Page 36 of Wrapped in You

"That festival basically runs itself," Joe said.

"That's easy for you to say," Sophie said. "You just show up, eat, drink, and sing!"

"And I'll do it again this year!" Joe cried.

Mike, Beck, and Isaac cackled.

"Man, you have got to come out to LA when this is over," Isaac told Joe. "You'd be a riot out there."

Sophie laughed, imagining her father out on the West Coast, running around with a bunch of guys less than half his age. But it was true that Joe's age seemed to get lower by the day. Retirement had kickstarted a new era for him.

He was carefree again.

It was a surprise to all of them when Derek Brownlee said his final "cut" of that Friday a full hour before they'd been told he would.

"Pack it up for the weekend, guys," Derek called. "You did great this week. We're going to finish this thing with flying colors."

Randy muttered to Sophie under his breath, "It always freaks me out when he's nice. I always wonder how he'll make us pay for it later."

Sophie laughed nervously and hurried to clean up the catering table. Already, Mike, Isaac, and Beck were making faces at her, urging her along.

Her idea was this—go to the bar with the guys and her father, have one drink, then head home to relax on the sofa by herself.

But the minute The Thirsty Bucket opened its doors, she heard a familiar voice.

"Sophie!"

Cindy sat at the bar, waiting for her with an enormous smile.

"Dad told me you were coming here," Cindy explained as she wrapped her arms around her. "I convinced Vic to watch the kids for a couple of hours. I told him you've been a stranger lately!"

Mike, Isaac, and Beck were pleased to see Cindy. "The sister!"

"That's right," Cindy said, rolling her eyes. "That's all I'll ever be to you guys. The sister."

"No," Isaac assured her. "You're the mysterious one!"

"We know all about Sophie," Mike agreed.

"We know she's Christmas-obsessed," Isaac said.

"We know that the creepy traffic guy is obsessed with her," Beck said.

Sophie winced. Cindy gave her a look.

"Is he being weird?" Cindy demanded.

Sophie didn't want to talk about it—that she'd caught Jeremy staring at her several times this week, and he'd tried to corner her and converse with her when she'd been rushing to and fro, trying to finish lunch.

"He's fine," Sophie lied.

"He's never fine," Cindy shot back.

"Let's get a drink," Sophie said, her voice bright. "Who wants what?"

Alan poured beers for the boys and a glass of chardonnay for Sophie. Cindy left the counter to sit with the rest of them ata long table, where Sophie and Cindy caught up briefly as Joe, Beck, Mike, and Isaac fell into easy banter.

"It's like they've known each other forever," Cindy said, raising an eyebrow.

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