Chapter 11 #3
The crumbs in between us look very much like scattered snow, the round white cookies clearly represent snowballs, and we each have an “arsenal” piled up in front of us. All of the judges chuckle.
“Creative,” Brewser says.
“I’ve never seen two teams work together to create something,” one of the women, Susan, says.
I can’t tell by the way she says it if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
They continue down the table, and we share a conspiratorial smile with the boys.
It doesn’t really matter who gets these points. We had a good time. And I got to stand smashed up against Josh’s side. I can think of worse ways to spend my early morning hours.
And better ways.
Like smashed up against Josh without all these clothes between us and without an audience.
Stop it. You’re going to get in so much trouble.
After checking out all of the cookie decorating and huddling for a couple of minutes, the judges stand up and face us. “We’re ready to award the points,” they tell Nora.
“Excellent,” she says, standing by the enormous whiteboard she’ll be using to keep track of our scores over the next couple of days.
“This challenge was worth twenty-five points,” Wilson says. “We have to admit that Jesse and Brad have the prettiest cookies decorated.”
Jesse and Brad give little whoops and high-fives.
“But,” Brewser adds. “We are only giving them fifteen of the points. We want to give Thea and Josh five points and Max and Mitchell five points, too. We appreciated the teamwork and creativity.”
Jesse and Brad are less happy now, but Max and Mitchell look like Brewser just told them they get to take all the cookies home with them, too.
“Um…” Nora stands with her whiteboard marker, poised. “I guess we never said all the points need to go to one team,” she finally decides with a shrug. “Great!”
The audience applauds as Nora writes all the points on the board.
“Okay,” she says, turning back. “The relay race starts at ten o’clock sharp. Grab some breakfast and coffee, and we’ll see you back here. Well, at the statue,” she says with a laugh.
The relay race will start at the statue of Julia the Otter. Of course.
The audience disperses to the booths that have been set up with breakfast foods, coffee, and, of course, the cocoa stand that is open throughout the event.
The participants in the cookie decorating contest shrug out of their coats and mittens and head off for refreshment as well.
I look up at Josh. “We could’ve kicked butt at that contest and gotten all the points,” I tell him unnecessarily. “You’re an excellent cookie decorator.”
He sighs. “I should probably confess something to you as my teammate.”
I think I know where this is going. “And what’s that?”
“I’m not very competitive. I’m definitely a team player. And I like to help other people.”
I put my hand on my chest and gasp. “No. The firefighter and paramedic is a helpful, nice guy who doesn’t like to see other people struggle?”
He grins. “I’m going to struggle in the relay race and obstacle course against those two kids and the two older ladies.”
I like him so much.
“Well…”
He turns to face me fully. “What?”
“The only real objective is for Sam and Ashley not to win.”
Josh’s eyes narrow, but his smile grows. “That’s true. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That we can help everyone except them? That we could make sure that they don’t win rather than worrying about winning ourselves?”
He nods. “Yes. I’m into that.”
“Then I think you should know something,” I tell him.
“What’s that?”
“I really want to kiss you right now.”
Heat flares in his eyes, and he takes a step closer. Too close. We cannot stand this close in public.
A point that is emphasized when Bruce and Harley come up behind me and say, “That was awesome.”
I straighten and turn quickly to greet them with a smile that is probably too bright. “Thanks. We had a good time.”
“You two are so good together,” Amanda Long says enthusiastically. “It’s so great that you get along so well since you’re going to be in-laws.”
I struggle to hold onto my smile.
They all think we’re going to be in-laws. Josh is going to be my brother-in-law. Because he’s with my sister. Ugh. “Well, Josh is pretty hard not to like.”
Not a lie.
“You’re jumpin’ ahead there, Amanda,” Harley says with a chuckle. “Violet and Josh are just datin’. Don’t be scaring him off.”
Amanda laughs and waves that away. “As if marrying into your family would scare someone off.” She looks at us again. “Maybe the two of you need to keep being partners for Merry Mayhem in the future. Do you think your sister will let you borrow him?” she asks with a laugh.
Ugh times two. And yuck.
Of course, it’s just me thinking of ‘borrowing him’ in dirty ways, I’m sure.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I say. “Josh is kind of the type of guy you wanna keep to yourself.”
I hear him clear his throat behind me.
“Thea and I do work well together,” he says. “This might just ruin Merry Mayhem for me in the future. This might be my first and last year.”
“Oh, no!” Amanda reaches out and grabs his arm. “Violet loves this. She’ll never want to give this up. She’ll be so lucky to have such a great partner.”
And just like someone dumped cold water over the top of me, I am reminded that not only is my sister missing out on one of her favorite parts of the year, but she’s not here because she’s hurt, in the fucking hospital.
And everyone in this town thinks that I am here being an amazing sister to her, along with her amazing boyfriend, Josh.
We’re doing this for her. Supposedly.
And that is how it started.
We’ve just…veered off course.
And next year, if Josh is here for Christmas, will it be with me? And if so, how will the town feel about us both then?
I wonder if they’re serving spiked hot chocolate this early in the morning.