A few of the kids snuck in an additional wrap, including Isabelle’s giggling team.
The Butterfly judges moved from one group to the next. When they came to Isabelle’s, Maybelle’s brow arched. “I think you young ones had the wrong holiday in mind. This is an excellent mummy.”
Isabelle couldn’t argue, nor could she suppress her smile when Jasie moaned, and the kids all giggled.
“Great practice for next fall,” Aunt Claudia praised, Ruby and Rosie nodding their heads in agreement.
Jasie moaned again and the rest of Isabelle’s team joined in, causing the surrounding groups to laugh.
Smiling, Isabelle met Maybelle’s gaze and let out a low moan of her own. “We’re mummies of Christmas past.”
“Ah.” Maybelle and the other Butterflies made marks on their clipboards, then moved on to Zach’s team.
Grinning from ear to ear, Greyson stood perfectly still with his shoulders and arms bowed. His team, including Zach, stood proudly next to him. The Butterflies made more clipboard marks, then finished judging the rest of the candy canes. No one was surprised when they announced Zach’s team as the winner, who got the grand prize, but commented that all the entries were so good that they had prizes for everyone.
Morgan being off to visit her previous coworkers and patients at Pine Hill Assisted Living, Andrew had kept a hold on their dog, Andy’s, leash and took photos of Greyson. Isabelle snapped a few, too, wondering at why she’d kept the angle wide enough to capture Zach. She’d edit him out later, she assured herself even as she snapped another photo.
“Yay!” Brianna wrapped her arms around a blushing Greyson. “We did it.”
Trapped beneath the paper, Greyson just grinned, especially when Andrew winked and gave a thumbs-up with his free hand.
Zach came over to stand beside Isabelle. “Sorry that my team won.”
Watching Greyson and Brianna pose for a photo, she snorted. “No, you’re not.”
“You’re right. I’m not.” He grinned. “I just thought it the right thing to say, since I know you hate losing.”
She smiled pretty-as-you-please at him. “I didn’t lose.”
He arched a dark brow.
“All of this is about the kids having fun. My team had a blast and still is.” She gestured to where Jasie and a couple of other kids had tucked bunches of torn paper streamers into the tops of their jackets and were twirling and jumping around, the paper ends dancing about them. “That right there makes everyone here today winners.”
“Spoken like a true loser,” Zach teased, grinning at her eye roll. “Next thing you’ll be telling me you wanted my team to win because of Greyson.”
“Well,” she began, causing him to laugh.
“But I’ll grant you this one. The kids are having a fabulous time and I bet I’d feel like a winner even if I’d lost, too.” He nudged her with his elbow. “Not that I’d know.”
She snapped one last photo of Greyson and Brianna. “Yeah, yeah. Just be glad you got Greyson on your team. He was perfect.”
“I’ve not had a lot of experience around kids, just Lukas’s daughter on occasion, but Greyson seems great.”
“He is. They just got here last night. I miss them living in Pine Hill.”
His gaze went to where Andrew knelt next to Greyson praising him, while the dog grabbed at the paper and shook his head about. “Your family is close.”
The way Zach said it had her glancing toward him. No, no, no, she did not want to wrap her arms around him. And, yet, she did want to, too. “I’m sorry that yours isn’t.”
His expression tightened and he averted his gaze, looking beyond the church playground down the street toward what could be seen of the busy square. “Actually, they are close.”
“Just not with you?” she guessed, reaching out to touch his arm. Despite the nip to the air, warmth permeated through his long sleeve.
“It doesn’t matter.”
But his tone hinted that it did. His shirtsleeve being too much of a barrier, Isabelle took his hand in hers and gave a squeeze. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m glad you stayed in Pine Hill for the holidays. I don’t know what we would have done without you yesterday. Or today. Thank you for helping.”
His gaze lowered to where she held his hand, making Isabelle self-conscious and yet, that vulnerability he’d shown kept her from letting go.
