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“You have to try that!” he said to Maye as he slunk back into his seat. “That was incredible! Oh, hang on,” Chris said as he looked at his phone screen. “Looks like my manager called. I should call him back.”

Chris held the phone to his ear and could hardly get a salutation out before he was cut short. He nodded and listened, listened and nodded. Finally, he said “Should I mention that I sprained my ankle? Oh. Okay. I won’t joke like that.” He winked at Maye.

“Well, I have good news and bad news,” he said as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

“What’s the bad news?” Maye asked cautiously.

“A clip of me driving into those leaves has already gone somewhat viral and my manager is not happy. He’s afraid I will get hurt and ruin any potential job prospects he has been working on.”

“What’s the good news?” Maye asked.

“That was one of the coolest things I have ever done!” he said.

“Well, lucky for your manager, tomorrow night’s event is a little more tame,” Maye said.

- 28 -

Fall Fest Friday Night

The next night, Maye and Chris made it to the wrestling ring just in time for the second-to-last event of Fall Fest week.

“Maye, finally!” Sandra said as she rushed Maye and Chris toward the ring.

“What’s going on?” Maye asked. “What happened?”

“We’re about to start the baked goods contest and we need you both as judges,” Sandra said, ushering them up into the ring. “And I don’t want any special treatment, even though I made you my pumpkin whoopie pies when you were sick. You remember that, right? And for your birthday? Follow me over here.”

Sandra led Maye and Chris past tables full of baked goods and to their starting position, walking them by pumpkin bread, apple crisp, apple tart, whoopie pies, pumpkin spice muffins, apple cider cookies, orange-glazed pumpkin donuts, caramel apple cheesecake bombs, pumpkin spice cannoli, pumpkin cheesecake brownies, pumpkin s’mores bars, and pumpkin apple cinnamon rolls.

“Up first,” Sandra said as they reached the first baked good, “Estelle’s cinnamon apple crumble cake.”

“More like rumble cake, am I right?” Chris said. “Because we’re in a wrestling ring…get it?”

“Right,” Sandra said flatly. “Maye and Chris, these are your judge counterparts. Jasper McGillicutty, Jannie Turnkey and her contractor husband, Tucker Turnkey. Your scorecards are on the table. Enjoy!”

“So,” Chris said as he scoped out the table. “Participants can bake anything, huh?”

“Anything goes,” Maye said. “As long as it’s a homemade baked good.”

Along with three other judges, Maye and Chris taste-tested their way through all the fall treats. At the final baked good, Chris lifted his pumpkin apple cinnamon roll into the air to cheers with Maye.

He paused. “Wait, are there walnuts on top of these?”

Maye’s heart dropped into her stomach.

Chris began to laugh. “You should see your face,” he said. “All the color is just gone.”

Maye took a deep breath as her heart rate regained a normal pace. “Do not scare me like that. I’ve administered my one and only EpiPen.”

- 29 -

Fall Fest Saturday

On the final day of Fall Fest, Maye and Chris arrived at the downtown market early.

“Can we skip breakfast?” Chris asked. “I am still full from all the baked goods last night.”

“Totally,” Maye agreed. “Just pumpkin spice lattes it is.”