Page 96 of Harvest Heat

“I know, but you did great.”

Rhys let out a sigh of relief. The hardest part of the day was already over.

Once the festival got going, he and Caleb hardly had any time to talk. There was a constant stream of customers, and their pumpkin chocolate chip latte was selling like crazy. Rhys wondered if they’d have to have someone from Cloud Nine bring them extra supplies. Even doing that, they might not make it until the end of the day.

“If the judges love this as much as our customers do, things will be great for us,” Caleb said when the line slowed enough that they weren’t both serving customers.

“Don’t get overconfident.” Rhys could deal with disappointment much better if he didn’t get his hopes up.

A few hours into the craziness, Natalie and Sam came to hold things down while Caleb and Rhys went to get lunch and see a few of the other booths.

The food trucks were set up in the grass parking lot across from the square, which was normally public parking for town visitors. They wandered around for a few minutes, looking at different food offerings, until Kate joined them. They let her pick what she wanted. She chose a food truck selling lobster rolls that turned out to be exceptionally buttery and delicious. Rhys managed to find them a picnic table by swooping in as a family gathered their things and left.

“So what do you think of the festival?” Caleb asked Kate after they’d all had a chance to take the edge off their hunger.

Kate sighed as she finished a bite of lobster roll. “I think this is probably the best festival I’ve ever been to. Not that I go to all that many. But if you two do more things like this, I’ll be coming up here for them too.”

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying it,” Rhys said. “I don’t really like crowds, but it’s always exciting for the town when Frostwick Harbor gets to host something like this.”

Kate smiled. “I couldn’t believe how good Tessa and Finn’s pastries are. I had doughnuts from Briarwood Orchard too. I was hoping to try a funnel cake too. I’m going to be stuffed when I head home.”

“Just walk around for a while, and you’ll make some room,” Caleb said.

When they finished their late lunch, it was time to go relieve Sam and Natalie, so Kate took Caleb’s suggestion.

The rest of the afternoon was just as busy as the early hours had been. The lines nearly overwhelmed Rhys and Caleb at times, but somehow, they managed to keep going until it was time to shut down the booths and gather for awards announcements.

Rhys was vibrating with tension as he and Caleb walked toward the podium, where the mayor would give out the ribbons. Kate joined them, and so did all their friends. Everyone was eager to find out if Driftwood Doughs and Rhys and Caleb’s combined efforts would win.

The first prize awarded was for apple treats. The Johnsons, a couple who owned a farm just outside of Frostwick Harbor, won with their cinnamon caramel apples. Rhys and all his friends cheered loudly.

The general baked goods category was next. Rhys wasn’t at all surprised when Tessa and Finn took first place.

Several announcements later, it was finally time for the beverage contest. Rhys worried he might pass out from the stress as the mayor opened the envelope that would reveal the winner. He held one of Caleb’s hands, and Kate held the other.

The mayor cleared his throat. “The winner of Best Fall Beverage is Cloud Nine and Frost + Foam.”

Caleb, Kate, and all their friends cheered immediately, but it took Rhys a moment to process that they’d actually won. Just as he did, Caleb hugged him, lifting him off his feet and spinning him around. When Caleb set him on the ground, Tessa pulled him into a hug, followed by his friends and then Kate. They’d really won. Combining their skills had been the right thing to do.

Several people from town, including Agnes and Mrs. Murphy, made their way over to congratulate them. All of them raved about how much they’d enjoyed their entry. Rhys could barely process it all. He just nodded and said thank you again and again, as the world seemed to swirl around him.

Frostwick Harbor residents took over half of the prizes that day. Agnes had to be over the moon. Her push to do their best had really worked.

“We really did it,” Rhys said to Caleb as they walked back to their booth.

“We did. I knew we would.”

“Working together was the best choice I could have made.” Rhys wanted to kiss him, but that would need to wait.

“I’m so glad you changed your mind about it.”

Slowly, the crowd dispersed as festival guests headed off to dinner or back home, and everyone with a booth began to pack up for the night and figure out what supplies they’d need to do this all again the next day.

Rhys and Caleb took their ribbon and placed it carefully in one of the boxes they were packing up. The next day, they would display it proudly on the front of their booth.

“We’d better have a lot of pumpkin puree and chocolate ready for tomorrow.”

“We will,” Caleb said. “I made tons. I knew I could use it in the shop if it didn’t sell here.”