Page 76 of Clued in to Love
“Stay. I’ll get us some.” He went to the edge of the sidewalk and waited with the gaggle of kids, hoping to scoop up any candy tossed from floats.
Marissa watched as William made sure the kids scooped handfuls of candy canes and brightly wrapped sweets before he grabbed a few for them.
“Oh my God, Wills, you are getting candy with the kids now? So adorable.” Parker batted her fake lashes at him. “What did you bring me?”
“Uh, actually, these are for Marissa,” he said sheepishly. “We’re still looking for a clue.”
Parker’s smile vanished. She tried to recover by tossing her hair and laughing. “You and your little scavenger hunt. We’re going to get to the bottom of why Wills is really doing this, aren’t we?” she asked her friends.
William offered Marissa the candy. “Should we open them and see if there’s more than sugary peppermint inside?”
“It’s worth a shot.” Although truthfully, even with the blanket and William’s expensive, high-tech hand warmers, a chill had settled over her. She was having a hard time keeping her teeth from chattering.
She tried to tear the wrapper from the first piece of candy.
“Your hands are shaking.” William’s voice was thick with concern.
“I’m just a bit chilly,” Marissa responded through clenched teeth.
“Your lips are blue.” William moved away from Parker, put his arm around Marissa for warmth, and tucked his blanket over her legs.
She wanted to protest, but his body heat felt good, and she was probably on the edge of being hypothermic. She didn’t want to have to leave the parade route.
“Thanks,” she managed to say through shivers.
Parker stared daggers at her.
Marissa figured Parker probably thought she was faking it. She wasn’t. Usually, she could handle the cold, but not tonight. Maybe it was from sitting for too long.
William kept a firm grasp on one shoulder and rubbed her other arm with his free hand. “Better? Should we get you inside?”
“No, I’m warming up. We have to find the clue.”
“Not at the detriment of your health and well-being.”
“I promise, I’m okay,” Marissa insisted, but William didn’t loosen his grip on her.
“I’m keeping an eye on you. If you start to shiver more, we’re getting you inside, got it?”
Marissa nodded. Her body surged with warmth from his touch. She wanted to melt into his arms and feel the caress of his skin against hers, but instead, she willed herself to remain vigilant. “Don’t keep your eye on me. Keep your eye on the parade. The faster we can find the clue, the faster we can be done and warm up.”
“Wait, what’s that?” William pointed to a float where a woman in a deep green velvet ball gown and a man in a tux danced on a rotating stage. The side of the float had a sign reading:Your Invitation To The Ball Awaits. Don’t Be Late And Be Sure To Bring A Date.
“Do you think that’s it?” Marissa sat up to reread the sign as the float slowly proceeded down the parade route. “It seems too obvious.”
“It must be. The Snowball Dance. This Saturday. It must be our final clue.” He lifted his arm off Marissa’s shoulder. “Plus, look, there are candy canes on either side. That’s it. That’s our final mission.”
“The app is buzzing.” Marissa reached for her phone. An update had come through with her first individual task. As Snowball Princess, she had to make holiday crowns for her and her dance partner. “Check it out.” She showed William the app.
“I got one, too.” He read his clue. “Jack Frost, meet Frosty. In this challenge, you’ll build a snowman, but not just any snowman. Bonus points for originality and design.”
Their individual challenges included specific instructions for taking photos of their crowns and snowmen, as well as directions for picking up supplies at the Chamber of Commerce offices. No additional materials of any kind could be used in constructing snow art or paper crowns. The rules were clear. No bonus points would be awarded to any team that used even a single item not included in the kits provided by the Chamber.
“That seems fair,” Marissa said after they had reviewed their tasks. “It makes for a level playing field. Otherwise, you could have teams spending extra money on materials.”
“Right, like me.” He put his arm around her again. “My first thought was to bring you back to my parents’ house and get into the family vault for our crowns.”
“I feel like your face tells me you’re kidding, but then again, maybe you really have a collection of gold tiaras stored under lock and key.” Marissa grinned.
