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“Remember the year we played Mary and Joseph?”
A blush colored her cheeks. “How could I forget?”
“You know I wasn’t even supposed to have a part?” When her brows knitted together, Chace elaborated. “I paid Billy Landers twenty bucks to let me be Joseph.”
She jerked her head toward him. “You did not.”
Chace grinned. “I did.”
Her brows remained beetled together. “Why?”
“Because I didn’t want him to ask you out.”
“Billy Landers?” she exclaimed. “What made you think he would ask me out?”
“Really?” After all these years, Holly still didn’t realize the impact she’d had on the entire male population back in high school. “Every guy with eyes in his head wanted to ask you out.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “You’re crazy.”
About you, he thought, but said, “I bet a lot of those same guys still do.” Which begged the question of why none had taken advantage of Holly’s single status since their breakup almost a decade ago. Or maybe they had, and things just didn’t work out.
Either way, Chace was relieved she wasn’t dating anyone, since his blood curdled inside his veins at the thought of another man with Holly. Being the recipient of her brighter-than-sunshine smiles. Holding her hand. Getting lost in her doe-like eyes and kissing her petal-soft lips.
Yeah, Chace knew he’d never be able to bear witness to any of that without ending up in jail after he ripped the man’s heart out with his bare hands. And how fucking selfish was that? Because one thing was for damned sure, if Holly were with another man, he’d be someone she cared about very much.
Some who made her happy.
But most importantly, someone who always put her first.
Something Chace hadn’t done eight years ago but wished like hell he had.
“Hey.” She laid her hand on his forearm. “Where’d you go?”
No matter how many years passed between them, Holly could still read him like a book. Oddly, Chace found the realization somewhat comforting. Not enough for him to risk sharing his meandering thoughts with her, but comforting nonetheless.
Gratefully, Gigi Cavaletti saved him from answering by tapping the microphone before speaking into it. “Looks like we have our winners,” she announced in her best mistress of ceremonies voice. A hush fell over the crowd. “In third place, we have Annabeth Holmes.”
Everyone applauded as a gap-toothed redheaded girl with pigtails rushed forward to accept her trophy and gift certificate.
“Our second place goes to… Drea Lawrence,” Gigi continued, congratulating the tiny girl who was grinning ear to ear.
“That brings us to first place, where it was too difficult to decide a winner, so we have a tie between twin sisters Emme and Wren Matthews.”
The girls squealed in delight, holding onto each other as they jumped up and down at the spectators’ cheers and applause, Chace and Holly the loudest of all. Holly tucked her thumb and forefinger in her mouth and let loose a piercing whistle. Chace pumped his fist in the air with a hearty “Woot! Woot!”
Upon receiving the ribbon and prize they didn’t mind sharing, Emme and Wren sprinted for Chace and Holly. “We won! We won!” they exclaimed, grins beaming from their little faces.
“We heard.” Holly squeezed them both in a congratulatory hug once the girls set their boxes of championship creations on the table. Inside were Christmas trees, angels, and Santas piped with icing and meticulously adorned with the appropriate decorations Sugar Rush supplied. “They’re perfect! You both did an awesome job!”
“What do you think, Uncle Chace?” Emme inquired, one brow raised.
“I think they look good enough to eat.” He waggled his brows for emphasis.
“Not before we take some pictures,” Holly interceded.
Chace whipped his phone from his pocket and snapped pics of the cookies, each twin with her own box displayed, and one of them together, smiling from ear to ear as they stood behind the table in front of their award-winning confections.
Once everyone was satisfied with the shots he’d captured, Chace started to pocket his phone when he looked down to find Wren staring up at him. “Aren’t you gonna send the pictures to Mommy?”
