Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
MARISSA
Marissa was still bitter that she and William had been required to redo the Christmas lights challenge.
The worst part was that once they had unwound another oversized ball of tangled lights, the clue revealed that the next challenge wasn’t until the night of the Starlight Parade.
That gave the other teams plenty of time to catch up.
She spent the next two days apartment searching and prepping for her weekend clients.
On the night of the parade, she tugged on a pair of tights, fleece leggings, a cozy cream cable-knit sweater, and her faux-fur-lined snow boots.
The clue had been intentionally vague. Teams were supposed to watch the parade in its entirety.
According to the clue, the next task would reveal itself somewhere on the route.
Hopefully, that was true, because Marissa was out of ideas.
William had offered to get there early and save a seat for her. He had texted her a selfie with him in front of the Bank of Bend, waiting for her in a camp chair.
The Bank of Bend was the ideal spot to watch the parade.
It was adjacent to the grandstands, where bands and dance teams would stop to perform for VIP guests and local television cameras.
The clue had clearly stipulated that contestants were not allowed to purchase VIP tickets, leading Marissa and William to assume that whatever they were supposed to be on the lookout for during the parade must be taking place near the grandstands.
She hadn’t seen him since their marathon Christmas lights challenge.
Not seeing him for a few days didn’t mean that she hadn’t been thinking about him.
In fact, quite the opposite. William Graff had been on her mind every waking moment, no matter how hard she tried to push any thoughts of him away.
Yesterday, she’d been sketching out final designs for brunch platters and realized that she had written his name a dozen times on the margins of her sketchbook.
She had slammed it shut. No one had ever taken up this much headspace before.
On the drive downtown, she made a promise to herself to keep her muddled feelings in check and stay focused on finding the next clue.
Yeah, how many times have you said that?
The parade route was lined with spectators bundled up in winter attire, their breath visible in the cold. Excited chatter filled the air as children and adults eagerly awaited the procession. Marissa could hear the faint sound of jingle bells in the distance as she searched the crowd for William.
The minute William caught her eye and stood to wave, her stomach did that familiar flop, and she could feel herself getting sucked in. He wore a navy-and-orange-striped puffy coat that brought out the deep dark tones in his eyes.
“Long time no see, Snow Princess.” He leaned in to hug her.
Marissa extended her hand.
“Ah, got it. We’re back to formalities.” William gave her an exaggerated handshake. “How’s things in the cheese biz?”
She unfolded her chair and removed a blanket to tuck over her legs. “Cheesy.”
“Clever.” William sat down and scooted his chair closer. “Just to be clear, I’m not trying to make a move. I’m making space, okay?”
Marissa wrapped her blanket tighter over her legs. “Okay.” She wasn’t sure why he was telling her this, but then she followed his gaze across the street to a roped-off area with red-and-green ribbon.
Ah, as in literally making space.
Parker and her entourage were headed straight for them.
Great.
“You all remember my teammate, Marissa?” William made introductions again as Parker and her friends squeezed into their space.
Parker cooed at William and shot Marissa a dismissive glance. “Of course, we’re old friends now.”
She and Parker were anything but friends. Marissa shrank into her chair as Parker gave her a condescending smile and immediately shifted her attention to William. Marissa couldn’t help but notice that Parker set up her chair so close to William that she was practically sitting on his lap.
Marissa pulled out her phone, pretending to be busy responding to messages while William and his friends swapped stories about parties and ski trips to Aspen.
It was fine that Parker had shown up. Actually, if she thought about it, it was better.
Parker was a glaring reminder that she didn’t have a chance with William, and why would she want one?
This was good. She could laser her focus on the floats and bands, find the clue, and solve it. That’s why she was here tonight. That was her only job.
William leaned over and whispered. “How are you doing? You seem quiet.”
“Nope. Just waiting for the parade to start so we can find the clue.”
At that moment, the parade began with a resounding fanfare, heralding the arrival of the first marching band.
The crowd cheered as the vibrant uniforms, hats adorned with snowy plumes, and shiny instruments came into sight.
