Chapter Fourteen

The lighted marquee outside the community center read Welcome to the 27th Annual Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off. Check your diets at the door.

As she moved into the packed hall with Noel and Peggy, Ally could see the tables set up, covered with plastic Christmas red-and-green tablecloths and marked with numbers. Some were already occupied with contestants and their baked entries. They were wearing name badges, chatting one another up; some looked relaxed, others nervous. Ally noticed the stage was set up with a stand microphone and a row of five chairs behind it. She noticed a number of airline passengers, some there to watch and others sitting at tables, readying their entries for the judges. She wondered if their hosts had roped them into entering as well.

“Wow,” Noel said. “It smells amazing. I’m going to gain five pounds through my nostrils.”

“All right,” Peggy said. “Let’s get you checked in.” She led them over to a check-in table, again manned by Amelia and Lanie. While Lanie filled out Noel’s tag and Amelia again did Ally’s, the yogi’s curiosity got the best of her.

“So, Amelia and Lanie. How’d you two get stuck doing check-in two nights in a row?”

“Our moms,” the girls said in perfect synchronicity. “They’re on the town social committee.” Instinctively, Ally looked around for Robbie. He was nowhere in sight. “I wrote your table and entry number on the bottom of your nametag,” Amelia said. Her airplane beau Justin walked over, bringing her a cup of red punch.

“Thanks,” Amelia said sweetly, and Ally figured that Robbie’s chances had all but dried up. This guy was doting on her, but, then again, he might be overplaying his hand. After all, Ally knew women. Justin could be making the mistake of pouring it on a smidge too thick with his waiting-on-her-hand-and-foot shtick.

Robbie, on the other hand, while he’d made a series of disastrous moves, at least had an air of mystery about him. His weird behavior could be seen as intriguing. Wishful thinking, Ally thought. She wasn’t sure why she was invested in this shy busboy winning the college girl’s hand. Maybe she was just a sucker for happy endings. Maybe she needed one.

“Look, Ally,” Noel said. “Peggy.”

Ally looked at the stage and saw Peggy conferring with a cluster of what Ally assumed to be judges. She seemed to be giving them their marching orders, getting them ready to make the rounds. Then, Peggy shifted a little, and she could see Doc Baker’s “Judge” badge hanging around his neck. Amelia seemed to read Ally’s mind.

“Mrs. Nelson’s the emcee. She does it every year.”

“Oh, really?” Ally said. “She’s so humble, she never even mentioned it.”

Ally scanned the room. No Jake. His absence was conspicuous, and her roommate was obviously thinking the same thing. “I don’t see Jake,” Noel said. “Think maybe he chickened out?”

Ally laughed. “If he knows what’s good for him.”

“Good evening, everyone,” Peggy said. “And welcome to the 27th Annual Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off.” Peggy paused for a ripple of applause to roll around the room. “I’d like to offer a special welcome to our airplane guests, some of whom have chosen to enter this year’s competition. If one of them is fortunate enough to win, it will be the first time in the history of the bake-off that a non-Bethlehem resident has taken the top prize.”

Ally did another look around the room. She saw Tina and Maddie but still no Jake.

“I think our table’s over here,” Noel said. “C’mon. Let’s go set up.”

Ally and Noel were assigned table number fourteen, with table thirteen occupied by mayor and postal carrier Frank Farmer. His Honor was welcoming and friendly, but not ready to reveal his cookie creation when Noel asked for a sneak peek. Noel laid out a few small table decorations to spice things up, including a homemade sign she’d done on cardboard that read Ally and Noel’s Crazy Cranberrilicious Chocolate Christmas Chunks! Ally noticed that fifteen was the only table yet to be occupied. She had a feeling she knew what that meant.

“Hey, you guys. Looks like I’m in just under the wire.” Jake sauntered up with the cocksure confidence of a back-to-back contest winner. He was carrying a small round Tupperware container. Ally noted that he’d also cleaned up a bit. He had on a dark blue dress jacket over a white Oxford shirt. His hair was slicked back, and he smelled of Polo. Not too shabby, she thought. Not too shabby at all. While Ally and Noel’s table was cutely decorated with a mini-tree, pine cones, and sprigs of holly, Jake’s was bare. He just had his cookie tin and a handwritten sign on a yellow sticky note. “Jake’s Famous Christmas Cookies.”

