Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
AVERY
“How can you not be excited about this?” I come to a halt as I see the toboggans. It’s everything I expected and more, based off the description from Matthew’s email. “They weren’t kidding about them. They’re fantastic!”
I don’t know what material the runners are made from, but they are painted in red, green, and white stripes to resemble a candy cane (the green to be separate from Candy Cane Creek, of course).
The main body is made from a dark brown painted wood, and each is decorated in different designs to replicate white painted ‘icing.’ They’re not really a traditional toboggan or sled.
They’re almost like a mixture of the two, sort of resembling the candy gifts we give children at the holidays with the seat filled with cookies and chocolate.
I guess in this instance we are the cookies and chocolate, and that makes me giggle.
Matthew sighs, scanning the different sleds. “I don’t know what they were thinking.”
“Oh, come on, there’s a—charm to them.”
“That’s one word for it,” he grunts. “This is us.”
He leads me over to a toboggan right in the middle of all the others.
The side is decorated with painted icing gingerbread man and woman holding hands in a heart.
Our names are written on a large wooden ornament, similar to the one that is hanging from our lantern in the square, where the license plate would be.
The frame is decorated with alternating trees and cookies.
“That’s so cute! Romantic and festive.” My eyes are immediately drawn to the oversized red glittery bows tied to the front. “My favourite part is the bows on the warbles. Those are a nice touch.”
“The…what?”
“The warble. The curved part of the candy cane. Every stick is made up of that and the strabe.” I tear my eyes away from the toboggan to find him looking at me with a confused look. “I guess that’s not common knowledge?”
“I’ve never heard those words before in my life. How do you even know them?”
“They were in our elf training manual.”
The blank stare he’s giving me tells me he’s going to need more context.
“When any elf is hired on at C.O.C.O.A., we are given a manual with everything Christmas. It has recipes, trending toy ideas, folklore from around the world. Did you know that in G?vle, Sweden they have a forty-nine foot straw goat statue they make for the whole season? And that there’s a tradition for vandals to try to burn it down?
Or in Germany, how they hide a pickle in the tree and whoever finds it gets a present? ”
“No, I can’t say I knew about either of those.”
“We take Christmas very seriously at C.O.C.O.A. We want to make sure that no matter what family we are helping, we can bring a little joy to them. Maybe it’s something that they would do from their home if they are new to Canada or an old family tradition that they’ve done for years.
We just want to make sure all our elves are Christmas experts and are ready for any holiday-related situation that may come up. ”
“That’s…really great,” he says in awe. “What’s another interesting tradition?”
“Hmm, let me see. In Iceland they have the Yule Cat. It’s meant as a way to sort of encourage the workers on a farm to do their best. If they work hard, they are given new clothes.”
“And if you didn’t?”
“Then you were eaten by a large beast resembling a cat.”
“That’s horrifying and not very jolly.”
“No,” I laugh, shaking my head. “Not all Christmas traditions are happy, jolly, or what we would consider festive. Most have nothing to do with the real reason behind Christmas, but they are interesting, and I love learning about them.”
He brushes the back of my hand with his thumb where we are joined, and the flutters in my stomach come back. His hazel eyes are focused solely only mine, and my breath hitches as we stand there lost in time.
“You’re making me want to learn more about them, too,” he whispers.
Forget butterflies; I have Rudolph flying in circles in my stomach.
“Racers, climb onto your gingerboggans!” an announcer says through the speaker.
Muffled words and static booms through the start line, causing everyone to cover their ears.
“Why can’t I call it gingerboggans? Tobogobread?
Gingersled?” There are a few more muffled words before he comes back, his voice depleted of its earlier enthusiasm. “Ugh, fine. Climb your toboggans.”
I chuckle as we break eye contact, both seemingly embarrassed as we realize there is a hill filled with people around us.
I drop his hand and climb into the front of the toboggan, straightening my legs in front of me and grabbing onto the rope. I take a deep breath and try to regain some composure.
I take a deep breath in. You’re just here for the Games. That’s it.
Deep breath out. You’re leaving to go back to Kamloops.
Deep breath in. This is all fake. It doesn’t mean anything.
Deep breath out. He lives in Vancouver and doesn’t even like Christmas.
Feeling like I have my thoughts—and nerves—somewhat back under control, I peer over my shoulder and see Matthew gazing down at me with a perplexed look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
He tilts his head as he looks down at me. “How are we going to make this work?”
“Just climb on behind me.” I wave my hand at the space behind me as I tuck my legs into the curved wood in front of me.
With a final tentative look down the hill, Matthew drops his shoulders and takes his place behind me.
His legs press on either side of mine and his arms wrap around my body as he grabs onto the rope with me.
I don’t think as I lean back into him, taking in more of his smell and the heat radiating off him.
If I don’t watch myself, I could lose myself again.
It’s already hard enough to remember this is fake the longer I’m around him.
I don’t need to get caught up in things like warmth and scents when it’s only going to lead to me getting my heart broken.
