“Thanks. That will be great. Feel free to use some of mine too.”
Julie made a funny noise, and Kristen turned to see Mason coming through the door. “Oh no. What is he doing here?”
“Same as us, I guess,” Julie said as they watched him standing awkwardly at the front of the room. “Should we invite him over?”
Kristen made a face. Mason was new in town, and she appreciated that he probably didn’t know anyone. She did want to be neighborly, but... Luckily, she didn’t have to make the decision, because Myrtle from the animal rescue center waved him over, and he sat down a few tables away. His eyes scanned the room and met hers. She looked away quickly, not sure why her cheeks were heating.
Ivy rushed in, spotted them, and hurried to the table next to theirs.
“I was afraid I’d be late. Phew! It’s so much fun to do this with you guys.” Ivy looked at Julie and Kristen.
“It is.” Kristen was looking forward to doing much more with her old friends.
“You guys are going on the sleigh ride tonight, right?”
“Of course!” Ivy said.
“That’s tonight?” Kristen had been so busy working on the skating-pond design that she’d barely looked at the events calendar she’d gotten at the town hall.
Julie nodded excitedly. “The first one of the season is tonight. Let’s all meet there, and we can go in the same sleigh.”
“Sounds like a plan. Oh, Irene is ready to start.” She nodded toward the front, where Irene was getting ready to make an announcement.
Irene clapped her hands. “Welcome, everyone. As you know, this is the thirty-fifth annual Pinecone Falls wreath-making contest. The rules are simple. You have three hours to make as many wreaths as you can. The one with the most wreaths at the end of the three hours wins.”
There was a general murmur, and Irene held up her hand. “I know what you’re thinking. This is a friendly competition, after all, and we are all adults here. Everyone does get to put a business card in their wreaths. The prize this year is an ad for your business in the most prominent spot at the top of the placemats that will be set in every restaurant in town. The two runners-up will get a smaller ad on the placemat. When you finish a wreath, bring it to Annie over there.” Irene pointed to a table at which a middle-aged woman with frosted blond hair and ruby-red-framed glasses sat. “She’ll keep count.”
Irene paused and looked at the clock. “There will be a short break at ten-thirty. And you may begin... now!”
Chaos ensued as people rushed to get started. Kristen looked at Julie and Ivy, who were already busy winding pine cones and sprigs around the wire frames. She gulped and grabbed a frame. It had been a while since she’d made wreaths, but it would all come back to her, wouldn’t it?
It took her a while to get into a rhythm, but soon, she was cranking out wreaths as fast as she could. To her dismay, every time she ran up to the table, Mason was just rushing back from it. Even worse, after the first hour, Irene announced that the two of them were tied for the lead!
Kristen kicked it into high gear, but it seemed as if the hands of the clock were moving faster and faster. Pine needles, glitter, and ribbon flew everywhere. She was picking a piece of ribbon out of her hair when Irene announced that it was time for the break.
“Ten minutes, people. And then we’ll have ninety minutes to finish this up! I have a sign-up sheet up front for the gingerbread house contest. We’re displaying the gingerbread houses with business cards in various spots all over town.”
Kristen remembered seeing the gingerbread houses from years past in the photo album, and she’d attended the contest with her father when she was little. Hopefully, she could still create a good house, although she hadn’t done one in years. Self-doubt surfaced, and Kristen wondered if it wouldn’t be smarter to spend that time on the skating-pond plans....
Wait a minute, was Mason standing in line to sign up? That settled it!
She pushed up from the chair and marched up to the front. First the skating-pond contest, then the wreath making. There was no way she was going to let him get one up on her with the gingerbread houses.
Mason turned from the sign-up sheet and almost knocked Kristen over. Instinctively, he grabbed her arm to keep her from toppling. She looked different from when they been in Irene’s office. Now, standing so close, he realized how much taller he was. She seemed more petite than she had earlier… and more determined. Her look of obstinate resolve was softened by the glitter and pine needles in her hair.
“Sorry! Are you signing up for the gingerbread house contest?” he asked.
“Yes, my family does that every year.” She sounded a little indignant.
“Oh. Of course. How are the skating plans coming?”
She tilted her chin higher. “Good. How about yours?”
“I really haven’t started them. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
Her left brow quirked up. “Oh, really? I’m sure you’ll do fine. Seems like you are good at making wreaths.” She nodded toward the table on which the finished wreaths were piled, and he thought he detected a smirk of triumph on her face.
This contest was really important to her. Much more than it was to him. And not for the first time, he thought maybe he might not do such a great job on the skating-pond contest so she could win. But then images of his father wallowing in grief for the past three years bubbled up. This new store was the one thing that had lifted Kent out of his depression. If it didn’t succeed, then what would happen? He couldn’t take the risk by blowing the skating-pond contest on purpose.
