"Morning"
She jumps, toothbrush still in her mouth, then smiles around it. Her hair's a mess, my t-shirt hem skimming her upper thighs, and she's never looked better.
"Your mom mentioned something about a scavenger hunt with the Harpers today."
Charlie's eyes light up. She holds up a finger, spits into the sink, and rinses before turning to me with a gleam I'm starting to recognize—pure competition.
"The Christmas Scavenger Hunt." She grabs a hairbrush. "Teams of two, racing all over town for ridiculous holiday items. Winner gets a trophy and bragging rights for the year."
"Sounds fun."
"Oh, it's not fun." She points the brush at me. "It's war. And we're going to absolutely destroy the Harpers."
I can't help laughing at her fierce expression. "I take it you've lost before?"
"Three years running." She narrows her eyes. "But this year I have you. We're going to dominate."
"Yes ma'am," I say, pulling her against me. "Whatever you say."
Chapter twenty-six
Charlie
I squint at the clue in my hand, trying to decipher the riddle while Bash navigates us through downtown Aspen in our rental SUV. My competitive side is in full force—we're currently neck and neck with Emily and my dad, with Ethan and Olivia trailing not far behind.
"'Where colors dance across the sky, not made by nature but by man's design. Find the rainbow body, capture its light, and your journey will continue into the night,'" I read aloud for the third time. "What the hell does that even mean?"
Bash taps his fingers on the steering wheel, stopped at a red light. He's wearing a knit beanie that somehow makes his jawline look even sharper, and I'm momentarily distracted by how good he looks in profile.
"Rainbow body," he repeats. "That sounds like an art piece."
"Rainbow body..." I drum my fingers against the clue card. Then it hits me. "Oh my god! The Aspen Art Museum! There's an exhibition there right now—Ugo Rondinone's rainbow body installation!"
"Bingo." Bash grins, taking a right turn as the light changes. "You're brilliant, Shortcake."
"Good thing my dad reads the paper every morning," I explain, already pulling up the museum location on my phone. "There was an article that said it's this incredible light installation that transforms the entire room into a rainbow spectrum. The artist is known for his immersive color work."
"Well, I for one am looking forward to an art break after that friendship bracelet fiasco." Bash holds up his wrist, displaying the uneven, childlikearrangement of beads I'd helped him string together at the jewelry store. "I don't think I'm cut out for fine motor skills."
I laugh, remembering how his large hands struggled with the tiny beads. "Hey, you more than made up for it by getting us the signature Powder Day hot chocolate at the lodge before anyone else figured out the clue."
"I may have spent half my twenties in that lodge," he admits. "I knew exactly who to sweet-talk for the fast track."
The memory of our first stop makes me smile. We'd sprinted into the ski lodge, breathless and laughing, and while the other teams were still studying the menu board, Bash had sauntered straight to a middle-aged woman behind the counter, calling her by name. One charming smile later, we'd had our specialty hot chocolates—complete with peppermint schnapps and homemade whipped cream—and the required polaroid proof before Ethan and Olivia had even reached the counter.
"I still can't believe you knew Marge by name," I say, shaking my head.
"Always be nice to the people who control the hot chocolate, Shortcake. That's rule number one of mountain life."
We pull into the museum parking lot, and I scan for other teams. No sign of Sarah's car, which my dad and Emily are driving since Sarah and Addie stayed behind at the house to keep my mom company, nor Ethan's rental. Good, we're in the lead.
"Come on!" I grab the polaroid camera from the console and jump out of the car. "If we hurry, we can get in and out before—"
But my words die in my throat as I spot Ethan and Olivia emerging from the museum entrance. My stomach drops. How did they get here so fast?
Ethan notices us immediately, his smug smile spreading across his face as he tugs Olivia closer. Her designer snow boots and pristine white parka look like they've never seen actual snow.
"Well, well," Ethan calls as we approach. "Looks like someone's playing catch-up."
