Nemesis:Doing what? I’m pretty sure the entire village is here.
Me:Exactly. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet.
Nemesis:It wouldn’t hurt you to actually join in. There are some spectacular displays. I’m really impressed.
Me:It’s gingerbread. It’s not that exciting.
Nemesis:You are so boring!
Me:Thank you.
Chapter Nine
Balfour
“We won!” Kendrick screeched in my ear, jumping up and down. He launched himself towards me, and I automatically caught him, swinging him around in a circle. “We won! We won!” He chanted, grinning from ear to ear.
“We did!” I was just as excited as he was. I’d been nervously chewing on my thumb nail, pacing, as the judges had gone from display to display. Looking at them from all sides, pointing out the tiniest flaws, then tasting them.
Oddly enough, Keegan had elf Sherman from the inn fill in for Diana this year, along with Harry from the restaurant, andsurprisingly, one of the Tooth Fairies’ bodyguards. Apparently, the man’s family ran a bakery and he had volunteered on short notice.
I had watched, anxiety swirling in my chest, as the judges had gone back and forth between mine and another display, for what had seemed like hours.
Kendrick had baked the gingerbread, using some recipe he had in his head, and I had assembled the structures and done all the decorating. A small depiction of the village, complete with an isomalt skating rink, fondant penguins that skated in a circle thanks to some mechanics, as well as the workshop and the reindeer and sleigh barn.
It had taken every free hour we had and then some. My hands still ached from all the piping and intricate detailed work.
When they had announced we’d won, it had been worth all the lost sleep and cramped hands.
“Truly a magnificent piece,” Diana congratulated me, watching as Harry handed me the blue ribbon. “Congratulations.”
“I can’t believe you made this,” Nik told me, bending down and peering at my work. “It’s amazing.”
“We should go celebrate!” Keegan announced, Kieran perched on his hip.
“Pizza!” Kacey jumped up and down excitedly, swinging her arms and nearly taking out our gingerbread village before Nik caught her flying hands.
Kendrick leaned his lithe body into mine, his arm sliding around my waist. “I’m always down for pizza.”
“I should really go back to–”
Nik pointed a finger at me. “Do not say you need to go back to work. The workshop is fine. Everything is ready for Christmas Eve. We’re getting pizza.”
“This is something to celebrate, Balfour,” Pops clapped me on my shoulder. “I’m so very proud of you. This is just spectacular.”
“Kendrick helped,” I told him proudly. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“Hmmm,” Diana smiled then teased, “Did you steal my recipe?”
“Not yours, entirely,” Kendrick defended. “I added my own secret spices, and I’m not telling you what they are.”
Hours later, full of pizza and good cheer, we made our way back to my cottage. Kendrick clutched the blue ribbon in his hand, fingering the silky material. We had sat close all night, looking cozy and very much the loving couple to anyone observing us.
His hand had rested on my thigh during dinner, my arm slung casually over his shoulders.
It had all felt natural, normal, and right.
I was starting to feel things for Kendrick that went beyond friendship. I had been since Thanksgiving and our first kiss.
