Page 23 of Sweet Summertide (Christmas Cove #4)

From all appearances, Teddy’s chocolate tasting had been a success.

Holly had watched the crowds of people gathering to try his products and showing interest in his culinary demonstration.

If she hadn’t been so busy managing her own event, she might have given into her curiosity and attended his instead.

With most of the ice cream samples gone or melted, and her crew tearing down the tents, a very serious looking Teddy was marching straight toward her.

“Come with me,” he demanded and took her hand before she could respond.

She felt like a petulant child about to be punished, but they were heading for the Ferris wheel which didn’t frighten her so much.

She tugged on Teddy’s grip, but he only held her tighter. “What are you doing?”

“Hush,” he said without making eye contact and approached the ride’s operator.

Handing him an undisclosed amount of folded bills, Teddy gestured for her to get into the seat.

He followed next and sat beside her on the narrow bucket.

There was no extra room. Her hip pressed against his and their knees touched.

The operator secured the metal bar across their laps and activated the mechanics, sending them rocking skyward.

It wasn’t long before they neared the apex of the wheel, and the ride stopped.

Their bucket swung forward and backward at the jerk.

Below, Millie and Alfonso got into another bucket and the ride started again.

The view was amazing from up so high. Holly was glad to not be afraid of heights, though her fingers clasped the cross-bar with all her might for fear of what was on the tip of Teddy’s tongue.

Teddy placed his hand on her knee, likely sensing her tension.

But she wasn’t tense because of the ride, she was tense because of his presence and proximity.

Her body steeled in an effort to deny anyone entry into her inner self.

The ride stopped again, and they dangled high above the lights strung across Main.

“I apologize for the theatrics, but I knew you wouldn’t come with me willingly.”

She was about to protest but knew he was correct. “Alright. You got me all to yourself, what now?” Her heart pounded behind the lace bodice of her sundress. If this encounter was like their others, it would be passion fueled chaos; a messed-up emotion she was becoming accustomed to craving.

“It’s about time we got some things straightened out.”

She could tell by his flat tone that he was serious.

She twisted in her seat so that she was open to him.

Notwithstanding her struggle to keep him out, she hoped he would be the person to triumphantly tear down her walls for good, but the knot in her gut told her to run.

He was smart because she had nowhere to flee to. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“Holly,” he brushed her curtain bangs behind her ear with his warm fingers and she caught a whiff of cocoa on the breeze.

“Why are you so determined to win, when you obviously have everything that you need. I mean, who rents a Ferris wheel?” he chuckled though the sound was tight in his throat. “Who does that?”

She didn’t want him to know the truth. Her mother had cut her off unless she agreed to ‘leave this whole creamery business behind her’.

“I don’t know why it was so much easier to talk to you before,” she said remembering their time on the train.

“Before you were my competition, that is. I can’t see past it. ”

“Don’t you see that we’re not adversaries?

We could have put on an event today together and found much more success that way.

I’m not talking about sharing resources or workers or anything else, but I am talking about not trying to sabotage the other.

I spent all afternoon plotting a way to get back at you, and do you know what I came up with? ”

She shook her head, afraid to know what his next move was going to be. She swallowed the lump of guilt down her throat.

“Nothing. I came up empty,” he said, and she swore there was a glimmer of a tear behind his dark eyes. “And do you know why?”

“Because you’re a good person and I’m a spoiled brat who gets whatever she wants.” Her frank answer surprised her.

“Yes.” Teddy shook his head ever so slightly like her response surprised him too. “Only, I think you’re not getting what you really want.”

“And what do you think I want?” Please say you .

“You want the same thing I do,” Teddy said.

Please say you want to be with me too .

“You want to be valued and respected. You want to impress your family who think you aren’t making the right choices in life, and you want someone to love you for who you really are.”

He was good. And correct. “But how?—”

He placed a finger over her lips. “I’m not done.

The problem you’re facing is that your parents want different things for you and making one of them happy means upsetting the other.

And as for finding someone to love the real you, that’ll never happen so long as you hide from everyone with your perfect hair and pretty teeth, practiced manners and deviant behavior. ”

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

It dawned on her like a ray of morning sunlight that he could only know her intimate fears because he recognized his own truths and struggles in her.

