Page 1 of Getting Wrapped Up

Getting In the Spirit

A Sapphire Falls Christmas Novella

Chapter One

“Ifear for my cold, black soul.”

Joe Spencer chuckled as he shifted his daughter to his other hip and pulled a packet of fruit snacks from the cupboard. His computer was on the kitchen table, his brother’s image on screen.

“So dramatic, little brother.”

“I’m serious. I’m fearing some Ghosts of Christmas Future if I fall asleep.”

Joe shook his head. Levi was younger by eleven months and had never suffered from anything like guilt or contrition in all of his thirty two years.

Then again, Levi had also never had his brain banged around inside his skull in a could-have-been-fatal car accident.

“I believe there’s only one Ghost of Christmas Future. There was also past and present,” Joe said, fighting a smile.

“Whatever. Don’t want any ghost visits at all.” Levi sighed and leaned back against the pillows. “My fucking head hurts.”

Joe frowned. “You’re lucky that’s all that hurts.” Levi had driven his car into a ditch and flipped it twice. It was a miracle he was talking on the phone at the moment.

He looked like crap.

He was home now, on strict orders to rest and relax for several days. The headaches were getting better but were far from resolved. The doctors said that was to be expected. Joe had been by his bedside for the two days he’d been in the hospital and returned home to Sapphire Falls only yesterday.

“At least I’m out of the hospital. You know they gave me male nurses on purpose.”

“Of course they did. They didn’t want any of their female nurses shirking their duties to the other patients to take care of you.”

Levi Spencer was one of the most, if notthemost, eligible bachelors in Las Vegas. He was rich, for one thing, and couldn’t help being charming any more than he could help hisgorgeous—according to Joe’s own wife—blue eyes, dark hair or I’m-trouble-and-you’ll-love-every-minute-of-it grin.

“You’re mostly bored,” Joe said.

“None of my friends came to visit me in the hospital.”

Joe sighed. He wasn’t sure that Levi actually had any friends. He had a bunch of people who loved that he would always foot the bill.

“Did Juliet ever call you?” Joe asked of Levi’s girlfriend.

“No.” Levi paused. “And I don’t care. See what I mean about the cold-black-soul thing?”

Joe tried not to grin. He couldn’t completely disagree with Levi’s assessment and he was happy that his little brother might have finally had a wakeup call.

“Hey, Levi, hold on a second.” Joe tucked his daughter into her highchair and turned the computer so she could see Levi on the screen. “Kae, you talk to Uncle Levi for a few minutes. Tell him about going to grandma’s house.”

Kaelyn was ten months old and she’d babble long enough that Joe could get the laundry moved from the washing machine to the dryer.

Joe took his time as he heard his daughter’s sweet voice regaling Levi with her big plans for the four-day stay with Phoebe’s mom and dad while Joe and Phoebe headed to DC for some holiday parties. At least, that’s what Joe assumed she was telling Levi. He grinned.

DC and its social life was part of Joe’s job. It had gotten harder to be away from home since having Kaelyn, of course, but he’d been able to balance it all so far. While they loved their daughter to distraction, he and Phoebe were looking forward to the quick getaway. Joe was eternally grateful for his in-laws living right in Sapphire Falls and all of the friends they could count on to give them a hand.

Re-entering the kitchen, Joe swept Kaelyn up into his arms, grabbed her fruit snacks and the laptop and headed for the living room. They got settled on the couch and Joe was finally able to concentrate fully on his brother.

“I know you’re bored, but you’ve got to listen to the doctors. The concussion is serious. You’ve got to lay off the partying, even if you’re bored to death at home.”

“Doc told me the same thing,” Levi said. “The bastard.”

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