“You’re always on a mission.” He reached down to his feet and held up a thermos. “Peppermint hot chocolate? I brought along some peppermint schnapps if you want it spiked.”
“I’m fine.” Marissa clapped along with the lively melody.
“You’re shivering even under your blanket.
” William unzipped a backpack and offered her a set of hand warmers.
These were battery-powered hand warmers, not the cheap plastic, one-use-and-toss-them-away kind.
Marissa had seen a similar set in a high-end home goods magazine (which she subscribed to for inspiration for Yes, Cheese).
The rechargeable hand warmers were way out of her price range, just like everything else. “Here, use these.”
Parker interrupted them. “Ohhhh, how are you liking that model? I bought a set of the newest in that line, and they have such a nicer feel on the hands.”
“I don’t know.” William shrugged. “I’ve never paid attention to how they feel on my hands other than keeping them warm.”
Marissa chuckled.
Parker shot her a nasty look before giving William a coy smile and pressing her gloved hand on his arm. “Wills, you are too funny.”
He caught Marissa’s eye and made a face.
What was the deal with them?
Maybe they used to date and had recently broken up?
It was obvious that Parker was into him, but she couldn’t get a read on William’s feelings.
Half the time, he seemed as annoyed with Parker as Marissa, but then again, he had invited her tonight, and she had been the first person he suggested going to see when they were trying to solve the fourth clue.
Stop it, Marissa chided herself.
Fortunately, the parade was in full swing, giving her a perfect excuse to ignore both of them.
If she had been here with William under different circumstances, the crisp, starry night sky and dazzling light show of holiday floats might have been romantic.
But William wasn’t interested in her, and she was here for a single purpose.
Colorful floats transformed into holiday masterpieces, followed by the marching band.
Elaborate scenes depicted winter wonderlands, and childhood stories come to life on the moving floats.
Twice, she caught Parker staring at her, and each time, Parker would lean closer to William and shoot Marissa a triumphant grin as if to signal she knew she was winning a contest that Marissa didn’t want any part of.
She watched each parade entry, hoping the clue would stand out. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, which meant by the time five floats and three bands had passed, she was starting to get a headache from squinting so hard.
“Anything?” William asked when there was a lag between horseback riders decked out in holiday jingle bells and a troupe of dancing elves.
“Nothing. What about you?”
Next, snowmen, elves, and gingerbread people strolled along the route, extending warm greetings with every wave and handing out candy to eager children who smooshed together on the snowy curbs.
He shook his head and refilled his hot chocolate. “Are you sure you don’t want some?”
“No, I’m fine.” Marissa’s eyes didn’t move from the street. She had also studied the bank and the buildings adjacent to it, in case a clue was hiding in plain sight.
It wasn’t.
“We must be halfway through,” William noted. “You don’t think we’re supposed to grab candy canes like the kids?”
Marissa shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I guess it’s worth a shot.” She started to get up.
“No, you stay there. You’re all warm and cute and cozy under your blankets.”
Cute?
Marissa’s cheeks flamed.
“Stay. I’ll get us some.” He went to the edge of the sidewalk and waited with the gaggle of kids, hoping to scoop up any candy tossed from floats.
Marissa watched as William made sure the kids scooped handfuls of candy canes and brightly wrapped sweets before he grabbed a few for them.
“Oh my God, Wills, you are getting candy with the kids now? So adorable.” Parker batted her fake lashes at him. “What did you bring me?”
“Uh, actually, these are for Marissa,” he said sheepishly. “We’re still looking for a clue.”
Parker’s smile vanished. She tried to recover by tossing her hair and laughing. “You and your little scavenger hunt. We’re going to get to the bottom of why Wills is really doing this, aren’t we?” she asked her friends.
William offered Marissa the candy. “Should we open them and see if there’s more than sugary peppermint inside?”
“It’s worth a shot.” Although truthfully, even with the blanket and William’s expensive, high-tech hand warmers, a chill had settled over her. She was having a hard time keeping her teeth from chattering.