Sadness overwhelmed her and moistened her eyes as she recalled what he had told her during their first meeting.

He was trying to prove himself to people who didn’t care to see him walk his own way in life. They really were two peas in a pod.

“I don’t know how to be anything other than this.” She pointed to herself and swept the back of her hands down her body.

“So why do you want that grant money so much, enough to do what you’re doing to me?”

“Truth?”

He rocked his chin up once indicating for her to continue.

“At first, I was afraid if my creamery isn’t a success I’ll have nothing else but to go work for my mother on the farm. Spending time on a failed venture means I’ll have missed out on other opportunities. I was hoping to win the money and shut them up,” she said and shifted her eyes away.

“And now?” he said and moved his face in front of hers.

“My mother cut me off the day before we got arrested. Everything you saw today; I had prepaid for, or else I would have had no event. So, I need to win the money. There, now you know.”

Teddy nodded. “Millie told me at the station, actually, but I knew that wasn’t the whole story. Now you’re telling me you need the money to prove why you don’t need your parents’ money?”

“Are you mocking me?” she said and recoiled from him as far as she could in the small seat.

“Are you two love-birds gonna kiss yet, or what?” Millie hollered from a bucket behind her.

Holly had forgotten they weren’t completely alone and twisted around to see Millie. “Why don’t you mind your own business. And if you want some action, then get it from Alfonso.” Alfonso grinned at the suggestion as Holly turned back to Teddy.

“Holly, I’m not making fun of your situation. But I think it would be fair if you knew mine before taking another turn against me.”

If she didn’t feel bad a minute ago, she did now. She hadn’t considered him, not even once while plotting his demise. “Tell me then.”

“Your little stunt in the forest that got us arrested … It was the final straw with my dad. He got the charges dropped and promptly canceled my credit cards. I was already on thin ice with him, but now …” he paused again, and she held his hands on his lap. “I am utterly alone.”

“Teddy, no.”

“All I have is this shop and this little town that barely knows me.” Teddy pulled his slumped shoulders back. “You’ve worked very hard at winning at my expense and it’s made it difficult for me to gain the trust of the people of Christmas Cove. And I’m tired of playing cat and mouse with you.”

“More like Mouse Trap,” she said and giggled, knowing the pranks she had played on him. “I still want to win the money. Is that wrong?”

“I don’t blame you for wanting what you want. That part I actually fully understand.”

“So, what is it that you want from me? A truce … A real one?” Holly allowed her body to relax into the bucket for the first time since boarding. “Because I still want to win, and there’s more at stake for me now.”

“Blake Holly Hollis, I want you to win if it means so much to you. All I ask is that you leave me out of it. You win by being the absolute best joint in town. Fair and square.”

“What if I don’t want to leave you be. What if I want something else.” She leaned into him wanting him to kiss away the torment she felt inside at having treated him so poorly. “What if I start to show you the real me like you were talking about?”

Teddy’s hand slid up her arm to the nape of her neck and he held her in place. His dark eyes searched hers for truth, while she hoped he was picking up the apology behind them. “No more pretending with me.”

She nodded her head, and his lips crushed against hers, taking her with his mouth.

His aura encompassed them both and created a bubble of time and space around their bodies.

Heat crept over her skin at his touch. His fingers encircled her waist on one side while his others played in her hair at the back of her head.

With no room to do much else in the small bucket, she closed the space between them. His heart pounded against her chest. Each thump was like a little secret passing between them and soon there would be nothing stopping her from falling for Theodor Black.

They jolted forward, the operator down below engaging the ride again, and caused their bucket to swing.

Clapping vibrated off the metal structure from Millie and Alfonso, and all Holly could do was shut her eyes and cringe at having had an audience for such a vulnerable moment.

Teddy sat straight in his seat but held her hand as the ride came back down.

The operator stopped their swinging and unlatched the safety bar. “Ten minutes,” he said. “I hope you got what you needed.”

Teddy patted the man on his shoulder and gave a grinning nod.

Heading back to her shop, the musicians had gone, and the remnants of the melted ice cream dripped onto the sidewalk below the tables. “I’ll help you finish cleaning up if you help me?” he asked.

“Since we’re both poor now? That sounds like a good plan.”