Page 48 of Wrapped in You

"There's way more where that came from," Cindy said as she shoved the box into Derek's arms and disappeared.

Derek laughed and peered into the box.

Sophie groaned again.

"You sound stressed," Derek offered. "I figured this kind of thing would make you happy."

"It does," Sophie said, hanging her head. "Well, I normally really enjoy this process. Picking out the Christmas tree. Playing Christmas music. Stringing lights. Figuring out where I want all the decorations to go."

"You have your own process," Derek said.

"Have you called Mom and Dad yet?" Cindy asked as she hauled another box from the attic. "Maybe Vic can bring the kids over, and we can all have dinner after."

A soft smile played across Sophie's lips. Cindy returned to the attic to fetch more boxes.

"Is this how it is in your family?" Derek asked with another laugh.

"We love hard," Sophie explained. "We don't let one another off the hook."

Derek was thoughtful.

"But you can leave whenever you want," Sophie offered. "Seriously. It's about to get chaotic in here. The kids are ages two and three and wild. And my mom and dad will probably sing all the Christmas songs at the top of their lungs. Even if they forget the words, they make up their own."

Sophie felt suddenly breathless. She reached for her phone. "Maybe I can call you a taxi? There's, like, one in town. The driver is usually busy with his family, or he's had one too many beers with lunch, but sometimes he's available."

Who was I kidding? Steve was never available to drive the taxi! I hadn't seen it on the road in months!

"No," Derek affirmed. "I want to stay. If I'm allowed?"

Sophie's heart melted. Slowly, she returned her gaze to his and studied him. From the attic door came the sound of Cindy having a fake meltdown about the number of boxes. "We're going to need a bigger boat!" she cried, quotingJaws.

"Does that reference work in this context?" Derek asked, smiling wider.

"It doesn't matter," Sophie said. "We're fast and loose with our references."

The air between them shimmered.

Sophie thought,I want to kiss him. And she stared for too long at his thick, supple lips, the sharp cut of his jawline, his cheekbones. It should have been illegal to look like him.

"Why don't we go out and get a Christmas tree?" Derek said suddenly. "Isn't there a farm just down the road? We can walk, if it isn't too cold for you."

"Too cold for me? I'm a native Upstate New Yorker," Sophie shot back. "I can handle anything."

After another demand from Cindy, Sophie called her parents to invite them to her house for a "decorating party." Cindy called through the speaker to explain, "She completely forgot to decorate for Christmas. I'm worried!"

Sophie rolled her eyes as her mother said, "We're on our way."

Cindy called Vic to tell him to bring the kids over. Sophie felt the storm of her family life coming closer and closer.

But instead of waiting for it, she hurried upstairs to put on jeans and a sweater and add a touch of makeup to her face. With her hair pulled out of its messy bun, her dark blond curls cascaded beautifully down her shoulders. She tried to see herself through Derek's eyes but instead got preoccupied with how beautiful most actresses he'd worked with were. She'd never gotten around to googling Georgia. She was sure she'd been gorgeous.

Live in the moment, Sophie Masters.

Walk down the street with this handsome Hollywood director and pick out a Christmas tree.

Don't think about the moment he'll leave Willow Creek.

Don't think about the future.

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