Chapter 20 Josh
JOSH
Thea and I climb onto the stage in the middle of Main Street for the final challenge of Merry Mayhem.
We head for the third long table, which is our station for the Great Gingerbread Dash.
We will be racing the other teams to see who can use every single item on the table in front of us to build the best-looking gingerbread house in ten minutes or less.
The first group to finish something that looks decent gets one hundred points, the second group gets fifty, and the third group gets ten. Everyone else gets nothing.
Even if we get a hundred points, Thea and I are not winning this thing.
And neither of us cares.
“I really want to grab that microphone and announce to this entire town that I’m madly in love with you,” I say conversationally.
Thea trips over her feet, and I grab her elbow with a grin.
“Tell me you’re not going to do that,” she says, as we move behind the table.
“No promises,” I say.
I want to do something. Not just because Ellie Landry is in the front row for the event and I kind of want the Landry family grand gesture stamp of approval—though, I do—but because my feelings for Thea feel big and bright and like they might just explode out of me at any moment. Like a confetti canon.
And because I want everyone to know about us.
I came to Rebel, Louisiana, and signed up for Merry Mayhem to take my mind off being alone and wasting two years of my life chasing the idea of love instead of the real thing.
But I got swept up in the fun and joy and these people.
And this person beside me.
I don’t want this to end.
While I know Merry Mayhem is over today, I feel that everything that makes it so fun, joyful, and yes, a little bonkers, is really everyday life here in Rebel. I want more of these people, their love for one another, their love for life, the way they celebrate things, and support each other.
And Thea. God, I want more of her. All of her. Instead of letting that end today, I want this to be the start.
“Josh, we still have to let Violet figure out how she wants to handle the whole ‘my boyfriend is now with my sister’ thing,” Thea says quietly. “If you just make some big announcement, you still put a spotlight on her that she might not want.”
“That’s the only reason I’m not kissing you right now up on this stage in the middle of town,” I tell her, checking out the gingerbread house pieces and parts in front of us as if we’re discussing whether white or multi-colored lights are better on a tree.
Because it is like that. It’s going to be a normal daily occurrence for me to let Thea Chabert know that I love and want her. She’ll get used to it.
Or she’ll catch her breath and freeze for a second, and her eyes will go wide every single time for the next seventy-five years of her life, like she did just now.
Either way, I’m going to do it.
I look away from the multitudes of candy and bowls of thick frosting to find her staring at me.
“Do you hate the idea of me kissing you in public? Because we’re going to need to discuss that. Once it’s okay to do, I’m going to want to. A lot.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not what I was thinking about.”
Her cheeks are a little pink. I grin and lean in, even though I’m supposed to behave. “What were you thinking about?”
“All the places I’d like you to kiss me. And my mouth is like number three on the list at the moment if I’m honest.”
Now I’m the one who catches his breath and freezes.
“This is why I call you Danger,” I say in a low growl.
She opens her mouth—I’m sure to remind me of where we are—when the jingle bells start ringing, indicating the start of the next challenge.
I straighten, but say, “Raincheck.”
She is clearly fighting a smile.
Nora takes the microphone. “Hi, everyone!”
The crowd cheers.
“It’s our last event!” she says.
The crowd boos.
Nora laughs. “I know, I know. But Santa comes tonight, so we need to get cleaned up and ready for him!”
More cheering.
“And don’t forget, we have lots of fun planned for Valentine’s Day!”
More cheering.
I look down at Thea. “Valentine’s Day?”
“Oh, of course, there’s all kinds of stuff going on for Valentine’s Day,” she says.
I’m going to need to hear more about this.
“But, before we get to the Gingerbread Dash,” Nora goes on. “There is one thing I want to do. The Merry Mayhem board of directors has the name of this year’s Peppermint Princess!”
The entire crowd is quiet. Everyone turns to look at the person next to them. Then there’s soft murmuring.
“Since when do we have a Peppermint Princess?” someone yells.
Nora nods. “Since right now.”
“We just added it?” someone else asks.
Nora shrugs. “Yep! It’s not like we have a rule that says we can’t.”
People start nodding, and there’s a smattering of laughter that ripples through the crowd.
“Why do I get the feeling that Nora really likes this no rules thing?” I ask Thea.
“Yeah, she’s really getting into that,” Thea agrees. “I guess it makes her job with all the events and clubs that Parks and Rec organizes easier if there are fewer rules.”
