Page 22 of The Holiday Games

“Here, I can do it for you,” she says, pulling a tool from the pocket of her snowsuit. “I tightened mine for a little more stability on the turns. It’s a pretty small area out there, so I’m betting our challenge will be more focused on control than speed.”

“Really?” I ask as she kneels down in front of me. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” she says, inserting the tool into the center of a wheel on one side.

I nibble my lip. “You’re not trying to sabotage me, are you?”

She looks up, grinning. “No, I’m just bossy and like helping people. I have five little sisters. But staying a tad bit suspicious of everyone is a good idea.” She glances back down, making more swift adjustments. “There. Try them now. You should feel steadier.”

I push cautiously away from the railing, smiling as I roll onto the rink at a much more reasonable speed than my earlier careen from the benches to the edge of the filming area. “Thank you!” I beam at Millie over my shoulder. “You’re a lifesaver. I owe you one.”

She smiles as she stands, tucking her tool back into her pocket. “No worries.”

“No, seriously,” I say when she rolls up beside me. “I’ve got your back. If you need anything I can provide, just ask.”

Millie’s eyes brighten. “Are we forming an alliance?”

I laugh. “Sure, why not?”

“Oh, good. I’ve always wanted to form an alliance. And to visit Vermont. Are the roads really paved with maple syrup and the mountains full of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream?”

“Pretty much. And cows. We have a lot of cows.”

“Contestants this way! Gather up, we’re ready to start the first challenge!” Ainsley shouts from across the pavement, where she and Leo stand by two sparkling Christmas trees.

Between the trees, a thick red line marks the start of our race…or whatever we’re up to out here.

Millie exhales a shaky breath. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” I scoot across the rink behind her, feeling more confident with every push of my skates. I’m not going to win any speed records with my wheels tightened, but I feel so much more in control. My ice-skating balancing instincts kick in, and I manage to make it to the starting line without falling flat on my ass.

I’m comforted by the awkward, halting progress of the two men in the competition. Neither Eduardo nor Dirk seems very confident on wheels, either. Jenna is by far the front-runner, followed by Millie. I’m somewhere in the middle, which is fine with me.

After all, to stay in the competition, I just have to make sure I’m not last.

And if Iamthe first to be sent home, that might not be so bad, either.

The energy between Leo and me is dangerous. When he turned to me earlier, after I called him a cranky romantic, I was positive he was going to kiss me. If he had, I wouldn’t have pushed him away. We’re a lit match and a bucket of kerosene that have no business being within five feet of each other.

But that doesn’t stop me from admiring how sexy he is as he’s gives orders to the crew, while Ainsley talks us through the rules of the first challenge. His bossy confidence is magnetic,not intimidating, and his good heart shines through with every encouraging back pat he offers to the sound team and camera crew.

He’s a good man who deserved so much better than what Vivian did to him. My cousin clearly broke his heart—I can see the pain and confusion in his eyes every time he mentions her name—and the “fixer” in me would love nothing more than to be the one to mend it.

But that isn’t in the cards for us. Leo needs someone with no Cane DNA, and I need a man who’s open to embracing small town life. As much as I love the city, my family, my work, my friends…they’re all in Reindeer Corners.

Though, I can’t deny helping tackle last-minute production problems was a rush unlike anything I’ve felt working at the inn in a long time. I love the energy on set and thinking fast on my feet. And Ireallylove the moment the lights all flare at once, transforming the rink into a winter wonderland, surrounded by Christmas trees, fiberglass presents nearly as tall as I am, and…a terrifying creature that towers over the far side of the rink that I somehow didn’t notice in all the excitement.

Maybe because it’s all black and dark brown, colors that faded into the shadows until the filming lights were turned on. But now, it draws everyone’s attention as Eduardo bleats, “That thing’s fangs are longer than my arm.”

“Glad you mentioned that, Eduardo,” Ainsley says, a wicked glint in her eye. “You know that saying ‘all bark and no bite?’ Well, old Krampus here is all bite, and he’s going to take a big one out of one of you.” She points toward the ten-foot statue as its eyes begin to glow a disturbing red. “You’ll notice five bags by Krampus’s feet, each one with letters on the front. You’re in charge of filling the bag with your initials. The last one to fill their bag will be leaving us at the end of the challenge tonight.”

“Fill it with what?” Dirk emits an aggressive, staccato laugh. “Each other? That’s the only thing I’m seeing around here big enough to fill one of those bags.”

Ainsley lifts an arm, making a circle motion. “No, you’ll be filling them with coal for Krampus to put in the stockings of naughty children across the world.” Crew members appear around the edges of the rink, rolling large green garbage cans. They empty the bins, sending what looks like large chunks of papier-mâché “coal” rolling across the pavement. “And you’ll be doing it while delivering hot chocolate to the guests who are wearing a sash that matches your skates.”

Eyes wide, I watch as a dozen or more extras materialize from behind the band shell and roll onto the rink. It looks like four of them have red scarves to match my red skates.

“But don’t worry,” Ainsley adds. “The hot chocolate will only be lukewarm. So, if you drop it on yourself or a guest, you won’t be harmed, just one mess closer to being disqualified.”

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