“I’m trying to stop you.”
“You suck at this.”
“Help!” Callie shrieks as Charlie stands over her, trying to tear the mixer from her grasp.
“We’re a little busy,” I call back, my arms still wrapped around Jax’s neck as my feet drag on the floor.
Olivia pulls away from Rhett and leaps to Callie’s aid, taking the mixer from her grasp before Charlie realizes it. She carries it under her arm like a football.
“She’s headed for the door! Don’t let her leave.” Rhett tears after her and Charlie finally lets go of Callie, realizing she no longer has the mixer.
I slip off Jax’s back and dart around him as I make a dash toward Olivia to offer help. Rhett reaches her at almost the same time, so we barely manage the handoff. I head toward the kitchen, the place that seems the least occupied at the moment, but the acrid smell floating in the air stops me in my tracks.
“What’s burning?”
Jax takes the opportunity to dive toward me, snatching the mixer from my grip as Charlie yells in panic. “The cookies!”
Charlie pulls blackened cookies from the oven as I leap onto Jax’s back again and Callie and Olivia try to trip Rhett.
Then Aimee walks in the front door. “How are my bakers doing? I thought I’d check—” The smile on her face whooshes off. “What on earth is going on in here?”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jax
Mom looks appalled,which only makes me burst into laughter. Tears form in my eyes as everyone laughs along with me.
Mom slowly joins our amused laughter, but after a few moments, she says, “Seriously, can someone please tell me what I just walked into? I need to know if I need to call Sheriff Baker.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny, Mom. We were just making sure the friendly competition truly was a competition.”
“This is not what the bake-off is supposed to be about.” She places her hands on her hips. “We told y’all not to sabotage one another. Should I tell the judges we’ve called things off?”
“No!” Charlie and Callie blurt in unison. Charlie’s face is filled with desperation, and Callie throws some side-eye in his direction.
“Okay then. I can’t believe I’m about to say this when you’re grown adults, but y’all need to behave!”
“Yeah, Jax.” Charlie gives my shoulder a playful nudge.
“You’re the one who wouldn’t let Lauren help me pick cookies up off the floor.”
Mom clears her throat, getting our attention again. “Ididcome in here for a reason. There are only thirty minutes left. Will y’all be done and ready for the judges by then?”
“We can make that work. Thank you, Aimee,” Lauren says sweetly. I’ll have to give her a hard time later for being extra polite to my mom. I like that she cares about her image around her. It makes me think maybe Lauren’s thinking beyond this secretive stage of our relationship.
“Well, get back to baking! The cookies aren’t going to make themselves.” Mom swivels on her heel to head toward the front door, but pauses, crouching down to drag a bowl out from under the shoe rack. Scrunching her nose, she asks, “Is this frosting?”
“That’s where that went!”
Mom hands Callie the bowl. “Please don’t put this on the cookies. I think there’s dirt in it.”
Charlie nudges me, muttering, “Nice hiding spot.”
Rhett turns to me with a disapproving look. “You hid the girls’ frosting under a shoe rack? Are you serious?” When he spins back toward the counter, I swear I see the hint of a smile on his face. I’m beginning to think Rhett isn’t as intimidating as I thought.
“I can’t believe y’all won! Our idea with Nana and Papa Rhodes was way better than whatever the hell your elf idea was.” Charlie nudges Lauren’s side, a teasing smile on his face.
“Oh, come on! Ours was creative. You just took a story that already exists.”
