Page 24 of A Kiss at Christmas
Mygirl has a thing forParkerBrockbankinTradeShows!!!!
Kelliheld her phone closer, glancing around to make sure no one was near enough to see.
KELLI:Shh!Idon’t even know.He’sjust...
AndI’m...
Iknow he just sees me as the awkward girl.Buthe’s pretty great.
AndnowIdon’t know what to do.
Mycurrent plan is to run far away.
Sheglanced up and saw thatParkerwas no longer studying the chart, and he looked like he might be doing his own running away.
KELLI:Gottago.
“Parker,” she called out, and he turned toward her.Shetook a few quick steps to reach him. “Whereare you going?”
Heglanced back at the points chart and then made a face. “I’mjust not feeling like making gingerbread houses.”
“Iappreciate you being the gentleman and letting me win the parking space, butIwould rather win it fair and square.”
“Istill plan to win it.”
Sheshook her head. “You’repractically gift wrapping it and putting it under the tree with my name on it if you walk out on this one.”
Shedidn’t want to go herself.Andshe would be fine—grateful, even—for less competition.Butshe wanted to win, and against her better judgment, she wanted him there, too.Soshe had no problem taunting her biggest rival.
Hetook a longing gaze at his escape route before meeting her eyes. “Okay, but only if you promise that whenIwin, you’ll wrap it and put it under theChristmastree with my name on it.”
“Deal,” she said, thrusting out her hand.Heshook it, and they joined the group heading to the activities center.Whywas she doing this?Shecould’ve let him leave and stayed away herself.
Butthere were still the two others who were only one point behind her andParker, and they’d pull ahead if they both didn’t go.
Theygathered in the activities building—eleven of them fromZentCubeand fifteen or so from other parts of the resort—and a woman in her early twenties stood in front of them. “Hi, y’all!Myname isHallieMae, andI’vegot a great activity for you today.Nowas you can see, there are tables all around the room.Eachspot at the tables has the same supplies—frosting and candies and a base to build your creations on.Y’allhave a stack of gingerbread rectangles in front of you, and we do have some more right there in the middle of the tables in case you need them.
“Atthe end, we’ll have a few judges we’ve grabbed from among our more elderly full-time residents, and we’ll give awards to the tallest, the most creative, and the most beautiful.Butthe catch is, you only have one hour.Nowgo find a spot!We’vegot them on both sides of the table.”
Kellifound a spot first and was looking at what she had to work with, organizing and straightening everything.Whensomeone took the spot across from her, she looked up and was surprised to seeParker.Especiallysince there were still other open spots available.
Hehad seen her embarrassingly less than perfect so many times.Andnot just on the plane or at the dinner or doing a million little things at the mansion, but overyears.Infact, anytime she did something embarrassing, it seemed to be when he was around to witness it.Itwas baffling that he sought her out.
Especiallysince there was a spot conspicuously open next toAddison.
NotthatKelliwas complaining.
Butas much as she felt herself being pulled towardParker, a warning voice kept nagging at her, reminding her that things might not work out.Shedidn’t have the best track record with guys, and she knew she was feeling more vulnerable than usual right now and needed to be cautious.
“Ready?”HallieMaecalled out. “Go!”
Shesmiled at seeingParkerstraighten and organize all of his supplies before he got started, too.
Butthen she turned her focus to her gingerbread house.Shehad gotten the idea last year to do a standard house with a pointed roof, then have a slightly smaller house stacked on top of it, the front and back each with a triangle cut-out so it could sit nicely on it, then a third house on top that was slightly smaller than the second.Thenshe wanted to decorate it whimsically and fun.Butan hour wasn’t much time, so she’d have to work quickly.
Everyonce in a while, she’d glance over atParker’screation, which looked like a cute beach cottage, and those art skills of his were definitely at work.Hewas working just as focused and furiously as she was.
Sheglanced up when his phone buzzed on the table and saw a picture of an adorable woman, with the name showing as “Mom.”Withas little time as they had, she figured he would ignore it and call her back later, but he didn’t.Hepicked it up and answered as he was walking toward the other end of the big open space to chat.
