Page 175 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
“And in second, we have…Jimmy Short! Making our very own Cole Black our first-place winner with his beautiful tribute to his late parents.”
Everyone cheers.
I clap.
Cole stands there with pride, his hands in his pockets, smiling to the crowd and looking quite…shy. I can’t stop clapping and cheering as loudly as I can. This man is absolutely incredible. That took true bravery.
“And we have a new leader,” Bob says into the mic. “Taking over first place with sixty-two points is Cole Black. Trailing five points behind is Storee Taylor. Coming in third is Jimmy Short with forty-eight points. Fourth we have Ursula with forty, and in last is Beatrice with thirty-three points. We have one competition left, the Super Santa Speed Round, which will take place Christmas Eve eve, followed by the check-up on the light displays on Christmas Eve. And then the announcement of the Kringle winner will be on Christmas Day out at Ornament Park. I hope to see you all there.”
He turns off the mic and heads off the stage where he walks around the café, taking pictures with people.
“Did you hear that?” Cole whispers in my ear. “We have a new leader.”
Normally, I’d be irritated by his prodding, but I don’t mind, not when he took the lead with that performance. He broke out of the shell he was living in and brought his parents back to life through a beautiful memory.
“I did hear. I think it was well-deserved.”
“Storee Taylor, are you…are you in favor of me being in the lead?”
We step off the stage, and I turn to him. “I’m in favor of you steppingout of your comfort zone and finding ways to celebrate the season you used to shy away from.”
He smiles down at me, and I can tell he wants to pull me into his chest, kiss me, love on me like he does when we’re in private. But for the sake of Taran and Aunt Cindy, he holds back and places his hands in his pockets once again.
“Come over tonight.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I say. “Making no promises.”
“Storee, let’s go,” Taran calls out. “We have some strategizing to do.”
I wince. “God, can’t wait.”
“Text me.”
“I will.”
And with that, I take off, following Taran and Aunt Cindy out to the car, my mind on one thing and one thing alone.
It’s not the competition.
Or the fact that I’m in second.
Nope, it’s the man who has no problem looking straight into my soul with those mesmerizing eyes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Storee
The houses were dark; fluffy snow filled the air.
Cindy and Taran dreamed sweet dreams without care.
“I must be quiet, and I must be quick,” Storee hissed.
Tonight, she was resolved to have her pussy kissed.
I bounce on my feet,the cold seeping through my pajamas since I didn’t wear a jacket out of fear of it being too loud as I escaped.
I waited until Taran and Aunt Cindy both retired to their rooms, then texted Cole for a good hour and a half. When I heard nothing coming from Taran’s room, I snuck down the stairs, sliding on the banister because the stairs were too creaky, and then slipped out the front door, leaving it unlocked. I sent up a prayer for it to still be unlocked when I returned.
