Page 63 of Wrapped in You

Just before lunchtime, Randy asked her if she was ready to chat about the Christmas Festival. Sophie felt weary just looking at the to-do list for the upcoming three-day festival—the games and prizes they still had to arrange and the people they had to convince to volunteer so everything ran smoothly. Why hadn't she kept her involvement strictly food-based?Because I love Willow Creekwas her answer.

But she was exhausted.

Feeling slightly frantic, Sophie chatted with Randy about the Christmas Festival for the next half hour as they prepped for lunch. Randy took it in stride and reminded her three times that "everything was going to go to plan."

When the assistant director called for a break, a storm of cast and crew approached, ripping away from their equipment to feast on the Irish stew Sophie had made. Sophie forced a smile as her heart pumped. Who could she ask about Derek's absence? Where was Cara?

Finally, Mike, Isaac, and Beck appeared. She felt safest with them.

"Any news on the director?" Sophie asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"We heard he was out sick," Isaac said as he spooned stew into his bowl.

"The assistant director said we're too behind schedule to take a break for Derek's health," Mike said. "I told you early on—Silver Bellsis cursed!"

Sophie's head thrummed. Maybe Derek had avoided her after their kiss yesterday because he wasn't feeling well? Perhaps he'd been out of his mind?

Sophie got up the nerve to take yet another half day off.

She'd made buckets and buckets of stew for the cast and crew.

Stew just happened to be one of the most heartwarming foods ever. If Derek was really sick, she'd bring him some. It would cure him.

She knew it.

Randy was happy to let Sophie go again. She could tell he liked making decisions for Culinary Tastings and picking up the slack. Sophie piled a big to-go container with ladles full of stew, closed it up, and hurried off. Conveniently, Vic had written her that morning to say her car was fixed and ready to go, so she ran off to pick it up at his auto shop. Vic was in back, his overalls smudged with grease. When he smiled, Sophie realized just how much Peter already looked like his dad.

"Thanks a bunch, Vic!" she called as she clambered into the driver's seat.

"Sorry it took so long," he said. "That spare part didn't come in till the other day."

Sophie waved her hand. It felt like decades since she'd had a working car. In reality, it had only been a few weeks.

Time was strange when you were falling in love.

Sophie knew exactly where Derek's cabin was. Lodged deep in the forest, it once served as a hunting cabin for her great-grandfather before her grandfather took it over and sold it to a tourism board. As she parked in the driveway out front, she inhaled deeply, trying and failing to calm herself.

This used to be my family's cabin.

It was a safe place.

Sophie carried her stew to the sturdy front door, preparing her face with a soft smile. She wanted Derek to take one look at her and think,Yes. She's going to save me from myself.

Instead, Sophie had to knock three times before Derek came to the door.

Sophie stood with the stew in her hands, feeling like an idiot. Derek was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt, and his hair was especially messy, presumably because he hadn't showered today.

His dark eyes peered out at her with distrust.

She wanted to yell,You came over to my house first! You kissed me first!

Don't you remember?

But instead, her voice wavered as she said, "I heard you were sick. I brought you Irish stew."

Derek looked at the container of stew as though it might explode. He tugged his hair.

"Oh," he finally said.

---