Page 18 of Miss Humbug
“What did I miss?” he asked.
I unclenched my teeth. “There’s still time to back out.” As much as I needed him, he deserved the offer.
“No way. I love Holly Days. This will be fun.”
He moved closer to me, probably to stay off the sidewalk. I found myself inching nearer to him. Ethan was the kind of guy comfortable in a crowd, and not lost in one. He always seemed to know where to go and what to do. When it came to Crystal Cove, I’d willfully turned off those instincts. I could manage just fine on my own elsewhere. I needed to get over this reaction to being home. Enjoy this time for what it offered—time with my nieces and nephews, my siblings and cousins. Time with Ethan.
Grans urged a group of people into our already-healthy mass. “Let me introduce you to our judges. Members of the book club and historical society. And of course, Tammy Leigh.”
A teenager with dyed black hair in a pink puffer coat and rocking the smoky eye look lifted a hand in a detached greeting. “I go by TL now.”
Beside me, Uncle Joe swore. Aunt Sunny swatted him. “Be nice.”
“Our kids deserve the house,” he grumbled. “Shouldn’t be up to some teenager to decide.”
Uncle Joe had a point, and for once, he made his point without a speech involving a long past war. But I deserved the house as much as his kids. Time to get serious here.
Time to get…festive.
Grans finished introducing her judges and continued. “Today, before dusk settles and the tree lights come up, I have the most fun activity for you. A scavenger hunt. Through town!”
Her delight would have been contagious if I wasn’t already inoculated against holidays.
The kids squealed and jumped around.
“Tammy—er, TL, can you please hand out the worksheets?” Grans instructed.
My heart seized at the sight of a list on honest-to-goodness holiday-themed printer paper. While I thoroughly detested its very existence, the whole ideawasincredibly thoughtful. Grans wanted us working together. Festively.
“Who’s keeping time?” Ashe asked.
An elderly hand raised from a member of the historical society.
Ashe held up his wrist. “Is your watch set to the official government clock?”
“The government has a clock?” his daughter asked. “Is it in a tower like Big Ben?”
“Are the kids helping?” Shawn asked with a clear note of annoyance. “If so, unfair advantage.”
Besides Ashe and Cara’s three kids, we had Riley’s daughter Reece, then Rafe and Brianne’s two kids, who all spanned upper elementary ages. Brianne apparently wasn’t present today, having claimed she had a school fundraiser to check up on. Over a holiday weekend? A true PTA queen. Was it too late to ditch this gig and join her?
“You may select who you’d like for your team.” Grans took in the scene. “The children can be divided among the teams as helpers.”
A barrage of noise erupted from the kids, who insisted they determine which teams they belonged to. Ethan and I were the lucky recipients of Mallory and Adam. Tyler went with Shawn. Riley’s daughter, Reece, had volunteered to be on my team, but Rafe hauled her back.
Okayyy. So much for family bonding.
Riley and Rafe exchanged heated words I couldn’t make out. Rafe looked at me with a calculating expression, then back to Riley. He pointed to their list. Riley nodded and they drew their collective three kids in closer.
Teaming up with each other, apparently. Talk about unfair. Weren’t they competing against each other? None of the judges remarked on the pairing.
I tugged Ethan’s sleeve to tell him about the total unfairness when Grans cut in. “Ready, set, Holly!” she announced to groans from all the adults.
Check that, the groans came from me.
Ethan clucked his tongue. “This way. I already know where the first location is.”
“Did you just cluck at me?”
