Knowing that she had the potential of ongoing, consistent work with the Chamber of Commerce made the sting of not being in contention for the fifty thousand dollars a little easier.
She returned to Drake Park. Ice crystals sparkled in the snow. Sunlight flickered on the treetops. Teams gathered at the amphitheater as they had for the kickoff party. This time the nervous hum of energy permeated everything as the crowd awaited the announcement of who had won the sledful of cash.
She looked around anxiously. There was no sign of William.
A handful of skilled ice skaters glided across the temporary rink. Marissa watched, transfixed, as they executed intricate spins and jumps.
But no William Graff.
Marissa tried to brush aside her disappointment.
Hilary and Samesh took the stage, thanking everyone for their participation. There were awards for second and thirdplace and ribbons for individual challenges like best paper crown and snowman.
“And now, for the moment you’re all waiting for,” Hilary said into the microphone. “This year’s winner of Passport to the Holidays is…” She turned to the high school band. “Drum roll, please.”
Everyone held their breath as they awaited the results.
“The student team from Bend High School, team captain Olivia Henry.”
Marissa jumped up and down, shouting along with the crowd in genuine delight. Olivia won! Her young cousin’s team had beaten out the adult teams.
She felt true delight. Olivia deserved to win, and Marissa knew she would use the money for something good.
Is that why Hilary had wanted her to come?
It had nothing to do with William Graff.
Again, disappointment swirled through her body.
Hearing that William had been the one to recommend her business had given Marissa hope that maybe she hadn’t misread him.
But then, why wasn’t he here?
She waited for the crowd to thin out before congratulating Olivia.
Her cousin was beaming with pride. “Liv! Amazing.” Marissa wrapped her in a giant hug.
“Can you believe it? We won!” Olivia clapped. “I’m still in shock. I never thought we would win. I thought from the scores on the app that we were in third place, but I guess the last challenge put us over the top.”
“Awesome. I’m so happy for you.” Marissa meant it. “Now you can pay for college.”
Olivia gave her an odd stare. “I’m not using this money for college.”
“You’re not?” That surprised Marissa. Her cousin was so practical and wise. She couldn’t imagine Olivia blowing the money on a shopping spree or something frivolous. “What are you going to do with it?”
“We’re using it to launch more programs for foster kids.” Olivia’s attention drifted toward the band. “Mr. Graff is going to oversee the project. He’s been our champion this entire time and has an idea for you. You should go talk to him.”
Marissa couldn’t hide her confusion. William was already heading her way. His long strides cut through the crowd. He wore a pair of black slacks and a vintage Icelandic penguin print Christmas sweater that made him look like some kind of a Nordic god. He brushed a strand of hair from his eyes as he glided toward her.
“Hey, Grazing Table.” His voice was thick and throaty, slightly rough when he reached her.
“Hi,” she managed to mutter, her heart rate spiking at the way he looked at her.
“Pretty cool that your cousin won.”
“Yeah,” she said slowly, trying to control the pounding in her chest. “She said you’re working with her?”
William nodded, stepping closer. The space between them felt charged, like it was on fire. “It’s the reason I wanted to win. There’s so much that needs to be done at the school. I had a real chance to make it better. My parents and several of the businesses agreed to match whatever I won. I’ve been putting my powers of persuasion to the test after we got disqualified, and I’m happy to report that I’ve convinced them to keep their promise to match donations, although admittedly, it wasn’t a tough sell.”
