“Perhaps you should have asked.” Piper’s smile was in no way sweet.
The men, Quinn noted, were happy to just listen in.
“Perhaps I should have.” Sam sent her another look, and she saw the interest.
“The rules are fair play.” Mayor Gripper was standing on two large wooden boxes. Buzz was seated beside him wearing a half pumpkin on his head.
“He still manages to look regal,” Joe said. Mayor Gripper wore a pumpkin-colored suit that had a green pinstripe.
“Do you ever think the elders in this town have way more style than us?” Piper said to anyone listening.
“The pumpkins are rolled in couples. The fastest to the finish with a pumpkin in one piece wins.”
“What do we win?” Jack Trainer yelled.
“Free tickets to the bachelorette evening and dinner.”
“Oh, now I’m really trying,” Rory said. “I want to heckle my single friends.”
There were about twenty couples of various ages and sizes on the start line. Quinn would rather be anywhere but here but knew there was no way out now. She just needed to get to the finish line, and she’d go get a hot chocolate from The Chocolate Place. Maybe a pastry too.
“When Buzz barks, you start,” Mayor Gripper said.
“He couldn’t have just said, ‘ready set go’?” Joe asked. “My dog is notoriously fickle. He doesn’t just bark on cue.”
“Go, Mommy and Daddy!” The shriek came from Benji.
“Do our best, bud,” Joe called back.
“Why is Luke with the celery stick?”
“Hell if I know, Pip,” Jack said. “Maybe she’s good in certain positions?”
“I just threw up in my mouth!”
So did Quinn. She looked at Luke again. They were a good-looking couple, him and the celery stick. Jealousy swirled like acid in her stomach.
“She is not getting her carrot sticks into him,” Piper added, her glare militant.
“That would be a grape injustice,” Dylan said.
“But he might really like her from head to-matoes,” Rory added.
“They do make a grape pear,” Bailey said.
“I don’t carrot all,” Mr. Goldhirsh said.
“I’m so cornfused,” Miss Marla said.
“I’d be extremely grapefruit if you all stopped.”
Everyone looked at Sam.
“Didn’t really work, bud, you want to go again?” Jack asked.
Quinn giggled.
Buzz barked loudly, and everyone was suddenly moving.