number to prevent a tie.
Two was company. Three was a crowd. Especially when the third wheel was a successful good-looking veterinarian because Walker knew exactly who they meant.
The guy was Pine Hill’s most eligible bachelor.
Yeah, he could see Sarah having purposely chosen Joshua Conley so Maggie could get to know him.
Since Cole had originally been asked to judge rather than Walker that likely meant Maggie had said enough that Sarah had decided he was a no-go.
Maybelle must not have known that when she’d called Chief.
No problem. Except, why was he hoping that maybe the time together would have Maggie rethinking her rejection of his glass slipper?
He’d be okay with it if she had a mild allergy to pet dander to where just being around the veterinarian would have her sneezing, itching, and wanting to avoid the guy too.
Since the Lewises had Harry, that was unlikely.
Walker leaned against the truck they’d loaded the cardboard boxes into. They’d be delivered around town to collect toys in for the Christmas drive for the Pine Hill children’s home.
Whatever it was about Maggie, she fascinated him to where he couldn’t quit thinking about her and hoping she’d change her mind about him.
Since she was only temporarily in Pine Hill, he really shouldn’t have any interests beyond friendship.
Maybe after judging the contest, he’d go back to the way he’d spent the last year and a half with no desire to date.
If the opposite and spending time with Maggie triggered more interest, well, then he was in trouble.
With the way his pulse kicked up with just thinking about her, he was already in over his head.
Just so long as it wasn’t his heart he was in over, he’d be okay.
*
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Maggie shook her head at the peppy brunette who might look like a total sweetheart, but that Maggie was learning possessed the makings of a general.
Obviously, Maybelle had rubbed off on Sarah over the years.
Bodie had been on to something saying she was tougher than she appeared.
Or maybe persistent was a better adjective.
Maggie had held her ground that Sunday morning on not accompanying the Lewises to church but had given in that afternoon when Sarah insisted she could teach Maggie how to make cookies.
As Maggie had gone back to the snowman tin a few times and felt guilty for how many she’d devoured, helping Sarah make more eased her conscience.
The moment she’d agreed, Sarah had her wrapped in an I love Santa apron and in the kitchen.
Jeannie sat in her highchair, eating cut-up fruit and watching her mother with adoration.
Harry sat next to the highchair, waiting for bits to fall or for the girl to purposely toss a piece to him, which Maggie had seen the toddler do several times.
“You said I could sign you up to be a judge,” Sarah reminded, her expression unfazed by Maggie’s reticence.
Heat infused Maggie’s face. She had said that. “For the cookie baking contest tasting part, not the whole thing.”
“Why not? You’re the perfect person to judge the Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer Games.” Sarah wasn’t giving up. “You’re who came up with the name so you should be involved.”
Taking the eggs Sarah handed her, Maggie shook her head. “That contest doesn’t even sound like something that should be happening, much less be judged.”
“Grandmas aren’t really going to be run over by reindeer.
” Sarah giggled, then her face took on a pensive look.
“Well, hopefully not. Rosie did talk to Mr. Harvey, and he is planning to bring his reindeer so one never knows. Can’t you just see the Butterflies insisting we do that reindeer run like the bull one they do in Spain as Rosie suggested? ”
Breaking an egg, Maggie arched a brow. They were serious about real reindeer? What was she thinking? Of course, Christmas crazy Pine Hill would have real reindeer. At this point, if they told her they fed them magic corn so they could fly, she wouldn’t be shocked.
“Sure, I can see your Butterfly friends wearing Christmas colored traje de luces and waving red capes trimmed in white fur.”
“Oh, I love that! And you’re right, that’s exactly what they’d do.” Sarah giggled at the picture Maggie described.
Pride, or something, filled Maggie that she’d made her hostess smile.
Silly that something so trivial caused a ricochet of emotions, but being in the kitchen, chatting with the woman, felt good.
In reality, it was nothing more than a ruse to stay close to Sarah and Jeannie.
That thought didn’t feel right. Maggie had arrived in Pine Hill a week ago, to the day.
She was not attached to these people. She was doing a job.
Nothing more. Nothing less. Well, that and learning to make cookies.
Because someday when she left Pine Hill, she’d want these cookies again.
She’d never been much of a cook, never had the opportunity or desire to learn.
Sarah’s cookies had changed that. Maggie needed to know how to bake them.
Beyond that, she could do takeout or whatever.
She wasn’t picky, but by the end of her time in Pine Hill, she might be a cookie connoisseur.
Sarah’s cookies had spoiled her forever.
“What’s next?” She steered their conversation back to business and hoped Sarah forgot all about the silliness of Maggie judging.
“Pour the eggs in with the rest of the ingredients, then mix it all together.” Sarah handed Maggie the spoon.
“Once you get it blended well, all you have to do is drop a little blob onto the cookie sheet. The silicon pad has the circles drawn on it, so you’ll know how far apart to put the dough for the perfectly sized cookie. ”