“Wow,” Ally said with a smirking glance at Noel. “You really went all out, table fifteen.”

“Yeah,” Noel said. “And such a creative cookie name.”

Jake smiled. “I’ve found that what judges are really looking for is taste. So, I don’t waste my time trying to distract them.”

“Hmmm,” Ally said. “It seems somebody’s now gone from overconfident to seriously cocky.”

“Yep,” Noel said. “My grandmother used to say ‘overconfidence will drown you in a sea of reality.’”

“Well, I guess we’ll soon see,” Jake said. “Maybe I should have brought a life preserver.”

“Or at least a floaty,” Ally said.

A burst of shrill microphone feedback brought their attention back to the stage, where Peggy waited for silence. “Before our judges fan out to taste the wonderful cookies you’ve created this year, I’d like to introduce them.” The judges assembled in a straight line as Peggy asked them to step forward one by one when she announced their names.

Dr. Tom Baker, the first one in line, was dressed in an outrageous green sweater with a Santa head on the front. The beloved Doc Baker got a huge ovation when he stepped forward to take his bow. Libby, of Charlie’s Diner fame, was the second judge to step forward, followed by her cohort, the lovestruck busboy Robbie. Then came George, the widowed school teacher who’d taken a shine to temporary waitress Ally. Peggy finished with, “and, our special guest judge this year, Captain Karen Kendall, pilot of Flight 1225!” Ally clapped as her pilot took a bow. She’d heard Captain Kendall was staying with the editor of The Bethlehem Bugle and his wife.

“All right,” Peggy said once the panel had been properly introduced, “judges are now free to circulate. Happy tasting!” An excited hum rolled through the crowd as the five judges left the stage and spread out among the entries. Ally noticed they each had a checkboard with a pen attached by a string.

“They score you on originality and, of course, taste,” Jake said.

“Well, you’d better hope your cookie tastes really good,” Noel said to Jake. “’Cause ours are awesome. Best I’ve ever tasted.” Ally winked at Jake and crossed her arms as if to say “take that.”

“Well, if there was a ribbon for confidence,” Jake said with a smile, “you’d definitely take home the blue.” A low, mellow version of “The Christmas Song” played over the speakers as the judges roamed, tasted toothpick cookie samples, and then marked their boards while they chewed.

Judge Robbie made a beeline for his boss’s table. “Hey Jake.”

“How are you, Robbie?”

Robbie stepped in close for a whisper as Ally eavesdropped. “Amelia’s here with whatshisname.”

“Saw that,” Jake said. “You’re mighty brave to show up.”

“I tried to skip out,” Robbie said, “but your mother wouldn’t let me off the hook.” Robbie took a toothpick from a paper cup on Jake’s table and poked a cookie sample. Ally and Noel exchanged a look as Robbie popped Jake’s cookie in his mouth. The young judge closed his eyes and savored it as if he were tasting a vintage fine wine. Ally, Jake, and Noel eagerly awaited his verdict. “Boss, I have a dentist’s appointment tomorrow,” Robbie said. “Mind if I come in late?”

“No problem at all,” Jake said. “Take as long as you need. Take the whole day, if you like.”

“Thanks, Jake.”

“Hey, wait a second,” Ally said. “Now, that doesn’t seem very fair. Does it, Noel?”

“Not at all fair,” Noel echoed.

Jake looked over at Ally and Noel as Robbie marked his checkboard. “What do you mean?” Ally could see the sparkle in his blue eyes.

“Your employee’s a judge,” Ally said. “Seems like a conflict of interest to me.”

“Yeah,” Noel echoed again, “a conflict of interest.”

“What are you suggesting?” Jake asked.

“You know exactly what we’re suggesting,” Ally said.

“Don’t worry,” Jake said with a grin, “you’ll get a fair shake.”

“Well, I guess that remains to be seen,” Ally said.

“Yeah, remains to be seen,” Noel said.

Robbie finished marking his judge’s checkboard and stepped over to Ally and Noel’s booth. “Hello judge,” Noel said. “Would you like to sample our Crazy Cranberrilicious Chocolate Christmas Chunks?”

Robbie shrugged. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Here,” Ally said, “you need to cleanse your palate first. Get that inferior cookie taste out of your mouth.” She shot a look at Jake. He smiled and shook his head.