I laugh. “That might come back and bite her in the ass.”
“Well? Who is it?” someone calls out.
“This year’s Peppermint Princess is Violet Chabert!” Nora says happily.
Everyone cheers and starts applauding.
The crowd parts as Violet makes her way toward the stage.
Nora produces a crown made of candy canes, which I assume are plastic, and a red cape with white fur trim. She places the crown on Violet’s head while Harley drapes the cape around Violet’s shoulders.
“And no one even blinks that the winner is the Mayor’s granddaughter and the organizer’s cousin?” I ask Thea.
She laughs. “Oh, lord, no.”
Nora hands Violet the microphone, and Violet takes it with a big grin.
“Well, thank you.” She faces the crowd. “When I asked Nora if I could say a few words, this is not at all what I expected.”
The crowd cheers.
“I wanted a chance to say thank you,” Violet says, quieting the noise.
“I can’t believe the amount of support and love I’ve felt over these past few days after my accident, and I wanted to say how much I love all of you.
I’ve always felt like Rebel is one big family, and you’ve all just driven that point home to me.
Thank you.” She sniffs, and everyone applauds again.
“And there’s something I need to tell you,” she continues. “Something that you’ve all given me the strength to say.”
She glances toward me and Thea, and I feel my spine tense.
Oh. She’s going to do this right now.
“Oh…crap,” Thea says.
“It’s good,” I tell her. “Let her do it.”
“She doesn’t have to do it like this.”
“She has to do it however she wants to,” I say quietly.
“Josh is not my boyfriend,” Violet says. Not quietly.
Just like that. Clear and simple.
“He’s a great guy who agreed to help me out when I needed a friend.”
She looks at me again and gives me a smile. That I return. But I’m itching to take Thea’s hand.
“I thought that I couldn’t face Merry Mayhem and this holiday without Sam.
Single. Alone,” she goes on, facing the crowd again.
“So, I asked Josh a huge favor—to pretend to be my boyfriend for a few days—and he said yes. But it isn’t true.
Josh and I were never together. We met at Perks and Rec the night of my accident.
Then he pulled me out of the car and got me to the hospital.
He saved me, physically, but…” She pauses and takes a deep breath.
“You all saved my heart. You showed me over these past two days how loved I am. How much support I have. That I’m absolutely not alone at all.
I will never be alone. I might not have a boyfriend, but I’m very loved and I don’t want to be anywhere, with anyone other than all of you for Christmas. ”
She stops, and the entire crowd is quiet for several long seconds.
Then someone starts clapping. Quickly, more join in, and soon everyone is clapping and cheering. Several people are wiping their eyes, but everyone is smiling.
Violet stands smiling out at the town.
“Wow,” Thea says quietly.
“That was really good,” I say.
“Yeah. I’m so proud of her.”
Then Violet turns to us. “And now, Josh, you can kiss my sister the way I know you’re dying to.”
Surprise rocks through me, but I’m not an idiot. I turn to Thea, cup her face, and kiss her before she can think of a reason why I shouldn’t.
The applause and cheering gets even louder.
And Thea kisses me back.
She slides her hand to the back of my neck as I tip her back and lets me really kiss her.
The next thing I know, I hear the boom of the confetti canon, and red, green, and white sparkly paper is raining down around us.
I pull back and grin down at Thea. “Well, there was still a stage, a mic, and confetti, even if I wasn’t the one making the big public speech.”
She laughs. “Sorry, your grand gesture was just a kiss.”
I shake my head. “As long as everyone knows you’re mine.”
She sighs happily. “Too bad we still need to build our gingerbread house.”
“I’m willing to forfeit and keep making out with you instead.”
She presses her lips together, and her cheeks get pink.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, needing to know.
“Just about all the places I’d like to smear frosting and stick candy. And I’m not talking about gingerbread.”
That’s it. The mayhem this woman is going to cause in my life isn’t over, but we’re moving locations for now.
I bend, haul her over my shoulder, stand, grab a bag of candy and a bowl of frosting, and head for the stage steps.
She’s laughing and wiggling, though not enough to actually get away. “Josh! We’ll lose!”
I grin and wave to the crowd that’s laughing and cheering for us.
“Oh, Danger, we already won this whole damned thing.”
Thank you so much for reading Merry Mayhem!
I hope you loved Josh and Thea’s story!
There’s so much more to come from Rebel, Louisiana!
Nora’s book is next!
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