“Don’t get too excited, Shepherd,” Kate hissed. “We have to wait for the judges to try everything out.”
Heather filed out of her tent and down the long aisle with the other contestants. She ignored Laverne’s heated stare on the back of her neck and followed the crowd into the waiting tent.
They sat down on plastic chairs, and a low hum of chatter filled the air.
Five minutes passed, then ten, and then Heather gave up counting. She crossed her arms and sat back in the chair.
“You’re going to lose,” Kate said.
Heather’s eyes snapped open. “Oh give it a rest, already, Laverne. You’re like a broke record. Or a high school kid,” she replied.
Kate tapped her heel on the grass. “Who do you think you are? Some hotshot baker? You think you can impress everyone in Hillside, well, you sure didn’t impress anyone in New York.”
“You know, that might’ve hurt my feelings when I was twenty years old,” Heather replied. “I’m too old for this mess.” She rose from her seat and brushed off her apron. She didn’t need to hear the results. She just needed to go home and be with her family and friends. They were all that mattered to her.
Three women and one man entered the tent. They each wore a judge’s pin in the shape of a ribbon.
Kate faded into the background, and Heather resumed her seat.
“After much deliberation,” the head judge said and turned her head to the cameraman who’d rushed into the tent, hot on Lottie’s heels. “We’ve decided on our two runners-up and the winner of the Hillside Annual Bake-Off.”
Tension filled the room. The bakers shifted in their plastic seats and squeaking echoed through the area.
“The second runner-up is,” the judge said, and clasped her hands together, “Kate Laverne.”
Kate’s face colored bright red. She stood and took a bow, then sat back down.
“Our first runner-up is,” the woman continued, “Mattie Terence!”
A man leaped from his seat and whooped. He did a victory dance, which the camera lapped up, then sat back down again.
Kate’s gaze flicked to Heather and back to the judge’s at the front of the room.
“And the winner of the grand prize of five thousand dollars and the 2016 Hillside Annual Bake-Off is…” The judge glanced around the room and the tension built to heights unknown. “Heather Shepherd.”
Heather’s heart bounced around in her chest. Her hands flew to her lips. Oh gosh, she’d actually won the thing.
A week of stress and she’d come through.
Heather rose from her seat and hurried forward. She shook the judges’ hands and posed for a photo.
Lottie appeared in front of her and stuck out the microphone. “Mrs. Shepherd, Mrs. Shepherd, what are you going to do with your prize money?”
The crowd silence and Kate glared at her from the back of the tent.
“I’m giving it to the Hillside Wildlife Fund to restore our natural habitat,” she replied.
Lilly would’ve done the exact same thing.
THE END
A letter from the Author
To each and every one of my Amazing readers: I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!
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Stay Curious,
Susan Gillard
Double Chocolate Pistachio Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 27 Page 7