"Bennett, Cherie - Sunset Island 012 - Sunset Surf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bennett Cherie)

CRACK! All the couples started madly trying to fill their soda bottles. But it seemed like more water was being spilled on the beach than actually made it into the bottles. The crowd rooted and cheered and most of the contestants were laughing more than they were competing. Kurt and Emma, though, worked smoothly as a team, and it seemed like only seconds before they both took hold of their bottle and thrust it into the air. They were followed quickly by Butchie Gleason and Susan Perkins, two Sunset Island locals who had friends who lost property in the hurricane, and Darcy and Wyatt.
Howie Lawrence whistled the event to a stop.
"We have a winner!" Molly Mason sang out over the public address system. "It's
the team of Kurt Ackerman and Emma Cresswell. The standings, going into the last event, are Darcy Laken and Wyatt James with twenty-four points, Ackerman and Cresswell with twenty-two, and three different couples are tied at eighteen points!"
"We're in third place and there's only one event left!" Sam exclaimed, punching Pres in the arm. "We were supposed to win this sucker!"
"I'll make it up to you somehow," Pres teased, putting his arms around Sam.
"Way to go, Kurt and Emma!" Ethan Hewitt yelled from the crowd. Twelve-year-old Ethan was the oldest of the three kids that Emma baby-sat for.
A cheer went up for Kurt and Emma. Everyone joined in except for two slim girls in bikinis who were standing off to the side watching the proceedings- with supercilious looks on their faces. They booed.
"It's Diana and Lorell," Carrie groaned.
"When will those girls get a clue?" Sam asked rhetorically.
"Probably never," Darcy said matter-of-factly.
As if to confirm Darcy's feelings, Lorell's
voice rang out to them. "Oh Sammie," she cooed in her syrupy Georgia drawl, "does fillin' pop bottles with water make you and your do-good friends feel better?"
"It does, Lorell," Sam shot back. "But not as good as I would feel if you'd, like, go for a swim in the ocean and try to make it over to Europe."
Lorell and Diana gave mock laughs. "Oooh, isn't the girl from Kansas clever!" Lorell continued. "Well, I'm sure the five-hundred dollars this event is going to raise for COPE is going to put every one of those poor people back in their homes!"
"It's a start," Carrie said emphatically, drawing close to Sam's side.
"Not much of one," Diana said, archly. Sam started to retort, but Emma took hold of her arm.
"Don't let them wind you up," Emma whispered. "We're doing something important. Come on. Let's get out of here." Sam nodded her head to Emma and turned away. But she couldn't resist just one parting shot at Diana and Lorell.
"Guess you couldn't find someone to enter with, Diana," Sam said sweetly. "That
must be what happens after you sleep with every guy in Maine."
"Not your guy," Diana called after her. "Not yet, anyway."
"Ignore her," Carrie advised Sam, putting her hand lightly on Sam's arm.
"Okay, Olympians, it's time for the final event!" Molly called out over the sound system. "The Water Balloon Toss!"
Molly explained the rules: each couple would get a water balloon, all the guys would line up in one line, all the girls in another, and each couple would throw the balloons back and forth taking a step back after each completed throw. The couple that could throw and catch the balloon from the farthest distance without breaking it, would earn eight points.
"It's kind of like a wet T-shirt contest!" someone in the crowd yelled out.
"Well, that means Sam will lose for sure!" Diana yelled.
Sam turned bright red at this nasty reference to her small bustline. "I have to kill her," she muttered under her breath.
"She's not worth the jail time," Emma said gently.
"I don't know," Sam mused. "The longer
I know her and Lorell, the more I think I'd be doing humanity a favor if I offed them both. No jury would find me guilty."
"Places, please!" Molly called.
All the couples lined up, and again Howie Lawrence blasted away with his starter pistol. Multi-colored water balloons filled the air. Most couples dropped out quickly, and many people were soakedЧbut laughingЧ after the balloons burst in their grasping hands. Carrie, who was normally very sure-handed, shrieked when a bobbled catch soaked her from head to toe.
Within four minutes, only three couples were left: Emma and Kurt, Darcy and Wyatt, Butchie and Susan. Then Darcy made a throw that Wyatt bobbled and dropped. Just two couples left! They went throw for throw for another minute, and then Susan threw one to Butchie that erupted in midair. Kurt and Emma had won the Olympics!
There was lots of cheering, and the two of them took some good-natured ribbing because everyone knew that Emma and Kurt were both pretty involved with COPE. But Molly and Howie ruled that they had won fair and square. And they awarded
the two the certificate good for dinner at the Sunset Inn, the most chic restaurant in town.
"Yeah, like you needed to win a free dinner," Sam groused to Emma.
"Now, Sam, be a good sport," Carrie admonished Sam.
"But she just won a trip to Paradise Island a few weeks ago!" Sam reminded Carrie. "Was she born under a lucky star or what?"
"Hey, Emma's had to deal with a lot of crap with her family, you know," Carrie said. "Everything hasn't been so easy and terrific for her."
"I know," Sam agreed reluctantly, looking over at Emma and Kurt who were being congratulated by a huge crowd of people. "But just once I'd like to know what it feels like to be the poor-little-rich-girl myself."
"Hey, I've got to be back to baby-sit for the kids in an hour and a half," Carrie said, looking at her watch. "Want to go get something to eat, or are you too full from stuffing yourself all afternoon?"
"Moi?" Sam asked. "I'm always up for
food. Should we ask the guys or just get Emma?"
"I vote for just Emma," Carrie decided. "The three of us haven't had a chance to talk for days."
"You got it," Sam said. "I'll go get Princess Grace and we'll meet you at the Play Cafe in a few."
Fifteen minutes later, Emma, Sam and Carrie were comfortably ensconced in their favorite booth under the video monitor in the Play Caf<з. Sam had already ordered a plate of nachos and cheese. All three girls munched while waiting for a deluxe pizza to arriveЧof which Sam had already announced she intended to eat at least half.
"Not that you can't have a piece, Emma," Sam said, between bites of nachos, "but I understand when you're totally in love you don't have much of an appetite. Right, Carrie?"
Carrie barely smiled. "I wouldn't know," she said quietly. "Right now I don't think I know much about love."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked her, taking a sip of water. "Billy is crazy about you! Everyone can see that."
"It's not Billy." Carrie sighed. "It's Josh."