All's Fair in Love and Chocolate (Marietta Chocolate Wars #1) - Amy Andrews Page 0,57

Like out on the ice that day. Then Sage interrupted, eschewing a handshake to drag her into a big hug and the celebrations filtered back in again.

“You did it,” she said over the noise.

Viv grinned. “Thank you so much for agreeing to all this.” After all, it’d have been impossible without Sage’s full support.

“Not at all. Like I’ve been saying all along, it’s been good having someone keeping me on my toes.”

Reuben cupped his hands around his mouth and said, “Speech, speech.”

Viv laughed and shook her head but the chant was soon taken up by the crowd and Viv acquiesced—not without an I’m-going-to-make-you-pay-for-this glance at Reuben. His answering bring-it expression set those butterflies loose again.

Clearing her throat, Viv took the microphone from the mayor as he handed it over. “Thank you,” she said, her breath fogging into the air as the crowd quietened.

Public speaking wasn’t exactly her forte but she didn’t feel nervous like she might normally when speaking to a crowd of people she didn’t know because she realized as she looked out that she did know these people. There was half of Reuben’s family and Flo from the diner and Elise from the Java Café and so many other faces she’d seen in Delish these past weeks.

Many more faces than she’d have been familiar with at any city store she’d set up.

So many people here had been extraordinarily kind and gone out of their way once Clem had called them on their behavior. Even Carol Bingley standing at the front was smiling at her, obviously happy at the outcome.

Everyone was smiling. Everyone was happy. Marietta was happy for her. She wasn’t addressing strangers. She was chatting with…friends.

“Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and to the organizers of the Stroll for allowing me this little indulgence today. Thank you to Sage for being such a great sport.” She smiled at Sage and the crowd cheered again. “And to Edwin for his expertise.” More cheers from the crowd. “Thank you to everyone who’s supported Delish these past weeks. I know we all got off to a bit of a rocky start but I appreciate how you’ve embraced the store, embraced me and shown me how wonderful life in a small town can be.”

Viv’s gaze locked with Reuben’s as the crowd seemed to holler extra hard. He, more than anyone had showed her that. Them being friends may have stirred up a hornet’s nest but his lack of give-a-fuck over the town’s judgment and his willingness to support her in the face of it all had meant a lot. Reuben was the very essence of Marietta—once they’d removed their heads from their asses—all for one and one for all and she’d have liked to thank him personally in front of everyone but shied from such a public display.

It would be stupid for anyone to get the wrong idea about them.

Breaking their gaze, Viv widened her focus to the rest of the assembly and cleared her throat. “So, anyway…thank you, everyone; thank you, Marietta. It’s been a privilege getting to know you all.”

Viv stepped down to more cheers and a crowd who all wanted to congratulate her and stop for a chat so it took her about twenty minutes to get to Reuben.

“Congratulations,” he said when she finally stepped into the circle of his arms. “I hate to say I told you so,” he murmured, his lips against her forehead, “but…I told you so.”

“Mmm.” His warm breath fanned over her skin as he dropped a kiss on her brow. She’d have liked a more thorough, much lower, congratulatory kiss but she could wait.

“Let’s go see the gingerbread house entries and winners,” he said as his gloved hand grabbed her gloved hand and tugged her toward the boardwalk.

Viv would have liked nothing more—she’d been hearing all about the magnificent quality of the competition entries which, like the Stroll, was an annual event. But she really needed to go check on Robbie and Mackenzie. “Can’t, I’ve gotta get back.”

“Oh come on,” he cajoled. “Surely the Marietta queen of hot chocolate can play hooky for a minute or two? It’s practically on the way.”

Laughing, Viv let him pull her along. A small detour wouldn’t hurt.

People greeted them with smiles and words of congratulations as they walked and the sound of carolers singing “Come All Ye Faithful” serenaded them down the boardwalk but, just before they reached the extravagantly decorated windows of the bank where the gingerbread houses were on display, Reuben took a sharp right into an