Page 59 of Mechanic’s Christmas Match

Principal Tucker changed the score on the chalkboard, her eyes twinkling as the audience applauded.

“Next question,” Rachael announced. “In the Dr. Seuss classic, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, who h⁠—”

But a buzzer had already sounded.

“Cindy Lou Who,” Reggie broke in excitedly.

“Sorry, Reggie,” Rachael said with a smile. “You should have let me finish the question. In the Dr. Seuss Classic, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, who helped the Grinch on his journey to Whoville?”

Alice Cassidy tapped the buzzer and Rachael turned to her.

“Max the dog,” Alice said with a smile.

“Correct,” Rachael announced. “And that’s the game. Ladies, you won with sixty points to the gentlemen’s forty.”

Alice earned herself cheers and high-fives from her teammates, as her husband and the other members of the men’s team pretended to pout in a comical way that drew lots of laughter from the crowd.

“Thank you so much to everyone for playing,” Rachael said. “Ladies, you can pick up your prizes from the circulation desk. Gentlemen, since you lost the Ten Christmas Trivia Questions, you have to clean up.”

Alice, Marta, and Caroline headed over to the desk, and Rachael stepped in closer to the crowd so the gentlemen could unplug the buzzers and move the tables back to the walls, which they did good-naturedly.

“That wraps up our Ten Christmas Trivia Questions contest,” Rachael told everyone. “And remember that we still have a few blind-date-with-a-book packages available over at the table by the window. Those make lovely Christmas gifts and those packages were donated by Sarah Robinson at the bookshop, so all proceeds will benefit the library. And at the end of the evening, our own Mrs. Grentz will be signing copies of her latest mystery, Poison & the Postman.

Mrs. Grentz was something of a local celebrity in Trinity Falls. She had been a kindergarten teacher at the elementary school for many years. And to everyone’s surprise, she was also the mystery writer V.C. Fountain. Her secret identity had been revealed three Christmases ago by some ingenious little girls and the owner of the local bookshop. Now Mrs. Grentz had finally retired from teaching and was writing up a storm, much to the delight of the entire town, as well as her fans around the world.

Everyone clapped for Mrs. Grentz, who smiled modestly and gave a little wave to all her friends and former students.

“Next up, we have our Christmas Couples Costume Contest,” Rachael announced excitedly. “The winning couple will receive a coupon for a free pancake breakfast over at the diner. And they have the honor of choosing our special book for the January back-to-school theme for the library.”

Guests in costumes began moving toward the front and Ana couldn’t help noticing Rory and Maggie in their bright red Mr. and Mrs. Claus costumes.

There were some sounds of appreciation as they came forward, and Ana had to remind herself that if folks liked the costumes that she and her mom had made, she should feel proud.

Everyone else was certainly happy.

Well, almost everyone.

A few paces away, Arnold Jones, the owner of the dog salon called Wags to Riches, had a furrow in his brow. Arnold was the nicest man—he always had a smile and a kind word when Ana bumped into him in town, and he waved a happy hello from the window of the groomer’s to all who passed.

Right now though, Arnold was downright frowning as he scanned the row of costumed couples.

Ana frowned too, trying to understand what could possibly have offended the poor man.

But before she could figure it out, someone started up some instrumental Christmas music on the radio at the circulation desk, and Rachael clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention for the start of the competition.

Ana thought about ducking out. But she was here now, so she figured she might as well see it through. Maybe the sight of Rory actually being happy with someone else would finally convince her stubborn mind to stop fixating on him.

Maybe.

17

RORY

Rory stood by Maggie’s side in the crowded library, feeling awkward with so many eyes about to be on them.

Normally, he loved a little attention. And if he could be up here with Ana, he would definitely be clowning around for all he was worth, trying to make her laugh and relax enough to have fun strutting her stuff in front of all her friends and neighbors.

But Maggie was stiff and quiet by his side, and he knew instinctively that teasing her would only hurt her feelings.