Chapter 20 #2
“I don’t think anyone else would have come up with a ginger…”
“A gingersnowman,” Avery completes for me; the corner of her mouth ticked up. “But I also didn’t think someone would take my supplies.”
“Avery,” I huff.
“I know I didn’t forget them at home and my bag was left alone.” I give her a dubious look. “Shouldn’t the big city boy be the one more suspicious of people? I mean, look at the couple with their laughing and jolliness…so suspicious.”
“You can’t think…”
“What about them?” She nods to another couple. “They’re bickering over the scarf placement. Anyone that guilty would be bickering over little things, too.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”
She rolls her lips into her mouth. “I guess you’ll never know.”
I laugh. Once again, being with her feels a little…freeing. I don’t care how loud my laugh is. I don’t care how my head tilts back until it’s almost touching my back. I don’t care how everyone’s looking at us.
For once, I don’t care.
“So, how about that branch?” she asks, and I know with the look she’s giving me right now, I’d do anything she asks.
“I can’t believe you pulled this off,” I say, bewildered.
It took all the allotted time for the competition right down to the second, but it’s done.
The mystery base we had been building turned into a present box with red felt ribbon Bursting out of the box is the top half of a large, snow-white gingerbread man with his arms outstretched.
I don’t know how Avery made it happen; even with her missing ribbons, mug, and rocks, she made it look like it was coming to life with an icing-lined expression.
“You mean we pulled it off,” Avery says, bumping her hip with mine.
“I don’t know about that.”
“My, what do we have here?” McKenzie’s voice dips with exaggerated warmth as she comes up behind us. “This is the most…interesting snowman I’ve ever seen.”
“If you can even call it that,” Cal adds, coming up beside her. “I say that’s more of a snow sculpture. It’s not even a snowman at all. We’ll have to check the rulebook to see if some of the rules weren’t bent a bit.”
“There were no rules bent, or broken, I assure you,” Avery says.
“We’ll see about that,” Cal mutters.
“Matty! I’m so happy you made it to The Frosty Showdown!” Mom exclaims as she joins our little group. “I just couldn’t wait to come down here and see your entry!”
“Mrs. Roberts! You’re just in time!” McKenzie walks over to my mom, looping her arm with my mom’s. “I think there must have been some misunderstanding. You know how it can be, especially when someone that isn’t from town tries to join our traditions.”
The glare McKenzie shoots at Avery would make some women cower.
But not Avery.
“No misunderstanding,” Avery replies casually.
“Oh, it’s okay. You needn’t be embarrassed,” Cal adds.
“Needn’t?” Avery mouths at me.
I shrug.
“There really was no mistake,” Avery declares. “I read the contest rules thoroughly on both the town’s website and the posts that were made on GingerSnap.”
“GingerSnap? But that’s only for Gingerbreadians! It’s invite only!” McKenzie looks like she’s going to snap herself, the way her face is turning red and her eyes are bulging.
“Now, dear, let’s be a little more welcoming than that.” My mom pats McKenzie’s hand that rests on her arm. “And it’s okay to admit a mistake, Avery. I’m sure it was easy enough to overlook the requirements, or they’re a little more lax where you come from.”
“Actually,” a man I don’t recognize walks up, standing on the other side of Avery. “She’s right. The rules themselves don’t state that it must be a ‘snowman,’ but rather a ‘snow creation.’ So, really, they did nothing wrong.”
“Eric, this doesn’t concern you,” Cal retorts, puffing out his chest. If he had feathers behind him, he would be a peacock.
“Oh, but it does. We wouldn’t want anything unjust to happen around town, now would we? It wouldn’t be very good attention for Gingerbread Grove.”
The two men enter into a staring competition, leaving us all slantingly in the middle.
“What’s going on?” Avery whispers to me as we all watch in confusion.
“No clue.”
“Right. McKenzie and I have important town business to attend to.” Cal says, grabbing the lapels of his jacket and popping them up.
I swear this guy doesn’t know what decade he belongs in.
“We do?” McKenzie questions.
“We do.”
The couple exchanges a silent conversation before she drops Mom’s arm and bolts to his side. “Right! We do!”
Without so much as a goodbye, they storm off. Any negativity felt was left in our little circle as they stop and talk to the next townsperson, all smiles and laughs.
“Well, while I do appreciate a good gingerbread creation, I suggest you learn more about the unwritten rules we have here if you think you’ll be staying, Avery. No one wants to come in and make a fuss. It’ll ruffle feathers.”
Yeah, a few peacock feathers.
“I can assure you that’s not what I was doing.”
“And really, Mom. I also expect better of you. Weren’t you just telling me at breakfast this morning that the new town motto was ‘to welcome people as warmly as a freshly baked cookie?’”
“Well, yes,” she stammers.
“And how the town is built upon the season of giving, so therefore, we must give all the love we have to our neighbours and the people that visit our town?”
“Yes, but…”
“Well, then I think you owe Avery an apology. This is the most incredible snow creation I’ve ever seen. The impartial judges awarded us first place and I think that should be all the justification you need.”
Readjusting the purse on her arm, she looks down and mumbles. “I’m sorry.”
“What was that?” I ask, knowing I’m poking the bear and will likely get a lecture tonight on embarrassing her in public, but for once, it doesn’t bother me. I know that what I’m doing is the right thing to do.
She straightens with a huff. “I’m sorry, Avery. That was not very Gingerbreadian of me. Your creation is…lovely.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Roberts,” Avery replies honestly.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to Agnes about the hot cocoa that will be served at the event tomorrow night. I trust there won’t be any more bending of the rules now that you have both moved on to the next round.”
“Elf’s promise.” Avery raises her hand in an oath.
“Hmph. I’ll see you at home, Matty.” With a final look between us, she storms off.
Normally, having the withering look from my mom, along with the promise of her letting me know exactly how she feels about the situation, leaves me with a sense of foreboding while also wanting to rub an increasing feeling of pressure in my chest; but Avery grabs my hand and giggles up at me and all I feel is—peace.
“The three of them love their dramatic exits,” the man says, reminding me he’s still here.
“You’re telling me,” I reply.
“We haven’t met yet. I’m Eric Davies. Owner, well, future owner, of the Gingerbread Inn here in town.” He extends his hand, and I shake it with my free one.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Matthew Roberts and this is my girlfriend, Avery Geller.”
They say hello before Eric laughs. “Oh, I’ve heard about you two. The whole town is talking about not only how you two are the forerunners of the Yuletide Games, but also about your return to town, Matthew.”
“I’m scared to think of what they’re all saying.”
“Oh, nothing to be worried about. Well, not with everyone else in town. Not sure about your history there with the mayor and his wife…”
“Ancient history,” I reply.
“Well, either way, it’s nice to finally be able to meet you. I hope they don’t give you too much trouble. They hate to lose, and right now, you two are the only ones that have ever dared to try.”
“Is that so?” Avery asks, her gaze drifting to where Cal and McKenzie laugh with a vendor at their booth. Looking over their shoulders, their smiles dropping slightly before they catch themselves and go back to their conversation.
“Well, I think it’s about time they had some competition, don’t you think?” Avery asks, that mischievous look back on her face.