Page 31 of Evergreen Christmas

“Nothing at all,” Eve said.

“We’re just looking out for you is all,” Carol Belle said. “Something we should’ve done sooner than this by giving you fair warning about endangering your heart.”

Jordyn surveyed the Nanas for a moment, the heat in her cheeks receding as she mulled over their words.

What if they were wrong? What if there was a chance, however slight, that Nate actually felt the same attraction and interest for her that she did for him? What if pursuing a potential romantic relationship with her would appeal to Nate enough that he’d take a chance?

She didn’t know the answer to any of those questions, but she knew that if she didn’t take a chance herself, she’d never know what might have been. And taking a risk had never been something she’d shied away from.

“I just need to ask him,” she said quietly.

The Nanas continued staring at her, apprehension in their eyes.

“What do you mean?” Carol Belle asked.

“I mean . . .” Jordyn smiled and glanced at Holly and Kandy who sat beside her, her chest lifting with confidence that she hoped would stay with her throughout the Candy Cane Fishing contest. “I’m going to ask Nate Reed if he’s available.”

Two hours later, Nate sat at one of many long tables that lined Noel’s town square, waiting with several other competitors for the Candy Cane Fishing contest to begin. He warmed up along with the others, stretching his neck and doing his very best to keep his eyes on the wide metal buckets filled with candy canes that sat in the center of the table in front of him, but the temptation to get a glimpse of Jordyn was too strong.

He glanced around the town square again, scanning the small groups of people that milled about, some greeting each other with bright smiles as they arrived, several stopping by vendors who were positioned throughout the town square selling snacks and Christmas decorations, and others eyeing seats at each of the long tables for the best position to participate in Noel’s Candy Cane Fishing contest.

Nate, having a favorite strategy of his own, had scoped out the other participants as soon as he’d arrived at the town square, chose a seat beside the least agile and most ungraceful competitors, plopped down in a chair in front of a metal bucket filled with candy canes, and hoped for the best. That was as much as anyone could do to win the Candy Cane Fishing contest. And today, Nate needed to do his very best. Not only was he representing Frosted Firs Ranch but he was also representing Roxie and Tucker.

Sighing, he glanced over at the Tree Scoreboard, which kept a running tally of the Christmas contest wins. The Nanas assigned a certain number of winning points to each contest based on the level of skill and commitment it required. The first place winners of each contest earned either one or two points based on the level of difficulty of the contest and the second and third place winners each earned half a point. At the end of yesterday’s Snowman Fight contest, Noel’s Christmas competition judges had awarded the Stone family first place, giving the Stones one point and positioning them at the top of the scoreboard. Luckily, Frosted Firs Ranch had been awarded second place, which ranked them directly below the Stones and well above all of the other competitors.

Jordyn, unfortunately, had come in at the bottom of the list, her hastily arranged molehill of snow not even ranking high enough to allow her name to be placed on the scoreboard. But that was no surprise. Due to the Stone family’s onslaught of snowballs, she hadn’t had a chance to finish her snowman, much less craft an impressive one.

Nate glanced to his left where the Stone family sat further down the table, whispering in hushed tones and strategizing for the contest in which Angelina would represent them. The young girl had already begun casting suspicious glances in Nate’s direction.

The bitter expression on eight-year-old Angelina Stone’s face was enough to make Nate shudder . . . though he hated to admit that sad fact.

Trying to let bygones be bygones and exhibit good sportsmanship, he lifted his chin and called out to the Stone family, “Good luck today! I wish you well, Angelina.”

Noel’s Christmas competition had always been a notoriously cutthroat business, but Nate figured there was nothing wrong with being kind and neighborly. And considering he’d stepped in on Jordyn’s behalf in the Snowman Fight yesterday, the least he could do was to be neighborly to the Stones today and make it clear he had no personal ax to grind with them during the remainder of the competition.

Angelina, however, was apparently not impressed with his gesture. She narrowed her eyes, balled up one fist, lifted it high into the air and growled, “Eat dirt, Mr. Reed! You’re going down!”

Nate’s smile froze. The little girl’s antagonistic expression struck a chord of fear in even him. She might be small, but she was definitely feisty.

“Don’t pay her no attention, Nate,” Tucker hollered from the sidelines where he stood with Roxie, both holding jumbo candy apples in their hands. “She’s just a little girl.” He bit a hunk off his candy apple, chewed, then shouted, “Give as good as you get, man. Give her a taste of her own medicine!”

“Yeah, Daddy,” Roxie called out around a juicy bite of apple. “Take her down!”

In unison, Tucker and Roxie nodded, took large bites of their candy apples and scowled in Angelina’s direction as they chomped.

Nate closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. One thing he couldn’t deny was that Tucker and Roxie had inherited the Reed family competitive streak. But at least they were honest and fair during competitions. Much like someone else he knew . . .

Nate opened his eyes and his gaze strayed as he began scanning the crowd again. It was ridiculous to be this obsessed with one woman. But for some reason, ever since Jordyn had kissed him yesterday, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Even now, over twenty-four hours later, he could still feel the tender press of her lips against his cheek, her soft breath against his skin and could still recall the sweet scent of her hair.

A pleasurable thrill rippled through him at the memory of her kiss and he couldn’t help but imagine—for the millionth time since yesterday—what it might feel like toreallykiss her. To cover her mouth with his, part her lips and explore her mouth thoroughly.

More than that . . .

What would Jordyn feel like in his arms? If he slid his hands around her slim waist, tugged her close and tucked her head beneath his chin, how would she feel against him? Would she fit perfectly? And would she hold him in return?

Stifling a groan, he squeezed his eyes shut again and rubbed the knot forming at the base of his neck, reminding himself that his focus needed to be on the contest at hand and not on his sexy new neighbor.

“Hello, again.”

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