And that makes me feel anything but jolly.
“Alright, racers. Start your toboggans!” The announcer exclaims.
“Relax, Matthew. It’ll be over before you know it. Who knows, maybe you’ll have fun and be the one begging me to take you down the hill again after this.”
“Doubtful,” Matthew grumbles.
“On your marks!” The announcer booms.
Matthew tightens his hold on me. While I enjoy the thrill, it’s not helping me focus on the game—both the race and the fake relationship we’re putting on for the town.
“Relax,” I whisper as the adrenaline races through my own body. I don’t know if it’s from the thrill of the race or from being with Matthew.
I also don’t know if I’m talking to Matthew or myself.
“Get set…”
“Get ready to get us started.” I get myself into position. Tightening the hold on the rope, I brace my legs and lean back into Matthew, never taking my eyes off the hill in front of me.
“What? How do I do that?” I don’t miss the panic in his voice.
“Go!”
“Push off!” I yell with a laugh, leaning forward to gain momentum.
Matthew hesitates for a moment before using his arms and legs to push us off, sending us flying down the slope.
I can’t control the bellowing laugh that comes out of me as Matthew shoves his legs back into the toboggan, wrapping his arms around me.
I steer the best I can, focusing on the landscape whizzing past me while battling the butterflies in my stomach as Matthew holds me tighter, burying his chin into my shoulder.
We’re starting to rush past other couples, gaining momentum as I shift us both to gain speed. After we’re halfway down the hill, I hear Matthew’s laughter in my ear as he begins to loosen his hold on me, making me even more determined to win this for us. For him.
Looking to my left, I see McKenzie and Cal rushing down next to us.
They’re both laughing and hollering as they speed to catch up.
For a moment, I think that maybe Matthew has gotten it wrong.
Maybe there isn’t a competition between them or any reason for him to feel the need to have a fake girlfriend in front of her.
But then I see the gloating smile McKenzie sends our way.
“Not today, Martha May,” I grumble under my breath as I refocus my attention on the path before us.
Bending my knees, I shift my weight even further toward the front of the toboggan, praying gravity makes us go faster. Matthew’s grip on me tightens the faster we go, but I won’t let myself focus on anything other than getting to the finish line.
“Avery, we’re going too fast,” Matthew says in my ear; the panic from earlier returns.
The toboggan starts to shake, and I admit, we may be going a little too fast. I don’t know how well this flying candy ride is made, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.
We’re getting close to the point where it would be easy to lose control.
One little bump could send us tumbling and become gingerbread pancakes, but I can’t think about that.
All that matters right now is Matthew and I crossing the finish line. Preferably before Cal and McKenzie.
I hold my breath for the remainder of the distance between us and the finish line. From out of the corner of my eye, I can see we are neck and neck with the Whovier’s—or whatever their actual last name is.
It’s going to come down the wire.
A Santa’s sleigh photo finish.
I send a last minute Christmas wish to the big man himself and hope that he can hear me.
I don’t dare look over at the duo as we cross the line, unsure if we came out as the holiday victors.
I know there’s more to this than just winning the race.
It’s for Matthew and making sure he feels like he still belongs here, even if he lives in the city and everything about his hometown has changed.
It’s about showing McKenzie that just because she moved on and is now the mayor’s wife, that doesn’t mean it makes Matthew less than.
More importantly, it shows him that Christmas can be fun and doesn’t need to be overshadowed by his town’s overly enthusiastic love for it.
“We did it! We won!” Matthew cheers behind me as I lean back, getting the toboggan to slow. The pure excitement in his voice drowns out any worry he had just a moment earlier.
After bringing our ride to a complete stop, Matthew jumps out and pulls me with him, enveloping me in a massive hug.
The cheering from the crowd is drowned out by the thumping in my ears.
My heart’s beating so fast, both equally from winning the race and being in Matthew’s arms. My eyes are closed as I lay my cheek on his chest, feeling the excited rhythm of his own heartbeat that races in time with mine.
I want to stay locked in this moment, just like this forever, but I know we can’t.
I have to remind myself that this is fake. It’s just to show that he’s moved on from McKenzie. Not to mention he’s going back to Vancouver soon.
But I want it to be real. I want that so badly.
Opening my eyes while still tucked into Matthew, I see Cal helping McKenzie out of their toboggan, narrowing his eyes at us before catching himself and putting on a fake politician grin.
I’m going to have to keep an eye on that one. He’s not as easygoing as he likes to appear.
“Can you believe it, Avery?” Matthew asks, tipping my chin up to meet his gaze.
“I told ya we could.” I stir up as much enthusiasm as I can while being sucked back into the moment where my brain thinks this is real.
His hand cups my cheek as he slowly lowers his lips to mine, never breaking his gaze. My breath gets lost in my throat as the gap between us closes.
The second his lips touch mine all thoughts and fears leave my mind. All that matters is right here. Right now. And right now, this doesn’t feel like we’re faking.