She tried to tear the wrapper from the first piece of candy.
“Your hands are shaking.” William’s voice was thick with concern.
“I’m just a bit chilly,” Marissa responded through clenched teeth.
“Your lips are blue.” William moved away from Parker, put his arm around Marissa for warmth, and tucked his blanket over her legs.
She wanted to protest, but his body heat felt good, and she was probably on the edge of being hypothermic. She didn’t want to have to leave the parade route.
“Thanks,” she managed to say through shivers.
Parker stared daggers at her.
Marissa figured Parker probably thought she was faking it. She wasn’t. Usually, she could handle the cold, but not tonight. Maybe it was from sitting for too long.
William kept a firm grasp on one shoulder and rubbed her other arm with his free hand. “Better? Should we get you inside?”
“No, I’m warming up. We have to find the clue.”
“Not at the detriment of your health and well-being.”
“I promise, I’m okay,” Marissa insisted, but William didn’t loosen his grip on her.
“I’m keeping an eye on you. If you start to shiver more, we’re getting you inside, got it?”
Marissa nodded. Her body surged with warmth from his touch.
She wanted to melt into his arms and feel the caress of his skin against hers, but instead, she willed herself to remain vigilant.
“Don’t keep your eye on me. Keep your eye on the parade.
The faster we can find the clue, the faster we can be done and warm up. ”
“Wait, what’s that?” William pointed to a float where a woman in a deep green velvet ball gown and a man in a tux danced on a rotating stage. The side of the float had a sign reading: Your Invitation To The Ball Awaits. Don’t Be Late And Be Sure To Bring A Date.
“Do you think that’s it?” Marissa sat up to reread the sign as the float slowly proceeded down the parade route. “It seems too obvious.”
“It must be. The Snowball Dance. This Saturday. It must be our final clue.” He lifted his arm off Marissa’s shoulder. “Plus, look, there are candy canes on either side. That’s it. That’s our final mission.”
“The app is buzzing.” Marissa reached for her phone. An update had come through with her first individual task. As Snowball Princess, she had to make holiday crowns for her and her dance partner. “Check it out.” She showed William the app.
“I got one, too.” He read his clue. “Jack Frost, meet Frosty. In this challenge, you’ll build a snowman, but not just any snowman. Bonus points for originality and design.”
Their individual challenges included specific instructions for taking photos of their crowns and snowmen, as well as directions for picking up supplies at the Chamber of Commerce offices.
No additional materials of any kind could be used in constructing snow art or paper crowns.
The rules were clear. No bonus points would be awarded to any team that used even a single item not included in the kits provided by the Chamber.
“That seems fair,” Marissa said after they had reviewed their tasks. “It makes for a level playing field. Otherwise, you could have teams spending extra money on materials.”
“Right, like me.” He put his arm around her again. “My first thought was to bring you back to my parents’ house and get into the family vault for our crowns.”
“I feel like your face tells me you’re kidding, but then again, maybe you really have a collection of gold tiaras stored under lock and key.” Marissa grinned.
“Yep, that’s me. I’ve been downplaying it for your sake, but usually, you won’t find me without a crown on my head.” He bowed his head.
Marissa laughed. Being so close to him had returned heat to her body for more reasons than one. She wished that he were easier to hate. Why did he have to be so witty and self-deprecating?
“Should we head to the Chamber now?” Marissa asked.
“And miss the end of the parade? No way.” William put his phone away but kept his arm around Marissa’s shoulder.
“I’m waiting to see the big guy. We have perfect seats, the best view, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty comfortable here.
” He held her gaze for a moment too long, his dark brown eyes searching hers with something that resembled a longing she felt deep in her bones.
Another rush of heat surged through her body. She didn’t want to move either. It felt easy to be next to William like this. Too easy.
She knew she was dancing on the edge of dangerous territory. She should pull away, but she couldn’t make herself try to escape his solid arms. She felt like she belonged in his arms. She felt at home in his embrace.
What was she doing?
She was falling for him—hard.