“Let’s get to those first so I can forget this night.”
“My offer still stands,” he said as Bertie took the stage.
“Offer?”
“Get through this, and I’ll make this worth your while.”
“Did Bertie pay you to say that?”
“She’s good. But not that good.”
“Well, well, Mr. Bailey. I do believe you’re coming on to me.”
“Is that going to get me arrested this time, officer?”
“Play your cards right and it just might get you something.”
“It’s not too late for dessert,” he murmured.
Bertie made a grand show of announcing the winners from fifth to first. The salsa took first, and in a surprise that got the entire room applauding louder, the salsa recipe had been entered by fourteen-year-old Jimmy Stanton.
“Ready?” Ryder asked as the crowd shifted and milled, some people leaving while others were still arriving. The drink round would start in five minutes.
“Can’t wait.”
A phone rang, and Ryder frowned as he pulled his out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and I saw surprise, then anger fly quickly across his eyes before he pushed those both away and turned to take the call.
I strolled to the front of the room, and several people stopped me to shake my hand or offer up a little idle chat. Jimmy waved his blue ribbon over his head at me like he’d just stolen the flag from the top of the world, and I gave him a thumbs-up and a nod.
Trillium from the newspaper was walking his way, her phone cupped in her palm as she spoke into it. Looked like Jimmy was going to get a picture in the paper.
I gathered with the other judges and assistants who hadn’t just ducked out on their duties, at one side of the stage.
The judges and assistants were all in a good mood. Gazes flicked over the crowd and lingered a little longer on Jimmy. He hadn’t won the prize because of his age, but there was something wonderful in rewarding someone who was practically vibrating with excitement over a blue ribbon.
It gave the entire event a buoyant sort of lift, and my mood couldn’t help but rise right along with it.
Frigg cracked her knuckles one at a time and frowned. “Where’s Ryder?”
“Deserted me.”
“Couldn’t hack it, huh?”
“Phone call.”
“Will he be back?”
“I have no idea.”
I took a little more time studying the faces in the room. Chris and Herri were still in the back. They’d found two chairs and had placed them near the quilts, about midway across the hall. Close enough they could hear and see what was going on, but still be separate from the audience.
I thought they must have done that out of deference to Chris, who was still reeling from the death of his friend.
The rest of the crowd were already in their seats, about forty people scattered across the chairs, most of them staring at their phones or sending messages. In this modern day, the newspaper would not be the first place to break the news on the winners. Probably half of Ordinary already knew how the savory round had gone down.
I noted the newlyweds Hallie and Joe Wolfe were there. Joe was full werewolf, whereas Hallie was a shifter who took feline form. Funny how the two of them, cat and dog, were more easily accepted in the Wolfe family than Ben and Jame.
But then, the Rossi and Wolfe truce was an uneasy one.
