Chapter 34

thirty-four

ANDREW

Two hours later, I looked around the auditorium of the small elementary school. The fundraising committee had done a wonderful job of decorating the room. Yellow and white streamers cascaded down the walls, ending in large baskets filled with flowers and pretend Easter eggs.

The costumes everyone had chosen were bright and colorful and added an extra element of fun to the evening.

Elijah handed me a soda. “Thanks for coming.”

“It’s for a good cause. Every school should have a great library.”

“That’s what I think, too.”

Molly and Eddie rushed toward us. Molly was wearing a pretty pink dress with an Easter bonnet she’d made at school. Eddie was dressed as a cowboy.

“Hi, Andrew,” Molly said. “Happy Easter!”

“Happy Easter to you, too. Are you enjoying the party?”

“It’s awesome. We dipped marshmallows in the chocolate fountain.”

With a shy grin, Eddie held up his hands. “Look.” Chocolate smears coated his fingers.

Elijah pulled out a tissue and did his best to get rid of the sticky mess. “It looks as though you had a great time.”

“I didn’t get chocolate on me ‘cause I was careful,” Molly said solemnly.

I held back a smile. Molly might not have chocolate fingers, but her face told everyone where she’d been.

While Elijah searched in his pocket for more tissues, Molly looked behind her dad and grinned. “Look at Jacob. He’s a reindeer.”

I turned around and smiled at my temporary roommate. The brown velvet jumpsuit he’d bought did look a little like a reindeer. All he needed was a flashing red nose, and he could have been Rudolph.

“I’m not a reindeer. I’m the Easter Bunny.” Jacob pulled a headband out of the pouch on his stomach and stuck it on his head.

The floppy rabbit’s ears looked cute, but Molly and Eddie still seemed confused.

When Jacob pulled two chocolate eggs out of the same pouch, the transformation into Easter Bunny was complete. The twins thought he was amazing.

“Where did you find your costume?” Elijah asked.

“In the general store. Jenny has a special area for emergencies. This was the last Easter Bunny costume she had.”

I laughed. “I didn’t realize there could be other bunnies hopping around Sunrise Bay.”

“Only if they were quick. The costume’s a limited edition.”

I couldn’t imagine anyone other than Jacob wearing a velvet rabbit suit. “You were lucky to find it.”

“It was meant to be,” he said with a grin. “Do you want to dance?”

“He’d love to,” Elijah said as he nudged me toward the dance floor. “Don’t come back until you’ve boogied to at least three songs.”

Jacob held out his hand. “I promise not to step on your toes.”

That wasn’t what I was worried about. “Are you sure you can dance in your costume? Won’t you get hot?”

“I’ll be fine. Besides, what could be better than the Easter Bunny dancing with an Easter egg?”

I looked at my costume. I’d found some large sheets of cardboard in my studio and cut them into ovals. After I decorated them with crepe paper and glitter, Jacob helped me attach a wide piece of ribbon to the top of each panel. Thankfully, the costume sat comfortably on my shoulders.

“Okay, I’ll dance with you,” I told him. “But don’t try any fancy moves. I’m not very bendy.”

Elijah pulled out his cell phone. “Before you hit the dance floor, I need a photo. You look cute together.”

I stood beside Jacob, smiling at the camera.

“You can do better than that,” Elijah said. “It’s spring. Do something outrageous.”

Jacob moved so fast that I didn’t have time to react. One minute I was standing beside him, and the next I was lying sideways in his arms, held in front of him like a football.

Before I could say anything, my feet were back on the floor.

“Perfect,” Elijah said as he showed us the picture. “It’s a great photo.”

I groaned. The only good thing about it was that we were both looking at the camera. “Don’t put it on Facebook.”

The next song started, and Elijah held his hand to his ear. “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”

“Yes, you did,” I said loudly. “Remember, I know where you live.”

Jacob laughed and pulled me toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance.”

I looked at him and sighed. How he’d gotten this far through life and not been married was beyond me. “Okay, Easter Bunny. Show me your moves.”

And for the next three songs, he did.