Page 109 of Getting Wrapped Up

“Okay, I can explain that—” he started.

“No need.” The last thing she wanted was tohearhim say that he didn’t want her here. “I got it. Let’s just leave it with oatmeal.”

“Kate—”

She dropped her hold on him, confident he wasn’t going to try to take Tucker on now.

“It’s fine,” she interrupted. “I need to get back to California tonight though.” She needed to get that letter. Or, if her boss had already seen it, beg for her job back. “We’ll…talk later,” she finally said.

She turned away from him. Phoebe and Joe had appeared behind her and Kate could tell they were confused about what was going on but that they would be there for her.

Phoebe took her arm and said to Joe, “Figure this out,” giving a nod toward Levi.

“Got it.” Joe didn’t look pleased with his brother at all.

Kate and Phoebe started toward the door.

“Wait.” Levi grabbed her other arm. “Kate, wait.”

She looked back. Joe had put a hand on Levi’s shoulder but Levi shook him off.

“Dammit, Kate, hang on.”

She swallowed, aware they were making a spectacle. “I’ll call you tomorrow night.”

“No.”

She stopped completely, then was pissed that she’d responded to that demanding tone of his.

“If you’re going to California tonight, I’m going with you,” he told her.

Joe had tried to grab to Levi again and Levi shoved his brother back.

Tucker stepped in front of him and Kate noticed Travis was also now close enough to intervene.

“You don’t have to,” she told Levi. “I’ll be fine.”

“But you’ll be better if I’m with you,” he said firmly.

Well, no one had ever doubted that Levi was sure of himself.

“You have…business here,” she said, waving toward Hailey. “And a life here.” She choked up over those last two words and hated it.

“I’m coming to California.”

Tucker crossed his arms. Kate could only see him from behind but he was taking up a lot of space between her and Levi.

“You shouldn’t have lied to her about the muffins, man,” Tucker said.

Levi looked from her to Tucker. “Dammit, you told her the muffins are amazing right?”

“I’ll buy her a dozen every day for the rest of her life,” Tucker said.

“Yousaidthat?” Levi demanded, clearly torn between being pissed and exasperated.

“No, he didn’t say that,” Kate told him.

“But I would. That’s the kind of stuff you tell the woman you love. You donottell her about the snakes.”

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