Holy abs for days…
More whistles sounded over the crowd.
“Wow,” Penny said beside her.
No kidding. Did businessmen have time to get that…ripped?
“On your mark…get set, go!”
At once all a dozen men dove face-first into their pies. Justine fought off a conflicting thought as she watched, anticipation stirring in her chest. If Burke won the contest, and then Brittany was announced winner, he’d have to crown her. Also,shewould be the one he was to have the first dance with at the lighting of the tree event.
“Do it, Trevor, come on,” Brittany hollered. “Hurry.”
Encouragement rang out from the crowd as well, a fact that urged Justine to speak up for her guy. “Come on, Burke. You’ve got this.”
It was clear—as each guy was face-deep in pie, moving about their pie tin with a flurry—that they were there to win. It was likely many of them had a strategy. Heck, they’d done it several years in a row, most of them. But Justine doubted that Burke had ever done anything like it in his life.
“Come on, babe,” she hollered again. “Go, Burke!” And that he was. It seemed that as he came up for air, bright burgundy filling clinging to his gorgeous face, that he had only a few crust remnants in his tin.
She quickly scanned over the others, encouraged to see that he’d come much further than Frank and DJ. Trevor though, he was as far along as Burke, possibly further.
It was in that moment, as she cheered for him once more, that a new sort of desperation kicked in. In fact, if only one of them could win—out of her and Burke—she’d wish for it to be him; if Burke didn’t win, he probably wouldn’t come to the tree lighting event.
And between now and then, he planned to spend time with his family in the neighboring town.
“Looks like we’re getting very close,” Tom said as he paced before the action with the mic.
Come on, Burke. Come on.Justine’s limbs tightened as Tom studied the two contestants who’d come the furthest. Trevor and Burke, who was just one seat away.
From her perspective, both of their tins looked empty. But that must not be the case since neither was—
But then suddenly Burke lifted his face. “Done.”
Elation rushed through Justine as she watched Tom hurry in to clarify. “We’ve got a possible winner over here,” he declared.
Trevor popped up next. “Done.”
“We’ve gotanotherpossible winner, folks. Let’s measure their progress and see…” He glanced back and forth between the two empty looking pie tins as others popped up to do the same.
“We doindeedhave a winner here, folks,” Tom declared, rushing over to lift Burke’s hand in the air. “Stand up, young man, and tell everyone your name.”
“Burke Richards,” he said, “fiancé to that beautiful woman over there.” He brought his hand from behind his back to point to Justine, then gave her a wink.
Tom grinned. “Let’s give him a hand, Piney Falls!”
The volunteers rushed in with damp paper towels.
“Since you’re here with Justine and she’s already on the stage, we may as well let her do the honors of crowning you,” Tom said. “Sheila, why don’t you take it on over to Justine. Take him his shirt too while you’re at it. Can’t have him making me look bad up here.” Tom grabbed a handful of his hanging gut and grinned.
Sheila, a senior in high school who’d likely enter the contest next year, held the crown carefully with both hands. She hurried over to Justine with it and locked eyes on her. “He is so gorgeous,” the girl said with wide eyes. “I hope you win princess now.”
“Aw, thank you, Sheila.” Justine made her way around the table where she grabbed his shirt, handing that over first.
Burke flexed while shrugging back into his shirt. A collective moan happened among the ladies as he tugged it over his abs at last.
Justine felt her own face flash with heat when he caught her gawking.Sheesh.
Burke had cleared most of the crumbs and filling off of his face, but not all.
