Page 38 of Healing Hearts at the Christmas Inn
"He's the bozo who nearly squashed my suitcase last night," Charlie said through gritted teeth, her jaw tight.
"Ah." Holly's smile turned knowing, her eyes dancing with mischief as she turned to observe Logan getting closer to them with Maddy pulling him by the hand. "But I have to say that he looks more like a bronco rider than Bozo the Clown."
Charlie shot her sister a scathing look, but before she could respond, Logan was right in front of them.
"Martha!" Logan's face lit up when he spotted the older woman who popped up from nowhere after Charlie was sure she’d gone to the items table. "Good to see you. How's that garden of yours doing?"
"Thriving, dear boy. Absolutely thriving." Martha patted his arm fondly. "Are you entering the competition?"
"I was just getting ice cream, actually?—"
"Uncle Logan, these are my new friends!" Maddy interrupted, bouncing between Trinity and the adults. "This is Trinity, and this is her Gran Holly, and this is her Aunt Charlie. I'm staying with them for the afternoon festival, and we won third place in the gingerbread competition!"
“Charlie and I met last night. We both arrived at the inn at the same time,” Logan explained, his smile was warm as he greeted them. "Looks like you ladies are having a great time."
"Oh yes, we are," Holly said, her gaze sliding meaningfully toward Charlie, who had gone uncharacteristically quiet.
"You have to be Aunt Charlie's snowman building partner," Maddy announced, looking up at Logan with pleading eyes. "Please, Uncle Logan? Trinity and I are teaming up, and Holly's with Mrs. Patterson, and Charlie needs someone."
Both Logan and Charlie opened their mouths at the same time.
"I was just going to watch—" Charlie started.
"I really should get back to the inn—" Logan said.
"Oh, come on, Charlie," Holly cut in, her voice full of challenge. "I’ve never known you to back out of a competition before."
"Yeah!" Trinity chimed in. "You guys would make a great team." Her young eyebrow rose, much like her grandmother’s.
Maddy's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Unless you're chicken? Trinity and I will totally beat you."
Charlie felt her competitive streak flare. She glanced at Logan and saw the same spark light in his eyes.
They were being played. And they both knew it.
But neither of them could back down from a challenge.
"How about a bet then?" Maddy said, grinning, taking their silence as hesitation. "If we win, Uncle Logan buys us all ice cream from Mrs. Rosedale’s."
"And if you lose?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowing.
Maddy and Trinity exchanged glances. "We'll wash your pickup. But you still have to buy us ice cream."
Logan laughed. "This is a case of heads you win, tails I lose."
The girls giggled and ran off as the whistle blew, announcing five minutes to grab their items and get ready.
Charlie stood there, arms crossed, trying to figure out how she'd gotten roped into this. Logan stood beside her, and she was painfully aware of how close he was. Close enough that she could smell his cologne, something clean and woodsy that made her want to lean closer.
"Guess we're partners," Logan said, his voice warm with amusement.
"Guess so," Charlie managed.
They registered and grabbed supplies, and before Charlie could second-guess herself, she was swept up in the beautiful, hilarious chaos of the competition in the fake snow.
At first, they were both too competitive, too focused on winning, working at cross purposes. Charlie tried to pack the artificial snow one way, Logan had another method. Their snowman's base was lopsided, and they argued about how to fix it.
"We need to reinforce this side," Charlie insisted.