Ally handed judge Robbie one of their tiny sample cups of milk. Robbie downed it, crumpled the cup, and tossed it in the trash bin. He took one of Ally and Noel’s Christmas green toothpicks and speared a Cranberrilicious cookie sample. Ally felt Noel lean into her, and, just before Robbie put the cookie in his mouth, cooed “Ooo!” Robbie stopped and looked at her. “My baby girl just kicked. Here, feel.” Noel took Robbie’s free hand and placed it on her pregnant belly. “Don’t be shy.” Ally shot a “take that” look at Jake as the teenager felt a baby kick for the first time.

“That’s so cool!” he said. Instinctively, Ally glanced over toward the check-in table. Justin was standing beside Amelia, talking her ear off, but the pretty college girl didn’t seem to be paying him any attention. Her eyes were locked on Robbie, whose hand was still pressed against Noel’s pregnant belly as if he was afraid to take it away. Ally turned to point it out to Jake, but she could tell he’d seen it, too. They shared a furtive smile.

…

It took nearly an hour for the five judges to cycle through the twenty-plus entrants. Ally thought it was wise that they only took small bites, or they might all end up at Doc Baker’s—Doc Baker included. Ally thought it was so much fun teasing Jake and watching Noel turn on her charm and demonstrate master sales skills Ally had no idea she possessed. Noel went back to the well judge after judge, trying out her baby-feeling scheme, much to Jake’s amusement. Peggy stopped by at one point to see how things were going. She leaned in and whispered, “Your cookie is the talk of the bake-off.”

Just before eight o’clock, the judges returned to the stage and huddled with Peggy as if she were the quarterback and they were about to call the winning play. Jake had gone over to speak with his sister and Maddie, and Noel had headed off to locate the “little girls’ room.” Ally looked toward the back and saw Amelia’s would-be beau Justin sitting all alone, nursing a sad cup of eggnog. She’s already growing bored with him, she thought. Robbie, this is your chance.

“Hello there.”

Ally turned toward the greeting to find three ladies with pasted-on grins. They had her cornered. They were early to late forties and all wearing the same washable linen pants and white sweatshirts with red lettering that shouted “Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off” on the front. All three had bumper bang hairstyles, and Ally was convinced they’d had their hair done on the same day. Their lips were red, and their faces had a heaping helping of foundation, powder, bronzer, and blush. When they smiled, each had traces of red lipstick on their canine teeth.

“Hello,” Ally replied.

The one in the middle spoke first. “You must be the pretty one everyone’s talking about. You’re staying with Peggy Nelson, aren’t you?”

“That’s right,” Ally said. “I’m Ally Henderson.” The women spoke in perfect synchronicity, as if they’d rehearsed in the ladies’ room.

“Bethany.”

“Margaret.”

“Gina.”

“We’re members of the Bethlehem Babes,” Bethany explained.

“It’s a fitness club,” Gina said.

“We work out together,” Margaret tagged on. Ally was impressed with how seamlessly they shared the speaking duties.

“That’s great,” Ally said. What does this have to do with me? she wondered.

“We hear you’re a yoga guru,” Bethany said.

Ally squelched a smile. She had never thought of herself as a guru, though she’d been called that before. “I suppose that’s right,” she said. “I have a studio back in L.A.”

“Awesome!” Margaret and Gina said simultaneously. Bethany saved her voice for the kill shot.

“We were wondering if you might give us some pointers,” Bethany said. “We’re thinking of taking up yoga as part of our New Year’s resolution.”

“Oh…” Ally said. “That’s great. Sure. I’d be happy to.” Ally was relieved that’s all it was.

“Wonderful!” the three ladies chorused. They all watched Ally expectantly. She looked at Jake. He’d come back over and was watching her, too.

“I could use some pointers, too,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Oh,” Ally said. “You mean right now?” The ladies nodded.

“No time like the present,” Gina said.

“Well,” Ally started. “The first thing you should do is find a nice space to practice yoga. A place where you can focus without too many distractions.”

“Find a space,” Margaret echoed. The ladies all nodded.

“Space,” Jake repeated. Ally shot him a look to let him know she knew full well he was poking fun at her situation.

“Next, you should define your practice. How often you’ll meet, what you hope to accomplish, what type of yoga you want to try, that sort of thing.”

“Define practice,” Bethany said.

“And, lastly,” Ally said, “invest in a sticky mat. You need good footing. I’m sure you’ll have to order those online. I can’t imagine Bethlehem will have those readily available.”

