Page 42 of Santa's Mistletoe Playbook

“I’m sorry, sir, is there an issue?” Minegold stepped in, his voice frosty.

“Yeah! I mean—she entered with a partner. Me! But I’m not her partner.”

“Ree-ally? That seems rather confusing.” Minegold drew out the word and began flipping pages on his clipboard. “Hm. You’re Curtis West?”

“Huh? I’m…You!Double-crosser!” Neal gasped, pointing at Bea.

“That’s it!” Curtis began to lunge forward, but Bea grabbed his sweatshirt and held fast. “Neal, you’d better help Jasmine. She’s going to need it. There are two excellent bakers and pastry chefs on my team. I think she’s at a disadvantage, only having one person who actually understands baking. Let me guess—did you tell her to make some candied venison cobblestones?”

By the way Neal’s eyes widened, she could tell that she’d hit a nerve, just not the one she was hoping for.He’s probably pissed he didn’t think of that…

“You need to return to your own area, sir,” Minegold said with a glance at his wrist. “In fifteen minutes, theassembly period begins, and Jasper Wainwright, Pine Ridge’s meteorologist turned roving reporter, will be around to talk to the contestants.”

“Hold it.”

“Got it.”

“Piping.”

“Holding!”

Bea ignored the sweat that was trickling down the back of her neck. The stiff white icing was working, keeping the sheets of gingerbread together, drizzling and dotting like snow in some spots, hidden in others. “Sanding sugar on the roof when you’re done holding, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll need more icing on the roof, just a little, because I think it’s drying fast.”

“Good plan.”

“You okay?” Curtis looked up at her and smiled. He was wearing a chef’s skull cap with one of his favorite fantasy video game logos on it.

Adorable. “This is easy,” she whispered.

“My God, are you trying to jinx us?” Curtis hissed back. “If I breathe too hard, I’m afraid I’ll crack something!”

“Not the gingerbread cabin! This. Working with you. This is easy. This is fun. This is why I loved building gingerbread houses. I always used to love building things in my dad’s garage. My own doll houses. Little kitchen sets. The money is nice… But I used to enter this to show off and have fun—and you make things fun again.” Bea moved to the side of the table and kissed Curtis as he held the final triangular panel of the roof in place while the icing set.

“Ohhhh, what a perfect shot, folks! Better than the kiss cam at the Lumberjacks’ games!”

Beatrice pulled back with a gasp as a toothy reporter who bore a startling resemblance to Clark Kent (but with way more hair and without the glasses) beamed at her. “Oh, hi.”

“The Gingerbread Building Extravaganza is always a sweet experience, but you two are really pouring the sugar on! Can we talk while you build?”

“Only for ten seconds,” Bea said firmly.

“How long have you been baking together?”

“For almost two and half years, but we’ve been friends for longer,” Curtis answered.

“And you’re more than just teammates, I gather?”

“This is my boyfriend and future business partner, Curtis West.”

“And this beautiful baking goddess is Beatrice Miller. Remember the name, because she’s going to be famous.” Curtis smiled at the camera and blew her kiss.

“Well, you two look like you’re having a fun time, and your cabin is amazing. I think I’ve seen this abandoned cabin out on the edge of town.”

Bea leaned over and placed the “full moon” pizzelle on the backdrop of midnight blue buttercream. “I’m a Pine Ridge girl. Maybe I’ve seen it, too.”

“It looks beautiful! I’ll leave you to it!” Jasper Wainwright bowed himself away and off to the next station.

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