“Sticky mat,” Jake said.

“Thank you so much,” Gina said. “C’mon, ladies! Let’s go reload our plates before the cookies are all gone!” Ally watched the three Bethlehem Babes toddle off toward the food table. She looked at Jake.

“See? Not everybody thinks yoga is new-age hooey.”

Jake smiled. “I take it all back.”

Onstage, the judges broke their huddle and made a line behind Peggy. The mistress of ceremonies stepped up to the microphone. She was holding an index card in her left hand. Noel returned from the bathroom and looped her arm around Ally’s.

“I’m so nervous,” the expectant mom said.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” Ally said.

“And now the moment of truth,” Peggy said. She looked at the card. “The blue-ribbon winner of Bethlehem’s 27th Annual Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off is…Crazy Cranberrilicious Chocolate Christmas Chunks by Noel Rogers and Ally Henderson!” The crowd cheered. Ally and Noel shrieked and bounced up and down like bobblehead dolls, then Noel threw her arms around Ally and rocked her back and forth.

“We did it!” Noel said. “We won!”

“I know,” Ally said. “I can’t believe it. I think it was the name.” Ally shot a look over Noel’s shoulder at Jake. He was giving it the old sarcastic slow clap, but she could tell from the look on his face that he was genuinely happy for them.

As the crowd moved in around the winners, offering congratulations, Noel beamed like a giddy little girl. “I’ve never won anything in my life!”

“C’mon,” Ally said. “Let’s go claim our ribbon!” Ally took Noel by the hand, and they moved through the parting crowd toward the stage, where Peggy and the judges waited with their prize.

…

As Jake watched Ally and Noel head to the stage, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction, like his favorite team had just won the championship. Though he had started out hoping for a three-peat, he was glad they’d won. He wanted Ally to be happy, to forget for a moment all the crap that was going on in her life. Most importantly, he wanted her to think that maybe Bethlehem wasn’t so bad after all. He wanted her to feel at home.

Jake saw Amelia step up on stage carrying the giant blue ribbon. She handed it to Peggy and then stood aside, and she just so happened to stand right next to Robbie. Jake noticed Robbie stiffen up, his eyes staring straight ahead as if terrified to glance in her direction. Poor kid. Jake whistled and cheered with the others as Peggy presented the winners the oversized ribbon. He watched as Ally allowed Noel to step up to the mic to say a few words, Oscars-style.

“Wow!” Noel said as the crowd fell silent. “I’m just so excited. I don’t really know what to say except that…” Jake saw her face change suddenly. The exuberant glow quickly vanished, and she looked confused. He looked at Ally and saw that she seemed as perplexed by the sudden shift as he did. Something was up.

“Except that…my water just broke.”

A pall fell over the room. Was she kidding? Ally looked back toward Jake. He could tell from the look on her face that she knew it was no joke.

Jake rushed to the stage as Ally and Robbie stepped up and each took one of Noel’s arms. Jake grabbed a chair and jumped on stage, nearly slipping in Noel’s amniotic fluid. He spun the chair around in one deft motion and helped Ally and Robbie ease Noel back into it as Doc Baker stepped up to the microphone. He was the picture of calm as he held up a hand and quieted the murmuring crowd.

“All right, now. Quiet down. There’s no cause to panic. I’ve delivered better than two thousand babies in my time, so I’ve got this under control. Robbie, run across the street and get a wheelchair from my office, please.”

Jake watched Robbie leap from the stage like an action hero. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, giving him a wide path to the back door. Even amid the hubbub and fervor, Jake thought to glance over at Amelia. Robbie’s crush watched him bolt out of the community center. Jake knew exactly what she was thinking. My hero.

But Ally wasn’t watching Robbie and Amelia at all. She was watching him.

…

“Ally, this can’t be happening.” Ally felt Noel squeeze her fingers tightly, and she kneeled down beside her. The soon-to-be mommy’s eyes were filled with panicked tears. “My baby has to be born in New Jersey. And Brian should be here. Also, I’m supposed to be late, not early, just like all the other women in my family. This is just wrong. All wrong.” Ally lifted Noel’s hand to her lips and kissed it.

“You know what they say,” Ally said, “if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Noel managed a smile at her friend’s recycled wisdom just as another contraction hit her, and she winced in pain. Ally looked over at Jake. Now, he was watching her.